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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 3 Apr 1996

Vol. 463 No. 7

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

Robert Molloy

Question:

24 Mr. Molloy asked the Minister for Social Welfare the cost of the rent and mortgage supplement under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme for the year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7225/96]

Section 179 of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1993, as substituted by paragraph three of the Sixth Schedule to the Act, provides for the payment of a weekly or monthly supplement, including rent and mortgage interest supplements, in the case of a person whose means are insufficient to meet their needs. The legislation also enables the Minister to make regulations prescribing the circumstances and conditions under which a supplement may be paid, the class or classes of persons to whom a supplement may be paid and the amount of supplement that may be paid, and this has been done in S.I. 382 of 1995. The legislative provisions of the S.I. commenced in January 1996. Prior to that, the same principles applied to applications for such supplements but on an administrative basis in the form of guidance and direction issued under section 175 of the Act.

The provisional outturn for expenditure on rent and mortgage interest supplements for 1995 is £64.5 million, of which £54.7 million is in respect of rent supplements and £9.8 million is in respect of mortgage interest supplements.

Helen Keogh

Question:

26 Ms Keogh asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will consider commencing the payment of the back to school clothing and footwear scheme earlier this year in order to ensure that people will be in a position to obtain school uniforms before the end of the school year. [7220/96]

Peadar Clohessy

Question:

38 Mr. Clohessy asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will consider commencing payment of the back to school clothing and footwear scheme earlier this year in order to ensure that people will be in a position to obtain school uniforms before the end of the school year. [7219/96]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 26 and 38 together.

The back to school clothing and foot-war scheme, which is administered on behalf of my Department by the health boards, is designed to assist certain recipients of social welfare and health board payments with the cost of children's school uniforms and footwear. Certain people on low incomes who are in receipt of family income supplement may also qualify for assistance.
For the 1996 scheme, I have increased the rates of allowance from £40 to £43 for a child between the ages of two and 11 inclusive on 1 October 1996 and from £55 to £58 for a child between the ages of 12 and 21 inclusive on 1 October 1996. It is expected that some 280,000 pupils will benefit under the scheme this year at a cost of approximately £13.8 million. I have also extended the scheme to recipients of unemployability supplement who satisfy the means assessment. The scheme opens for applications in all health boards from 1 June each year. This is to allow adequate time to process the large number of applications expected.
My Department's annual circular to health boards on the operation of the 1995 scheme, requested boards to ensure that the majority of payments were made by 31 July 1995 to enable parents to make the necessary purchases in the traditional back to school shopping month of August. The health boards have advised that the scheme operated satisfactorily in all boards in 1995 with the vast majority of families throughout the country receiving their payments in good time to make provision for their children's needs.
As the purpose of the scheme is to assist with the clothing needs of schoolchildren in the forthcoming school year, a balance needs to be struck between paying the allowance too early or too late. I believe the present arrangements are satisfactory and I have no plans to advise health boards to make earlier payments. This year's scheme circular will issue to health boards in the coming weeks to ensure the health boards can make the necessary arrangements to make the majority of payments by the end of July 1995. I would urge parents to assist the boards by making applications as early as possible once the scheme commences.

Mary Wallace

Question:

28 Miss M. Wallace asked the Minister for Social Welfare the changes, if any, in the operation and administration of the disabled person's maintenance allowance which are likely over the next 12 months; and the programme of ongoing consultations concerning the allowance which he proposes to engage in. [3967/96]

Michael P. Kitt

Question:

37 Mr. M. Kitt asked the Minister for Social Welfare the cost and staff implications involved in transferring disabled person's maintenance allowance payments from the health boards to his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6066/96]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 28 and 37 together.

As Deputies will know, the Social Welfare Bill which was passed recently in the House provides the legislative basis for the transfer of responsibility for the administration of the disabled person's maintenance allowance scheme from health boards to my Department. The transfer of the scheme is a major undertaking and it is my intention that the transfer will take place in the autumn.

Under the provisions of the Bill the scheme will in future be known as disability allowance. The Bill also contains provision for a number of important improvements in the conditions of the scheme. It is my intention to carry out a review of the scheme following the transfer and taking account of any recommendations emerging from the work of the Commission of the Status of People with Disabilities.

The administration of the new scheme by my Department will have cost and staffing implications. These have not been finally determined but are under discussion with staff interests at present.

As well as meeting my primary objective of providing greater consistency in the operation of the scheme and a better service to the people concerned, the transfer of the scheme and its administration by a single Department will enable us to achieve additional efficiencies in the operation of the scheme.
In the context of the transfer process consultations have taken place with organisations representing people with disabilities. The response from the organisations has been very positive and I hope to be able to avail further of their advice and assistance in ensuring a smooth transfer of the scheme. I will also be consulting with the organisations concerned in relation to future developments in the scheme.

Austin Deasy

Question:

29 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Social Welfare if British new age travellers are entitled to social welfare payments in this country; if they have been disqualified from receiving such payments in Britain in recent years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4249/96]

Under EU regulations UK nationals may qualify for Irish social insurance benefits on their UK national insurance provided they satisfy the statutory conditions for entitlement. In the case of unemployment benefit it would be necessary, as a first step, for the person to become insured in Ireland and to have paid at least one PRSI contribution.

Under Irish social welfare legislation, they may also claim social assistance payments such as unemployment assistance and supplementary welfare allowance on the same basis as Irish nationals provided they satisfy the same statutory conditions.

Accordingly, if British nationals in Ireland claim unemployment assistance, their entitlement will be determined having regard to whether or not they are capable of, available for and genuinely seeking work and to the amount of means assessed. A disqualification from receipt of social security benefits in the United Kingdom would not, per se, preclude entitlement to unemployment assistance in Ireland.

With regard to supplementary welfare allowance, all persons resident in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs may qualify for payment.
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