Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 December 2004
187 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if his attention has been drawn to or if he has statistics to suggest the take-up of the back to school clothing and footwear allowances; and the measures he has introduced to inform those eligible of their entitlements under this section. [32117/04]
View answer188 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if, through social welfare applicants’ PPS numbers, these persons can be identified and informed of their entitlements under the school clothing and footwear scheme; and if he will investigate the possibility of this approach to the non-take-up of entitlements in other areas of social welfare. [32291/04]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 187 and 188 together.
The back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme is administered by the health boards on behalf of my Department. Under the scheme, an allowance of €80 is payable in respect of qualified children aged two to 11 years while €150 is payable in respect of qualified children aged 12 to 22 years.
The number of children benefiting from the back to school clothing allowance has increased from 155,811 in 2002 to 172,123 in 2003. It is expected that an increased number of children will have benefited in 2004, when final figures are compiled by the Department from health board returns.
The Department is not in a position at present to identify eligible customers for the back to school clothing and footwear allowance, or other means-tested welfare schemes from its data base. The back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme is promoted in a number of ways. Health boards advertise and promote the scheme by advertising in the local press and radio, by placing posters in all health centres, and by provision of information material and applications forms to citizens' information centres, social workers and to the money advice and budgeting service. The Department itself also promotes the scheme generally in publicity at the relevant time of year. The steady growth in the numbers of children benefiting under the scheme shows that there is increasing awareness of entitlements as a result of this publicity.
