Vol. 454 No. 3
33 Miss M. Wallace asked the Minister for Social Welfare the discussions, if any, he has had with groups representing people with disabilities concerning his intentions in relation to the disabled person's maintenance allowance; the names of any such groups he has met; and the intention, if any, he has to meet any such groups in the near future. [10620/95]
56 Mr. Flood asked the Minister for Social Welfare the arrangements, if any, he has to put in place to enable the transfer of the disabled person's maintenance allowance to his Department; when these arrangements will be put in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10621/95]
69 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Social Welfare when the disabled person's maintenance allowance scheme will be taken over by his Department. [10644/95]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 33, 56 and 69 together.
My Department is currently involved in discussions with the Department of Health and the health boards on the transfer of the disabled person's maintenance scheme to my Department. There is considerable detail to be addressed in the arrangements for this transfer in relation to the present operation of the scheme within health boards, medical and means assessments as well as training and rehabilitation arrangements for recipients of the allowance. The transfer of data in relation to the 31,000 people at present in receipt of the allowance is in itself a complex process in that there are eight different systems in operation which are not readily compatible with my Department's central records system.
In view of the complexity of adapting eight different administrative systems to ensure the provision of one streamlined service, the transfer will not take place until the beginning of 1996. Provision for the transfer will be included in the Social Welfare (No. 3) Bill which I will introduce later this year. In that Bill I also intend to address a number of the anomalies which exist in relation to payments under the scheme. I will also take account of any recommendations emerging from the report of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities due to be published later this year.
There is a wide range of groups representing people with disabilities. It is intended to meet representative groups in the near future to discuss their concerns and recommendations in relation to the transfer process. I am confident that that transfer of responsibility for the disabled person's maintenance allowance scheme to my Department and the improvements to the scheme which I intend to make will achieve efficient and effective arrangements for people with disabilities dependent on the scheme.
It is important to meet representatives of disabled adults and reasonable to expect the Government to consult all relevant people. While the Minister said he intends to meet these people in the near future I am anxious that he meet them before the Social Welfare (No. 3) Bill is drawn up. In March this year the Minister said in reply to a question from me that a detailed assessment was being made and that he intended to ensure the new arrangements provide an improved and more streamlined service. Have meetings taken place since March and is progress being made in the consultation process?
We have not met any groups yet but we will meet them before the legislation is finalised — the intention is to meet them quite soon. We have received from the Department of Health a list of organisations with whom it has been dealing on this matter and we will use that list as our basis for meeting these groups. No legislation will be brought forward without hearing the views of the group involved.
In the Democratic Left submission to the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities it states that disabled people should get a minimum of £150 per week. Now that the Minister is in Government will he elaborate on that statement and say what progress is being made in implementing that policy?
I believe that everybody should get £150 per week.
It was very easy to make that statement last September when the Minister was not in power but now that he is in a position to implement this policy what progress is he making on it?
I appreciate that Opposition members have a very enhanced view of our capabilities and the way we are able to get things done.
We learned a lot from this Government.
If I was to make all the social welfare improvements proposed by the Deputy and her colleagues in the last six months——
This is a Democratic Left proposal.
——I would need the budgets of all the other Departments as well as my own.
On returning to Government we will honour our commitments. The Minister is in Government now.
There is a case for enhanced income payments for people with disabilities. The forum on disabilities is concerned about the income for people with disabilities. Disabled person's maintenance allowance is payable to people with disabilities. When this scheme comes under the aegis of the Department of Social Welfare we will address the extent to which payments to these people can be improved, as well as the elimination of anomalies between the current disabled person's maintenance allowance system and the social welfare system.
Is it disingenuous and flippant of the Minister to suggest that everyone should receive £150 per week?
Not at all.
When in Opposition the Minister set out a policy programme to the effect that the people with disabilities are entitled to £150 per week and, therefore, he is responsible for building up their hopes. He set the track record for them and said that if he got into Government that is what he would achieve. We are aware the Minister has let people down badly, particularly the elderly, with a 2.5 per cent increase in benefit. Can people with disabilities expect the Minister to mete out the same type of treatment given the promises he made when in Opposition?
Forgive me Deputy, if I smile at a Fianna Fáil Deputy raising issues of this type. I checked the records and Fianna Fáil has never introduced an improvement in the social welfare system that was not paid for by somebody else on social welfare as a result of cuts. I checked Fianna Fáil's record on the fuel allowance scheme. It made a great fuss about extending the number of recipients under that scheme, but paid for it by reducing the number of weeks from 30 to 26 for which people could claim fuel allowance.
The Minister is poacher turned gamekeeper.
The Minister had to make up the books this week.
Order, please. Let us hear the Minister's reply.
The truth came out this week. It is all in the books.
Fianna Fáil forced the unfortunate people depending on the fuel allowance scheme to pay for its extension. That is the type of social welfare reform for which Fianna Fáil is responsible. We are responsible for increasing the general level——
Of poverty.
——of social welfare payments to all without making any cuts, only improvements, in all social welfare schemes this year.
Did somebody bring the books to the Minister's attention?
Let us hear the Minister without interruption.
Fianna Fáil does not have that record.
On Deputy O'Keeffe's point regarding money for people with disabilities, I argued for that when in Opposition and I will argue for it on this side of the House.
What about the 2.5 per cent increase in social welfare?
I will seek to ensure, in so far as the resources are available, that people with disabilities get a fair crack of the whip.
They got 2.5 per cent.
I am concerned that the Minister told us he will argue for money for people with disabilities, but in this year's budget there was a 2.5 per cent increase in social welfare although inflation is 3 per cent. It is difficult for some people to cope especially those depending on social welfare and those with disabilities. Democratic Left's submission to the Commission on the Status of People with Disability recommended they should receive a minimum weekly income of £150. The Minister is in a position to assist those people, but he has not done so. While he said he will continue to raise this matter in Government, talking about it and doing something about it are two different things. Deputies should not make proposals in Opposition which they are not prepared to implement in Government. They must make realistic proposals and when they return to Government be prepared to implement them. Democratic Left members must have believed they would form part of this Government or they would not have made that submission, now that they are in Government people with disabilities are asking that they deliver on their recommendation.
Part of the problem that has afflicted Fianna Fáil since it went into Opposition is that its members appear to have lost their hearing. In my replies I pointed out twice that it is my intention to work as quickly as I can towards the objective I set regarding people with disabilities when I was in Opposition. I have maintained that commitment.
At a snail's pace.
What about what the Minister said when in Opposition?
If the Deputy knew anything about this matter she would realise that the disabled person's maintenance allowance is not yet my responsibility, it is still that of the Department of Health.
The Deputy is now a Minister.
Let us hear the reply without interruption.
What about collective responsibility?
Deputy, please desist.
Pass the buck to poor old Michael Noonan.
Deputies opposite will have to do more homework.
34 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will consider increasing the £60 per week adult dependant allowance to a more realistic figure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10617/95]
I presume the Deputy is referring to earnings limit. I am very conscious of the difficulties for social welfare recipients created by the total loss of the adult dependant allowance when the dependent spouse earns more than £60 per week. This has given rise to distortions in certain industries where extra working or overtime is not availed of — and in some cases, pay increases are foregone — because of the impact on the spouse's adult dependant allowance.
For this reason I took regulatory powers in the Social Welfare Act, 1995, for the introduction of an adult dependant allowance related to the earnings of the spouse or partner. The proposed new arrangements are being worked on by my Department at present and, as I announced during the Second Stage debate on the Bill, the new provisions will be introduced next year.
