Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 3 Mar 1994

Vol. 439 No. 7

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Payment.

Tony Gregory

Question:

61 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a more practical system of social welfare payment can be arranged for a person (details supplied) in Dublin 1 who suffers from epilepsy and receives his disability benefit cheque of £28 per week by post, attends his GP for a weekly certificate, brings this certificate to Gandon House, Dublin 1, attends weekly at Summerhill Health Centre for £30 supplementary welfare allowance, and who lost his £8 free fuel allowance which he received when in receipt of unemployment assistance.

Minister for Social Welfare (Dr. Woods)

As I informed the Deputy in my reply to his questions on Tuesday last (Questions Nos. 80 and 83), the person concerned is currently in receipt of Disability Benefit at the weekly rate of £25 together with a smokeless fuel allowance of £3. He is also in receipt of a supplementary welfare allowance payment directly from the Eastern Health Board of £30.60 a week as well as £24.65 rent allowance. The national fuel allowance is not payable in conjunction with disability benefit.

Under the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1993, section 175, responsibility for making supplementary welfare allowance payments is vested in the health boards. Each health board administers the scheme on behalf of my Department through its community welfare service.

Under these arrangements it is not possible for my Department to pay supplementary welfare allowance directly to a Social Welfare Customer. My Department has initiated the development of a new integrated computer system for all short-term payments, which will allow instant interaction between claims for supplementary welfare allowance and the Department's short-term payments. It is planned to complete this major project in phases over the next three years. In the meantime, my Department is working closely with the health boards to establish in detail the requirements of the new system in relation to supplementary welfare allowance payments. When fully implemented, the integrated computer system will facilitate the co-ordination of sickness and unemployment payments with those of supplementary welfare allowance.