Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

That is right. I ask the Minister to re-examine the matter.

Deputies make representations about the fuel scheme, which does not cost a fortune, at this time every year. The duration of the scheme was extended by a month in the last budget, so that it now runs from October to April. It should be extended further, however, so that people are given fuel vouchers for the entire year, especially as the cost of fuel has increased significantly in recent months. The Department continues to give the recipients of fuel allowance a few measly euro for a limited number of months each year, even though the cost of coal and gas has trebled. This is Ireland, not Spain — we do not get the kind of weather that means we do not have to light a fire every day of the year. The two things elderly people are most concerned about are safety and ensuring that their houses are heated. I ask the Minister to extend the scheme in this year's budget for once and for all so it is made available all year round. He needs to amend the fuel scheme to compensate and assist people, particularly pensioners, who have been badly affected by inflation, stealth taxes and the increases in fuel charges. It is wrong that some elderly people are unable to warm their houses because they cannot afford the increased price of coal and gas. Something needs to be done about this problem.

I am sure the Minister attends regular meetings in his Department about the unemployment benefit scheme, to which people who have paid their dues are entitled. People make PRSI and pension contributions so they can avail of unemployment benefit for 15 months if they lose their jobs. Having encountered many cases in my constituency of people who have been denied unemployment benefit, I wonder whether a new directive has been issued by the Minister or the Department. I know of many people who have applied for the benefit but have been told they are not looking for work. I have written to the Minister to ask him to investigate the case of an individual I met last week. The man in question, who is a sub-postman, has been working regularly because he has taken every job opportunity he has been offered. When other postmen go on holidays or are missing due to illness, the man to whom I refer takes the work he is offered. He has been lobbying hard for a full-time job. I have sent the Minister details of the man's PRSI payments over the years. When the man in question goes to the labour exchange, he is told by an official that he is not actively looking for work, even if he submits letters from a number of local employers from whom he has sought work. It is wrong that the man is not given any money in such circumstances. I ask the Minister to investigate the case and other similar cases, which seem to have arisen on foot of a new departmental directive. It seems officials in unemployment exchanges have been told not to give people unemployment benefit, even though it is their money — they have paid that money into the system so they can access it when they are out of work. I do not refer to people who are looking for basic unemployment payments, but to people who are looking for unemployment benefit on the basis of their stamp money. I ask the Minister to investigate it.

I hope the media will support the final point I would like to make. I understand that appeals officers overturn between 42% and 44% of the decisions made by officials from the Department of Social and Family Affairs. I tell people every day to appeal decisions which are made against them to appeals officers. When people claim unemployment benefit, they are told by the lady or the man behind the desk they are not actively looking for work, even if they produce three or four letters. I ask the Minister to tell me what else such people can do, if they have already produced the necessary evidence. If a person produced evidence in a court of law that he or she had been actively looking for work, the case against them would be thrown out immediately. Many people are angry, upset and annoyed because they are not treated favourably when they apply for unemployment benefit of the basis of the money they have paid into the system over many years. I ask the Minister to investigate this phenomenon.

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