Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 March 2006
67 Mr. Noonan asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if his Department has carried out research into the particular barriers that social welfare claimants encounter when trying to access information on social welfare payments; if not, the reason therefor; the barriers which were identified as a result of this research; the action his Department has taken to address these barriers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10955/06]
View answerI regard the provision of information in a clear and accessible manner as an essential element in the effective delivery of social welfare services. The underlying objective of my Department's information policy is to ensure that all citizens are made aware of their entitlements and that they are kept informed of changes and improvements in schemes and services as they occur.
My Department has not undertaken specific research along the lines suggested in the Deputy's question. However, our customers, through a number of channels, including customer panels and customer surveys, provide us with feedback regarding the level of customer satisfaction with our information service: for example, a recent customer survey found that 82% of people were satisfied with our information services.
My Department uses a range of communication channels to meet the different needs of customers. Comprehensive information and guidance relating to social welfare schemes and services is available through my Department's network of over 130 local offices throughout the country. In some 58 social welfare local offices of my Department, officers who are dedicated to providing information are available to explain our supports and services and to help and assist people in completing forms and accessing their entitlements.
My Department produces a comprehensive range of information leaflets and booklets covering each social welfare payment or scheme. These information leaflets are available in a wide range of outlets across the country, including all social welfare local offices, citizens information centres, post offices and in many local community centres. The information is also available on my Department's website at www.welfare.ie. Claim forms, explanatory leaflets and information booklets can be ordered directly, at any time, from our lo-call leaflet line at 1890 20 23 25.
The National Adult Literacy Association, NALA, provides advice to my Department to ensure that all information is produced in a simple, clear, easy to read format and that it is accessible to people with different levels of literacy ability or for whom English or Irish is not their first language. The Guide to Social Welfare Services is available on our website in both Irish and English and in Arabic, Chinese, French, Polish, Russian and Spanish.
Special attention is given to the particular needs of people with disabilities in accessing information. My Department's website is fully compliant with international standards for people with disabilities. It allows people with visual impairment to use special screen reading software to have the text read out by their computers and is also accessible for people with hearing difficulties. We also provide information in alternative forms such as braille, audio tape or large print on request.
My Department takes a proactive approach in advertising new schemes and changes and improvements to existing schemes and services, by using an appropriate mix of national and provincial media, information leaflets, fact sheets, posters and direct mailshots. We have, in the past, issued direct information booklets to target groups, such as pensioners and lone parents, outlining all the services available to them from the Department.
The central information services unit in my Department operates a phone service where people can get information on all our services. Selective use is made of freephone services to provide information on new schemes and services and at particular times of the year, such as budget time. Other information campaigns, such as the recent nationwide family income supplement campaign, aim to ensure that people are aware of and claim their entitlements.
In addition to these information services Comhairle, the national citizen's information body under the aegis of my Department, supports the provision of comprehensive information on a range of social services through a network of 247 citizens information centres throughout the country, through the OASIS website and the citizens information phone line, 1890 777 121. In addition, funding is provided to various voluntary and community organisations to assist with information projects on social welfare.
My objective is to continually improve services to ensure that people are not encountering barriers in finding out about social welfare schemes and services. Access to high quality information for people with different needs is a key priority for me in the drive to ensure that citizens are aware of and claim their social welfare entitlements.
68 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his plans to allow holders of free travel passes to access hackney services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10941/06]
View answer75 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the discussions which have taken place between Irish and British officials regarding the introduction of a free travel scheme for pensioners while visiting their countries. [10988/06]
View answer86 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the position regarding negotiations between his Department and the British Government to enable Irish pensioners living in Britain to participate in the Irish free travel scheme when they return home on holidays. [11036/06]
View answer97 Mr. Cuffe asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he plans to open up the Irish travel system to all UK pensioners in view of his intended expansion of the free travel scheme for pensioners north and south of the Border. [11035/06]
View answer112 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the costs of giving free travel and the household benefits package to all widows and widowers here, regardless of their age; his plans to bring proposals to Government to give free travel and the household benefits package to all widows and widowers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10928/06]
View answer181 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his views on extending the free schemes to a wider group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11329/06]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 68, 75, 86, 97, 112 and 181 together.
The free travel scheme is available to all people living in the State aged 66 years or over. All carers in receipt of carer's allowance and carers of people in receipt of constant attendance or prescribed relative's allowance, regardless of their age, receive a free travel pass. It is also available to people under age 66 who are in receipt of certain disability type welfare payments, such as disability allowance, invalidity pension and blind person's pension. People resident in the State who are in receipt of a social security invalidity or disability payment from a country covered by EU regulations or from a country with which Ireland has a bilateral social security agreement and who have been on this payment for at least 12 months, are also eligible for free travel.
The scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by over 80 private transport operators. The free travel scheme applies to travel within the State and cross-Border journeys between here and Northern Ireland. The vast majority of private contractors providing services under the scheme operate in rural areas. The underlying feature of the scheme is the use of spare capacity on these transport services. I am always willing to consider applications from licensed private transport operators who may wish to participate in the free travel scheme.
Various alternatives to the existing system, including the use of vouchers, have been examined. A study published in 2000 under the Department's programme of expenditure reviews concluded that a voucher type system, which would be open to a wide range of transport providers, including taxis and hackneys, would be extremely difficult to administer, open to abuse and unlikely to be sufficient to afford an acceptable amount of travel. This position remains unchanged.
The issue of access to public transport in rural areas is being addressed at present through the rural transport initiative, which is being managed by Pobal, formerly Area Development Management, ADM, on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Transport. My Department contributed €500,000 to the initiative in 2004, €750,000 in 2005 and is contributing €850,000 for the initiative in 2006. This will ensure that free travel pass holders continue to have full access to community based transport services.
There have been a number of requests and inquiries about the extension of entitlement to free travel in Ireland to Irish born people living outside Ireland or to those in receipt of pensions from my Department, particularly in the UK when they return to Ireland for a visit. The legal advice available to me is that such proposals would be contrary to the EC Treaty, which prohibits discrimination on the grounds of nationality. However, I am continuing to explore all aspects of a possible approach. Recognition of the contribution of emigrants to the growth of this country is a priority of this Government.
With regard to the household benefits package, which comprises the electricity/gas allowance, telephone allowance and television licence schemes, this is generally available to people living permanently in the State, aged 66 years or over, who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment or who satisfy a means test. The package is also available to carers and people with disabilities under the age of 66 who are in receipt of certain welfare type payments. People aged over 70 years of age can qualify regardless of their income or household composition. Widows and widowers aged from 60 to 65 whose late spouses had been in receipt of the household benefits package retain that entitlement to ensure that households do not suffer a loss of entitlements following the death of a spouse.
In 2005, the estimated cost of extending the household benefits package and the free travel scheme to all widows and widowers irrespective of their age would be some €45 million. A range of proposals, including those referred to by the Deputies, have been made to extend the coverage of the household benefits package of free schemes and the free travel scheme. These proposals are kept under review in the context of the objectives of the schemes and budgetary resources.
