Deputy Stanton inquired about employment supports and FIS. This year, we will spend €120 million on a range of employment support services, including back to work allowances, part-time job incentive schemes, assistance towards training and business-related expenses, credit union loan guarantee schemes, grants for small projects, special payments for lone parents and the long-term unemployed and grants towards the development and promotion of second chance education opportunities. We have also introduced a range of back to work and education initiatives.
The Deputy also inquired about the proportion of people of working age in receipt of weekly social welfare payments. That has remained at a fairly constant level of 20% for the past 15 years, which is somewhat surprising in light of the strong growth in the economy during that period. The number of unemployed has fallen but the numbers of lone parents and people with disabilities have risen, which is partly the result of societal changes and improvements in social provisions such as the introduction of disability allowance and so on. In our attempts to get people back to work we have introduced tapering allowances and disregards. Let me give an example. A person in receipt of a rent allowance is allowed to hold on to 25% of the allowance for up to four years following his or her return to work. As Deputy Callanan stated, all our social policies, whether for people with disabilities, lone parents or the elderly, are informed by the benefit people derive from being back at work. We are trying to design the system by using tapering allowances, disregards and means-testing to ensure the transition from welfare to work is smooth.
Family income supplement, FIS, to which Deputy Stanton alludes, is a major instrument of the system. We currently have 18,737 claims in payment and another 5,127 in hand, making a total of 23,000 claimants. Of the 5,127 claims in hand, 2,574 are first time claims, while the remaining 2,553 are renewed claims. The current average weekly payment is €111. This year to date we have received almost 6,000 new claims, an increase of 89% compared with the figure for the same period last year. In the case of renewals, we have received 9,000 claims, an increase of 31% compared with the figure for the same period last year. Family income supplement is a very important instrument in helping those on low pay not to slip back into the welfare system.
Deputy Stanton was interested in the comments of the Comptroller and Auditor General on the rent allowance scheme. The Comptroller and Auditor General shared my concern about the increasing numbers claiming under the scheme but the increase in population and other factors account for this. His main criticism of the Department, to which we responded, was that at a particular moment we could have reduced the cap but decided not to do so. When one looks at a graph of rents during a ten year period, one sees the volatility of the market, with its peaks and valleys. Our response has been to hold a steady line as we make up almost 40% of the rental market. We wanted to keep it capped in order that we would not be chopping and changing every couple of weeks. We have been able to convince others that by holding a steady line we have managed to do our part to hold down rents.
The correct answer is the rental assistance scheme, in which Deputy Stanton was also interested. The provisional figures at the end of May showed that almost 1,200 tenants had been accommodated under the scheme and that a further 600 had been provided with a local authority house. I transferred €19 million in 2005 and will transfer a further €19 million this year. In recent days I have had a lengthy meeting with the Minister and Minister of State at the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government to see how we can speed up the process and make more progress on the rental assistance arrangement. We have also been looking at whether some of the money could be used in a mortgage support system for those on welfare but as of now we have not made much progress on this.
Deputy Ryan asked whether persons in receipt of rent allowance could work. For rent support purposes, the first €60 per week is disregarded. Under the provisions of the 2006 budget, the next €30 is assessed at a rate of 50%.
To return to the remarks of the Comptroller and Auditor General, what proves our point is that we are constantly asked to raise the cap in order that one can claim the total rent. We have consistently refused to do this and kept a tight cap on it. We are convinced that people will be able to find accommodation at our capped price. The market tends to charge what we are prepared to pay. We are the market leaders. I assume the Comptroller and Auditor General is satisfied with our response.
On the question of the changing status of community welfare officers, the excellent work they do will not change when they revert to the Department. Some fear that the Department may interfere when they exercise their flexibility and discretion but that will not be case. These very important front line staff deal with issues day in day out and it is critical that they retain their flexibility, discretion and sensitivity to their clients. Obviously, IR issues remain to be worked out.
Deputy Ryan also asked about the Comhairle Bill. The Cabinet approved a new Citizens Information Bill 2006 which subsumes the Comhairle Bill 2004. I hope to have the Bill published in the next week or two and will try to bring it to the Oireachtas before the summer recess. Members will then have an opportunity to see how I am restructuring and redesigning the Bill to include an advocacy service.
We are expanding the school meals service by making an additional allocation of €1 million. An additional €500,000 has been allocated to raise awareness of pensions. The Pensions Board does a very good job in this regard and the number taking out PRSAs has increased. There is also greater awareness of the pensions issue nationally. It is one of the major issues in the partnership talks. In so far as one can measure a pensions awareness campaign, I would say the money is well spent.
Deputy Ryan also raised the question of issuing free mobile phones. It is our intention that the use of mobile phones will be covered to a certain limit. The Department is in discussions with suppliers to work out a scheme that will come into effect. The multiplicity of suppliers of mobile phones has made it more difficult than dealing with one during the Telecom Éireann days. Obviously, people will have the option of using a landline or a mobile phone up to an agreed limit.
Deputy Callanan raised a very valid point in regard to taking parental income into account when assessing a son or daughter for unemployment allowance. We have reduced the age limit to 25 years and will continue to do more work on the scheme. The Deputy also made a plea that those in receipt of disability payments who would like to do some work should be encouraged to do so for their own sake. We have given many exemptions in order that those in receipt of disability payments can do some work and are examining what else we can do.
Deputy Callanan's comments on the respite grant are appreciated. The Chairman raised the same issue. I accept the Deputy's point. The Department has not yet extended eligibility for carer's allowance to part-time care. This is the issue around which the entire argument revolves. If we were to include part-time care in the scheme, it would open up a new vista and while I do not suggest it would be wrong to do so, it would create a new burden. The number of people covered by the scheme would not be 30,000 or 40,000 but 100,000, 200,000 or 300,000. The question, therefore, is how does to define part-time care. I am grateful that the Deputy acknowledged that we increased the threshold from ten to 15 hours. Can one further increase it to 25 hours and, if so, why not to 26 hours? At that point, the scheme would cover part-time care.
I accept, on an individual level, the case the Deputy makes about a woman who is doing her best, providing care and helping the country. Technically, however, unless the Department makes a policy decision, the care provided by the woman in question is adjudged to be part-time in nature. To take a policy decision to extend the scheme would be a major departure. I acknowledge the commitment and passion members have shown towards the work of carers and I will try to respond to their interest in due course.
The Chairman asked about the free travel scheme. I am making some progress in this regard. I favour extending the scheme to those in receipt of Irish pensions who live outside the State but I am satisfied I cannot extend it to every citizen aged 66 years and over living outside the country because the number of people qualifying would be too large. I await further clarification from the European Union on whether I can extend the scheme as outlined and hope to be able to make an announcement in this regard in the coming weeks. I am increasingly hopeful that the issue can be satisfactorily resolved and I will shortly inform the committee of the position.
I do not know what to say on the matter of firefighters and employment. Perhaps we need to consider the possibility of introducing a special measure ring-fenced for members of the emergency services. I do not believe one could apply, as a general principle, the right of people to insist on working within a particular radius of their homes. However, firefighters are public servants who provide emergency services and perhaps we could consider introducing a sub-clause applicable only to emergency workers. The same case could be made in respect of lifeboat crews. I will examine the issue but I cannot make any commitments in this regard.