Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 27 Feb 2001

Vol. 531 No. 3

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

Austin Deasy

Ceist:

72 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if he will ensure that extra staff are deployed to deal with the additional applications for the free schemes in view of the scheme being made available to all people over 70 years of age to ensure they do not have to wait months for the schemes to be applied; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5646/01]

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

As announced in budget 2001, the free schemes are to be extended from May 2001 to all persons aged 70 years and over, regardless of their income or household composition.

The project to implement this extension of the schemes involves the processing of an estimated 80,000 claims from some 43,000 new customers. The staffing and other needs to implement the project have been identified and work is under way to have these staff in place as soon as possible.

The extension of the schemes will be advertised in the press during the week commencing 4 March 2001 and customers will be invited to apply on a special application form to the pension services office of my Department in Sligo. That office will provide a Freephone facility from 5 March 2001 for at least two weeks. Alternatively the office can be contacted by e-mail. All of this information will be contained in the press advertisement.

It is necessary for the customers to make an application as the majority of them are new customers and the allowances cannot be applied to their bills by the various utility companies unless my Department supplies all the relevant details including account numbers.

Because of the scale of the project it will not be possible to arrange to have the various allowances applying to all customers bills from 1 May 2001 but the allowances will be put into effect at the earliest possible date and will be backdated to 1 May where applicable.

Question No. 73 answered with Question No. 58.