Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 October 2004
157 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if the recent monthly telephone line rental charge approved by ComReg is being paid by his Department under the telephone allowance scheme as administered by his Department; the total amount involved in this increase under the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25932/04]
View answerExpenditure on the household benefits package which includes the telephone allowance, the electricity-natural gas allowance and the free television licence is estimated at €280 million this year. My Department continually negotiates to obtain the best commercial terms and value for money for this very sizeable annual expenditure on the household benefits.
The structure of the telephone allowance operated by my Department was changed in 2003 to make it a cash credit on bills and not attributable to any particular component of the bill. Previously the allowance had covered the line and instrument rental charges specifically, along with a small element of call costs on each two-monthly client bill. This change in the structure of the telephone allowance was designed to make it easier for eligible clients to switch from Eircom to another participating service provider if they so desire as the newly standardised allowance can be applied to phone bills from any service provider irrespective of the tariff components. Currently, there are four service providers, including Eircom, participating in the telephone allowance scheme and three more have expressed an interest in participating.
In conjunction with this change, a special bundle rate, the Eircom social benefits scheme was introduced by Eircom, which provides telephone allowance customers with line and equipment rental plus an enhanced call credit of up to €5.35 worth of free calls per two month billing period. The cost of the bundle represented better value for money for the ongoing expenditure on these services. Subsequently the Commission for Telecommunications Regulation, ComReg, approved a price increase application from Eircom of 7.5% in line rental, effective from 4 February 2004. A lesser percentage increase was applied to telephone instrument rental where applicable.
Following detailed discussions between my Department and Eircom it was decided that the increase in the Eircom social benefits scheme would be limited to the rate of the consumer price index, 1.9%. This added a total of 94 cent to the two-monthly bills, 11 cent per week, of Eircom customers who are recipients of the telephone allowance. Other Eircom customers have incurred an increase of 7.5% or €3.48 per two months. Eircom has also offered to give low use customers up to €10 worth of calls free per two-month bill, by offering them its separate low users scheme in addition to the social benefit scheme. Claimants of the telephone allowance are free to choose the service provider which they feel gives them the best value for money. Depending on which service provider is chosen, the €20.41 per month paid by the Department can cover line rental and instrument rental in full as well as providing a set value of free calls. One provider participating in the scheme provides full cover for line and instrument rental and €5 free calls per month for the €20.41 paid by the Department.
As customers are entitled to switch between participating service providers, it is difficult to accurately assess what would be the full cost to the Exchequer of paying the cost of the Eircom increase. The maximum cost, based on current numbers in receipt of the telephone allowance, would be €1.78 million in a full year. As the new arrangements have been in place for 12 months I have asked my Department for a report on the telephone allowance scheme to assess the implications of the changes in the scheme.
158 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason one parent family allowance has not been approved in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare in view of the fact that an irrevocable judicial separation has been granted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25948/04]
View answerUnder the regulations governing the one parent family payment scheme, a separated spouse is required to make and continue to make appropriate efforts to obtain adequate maintenance from their spouse. The person concerned was requested by a deciding officer of the Department to show evidence of his efforts to seek maintenance from his spouse. However, to date he has not forwarded documentary evidence of his efforts in this respect. The granting of a judicial separation does not alter this requirement.
On receipt of the requested documentation an early decision will be made and the person concerned will be notified of the outcome without delay. Under social welfare legislation, decisions in relation to claims must be made by deciding officers and appeals officers. These officers are statutorily appointed and I have no role in regard to making such decisions.
