Written Answers - Social Welfare Benefits.
Emmet Stagg
Question:
13
Mr. Stagg
asked the
Minister for Social and Family Affairs
if she has satisfied herself that the social welfare increases in the recent budget are sufficient to meet the requirements of NAPS; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[8474/03]
The revised National Anti-Poverty Strategy – Building an Inclusive Society – was launched by the Government in February 2002. The key objectives of the strategy are to reduce, and ideally eliminate, consistent poverty, build an inclusive society and develop social capital – particularly for disadvantaged communities.
The strategy sets out a range of targets in the areas of income adequacy, employment and unemployment, education, health, and housing and accommodation. In addition, specific targets have been established in respect of groups identified as being particularly vulnerable to poverty.
In relation to the issue of income adequacy in particular, the Government's continued commitment is very clearly articulated in the text of the proposed social partnership agreement, Sustaining Progress, which states that it remains Government policy to meet the target for the lowest social welfare rates and appropriate child equivalence levels as set out in the revised NAPS by 2007.
The issue of the level of increases introduced in any given year is one which must be assessed in the context of the budgetary process, having regard to the level of resources available and the competing demands on those resources. In this regard, it should be noted that the increases provided for in budget 2003 fully protect or enhance, in real terms, the standard of living of all social welfare recipients.
The budget made provision for increases in the main personal rates of weekly payments ranging from 5.1% to 7.6% as well as additional increases, also ranging from 5.1% to 7.6%, in the weekly rate of qualified adult allowances. Given that Budget 2003 projected an average annual rate of inflation of 4.8% in 2003, the increases in payment rates, provided for in the budget, ensure that the standard of living of all social welfare recipients will be maintained or improved this year.
In addition, Budget 2003 also provided for additional increases to those aged 66 or over, in particular those on old age pensions and widows payments; increased or maintained the real value of all qualified adult rates of payment and ensured that they did not fall as a proportion of the associated personal rate, and made significant progress in the Government's programme of increases in the level of child benefit.
At a time of great economic uncertainty, this emphasises the Government's commitment to protecting those at highest risk. I look forward to making progress on meeting the income adequacy targets contained in the NAPS, and now restated in Sustaining Progress, in the budgets over the period to 2007.
Question No. 14 answered with Question No. 8.
Brendan Howlin
Question:
15
Mr. Howlin
asked the
Minister for Social and Family Affairs
if her attention has been drawn to the financial hardship caused to many people by her recent deal with the Irish Dental Association regarding the payment of dental fees; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[8470/03]
Joe Sherlock
Question:
23
Mr. Sherlock
asked the
Minister for Social and Family Affairs
the amount of money paid out by her Department for each of the past five years to dentists under the dental treatment scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[8477/03]
Dan Boyle
Question:
48
Mr. Boyle
asked the
Minister for Social and Family Affairs
the full agreement reached between her Department and the Irish Dental Association on the question of treatment to those availing of PRSI entitlements.
[8398/03]
Bernard J. Durkan
Question:
96
Mr. Durkan
asked the
Minister for Social and Family Affairs
the number of people who failed to obtain dental benefit in the course of the recent dispute; if she has plans to refund the relevant part of their contributions to such people; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[8584/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 15, 23, 48 and 96 together.
Dental benefit is provided to insured workers through a panel of dentists who enter into agreements with my Department to provide treatments under the scheme on a contract basis and at fees specified in the agreements. Under these arrangements, and with limited exceptions, treatments are provided to the patients either free of charge or at a reduced fee and the Department pays the balance of the cost directly to the dentist at the agreed rates. Patients seeking benefit attend a participating dentist who accepts the claim, indicates the treatment required and on completion of treatment submits the claim to my Department for payment of the Department's share of the cost.
The total expenditure for dental benefit from 1998 to 2002 was as follows:
|
1998
|
€29,019,650
|
|
1999
|
€33,492,426
|
|
2000
|
€35,492,704
|
|
2001
|
€35,000,269
|
|
2002
|
€35,122,711
|
From the beginning of August 2002, my Department ceased to accept claims from dentists who were imposing increased patient charges in breach of these arrangements.
Patients were advised at this stage to check that their dentist was continuing to operate within his contract with the Department and in cases where this was not so, they were advised to use my Departments LOCALL service to get details of dentists adhering to the agreed fees for treatments. Patients were also advised that the Department would not be in a position to refund any costs arising from treatment provided to them as private patients.
My Department has no information on the numbers who were refused service by dentists during this dispute. The LOCALL service was operated to ensure that patients could secure treatment from dentists still operating the scheme. Patients had the choice of using an alternative dentist where their own was in dispute, or deferring treatment pending a settlement, or being treated by dentists who had ceased to operate the scheme.
The dispute with the dentists has been settled and under the settlement, oral examination and scale and polish treatments will continue to be available to patients free of charge. In addition, extractions will continue to be provided as heretofore on a fixed fee basis for those earning under €45,000.
The cost to the patient will increase by 10% in respect of these treatments as will the contribution by my Department towards the costs of these treatments. This means that a patient will pay nothing extra for oral examination or scale and polish but will pay an extra €1.08 for extractions. In the case of fillings, the Department's contribution towards the costs of each filling increases by 10%, or, for example, from €26.54 to €29.20 in the case of a simple amalgam filling. The cost to the patient will be the normal private fee, less 15%, less the Department's contribution.
The cost of other treatments, such as dentures, also increases by 10% as does my Department's contribution towards the costs of these treatments. Patients who received treatment from dentists who were not participating in the scheme did so outside the scope of arrangements for the provision of dental benefit and are not entitled to compensation under the scheme.
Question No. 16 answered with Question No. 8.
Paul McGrath
Question:
17
Mr. P. McGrath
asked the
Minister for Social and Family Affairs
if she will extend the family income supplement scheme to self-employed people who are low paid; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
[8417/03]
Family income supplement was introduced in 1984 with the purpose of providing an incentive to low-paid employees with families to take up or remain in full-time employment in circumstances where they might otherwise be only marginally better off than if claiming another social welfare payment. The scheme was never intended for self employed people.
The question of extending the scheme to cover self-employed persons has since been considered, having regard to a number of factors including: the arrangements already in place to provide income support to self-employed people on low incomes, such as through unemployment assistance; the provision of support to low income farmers who are self employed; the practical difficulties associated with extending the scheme to the self-employed; and, the cost of introducing such a measure in the context of the need to prioritise the use of the limited resources available for the development of the wider social welfare system.
Arrangements already exist whereby self employed people on low earnings can receive additional payments under the social welfare system. Self-employed people whose income falls below the rate of unemployment assistance (UA) appropriate to their family circumstances are entitled to claim assistance.
The rate of assistance payable depends on the person's means. In assessing means, account is taken of the net income which the applicant may reasonably expect to receive in the next year, and all expenses necessarily incurred by the applicant in carrying out the business are disregarded.
Currently almost 1,600 unemployment assistance recipients are categorised as self employed, receiving an average of €135.71 assistance per week.
The farm assist scheme was introduced in 1999 to provide income support for low income farmers. At present, a total of 8,574 farmers are in receipt of farm assist, receiving an average weekly payment of €138.69.
Any extension of FIS to other categories of persons would have to be considered in a budgetary context and there are no plans for such an extension in present circumstances.
