asked the Minister for Social Welfare if the review of the cheap fuel scheme has been completed by his Department; and if so, the result of such review.
Ceisteanna—Questions . Oral Answers . - Fuel Scheme .
24.
: The review in question has not yet been completed?
: Can the Minister say when it will be completed?
: It will be completed very shortly. The Deputy will understand that if we were taking any action, we would be unlikely to be taking it before next winter.
: Is it intended that there will be a revised scheme before next winter?
: At the moment this area is under examination by a group——
: Is it a working party?
: The Deputy may call it what he likes, but it consists of people from my Department, that is the Department of Social Welfare, Dublin Corporation, charitable organisations and others. I have asked them to go into this situation very carefully, because as Deputies know at the moment there are three different elements involved. There is the free turf scheme in certain areas, the ESB free electricity allowance, and the new provisions under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance Act. These three elements are operating separately in this area, and I have asked this group to have a look at the situation to see whether they should be brought together or what arrangements should be made.
: This matter has been under consideration for a long time. What is holding up the process of consultation? Is there some difficulty holding it up?
: No, there is no particular difficulty. The Deputy will appreciate that this is not exclusively a departmental examination. We are asking outside people to come in and give us the benefit of their experience and advice.
: Have not some of these outside agencies, particularly those mentioned by the Minister, done this a considerable time ago? Should we not be in the final stages of this consideration now?
: They have each been operating in their separate ways and I want to look at the overall situation of the three separate schemes to see whether they should be brought together or whether some new arrangement should be made in regard to them.
: In relation to the free fuel scheme, in Dublin city alone last year it is estimated that the total expenditure was in the order of £900,000, approximately half of which did not go to the people who were designed to benefit from the scheme. There is considerable urgency about it in order to ensure that the people who are to benefit will do so next winter if that is humanly possible.
: The Deputy is using the term "urgency" relatively because as far as that scheme is concerned nothing will be happening until next winter. Therefore we have that time at our disposal. As the Deputy knows, I received a deputation from Dublin Corporation about the operation of the free fuel scheme in Dublin. They made certain recommendations about it which are part of the examination.
: Does the Minister think it will have an outcome by next winter?
: I would hope so.