Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

The feedback from the family income supplement campaign, based on initial figures I received this morning, is quite good. I wanted to see to what extent the television and radio advertising was effective and we received an immediate extra 1,000 applications for the family income supplement. I will have more comprehensive figures in a week or two and will supply them to Deputies.

There is no doubt that when one promotes a scheme to which people are entitled, it works. I intend to carry on with further campaigns, perhaps on a scheme by scheme basis, with particular reference to schemes for which people must apply as opposed to those involving automatic entitlement. Perhaps the next appropriate scheme would be for carers and I will examine that possibility.

Up to the end of December 2005, 5,883 claims were allowed and the Department paid almost €7 million between the beginning of 2005 and March 2006. There are approximately 30,000 people in receipt of carer's allowance, all of whom receive payment automatically. On top of that, approximately 7,000 additional people have now claimed it, over and above those already on carer's allowance. We had a rough estimate that between 9,000 and 10,000 additional people would be entitled to the allowance. In that context, an advertising campaign might encourage the remainder to apply and I will consider that option.

The Department will also write directly to the 7,000 people I have just mentioned seeking confirmation that their circumstances are the same. On receipt of such confirmation, we will be able to pay the allowance to them. We have also brought the allowance to the attention of carers associations and all our offices have been asked to promote it. It is referred to in all the magazines and leaflets that carers associations such as Caring for Carers produce. Such organisations do great work and are heavily promoting the allowance. We are receiving a steady trickle of extra applications every week so awareness is beginning to pick up and we will continue to promote it.

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