Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 29 Jan 1992

Vol. 415 No. 1

Written Answers. - Estimates for Public Services.

Colm M. Hilliard

Ceist:

266 Mr. Hilliard asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for (1) the 200 per cent increase in expenditure under Vote 40, subhead B, (2) the 68 per cent increase in expenditure under Vote 40 L and (3) the 13 per cent increase in expenditure under Vote 40, subhead K, in the Estimates for the Public Services 1992.

Minister for Social Welfare (Mr. Daly)

The information requested by the Deputy is as follows:

(1) Subhead B of the Vote for Social Welfare (No. 40) refers to the contribution by my Department towards the cost of computerising An Post's counter services which will take a number of years to complete. A start was made on this in 1991 when a pilot project was undetaken. Based on the anticipated rate of development of the work during 1992, it is estimated that a sum of £3 million will be required.

(2) Subhead L refers to the carers allowance scheme. The scheme was initially introduced on 1 November 1990 for persons providing full-time care and attention to elderly and invalided social welfare pensioners and was extended to carers of persons in receipt of disabled person's maintenance allowance from July 1991. The 1992 estimate is £10.4 million. The increase of 68 per cent over 1991 expenditure is due mainly to projected higher level of recipients in 1992 and to the extension of the scheme to recipients of disabled person's maintenance allowance.

(3) Subhead K refers to the family income supplement scheme. Significant improvements have been made in this scheme in recent years. The 1992 estimate is £11.6 million. The increase of 13 per cent over expenditure in 1991 is due mainly to the full year costs in 1992 of the major improvements granted in the 1991 budget. These include (a) increases in the income limits for receipt of payment, (b) abolition of the restrictions on the amount payable based on family size, and (c) payment to families with children over 18 and under 21 years in full-time education.