Vol. 401 No. 1
19 Miss Flaherty asked the Minister for Social Welfare when application forms for the new back to school payments will be available and the locations where the forms will be available; and if he will outline the arrangements which are now in place for the processing of the claims for 150,000 eligible children.
28 Mr. McCartan asked the Minister for Social Welfare if, in relation to the proposed new clothing allowance, he will outline whether the health boards have yet notified him of the date on which the allowance will be paid; if there have been any negotiations with the representatives of community welfare officers regarding the implementation of the scheme; if the community welfare officers have agreed to implement the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 19 and 28 together.
The new school clothing allowance which I am introducing this year will be administered by the health boards as part of the supplementary welfare allowances scheme, which is funded by my Department.
Seven of the health boards have indicated that application forms are available at local health centres. Individual applications will be processed as soon as possible after they are received and it is envisaged that payments will commence later this month or early in August.
I have met with representatives of the relevant staff and I received a very positive response to my proposals for the new scheme. These discussions proved to be very useful in drawing up the detailed arrangements for the scheme.
The unions representing the staff concerned in the Eastern Health Board area have, however, decided not to proceed with the implementation of the new scheme pending resolution of a claim for additional staff for the administration of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme generally.
Everything possible is being done to resolve this issue in sufficient time to enable payment of the new allowance in the Eastern Health Board area to be made as planned.
