Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 31 Oct 1968

Vol. 236 No. 11

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Cheap Fuel Scheme.

61.

Mr. Ryan

asked the Minister for Social Welfare the sum paid to each health or local authority in respect of the cheap fuel scheme for the year ended 31st March, 1968; and the average number of people assisted by each authority.

Mr. J. Brennan

As the reply is in the form of a tabular statement I propose, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to have it circulated with the Official Report.

Following is the statement:—

Cheap Fuel Scheme, 1967-68

Local Authority	Amount paid in respect of year ended 31st March, 1968	Average weekly number of persons assisted
	£	s.	d.
Arklow U.D.C.	1,900	0	0	344
Balbriggan Town Commissioners	405	0	0	90
Bray U.D.C.	2,000	0	0	330
Cork Corporation	27,200	0	0	4,641
Drogheda Corporation	2,925	0	0	565
Dublin Health Authority	72,500	0	0	17,466
Dundalk U.D.C.	3,780	0	0	1,162
Dungarvan U.D.C.	880	0	0	271
Dún Laoghaire Corporation	3,500	0	0	1,253
Enniscorthy U.D.C.	1,670	0	0	278
Kilkenny Corporation	1,830	0	0	437
Gorey Town Commissioners	760	0	0	120
New Ross U.D.C.	1,160	0	0	220
Waterford Corporation	7,100	0	0	1,358
Wexford Corporation	3,290	0	0	501
Wicklow U.D.C.	1,000	0	0	198
Limerick Corporation	5,000	0	0	1,780

Payments subject to adjustment on completion of audit of local authority accounts.

62.

Mr. Ryan

asked the Minister for Social Welfare the amount per capita paid to each health or local authority in respect of the cheap fuel schemes for the years ended 31st March, 1967 and 1968 respectively; and why there is a variation in the amounts paid per person assisted in different areas.

Mr. J. Brennan

As the reply to the first part of the question is in the form of a tabular statement I propose, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to have it circulated with the Official Report.

The variation in the amounts paid per person in different areas is mainly attributable to differences in the prices of fuel and to the fact that different contributions are payable by participants in the scheme. Pensioners pay 6d per cwt; persons in receipt of unemployment assistance pay 1/- per cwt.; and persons in the low income groups pay 2/- per cwt. The proportions of persons in these categories varies in different areas.

The figures shown represent the amounts paid by my Department in respect of the local authority schemes divided by the average weekly number of persons assisted in each area. As the cost of fuel supplied to persons in receipt of home assistance is borne in full by the local public assistance authority, the number of home assistance recipients of fuel has been excluded in calculating the average weekly number of persons assisted.

Following is the statement:—

Cheap Fuel Scheme

Local Authority	Amount paid per capita
	1966-67	1967-68
(1)	(2)	(3)
	£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.
Arklow U.D.C.	5	15	2*	5	16	2*
Balbriggan Town Commissioners	6	3	2	4	12	0*
Bray U.D.C.	5	16	3*	6	7	0*
Cork Corporation	6	0	10	5	17	3*
Drogheda Corporation	6	1	0	5	17	7*
Dublin Health Authority	5	1	8	4	9	1*
Dundalk U.D.C.	5	15	10*	3	6	6*
Dungarvan U.D.C.	5	6	4	3	9	7
Dún Laoghaire Corporation	4	17	0	4	15	3*
Enniscorthy U.D.C.	6	15	0*	6	14	1*
Kilkenny Corporation	5	13	2	5	3	8*
Gorey Town Commissioners	6	11	0*	6	8	9*
New Ross U.D.C.	5	19	7*	5	16	0*
Waterford Corporation	6	7	1	5	10	6*
Wexford Corporation	7	11	7	6	18	3*
Wicklow U.D.C.	5	12	9	5	6	4*
Limerick Corporation	3	2	4	2	13	10*

*Subject to further payment on completion of audit of local authority accounts.

NOTE: An initial instalment based on the local authority's estimate of expenditure on the scheme is paid to each local authority towards the end of the financial year and the final payment is made on completion of audit of the authority's accounts. The figures in col. (2), other than those asterisked, represent the position on final payment. As no final payments have been made in respect of the year 1967-68, the figures in col. (3) are based on initial instalments only.

Mr. Ryan

Could the Minister explain how it was that in Limerick city last year the free fuel scheme was closed down about three weeks before it terminated elsewhere, due to lack of funds and fuel?

Mr. J. Brennan

Without having the actual information before me, I would imagine that it was due to the manner in which the local authorities administered the scheme.

Mr. Ryan

It is rather strange particularly when Limerick city——

Mr. J. Brennan

They could have spread the money over a longer period if they had wished, as other local authorities did.

Mr. Ryan

Could they not do that only by reducing the number of sods of turn in the bag per week?