Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 20 Apr 1999

Vol. 503 No. 3

Written Answers. - Social Services Card.

Proinsias De Rossa

Ceist:

412 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the status of the social welfare card issued to recipients of social welfare and people who sign for credit; if this card is voluntary with no obligation on a person to carry it with them or to produce it when requested. [9564/99]

Proinsias De Rossa

Ceist:

413 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the legal obligation, if any, on a person who loses a social welfare card to seek garda confirmation of their identity; if he will issue instructions to social welfare offices that where a person loses a card and can produce identification such as a medical card, passport or driving licence and so on to establish their identity, that they will accept this identification; and his views on whether a person is obliged to have the gardaí fill in a form. [9565/99]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 412 and 413 together.

The legal basis for the social services card is provided in the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 1993, as amended by the Social Welfare Act, 1998, Part IV, section 14 of the 1998 Act refers.

At present, the social services card is issued to all persons who hold a personal public service number, PPSN.

There is no legal obligation on a person to carry the social services card. However, the legislation obliges a person to produce the card at the request of the Department or other specified body for the purposes of a transaction.

The card is an important requirement in establishing the identity of persons receiving certain payments from my Department. The customer is paid on production of a valid social services card or a temporary signing card.

While persons signing for credits at a social welfare local office are not normally required to produce a social services card, they can be asked to do so.

The social services card is fundamental to the efficient payment of benefits and the delivery of good service to the customer. It is important to have a secure system in place regarding the replacement of social services cards which in such cases are used to collect payment. This also protects the customer as it prevents misuse or misappropriation of the card.

If a person loses his or her social services card, a form is given to him or her for completion. This form includes a portion to be completed at the customer's local Garda station in which a Garda certifies that the person has reported the loss of the card to that Garda station. The Garda station stamp is affixed to the form. There is no legal obligation, however, on a person who loses his or her social services card to seek Garda confirmation of his or her identity.

Establishing the identity and the address of social welfare customers is a vital part of the control function in local offices. Where evidence of identification is required it normally takes the form of a long form birth certificate or passport together with another document such as a driver's licence, rent book etc. Proof of identity must be supplied in all cases of new or repeat claims for payment at local offices of the Department.