Skip to main content
Normal View

Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 7 Jul 1993

Vol. 433 No. 6

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

Ivor Callely

Question:

58 Mr. Calley asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will extend the family income supplement scheme so that self-employed families can benefit from it; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Family income supplement is available to employees bringing up families on low earnings. Extension of the scheme to self-employed families would have financial implications and could only be considered in a budgetary context.

Self-employed people whose income falls below the rate of Unemployment Assistance appropriate to their family circumstances are entitled to claim an Unemployment Assistance payment. The rate of Unemployment Assistance payable depends on their means. In assessing means, account is taken of the net income which the applicant may reasonably expect to receive in the next year.

Edward Nealon

Question:

59 Mr. Nealon asked the Minister for Social Welfare when an old age contributory pension will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Sligo who qualified on age grounds in March 1993.

To qualify for a retirement pension at age 65 or an old age contributory pension at age 66 a person must satisfy a number of conditions. One of these conditions requires him to have at least 156 social insurance qualifying contributions paid since first entering insurable employment. As the insurance record of the person concerned shows only 101 paid contributions, he does not qualify for contributory pension.

The person concerned may become entitled to a means-tested old age noncontributory pension on reaching age 66 in March 1994. The pension is currently payable to people over age 66 whose means do not exceed £60 per week, or £62 per week from the end of July 1993. My Department will arrange to issue an application form for this pension to the person concerned three months prior to his 66th birthday so as to allow adequate time for his claim to be investigated and decided.

Edward Nealon

Question:

60 Mr. Nealon asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of people who are in receipt of a lone parent's allowance in County Leitrim.

Edward Nealon

Question:

61 Mr. Nealon asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of people who are in receipt of a lone parent's allowance in County Sligo.

Edward Nealon

Question:

62 Mr. Nealon asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of people who are in receipt of pre-retirement pensions in County Leitrim; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Edward Nealon

Question:

63 Mr. Nealon asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of people who are in receipt of pre-retirement pensions in County Sligo; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Edward Nealon

Question:

68 Mr. Nealon asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of people in County Sligo receiving a carer's allowance.

Edward Nealon

Question:

69 Mr. Nealon asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of people in County Leitrim receiving a carer's allowance.

It is proposed to take Questions Nos. 60, 61, 62, 63, 68 and 69 together.

The number of people in receipt of a lone parent's allowance, pre-retirement allowance and carer's allowance in counties Leitrim and Sligo at 31 December 1992 is as set out in the following table:

Scheme

County Leitrim

County Sligo

Lone Parent's Allowance

80

348

Pre-Retirement Allowance

155

316

Carer's Allowance

51

105

Edward Nealon

Question:

64 Mr. Nealon asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of students who qualify for unemployment assistance at each employment exchange in County Sligo.

Edward Nealon

Question:

65 Mr. Nealon asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of students who qualify for unemployment assistance at each employment exchange in County Leitrim.

It is proposed to take Questions Nos. 64 and 65 together.

Under the provisions in section 14 of the Social Welfare Act, 1993, students in full-time education are no longer entitled to claim Unemployment Assistance during their summer holidays. I recently made regulations exempting certain mature students and people participating in the Third Level Allowance scheme for the long term unemployed from this disqualification.

I have introduced a summer jobs scheme for students who cannot get a summer job and who would formerly have been eligible for Unemployment Assistance. The scheme provides them with the opportunity to do community work, voluntary work or work provided by public sector bodies and to earn up to £400 over the ten week period from 1 July to the end of September this year.

In counties Sligo and Leitrim sponsors have come forward offering a variety of jobs to students who have registered for the scheme. To date the number of sponsors, jobs offered and students approved for the scheme in Counties Sligo and Leitrim is as follows (a breakdown by individual local office within the counties is not available):

County Sligo

County Leitrim

No. of Sponsors

47

44

Jobs available

234

260

Students approved

84

54

Top
Share