Vol. 440 No. 2
67 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Social Welfare the plans, if any, he has to introduce a system of credits on ESB bills for the long term unemployed similar to the system for old age pensioners in view of the fact that electricity is a basic and expensive commodity.
The free electricity allowance scheme operated by my Department is available only to people who are in receipt of welfare type pensions and who satisfy the living alone condition attached to the scheme. The scheme was essentially designed for elderly or disabled people living alone with a view to encouraging them to live at home. Approximately 185,000 people receive the allowance at present at an annual cost of about £25 million.
Any extension of the allowance to long term unemployed people would have to be considered in the context of the overall objectives of the scheme and would give rise to significant additional costs which could only be considered in a budgetary context.
