Vol. 434 No. 5
30 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Social Welfare his views on whether there is an injustice being done to some parents who go on social employment schemes as in the case whereby a parent of an 18 year old who is at second level school does not get an allowance for the child but if the parent had a child over 18 years at third level they would get the allowance as in both cases the child is a dependant; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The Social Employment Scheme, which is administered by the Department of Enterprise and Employment, provides part-time employment for long term unemployed people in noncommercial, socially desirable projects which are sponsored by local authorities, community groups and others. The personal rate is currently £77 per week as compared to £59.20 for a long term unemployed person.
39 Mr. Crowley asked the Minister for Social Welfare his views on whether it is equitable that a wife in receipt of £9 per week unemployment assistance is deemed ineligible for dental benefit because her husband is working and she is therefore not deemed to be a dependant; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
In order to be regarded as a dependent spouse for the purposes of qualifying for dental benefit, a person must not have means above a certain limit, and must not be in receipt of any social welfare payment. Once a spouse is in receipt of a social welfare payment other than supplementary welfare allowance, disabled person's maintenance allowance, or child benefit payments, he or she is not regarded as being dependent within the meaning of the legislative provisions on dependency. The Deputy will appreciate the difficulties inherent in legislating for a concept such as dependency, but I wish to assure him that I will keep the matter under review and consider anomalies as they arise, against the constraints of budgetary provision.
40 Mr. Kenneally asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason that, under the optical benefits scheme, an insured person is entitled to get a pair of glasses free of charge, that is frame and lenses, but is not entitled to the total cost of putting new lenses into an existing frame, particularly with regard to the fact that the cost of putting in the lenses to either frame should be the same; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Claimants can receive a complete set of spectacles free of charge under the Optical Benefit Scheme. There is no charge where a person selects from a range of specified frames. Applicants who opt for a set of non-specified spectacles incur charges related to the difference in costs between the specified or standard spectacles.
Where a person needs to have lenses replaced or changed there is no charge if the lenses are being fitted to any of the specified frames. If a person did not have a specified frame, that person could opt for a completely new set of spectacles.
When a person opts to have lenses refitted to a non-specified frame, charges will be incurred if lenses have to be made to measure, resulting in an extra cost.
