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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 13 Jun 1995

Vol. 454 No. 3

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

Ivor Callely

Question:

156 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Social Welfare the total value and number of cheques issued by supplementary welfare officers to recipients for each of the years 1987, 1989, 1991 and 1994. [10571/95]

Total expenditure on the supplementary welfare allowance, SWA, scheme, excluding administration costs, for the years requested is as follows:

Year

Expenditure

£m

1987

32.5

1989

36.4

1991

61.9

1994

108.2

The day-to-day administration of the SWA scheme is the responsibility of individual health boards and details of cheques issued are not available in my Department. However, I have asked health boards to provide the information requested.
The information which health boards have been able to provide in the time available is set out in the following tables. The figures relate to the actual numbers and value of cheques issued by community welfare officers, CWOs, and because of the differences in practice between various health boards the total value of cheques issued by CWOs does not correspond to total SWA expenditure in any particular year.
In certain cases the figures are estimated, were not available in the health board or could not be provided in the time available. Such details are included in the footnotes to the tables.
Number of Total Value of Cheques Issued by CWOs in respect of Supplementary Welfare Allowance

1987

Health Board

£ (000's)

No. of Cheques issued

Eastern (Note 2)

22,694

580,811

Midland (Note 3)

N/A

N/A

Mid-Western (Note 4)

N/A

N/A

Southern

5,259

142,600

South-Eastern (Note 5)

5,181

120,000

North-Eastern (Note 6)

2,396

N/A

North-Western

935

20,806

Western (Note 7)

Nil

Nil

Total

36,465

864,217

1989

Health Board

£ (000's)

No. of Cheques issued

Eastern

22,480

547,533

Midland

2,123

55,750

Mid-Western

N/A

N/A

Southern

5,996

163,650

South-Eastern

4,126

120,000

North-Eastern

2,228

N/A

North-Western

1,058

24,848

Western

Nil

Nil

Total

38,011

911,781

1991

Health Board

£ (000's)

No. of Cheques issued

Eastern

37,262

685,259

Midland

2,949

69,500

Mid-Western

N/A

N/A

Southern

9,521

205,900

South-Eastern

6,782

120,000

North-Eastern

3,388

N/A

North-Western

1,331

30,092

Western

Nil

Nil

Total

61,233

1,110,751

1994

Health Board

£ (000's)

No. of Cheques issued

Eastern

54,203

648,530

Midland

4,196

83,150

Mid-Western

N/A

N/A

Southern

14,947

205,821

South-Eastern

8,295

120,000

North-Eastern

6,545

N/A

North-Western

1,620

41,321

Western

11,718

187,158

Total

101,524

1,285,980

Footnotes:

Note 1:

Expenditure figures for all Health Boards have been rounded to the nearest £000.

Note 2:

Figures on the number of cheques issued by the Eastern Health Board for each of the years requested are estimated.

Note 3:

Information in respect of Midland Health Board not readily available for 1987.

Note 4:

Health Board unable to provide the information within available timescale.

Note 5:

Figures in respect of numbers of cheques issued by CWOs in South-Eastern Health Board for each of the years requested have been estimated.

Note 6:

Details of the number of cheques issued by CWOs in North-Western Health Board are not available.

Note 7:

A cash system was in operation in the Western Health Board until 1992.

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