I wish to share my time with Deputy Cooper-Flynn. I congratulate Deputy Coughlan belatedly on her appointment to ministerial office. Unfortunately, she became a Minister at the same time that financial resources were becoming scarce. Nevertheless, her practical, but caring and compassionate, approach has already been evidenced and I wish her well in her endeavours. The package of measures announced in the budget concerning social welfare was good in light of the circumstances.
Child benefit is being increased to €125.60 for each of the first two children and to €157.30 for the third and subsequent children. The Minister is pursuing a similar approach to that adopted by her predecessor in that child benefit increases are being used to tackle child poverty in a direct way. In addition, the child benefit system is being used to help parents with child care expenses. I agree with the approach to child care. It ensures that both the stay-at-home parent and the parent working outside the home are treated equally, which I welcome.
The respite care grant is being increased to €735 per annum and to €1,470 for carers looking after two or more children. I also welcome this measure. Since 1997 a wide range of measures has been introduced to improve the position of carers, 13 major changes in particular. At the end of 2001 there were 18,800 carers in receipt of the carer's allowance, which represents an increase of more than 104% in the number of carers receiving it since the Government took office. The scheme is being improved each year and this year is no exception.
There are demands to abolish the means test with regard to the carer's allowance. Although that is something we should strive to achieve, it is not practical in the short-term given the resources of the State. However, I welcome the measures introduced each year pertaining to the income disregards to allow more people to qualify. I urge the Minister to continue with that approach.
The Bill extends entitlement to six weeks' payment following the death of a person in receipt of certain social welfare payments to the surviving spouse or partner who is receiving a payment in his or her own right. I congratulate the Minister on this initiative. Sometimes the system can be bureaucratic and unresponsive to the realities of life. The social welfare system can, at times, appear to be callous. A bereavement is very stressful for people and can result in many additional expenses. Therefore, this measure is welcome and represents a move in the right direction.
Has the Minister any plans to re-examine the PRSI classes? As a public representative, I receive complaints from self-employed people who run into difficulties and find they are entitled to very little despite the fact that they have paid heavily into the PRSI system. Can the Minister explain the rationale behind the various classes? Presumably, they are based on an historical evolution and it may be time to re-examine them in the interests of all potential social welfare claimants.
The national fuel scheme assists householders on long-term social welfare and those in receipt of health board payments who are unable to provide for their heating needs. The fuel season runs for 29 weeks between 1 October to late April. I regularly receive complaints from constituents which relate to the non-payment of the fuel allowance during unseasonably cold or wet weather outside that time period. This is a difficult problem to solve given the unpredictability of the weather, but there is a case to be made for extending the fuel season in light of recent experience. Doing so would alleviate the hardship experienced by these claimants which is why I hope the Minister will look on the proposal favourably. Exceptional needs payments, facilitated through the supplementary welfare system, are not the answer which is why a review of the national fuel scheme should be carried out.
I support the section which provides for entitlement to rent supplement. The Bill provides that for new applicants rent supplements will be payable only where the claimant is lawfully resident in the State. Meeting the accommodation needs of asylum seekers will now be the responsibility of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform under the direct provision scheme. This is sensible given the changes made by the Minister, Deputy McDowell, with regard to refugees and asylum seekers generally and the provision will be welcomed by the community as a whole. It ensures a co-ordinated approach to these matters by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, the Minister for Social and Family Affairs and the health boards.
Members of this House face complaints about the entitlements of refugees and asylum seekers from their constituents and our role in combating racism is not appreciated. At least once a week, a constituent complains to me about refugees and asylum seekers being granted supplementary welfare to buy cars. I draw their attention to the reply to a parliamentary question by the then Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern, on 26 February 2002. In that reply the Minister said he was aware of rumours circulating to the effect that asylum seekers and refugees were in receipt of payments from the social welfare system to which citizens are not entitled. Items mentioned included cars. The Minister pointed out that the rumours were untrue and without foundation and he agreed with former Deputy de Rossa, who asked the question, that they were being used to promote resentment against asylum seekers and refugees. He was glad to refute the stories.
The Minister's points cannot be restated often enough and I am happy to reiterate them. Constituents regularly complain about perceived advantages granted through the social welfare system to refugees and the role of Deputies is to explain the facts. That role should not be underestimated, but rather appreciated by the media and others.
I praise the Minister for her work in relation to the family. She has encouraged research into family break-up and she has provided financial support for counselling services. There are major pressures on families in modern society and the Minister and her Department are attempting to deal with and research them. Practical measures are being put in place to help families overcome the difficulties they face. On foot of the budget, the Minister has introduced a good package of measures in relation to pensioners, widows, widowers, carers and child benefit recipients. In view of circumstances, she has done extremely well and I urge her to continue to honour the commitments outlined in the programme for Government.