Vol. 543 No. 3
151 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the number of people that have been approved for companion free travel passes; the consideration that has been given to allow the companion to travel without the recipient of the free travel pass; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26552/01]
Free travel companion passes have been available since 1990 to certain categories of people who qualify for free travel and who, on account of their disability, are unable to travel alone. This type of pass enables a person aged 16 years or over to accompany the passholder free of charge. The aim of the special companion pass arrangement is to facilitate and encourage disabled people to utilise public transport as they wish, while recognising that they would be unable to do so unless they were accompanied.
In cases where a passholder is being cared for by a recipient of a carer's allowance the carer is entitled to a standard type free travel pass in their own right. This also applies to nominated carers of recipients of a constant attendance allowance or prescribed relatives allowance, where the carer does not have to be in receipt of a carer's allowance specifically.
152 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will review the time limit placed on unrestricted travel to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5; will he extend the four month time period that has been granted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26553/01]
There are peak time free travel restrictions on free travel services on Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann provincial city services in Cork and Limerick. The restrictions arise because of pressure on bus capacity at peak commuter times. The times involved are 7 a.m. to 9.45 a.m. and 4.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. Monday to Friday inclusive. Restrictions also apply from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Fridays on Bus Éireann long distance services within a 20 mile radius of Dublin, Cork and Limerick. They do not apply to DART or other rail services. These peak-time restrictions have existed since the inception of the scheme and are based on the utilisation of spare off-peak capacity.
It is recognised that these restrictions can cause difficulties for a small number of passholders who have unavoidably early hospital appointments. In recognition of this my Department, in consultation with CIE, have agreed in a small number of exceptional cases to issue a temporary unrestricted pass for a period of up to six months to allow the passholder to re-arrange appointments outside of the peak times. The approach in these cases is sustainable only as long as it is applied in exceptional circumstances and for the reasons mentioned.
The person concerned was issued with an unrestricted pass in August 2001 and this will expire at the end of February 2002. In the interim the person concerned is advised to re-arrange his appointments to enable him to travel outside the peak times at that stage.
Question No. 153 answered with Question No. 33.
Question No. 154 answered with Question No. 55.
155 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will increase the free fuel allowance in budget 2002; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27056/01]
The aim of the national fuel scheme is to assist householders who are on long-term social welfare or health board pay ments and who are unable to provide for their own heating needs. A payment of £5, 6.35, per week is normally paid to eligible households. However, an additional £3, 3.81, per week is paid in smokeless zones, bringing the total amount in those areas to £8, 10.16, per week. In the case of a relatively small number of people living in smokeless zones, the £3, 3.81, per week smokeless fuel supplement only is payable. As announced in last year's budget, the fuel season has been increased from 26 weeks to 29 weeks. The fuel season was extended by two weeks in April and now also commences one week earlier in October.
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 that I introduced in the three budgets since the scheme was reviewed have provided for a substantial real increase after fully compensating for inflation, including fuel price inflation. The increases in primary payments of £8, 10.16, to £10, 12.70, per week that I brought into effect in April of this year are the largest ever implemented.
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. Any further changes in the scheme would have to be considered in the context of the budget and in light of alternative proposals for delivering improvements in social welfare supports to pensioners and others.
156 Mr. McDowell asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will raise the income threshold for the adult dependant income from £60 to £70 in order to claim treatment benefit with the representatives professional association; if he will state if opposition was expressed by the association to this change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27060/01]
The question of the limit affecting the eligibility of dependent spouses will be considered in the course of upcoming discussions, arrangements for which are currently being put in place.
158 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs his plans for the expansion of free travel entitlement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27177/01]
The free travel scheme is available to all people resident in the State aged 66 years or over, as well as to carers and people with disabilities who are in receipt of certain welfare type payments. Widows and widowers aged from 60 to 65 whose late spouses had been in receipt of free travel retain that entitlement to ensure that households do not suffer a loss of entitlements following the death of a spouse. The scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by semi-State companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as services provided by some 80 private transport operators. The current arrangements for the free travel scheme will be kept under review in a budgetary context.
Question No. 159 answered with Question No. 18.
160 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs his plans for the improvement of the back to work allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27179/01]
The back to work allowance scheme was introduced in September 1993 as part of my Department's programme of initiatives to assist the long-term unemployed to return to the active labour force. Since then, almost 80,000 people including long-term unemployed, lone parents, and other social welfare recipients, have availed of the scheme to take up new jobs as either employees or self employed persons. An independent evaluation of the scheme published in December 2000 recommended that it be refocused on the longer term unemployed, and the self-employed, that the non-financial supports be enhanced, and that the overall numbers on the scheme be reduced. The report found that the scheme was affected by high levels of deadweight in that many of those entering the scheme would have found work without the financial support the scheme provides. Having regard to the report's findings, the qualifying period for participation on the employee strand of the scheme was increased from 12 months to 15 months in April 2001. Persons aged 50 years or over however, who are interested in self-employment, can still avail of the scheme after 12 months.
161 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs his plans to improve the family income supplement, with particular reference to enabling qualification of higher income levels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27180/01]
Family income supplement is designed to provide cash support for employees with families on low earnings and thereby preserve the incentive to remain in employment in circumstances where the employee might only be marginally better off than if he or she were claiming other social welfare payments. The range of improvements to the family income supplement scheme instituted by this Government, including the assessment of FIS on the basis of net rather than gross income and the progressive increases in the income limits, have made it easier for lower income households to qualify under the scheme. In April 2001, the income limits were increased by £25, 31.74, at each point, resulting in an average increase of £15, 19.05, per week for all FIS recipients. The question of further improvements to the income thresholds, is a matter for consideration in a budgetary context, having regard to available resources and Government commitments.
