Vol. 501 No. 4
138 Mr. U. Burke asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the number of checkpoints established under the recently announced scheme and operated by officers from Government Departments; the number of checkpoints in each of the seven pilot scheme counties since its establishment; the number of alleged frauds caught; the nature of the offences; and if he will give a breakdown of the results of each person checked to date. [6339/99]
The Garda, in conjunction with my Department, and the Departments of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Environment and Local Government, and the Customs and Excise division of the Revenue Commissioners, have carried out ten multi-agency operations. These involved 19 checkpoints in seven counties as follows: Dublin, 5; Kildare, 2; Wicklow, 1; Monaghan, 1; Cavan, 2; Louth, 4; and Meath, 4.
In all, a total of 1,846 vehicles were checked and 118 fraudulent claims, involving mainly working and claiming unemployment payments, were discovered, resulting in savings of some £360,000. In addition, note was taken of a significant number of cases where subsequent inspections were warranted or other reviews of entitlement required investigations.
A number of cases involving persons from Northern Ireland are also being followed up through the normal liaison arrangements with the social security agency there. In addition, a number of road traffic, road transport and customs offences have been detected.
Detailed information in relation to each person checked is not available.
139 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if butter vouchers will be issued to senior citizens in 1999; the reason the increase in the pension of a senior citizen will not be payable until June 1999; the plans, if any, he has to increase the fuel allowance for pensioners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6424/99]
The butter voucher scheme is an EU scheme which my Department administers on behalf of the Department of Agriculture and Food. Its continued operation is subject to periodic review by the EU Council of Ministers which agreed, in December last, to its extension for another 12 months with a reduced budget. As a result vouchers, from January 1999, entitle the beneficiary to a reduction of 36p on the cost of one pound of Irish creamery butter each month. The butter vouchers for this purpose are being printed and issued and all eligible customers should receive their vouchers before the end of March 1999. The numbers who will benefit comprise some 527,000 social assistance beneficiaries, including senior citizens, and some 414,000 dependants.
The national fuel scheme is intended to assist householders on long-term social welfare or health board payments who are unable to meet their own heating needs. Information from the fuel and light component of the consumer price index indicates that fuel prices have fallen slightly in the last two years. Any increase in the rate of fuel allowance payable would have significant cost implications and, in any event, improvements in the rate payable cannot be looked at in isolation from the improvements in the primary weekly payment rates.
