Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 February 2005
195 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of changes that he announced to the cutbacks of 2004 on 1 December 2004 which require circulars to community welfare officers; if he will identify each change that requires a circular to community welfare officers; if and when he has issued these circulars; when each change comes into effect; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2376/05]
Amharc ar fhreagra196 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the date on which each of the changes that he announced to the cutbacks of 2004 on 1 December 2004 come into effect; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2377/05]
Amharc ar fhreagra197 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of persons affected by each of the changes that he announced to the cutbacks of 2004 on 1 December 2004; the cost to the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2378/05]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 195 to 197, inclusive, together.
At the time of the recent budget, I announced my intention to make changes relating to the rent supplement and crèche and diet supplements, which are provided for under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare staff of the health service executive.
I have made two changes in the conditions for receipt of rent supplement. To ensure that bona fide tenants may access rent supplement in appropriate circumstances, I have abolished the six months prior renting requirement. Rent supplement may be paid where the applicant has established himself or herself in rented accommodation within his or her own resources, with an expectation that this would continue into the future and then suffers a substantial change in circumstances whereby he or she can no longer afford the rent. Rent supplement continues to be payable in other specific hardship circumstances, or where there is an assessed housing need. I have also eased the rules relating to the refusal of local authority accommodation. Until now, rent supplement was not payable if a person refused a second offer of local authority accommodation within a 12 month period. Rent supplement may now be paid unless a person has refused, within an 18 month period, three offers of accommodation from a local authority.
I have also eased the means test for rent or mortgage interest supplement. The additional income from part-time employment, participation in approved training courses and a portion of maintenance payments to be disregarded has been increased from €50 to €60 per week. Regulations have been made to give effect to these changes from 31 January 2005.
In relation to crèche supplements I have allocated additional funding of €2.3 million, an amount equivalent to the savings achieved by the discontinuation of crèche supplements in 2004, to enable existing crèche supplements to remain in place, where appropriate, in individual cases and to ensure that vulnerable families can continue to have access to crèche supports, for example in cases where a social worker or public health nurse deems this a necessary as part of their work with the family. I will consult my colleagues, the Ministers for Health and Children and Justice, Equality and Law Reform about the most appropriate way to channel this funding. The revised rent and crèche supplement measures have been advised to community welfare staff by way of a circular that my Department issued to them on 31 January 2005.
I have allocated additional funding to make improvements in the diet supplement scheme. The Department of Social and Family Affairs is examining a report which was commissioned from the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute relating to what constitutes a healthy eating diet, special diets arising from medical conditions and the costs associated with providing for the diets. As soon as the examination of the report has been concluded, I will announce changes in the operation of the diet supplement scheme.
I will outline the position in respect of the other revised measures I announced following the 2005 budget. The transitional payment for recipients of one parent family payment has been restored and is available for a period of six months where a recipient's income exceeds €293 per week. The qualifying period for the back to education allowance has been reduced from 15 months to 12 months. The cost of education allowance has been increased by €254 to €400. The income limit for entitlement to half-rate child dependant increases for unemployment, disability and related schemes has been increased by €50 per week to €350. The saving of €700,000 from last year's MABS supplement measure is being redirected to the MABS service to enable it to further improve its services. Some €19 million in funding from the rent supplement scheme has been transferred to local authorities as an initial measure to enable them to put long-term housing solutions in place through the new rental accommodation scheme. Given the demand led nature of the schemes involved, it is not possible to be definitive on cost, but the full year estimate for the measures I have detailed is estimated at approximately €36 million.
