asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if a decision has yet been communicated to local authorities in connection with the work involved for home assistance officers in administering the footwear scheme for children and the fuel voucher scheme; and, further, if he is aware that the Dublin Board of Assistance has not yet paid any allowance to the home assistance officers in respect of the additional duties performed by them in connection with the above-mentioned schemes, though application was made on the 1st December, 1945; and if he will take steps to ensure that such officers will receive suitable monetary recognition of the additional duties they are performing.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Home Assistance Officers.
The question relates to two separate schemes, namely the footwear scheme and the fuel scheme.
As regards the footwear scheme, a decision regarding extra work undertaken by assistance officers in connection with the scheme was conveyed on the 9th October last to public assistance authorities other than the Dublin Board of Assistance. The Commissioners for the Dublin Board of Assistance submitted to my department proposals for the payment to assistance officers in Dublin of additional remuneration for the extra work entailed by the operation of the scheme. The proposals have been examined and have been sanctioned.
The only public assistance authority which operates a fuel scheme is the Dublin Board of Assistance. The fuel scheme imposes the duty on the officers of issuing fuel vouchers at 1/- each in the summer period to such of the home assistance recipients as are prepared to purchase the vouchers and such extra work as is involved relates to the collection and accounting of these payments. The operation of the scheme imposes very little work on the officers concerned and, in fact, in the winter their normal work is simplified by the issue of vouchers instead of cash. In the winter time home assistance includes the fuel voucher for which no charge is made and there is no extra work involved for the issuing officer. Formerly these officers were required to pay a cash allowance for fuel to the home assistance recipients in the winter months.
In the circumstances the Minister is not prepared to approve of extra remuneration to the assistance officers in respect of the fuel scheme.
Can the Minister indicate the date when the proposals were sanctioned?
Within the last week.