Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 7 Nov 2001

Vol. 543 No. 3

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

Seán Barrett

Question:

18 Mr. Barrett asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will relax the rules governing the free telephone rental allowance for pensioners living in a nursing home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26867/01]

Dick Spring

Question:

51 Mr. Spring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will make a statement on the situation whereby residents over 70 years of age in nursing homes are deprived of their entitlement to free telephone rental. [26852/01]

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

159 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs his plans for the extension of the free telephone rental allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27178/01]

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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 18, 51 and 159 together.

The telephone allowance is generally available to people living in the State, aged 66 years or over, who are in receipt of a social welfare-type payment or who meet the conditions of a means test. It is also available to carers and people with disabilities under the age of 66 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 telephone allowance retain that entitlement in order to ensure that households do not suffer a loss of entitlement following the death of a spouse. From May this year the free schemes, including the telephone allowance, have been extended to all persons aged 70 and over regardless of their income and household composition.

There are currently more than 240,000 people in receipt of the telephone allowance. The free schemes share a common set of objectives in the area of social inclusion, namely: to provide assistance to those living alone by targeting them with specific benefits providing both income and social inclusion gains; to support older people and people with disabilities in their wish to remain in the community as opposed to availing of institutional care; and to support Government policy which seeks to acknowledge the value of older people in society. The original objective of the telephone allowance was to provide an element of protection and security in their own homes for older people and people with disabilities who were either living alone or with people who would be unable to summon help in an emer gency. A secondary objective of the scheme was to encourage social contact and to assist in the prevention of social isolation for those living alone.

The free schemes act as an important support to encouraging care in the community. The proposal to extend the telephone allowance to pensioners resident in nursing homes does not fit easily within the community care objectives of these schemes. Persons resident in nursing homes may already be in receipt of State support, either through the public health system or through a nursing home subvention. In addition, those living in nursing homes and other residential institutions have daily support and contact with other residents and nursing staff. The current arrangements for the free schemes are kept under review. Any changes in the arrangements for the telephone allowance, as the Deputies have proposed, would have to be considered in a budgetary context and in the context of overall Government priorities for the social welfare area.

Question No. 19 answered with Question No. 7.