Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

Like Deputies Penrose and Stanton, I welcome the advertisement campaign. It is an issue I have raised on many occasions in this House. Last summer I sent out a leaflet to my constituents and the number of people who took up the scheme was amazing. I did a radio interview yesterday, following which my office received five or six queries regarding the family income supplement. The other day the Minister made a valid point that if somebody on €16,000 per year avails of the family income supplement, it is worth €5,000 per year to him or her. Thousands of people are entitled to take up the scheme. To qualify for the scheme, one must be in work and have children. However, many people who are working do not want to take up a social welfare payment, which is foolish. We should promote this scheme.

The other issue I wish to raise with the Minister, as I did the other day, is the household benefit package and the fuel scheme, which is means tested. A number of my constituents and those of other Deputies who worked for local authorities, health boards or other State agencies get a contributory pension and a small pension from the council, Iarnród Éireann, etc. Although these people have paid their dues, they are debarred from availing of the fuel scheme as it is means tested and they are over the income limit as a result of their pensions. It is an issue the Minister should consider. People who have paid their dues to the State and have a contributory pension and a small pension from the local authority or otherwise are aggravated about their ineligibility for the fuel scheme because they are slightly over the income limit. The Minister should consider this issue to be fair to people who have paid their dues to the State.

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