Vol. 440 No. 7
109 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he has monitored the effectiveness of the new supplementary welfare assistance guidelines on assistance with ESB bills; if he has satisfied himself that all applicants are being treated equally and fairly; and the steps, if any, he will take to ensure that any anomalies in this regard are eliminated.
The code of practice on electricity and gas bills which I introduced in October 1993 is designed to assist people on social welfare payments who, because of exceptional circumstances encounter difficulty in meeting their ESB/natural gas bills. My Department in conjunction with the health boards and the utilities is monitoring the operation of the code.
Responses received from health boards to date indicate that the code is operating satisfactorily. There have been isolated difficulties in some areas and these will be pursued by my Department with the Electricity Supply Board and Bord Gáis Éireann as part of the ongoing review of the code to ensure that it functions as intended.
110 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his attention has been drawn to difficulties which have arisen for staff of the fire service throughout the country who, in applying for unemployment assistance, are being assessed for the first time with earnings received by them for fighting fires; his views on whether there are exceptional circumstances applicable in such cases because of the hazardous and dangerous nature of the service involved; if he will ensure that the position is restored so that the unique circumstances of part-time firemen continue to be taken into account; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The 1992 Social Welfare Act provided for the assessment of insurable earnings as means for unemployment assistance purposes for all applicants. The preferential treatment previously accorded to claimants with income from insurable employment had its origins in the establishment of the unemployment assistance scheme. The legislation establishing the scheme provided that persons could have their means assessed while still employed so as to avoid any delay in authorising claims when they suffered a loss of work. By excluding income from current employment, the assessment reflected the situation that would exist when they became unemployed. At the time, that was a very necessary provision in circumstances where entitlement to unemployment benefit was very restricted.
The change in legislation was necessary; firstly, to ensure equity of treatment as between employees and self-employed persons claiming unemployment assistance who have always had their earnings assessed as means; and secondly, in recognition of the extension of insurance cover to part-time employees earning over £25 per week.
