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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 29 Apr 1998

Vol. 490 No. 3

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

Michael Ferris

Ceist:

35 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the additional cost involved in extending the free fuel scheme at £8 per week to all urban and rural beneficiaries. [10100/98]

Jim O'Keeffe

Ceist:

38 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs when the figure of £5 per week was established as the free fuel allowance; the increase in the consumer price index since then; and his views on the case for an increase in the amount payable. [10047/98]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 35 and 38 together.

The aim of the national fuel scheme is to assist householders who are on long-term social welfare or health board payments and who are unable to provide for their own heating needs. A payment of £5 per week, £8 per week in smokeless zones, is paid to eligible households for 26 weeks from mid-October to mid-April.
The fuel allowance was last increased in October 1985. The fuel and light component of the consumer price index, CPI, rose by 8.3 per cent between August 1985 and March 1998. Increasing the basic allowance by this amount for the 1998-99 fuel season would cost £3.7 million.
Extending the fuel allowance at £8 per week to all urban and rural areas would cost approximately £13.6 million. This would give an increase of £3 per week to about 174,000 people.
Any increase in the payment rate would have to be considered in a budgetary context, having regard to the modest increase in domestic fuel prices since the current rate of the fuel allowance was fixed. Changes in the national fuel scheme should not be viewed in isolation from the primary schemes and, in that regard, I would point out that substantial increases of either £3 or £5 per week in all the social welfare primary payment personal rates were announced in the 1998 budget.

Ceist:

36 Mr. Hayes asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the total sum of money required to facilitate rental subsidy as administered through each health board region in the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10038/98]

Detailed information on the total expenditure on rent supplements under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme for each health board region is shown on the following tabular statement.

Expenditure on rent supplements has increased substantially over the last few years. This was mainly due to increases in rent levels.

In July 1994, following concern caused by the escalating costs in relation to rent and mortgage interest supplements a review group was established by Government to report on the role of SWA in relation to housing.

The group was comprised of representatives of the Departments of Social, Community and Family Affairs, Health and Children, Environment and Local Government, Finance, health boards and local authorities. The group presented its findings in December 1995.

Following the publication of the housing review group report, an interdepartmental committee was established under the aegis of the Department of the Environment and Local Government, with representatives from the Departments of Health and Children, Social, Community and Family Affairs and Finance, to examine the implications of transferring the administration of rent and mortgage interest supplements to local authorities. It is expected that the committee will report shortly.

Expenditure
Year 1997*

Health Board

Rent Supp.

£ Million

Eastern

38.48

Midland

2.50

Mid-Western

3.53

North-Eastern

3.30

North-Western

1.93

South-Eastern

4.91

Southern

12.88

Western

7.73

Total

75.26

*Provisional Outturn.
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