Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 4 Jul 2001

Vol. 540 No. 2

Written Answers. - National Fuel Scheme.

Frances Fitzgerald

Question:

73 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs his plans to extend the duration of the national fuel scheme; and the further plans he has to improve the weekly payment to eligible applicants. [19740/01]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

The aim of the national fuel scheme 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 is paid to eligible households and £8 per week is paid in smokeless zones.

I have, in fact, already extended the duration of the scheme. Up to now, the scheme ran for 26 weeks but I extended it for two weeks in April 2001. In addition, the start of the next fuel season is being brought forward by one week to the beginning of October and the scheme will run for a period of 29 weeks.

The national and smokeless fuel schemes were reviewed in 1998 as part of my Department's series of programme evaluations. The review group took the view that improvements in the national fuel scheme cannot be looked at in isolation from the improvements in the primary weekly payment rates.

The group concluded that the present rates of payment should remain unchanged if improvements in primary payment rates fully compensated recipients for all price inflation, including fuel price inflation.

In that regard, the increases in primary payments of £8 to £10 per week that I brought into effect in April of this year are the largest ever implemented. They give a substantial real increase after fully compensating for inflation, including fuel price inflation.

Giving people a real increase in their primary payment for 52 weeks of the year is a more expensive option than increasing the fuel allowance payment rate for part of the year. However, I believe it is the correct approach to take as it gives people greater flexibility in meeting their needs.

In the light of these improvements I have no further plans for the scheme at this time. I would also point out that fuel allowances are not the sole mechanism through which assistance is provided to people with heating needs.

There is a facility available through the supplementary welfare allowance scheme to assist people in certain circumstances who have special heating needs. An application for a heating supplement may be made by contacting the community welfare officer at the local health centre.

Where a person would not normally qualify for a heating supplement there is provision under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme to pay an exceptional needs payment. Exceptional needs payments are payable at the discretion of the health board taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case.