Vol. 509 No. 5
139 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the plans, if any, he has to extend the free fuel scheme for elderly people to an all year round scheme; if so, the cost of this extension; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The aim of the national fuel scheme, NFS, is to assist householders who are on long-term social welfare or health board payments and who are unable to provide for their own heating needs. A payment of £5 per week – £8 per week in smokeless zones – is paid to eligible households for 26 weeks from mid-October to mid-April. In recognition of the fact that it can be unpredictably cold in autumn and spring, the scheme is not confined to winter months but runs for six months of the year.
It is estimated that extending the fuel season to the elderly to make it an all year round scheme would cost an additional £11.6 million per year. This could only be considered in a budgetary context. This or any other improvements in the scheme cannot be looked at in isolation from the improvements in the primary weekly payment rates. In that regard, substantial increases in all the social welfare primary payments of either £6 per week if single, £9 per week in the case of couples, were paid to pensioners from the beginning of June 1999.
140 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will review his decision not to pay a fuel allowance to tenants of local authority dwellings with subsidised heating; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The aim of the national fuel scheme is to assist qualified householders, who are on long-term social welfare or health board payments and who are unable to provide for their own heating needs. A payment of £5 per week – £8 in smokeless zones – is paid to eli gible households for 26 weeks, from mid-October to mid-April. Not all recipients of social welfare payments are entitled to a fuel allowance.
Fuel allowance is not normally paid to tenants of communally heated dwellings where subsidised heating is provided. As the local authority tenant is considered to be in a more favourable position than a person providing their own heating needs with the assistance of a free fuel allowance, the local authority tenant does not qualify for the allowance.
I understand that Dublin Corporation have announced plans for the regeneration of Ballymun. This will involve the demoliton of the existing tower blocks and their replacement with new housing. The new homes being provided will be individually heated by gas central heating and the tenants can then apply for the fuel allowance under the normal qualifying conditions for the scheme.
This matter was re-examined in the context of the review of the national fuel scheme in 1997 and more recently as part of my Department's series of programme evaluations. The conclusions reached in both reviews was that the payment of fuel allowances, in this type of case, would create a further inequity in that it would reduce the resources available within the social welfare budget which could be otherwise directed towards more needy cases. I do not propose to make any changes in the existing arrangements.
141 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be called for a second oral hearing to finalise her appeal for invalidity pension in view of her dissatisfaction with the first oral hearing procedure.
The person concerned was paid invalidity pension to 10 March 1999, when payment was stopped following an examination by a medical assessor of the Department who expressed the view that she was capable of work. She appealed this decision to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office and in the context of her appeal she was examined by another medical assessor on 23 April 1999, who was also of the opinion that she was capable of work.
An oral hearing of her appeal was heard on 27 July 1999, to afford her the opportunity to present her case personally. On the basis of all the evidence, the appeals officer disallowed her appeal. The decision of an appeals officer is final and conclusive and can only be reviewed in the light of new facts or fresh evidence.
The person concerned has written to the Social Welfare Appeals Office regarding her appeal. This has been examined but the chief appeals officer is of the view that there are no grounds for a re-opening of the appeal by way of further oral hearing.
142 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive an invalidity pension; in view of the fact she is permanently incapable of work and has hired help to work on her farm as she is incapable of maintaining this.
To qualify for invalidity pension an applicant must be permanently incapable of work. Under the legislation applicable, a person cannot be engaged in work on their own account or on behalf of any other person.
The person concerned applied for an invalidity pension on 15 June 1999. She was not regarded as being permanently incapable of work by virtue of the fact that she is working on her own farm holding. Based on the evidence available to the Department she is actively employed in the running of this holding. Accordingly, she was refused invalidity pension. She was notified of this decision and the reasons for it and of her right of appeal to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office. The case has now been referred to that office for a decision.
