Tony Gregory
Ceist:85 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Social Welfare the position of the proposed increase in the dietary allowance which has already been paid out in certain instances but which now appears to have been withdrawn.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
Social Welfare recipients who have a special dietary requirement arising from a health condition and whose means are insufficient to meet this need, may qualify for an additional payment under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. Entitlement to payment is determined by the relevant health board. Normally, the amount of a payment would reflect the additional cost of the special diet over and above the amount a person would be expected to pay for a normal diet from their basic social welfare payment.
In the Eastern Health Board the payment of a diet supplement is based on standard costed diets which are reviewed periodically by the board. The board has advised my Department that there are no plans at present to increase the level of diet supplements in payment.
Rory O'Hanlon
Ceist:86 Dr. O'Hanlon asked the Minister for Social Welfare the amount of supplementary welfare allowance paid in each community care area in the last year for which figures are available.
Health boards do not maintain expenditure data in such a way as to provide the information requested by the Deputy.
A statistical system which will allow health boards to provide expenditure analysis on a community care area basis in respect of the various elements of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme has been developed by my Department in consultation with the boards. It is expected that the first returns base on the new system will be available later this year.