Vol. 458 No. 2
136 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Social Welfare the plans, if any, he has to take account of inflation and the increase in the Consumer Price Index in view of the fact that the contributory death grant payable under the PRSI system has been pegged at its present rate of £100; the plans, if any, he has to increase in the amount of this payment during his tenure as Minister for Social Welfare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16639/95]
A death grant under the Social Welfare Acts is payable, subject to the satisfaction of certain PRSI contribution conditions, on the death of an insured person or of their spouse or child under 18. The amount of the death grant varies with the contribution record and, in the case of children, with the age of the child. In addition, where a person dies while in receipt of a social welfare payment, the weekly payment usually continues to be paid to his or her adult dependant for a period of six weeks. Payment may also continue for six weeks after the death of an adult or child dependent. I have no proposals at present to make changes in this grant.
137 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Social Welfare his views of the various anomalies in the family income supplement scheme as operated by his Department; if the scheme is intended as a means of subsidy to the employers of the low paid; his views on whether his Department is carrying out functions more properly the functions of the Department of Enterprise and Employment regarding the employers' PRSI exemption scheme, back to work allowance scheme and others; and if he expects this position to continue. [16642/95]
The Deputy will appreciate that the issue of long-term unemployment is a highly complex one not amenable to one single solution but requires a wide range of interventions at different levels. These interventions necessarily involve a number of Government Departments and agencies, apart from mine, including the Departments of Enterprise and Employment, Education, Environment and Health. Because of this the Government has decided that all relevant Departments should be involved in the preparation and implementation of a comprehensive strategy with clearly defined objectives to deal with all aspects of the problem of long-term unemployment.
My Department, because of its interaction with the unemployed through its unemployment payments system and with all employers in the context of the PRSI system, obviously has a key role to play in this strategy. It is uniquely placed to deliver supports to the unemployed because of its well developed local and regional structure, successful track record in delivering services on a large scale to all parts of the country and well-developed contact at local level with bodies, both statutory and voluntary, addressing aspects of the unemployment problem. It is essential that the Department of Social Welfare builds on its particular strengths to make a worthwhile contribution to the Government strategy on unemployment.
I do not, therefore, regard the functions my Department exercises in relation to a variety of programmes aimed at assisting and encouraging the unemployed and lone parents to return to work as being more appropriate to the other Government Departments. My Department has a range of employment supports in place to assist the unemployed and lone parents to make the transition to work. The back to work allowance scheme in the past two years has been successful in assisting almost 9,500 formerly long-term unemployed persons to return to work as employees or self-employed persons. The PRSI exemption scheme, acts as an incentive to employers to take on unemployed persons from the live register. In addition, my Department provides a range of supports to enable unemployed people to avail of second-chance education opportunities at secondary, vocational and third level. Participation by unemployed people in all these programmes is actively encouraged by the Department's locally based jobs facilitators.
139 Mr. Molloy asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will amend the regulations to provide that child benefit allowances are payable to recipients of unemployment benefit and unemployment assistance on the same basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16693/95]
Over a number of years the age limit for payment of child dependant allowances to long-term social welfare recipients has been progressively increased where the child remains in full-time education. In the case of pensions and other payments, such as the long-term rate of unemployment assistance, these allowances are payable up to the age of 21.
In the case of short-term payments, such as unemployment benefit and disability, child dependant allowances continue to be paid up to the age of 18. Any extension of this age limit would have financial implications and could be considered only in the light of available resources.
140 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Social Welfare if child benefit is payable where the young persons is on a full-time FÁS training scheme; and the plans, if any, he has to extend this to all full-time training schemes. [16696/95]
Child benefit is payable in respect of children up to 16 years of age, and up to 19 years in respect of children who are physically or mentally handicapped or are in full-time education, including those on FÁS training courses who are not receiving a weekly allowance.
I have no plans to extend child benefit to include young people involved in full-time remunerative training schemes.
