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Social Welfare Benefits.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 December 2005

Tuesday, 13 December 2005

Ceisteanna (254, 255, 256, 257)

Paudge Connolly

Ceist:

289 Mr. Connolly asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number availing of, and the levels of funding for the farm assist scheme for counties Cavan and Monaghan respectively from 2002 to date in 2005 on a yearly basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38678/05]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The details requested by the Deputy of the numbers availing of the farm assist scheme have been compiled from data that is maintained on a local office catchment area basis and these figures do not correspond exactly with county boundaries. The figures are as follows:

2002

2003

2004

3/12/2005

Cavan

307

312

307

286

Monaghan

404

408

417

400

The cost of funding the farm assist scheme is not available in a county by county format as requested by the Deputy. The total expenditure on the scheme for the years involved is as follows.

2002

2003

2004

2005

€ millions

€ millions

€ millions

€ millions

58.571

62.806

66.343

68.0

The amount paid to each farmer depends on a number of factors, for example, family size, whether the spouse or partner is working and any means assessed from all sources. The farm assist scheme is a practical response by my Department to the situation of low-income farmers and it represents a long-term safety net for them. It benefits farm families with children and also provides increased payments to farming couples without children and to single farmers on low income.

Paudge Connolly

Ceist:

290 Mr. Connolly asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number in receipt of fuel allowance on a yearly basis between 2000 and to date in 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38679/05]

Amharc ar fhreagra

A fuel allowance of €9 per week is payable to eligible households during a 29 week winter heating period from the end of September to mid-April each year. An additional €3.90 per week is payable in the designated urban smokeless fuel zones. The scheme is expected to cost €85.4 million in 2005. The numbers qualifying for the fuel allowance scheme from 2000 to 2005 are set out in the following table.

Numbers receiving a standard fuel allowance, smokeless fuel supplement 2000 to 2005.

Year

Standard Fuel Allowance

Smokeless supplement

Nos.

Nos.

2000

270,000

109,000

2001

265,000

108,000

2002

259,000

115,000

2003

270,000

118,000

2004

272,000

121,000

2005

274,000

123,000

Budget 2006 provided for an increase in the rate of fuel allowance of €5 from €9 to €14. Some 274,000 customers, 151,000 with basic fuel allowance and 123,000 with smokeless supplement, will benefit in 2006 at an estimated cost of €125.1 million.

Paudge Connolly

Ceist:

291 Mr. Connolly asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his proposals to address the problem of fuel poverty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38680/05]

Amharc ar fhreagra

The term "fuel poverty" has been described as the inability to afford adequate warmth in a home, or the inability to achieve adequate warmth because of the energy inefficiency of the home. The primary contributory factor is the energy efficiency of the private and public housing stock. Problems relate mainly to older housing with poor insulation and draught-proofing or inefficient heating systems. All new housing, including social housing, is being built to modern energy efficiency standards. In addition, local housing authorities are undertaking an ongoing programme to upgrade the older social housing stock and provide better living conditions generally for tenants, including draught insulation and energy efficiency. The role of the social welfare system in relation to this issue is primarily to provide income support. The main focus of Government policy is to increase primary weekly social welfare rates significantly in real terms, to enable pensioners and other vulnerable groups to meet their heating and other basic living costs more adequately throughout the year. In this regard, the budget provides for an increase of €14 per week in the old age contributory pension rate, an increase of €16 per week in the old age non-contributory pension rate and a general increase in other social welfare rates of €17 per week.

In recognition of higher home heating costs recently, the fuel allowance rate has also been increased by €5 a week in this budget, with effect from January 2006. This will bring the rate of fuel allowance to €14 for the basic payment and €17.90 for recipients in designated urban smokeless fuel zones. This increase will cost €39.7 million in a full year and bring the total cost of the fuel allowance scheme to €125.1 million in 2006, benefiting some 275,000 recipients. Electricity and gas allowances are paid under the social welfare household benefits package throughout the year to over 320,000 pensioner, disabled and carer households towards their heating, light and cooking costs, at an overall scheme cost of €108.8 million. In addition, a special heating needs supplement is available through the supplementary welfare allowance scheme to assist people in certain circumstances with specific heating needs due to infirmity or particular medical condition.

In order to address the causes of fuel poverty, my Department is co-operating with the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Sustainable Energy Ireland and the Combat Poverty Agency in an action research project to improve heating systems and insulation in selected older private dwellings and to monitor the outcomes in terms of improved cost-efficiency and household comfort and health levels. This project is due to begin shortly and should be informative in formulating future policy on this issue, as well as being of direct benefit to the pilot households involved. In the budget, I have set aside €2 million funding to extend this action research.

Jerry Cowley

Ceist:

292 Dr. Cowley asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will extend free travel to older Irish emigrants, at the very least to Irish pensioners living in the UK, when they return here on their holidays; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38685/05]

Amharc ar fhreagra

The free travel scheme is available to all people living in the State aged 66 years, or over. It is also available to carers and to people with disabilities who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments. It applies to travel within the State and cross-Border journeys between here and Northern Ireland. There have been a number of requests and inquiries about the extension of entitlement to free travel to Irish born people living outside Ireland, particularly in the UK. This issue has now been examined in considerable detail. The legal advice available to me is that such a proposal would be contrary to the EC treaty, which prohibits discrimination on the grounds of nationality. While taking this advice on board, I intend to continue to examine any options that remain available. Significant improvements have been made to the free schemes, including the free travel scheme, in recent budgets both in terms of the qualifying conditions and the coverage of the schemes. I will continue to review the operation of these schemes with a view to identifying the scope for further improvements as resources permit.

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