Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

As Deputies know, the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance is being increased by 50%. Another issue is whether we can extend the date and so on. In previous years the national average number of applications made after the end of September was 1.5% of the total. Based on information received to date, the number of applications received after the end of September 2006 is approximately 2,600, or 1.4% of all applications received. The majority of these would have been processed under the scheme or the Health Service Executive would have used its discretion to make discretional needs payments, provided all the conditions for the scheme were met. Nobody needs to be out of pocket but given the current arrangements they have to apply for and claim exceptional needs payments.

The 1.4% relates to those who applied late, and perhaps a great many people did not apply at all because they knew they were late. That percentage is more difficult to get because it is hard to calculate who does not apply. I told the Deputies this morning that there was an argument for keeping this tight, but I undertook to examine it, and I will, to determine whether we can extend it to October or November. The argument for keeping it tight I do not have to explain to the Deputies. They both know the social welfare arguments in this regard. The back-to-school allowance should focus on that time of the year. We should not persuade people to expect to have these funds available at other times when children are not going back to school. Although people are becoming increasingly sophisticated in handling finance, nonetheless if the payment is for a particular event, it should be paid at the appropriate time. It would be nonsense to start paying it in June, April or May. Having said that, I know that the end of September is very tight and I will examine as to whether it may be moved up a month or two.

The Deputy should realise that it is a non-statutory scheme. Therefore, this is something I might do by regulation, or without legislation. I repeat my undertaking of this morning to look at whether a month or two might be added, while conscious of the argument that matters cannot be let drift too far. There is a safety net and a fallback in that the HSE has discretion to make an exceptional needs payment if someone feels he or she has missed the boat completely. To let it wander up to Christmas might not be wise, however; therefore, I will see about extending it by a month or two.

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