Written answers

Wednesday, 20 April 2005

Department of Social and Family Affairs

Social Welfare Benefits

9:00 pm

Photo of Denis NaughtenDenis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 248: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the procedure involved in applying to his Department for a respite grant in a case in which an applicant is not on the HSE database and not in receipt of the carer's allowance or benefit; when application forms will be available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12447/05]

Photo of Séamus BrennanSéamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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In budget 2005, I announced the extension of the respite care grant scheme to all carers providing full-time care to an older person or a person with a disability, regardless of means and subject to certain qualifying conditions.

The respite care grant will continue to be payable to recipients of carer's allowance, carer's benefit, prescribed relative allowance, constant attendance allowance and domiciliary care allowance. Carers who do not qualify for a grant under one of these schemes may now obtain a grant if they and the person for whom they are caring satisfy certain conditions.

The grant, which is being increased to €1,000, will be payable from 2 June 2005 in respect of each qualifying person for whom full-time care is being provided.

Photo of Jack WallJack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 249: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if, under the ambit of the community welfare system, funding is available for the provision of speech and language therapy sessions to medical card holders in view of the fact that such funding is not available from the Department of Health and Children and that such sessions are not provided by the south west region of the Health Service Executive to medical card holders in that area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12448/05]

Photo of Séamus BrennanSéamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The provision of speech and language therapy sessions to medical card holders is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive. The issue of the availability of such services in a particular area is a matter for the executive, and neither I nor my Department has any function in that regard.

Payments towards the cost of these services would not come within the scope of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme generally. However, in exceptional or special circumstances, a once-off payment may be made under the scheme to assist with the cost of meeting a particular essential need. It is a matter for local community welfare officers to assess each case.

Each decision to make an exceptional needs payment is based on the circumstances of the case, taking account of the nature and extent of the need, the availability of an alternative source or agency to supply the service and the resources of the applicant household.

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