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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 16 Dec 2003

Vol. 577 No. 3

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

Paul McGrath

Ceist:

573 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if legal residency is a requirement for receipt of supplementary welfare allowance. [30687/03]

Under section 171 of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act 1993 any person in the State whose means are insufficient to meet his or her basic needs and the needs of any adult or child dependant may be entitled to assistance under the terms of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. Assistance, which is subject to a means test, may be provided in the form of a basic allowance or supplements in respect of rent, mortgage interest, special dietary or heating needs. Having regard to all the circumstances of a case, a health board may also make a single payment to meet an exceptional need if it considers it reasonable. In general, legal residency is not a requirement for receipt of supplementary welfare allowance. However, rent supplement is not payable if the applicant is a person who is not lawfully in the State, or who has made an application under the Refugee Act 1996 or the Aliens Act 1935 to remain in the State and such application is awaiting final decision by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. This provision applies in the case of applications for rent supplement made on or after 27 May 2003.

Cecilia Keaveney

Ceist:

574 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of schools in County Donegal which avail of the free meal services; her plans to expand the service in County Donegal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30725/03]

The school meals programme provides funding for a statutory urban school meals scheme, which operates in conjunction with certain local authorities, as well as a non-statutory local projects scheme which targets schools with high levels of disadvantaged pupils in both urban and rural areas. During the summer invitations were issued to the most disadvantaged schools to join the school meals programme. A total of nine schools in Donegal have received funding this year benefiting some 679 pupils. In addition, a project was set up that is benefiting some 31 children in seven other schools. It is planned to target additional schools in the country next year. In 2003, some 386 schools with a total of more than 51,000 pupils will have benefited under the urban scheme while 210 projects benefiting some 23,500 children received funding under the local projects scheme. The budget for 2004 provided an additional €1 million for the further expansion of the school meals programme.

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

575 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the extent to which her Department has examined the negative impact of sharply increased living costs on widows and widowers; her plans to address the issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30726/03]

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

576 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if her attention has been drawn to the extent to which living costs have increased in the past five years, with consequent severe negative effects on old age pensioners and other social welfare recipients; her plans to address this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30727/03]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 575 and 576 together.

As the Deputy will recall, the budget for 2004, which was announced on 3 December last, provides for increases in the weekly personal rates of social welfare payments. There will be a €11.50 increase in the maximum personal rate of widow's or widower's contributory pension and deserted wife's benefit for those aged 66 years and over – this represents an increase of 7.4% or a real increase of 4.8% – and a €10 increase in the maximum personal rate of all other weekly payments, including all other widow's and widower's pensions and all old age pensions. These represent increases ranging from 6.4% to 10.3%, or real increases of between 3.8% and 7.6%. The budget for 2004 also provided for increases of between 6.3% to 11.4% in the weekly rate of qualified adult allowances. These increases are well ahead of inflation. Child benefit will increase by €6 per month for the first two children and €8 for the third and subsequent children. Other improvements include an increase of €200, from €2,500 to €2,700, in the widowed parent grant, a €100 increase in the respite care grant and a significant increase in the weekly income disregard for carer's allowance.

Social welfare spending has nearly doubled since 1997, from €5.7 billion to a projected €11.2 billion in 2004. In this period the rate of the old age pension has increased by 80%, representing a real increase of 40.5% and the old age contributory pension has increased by 69%, representing a real increase of 32%. The widow's and widower's contributory pension for those aged 66 and over has increased by 85.3%, representing a real increase of 45%. The levels of increases provided in budget 2004, when taken with other increases provided since 1998, demonstrate the Government's continuing commitment to safeguard and enhance the living standards of the most vulnerable in our society.

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