John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 204: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his plans to provide fuel allowance for persons on the rural social scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31099/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The rural social scheme was introduced in May 2004 by my colleague, the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, to provide income support to farmers and fishermen and their dependent spouses. The scheme is payable, subject to certain conditions, to people who previously had been in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment or who had participated in community employment. The specified qualifying social welfare payment types are farm assistance, unemployment assistance, unemployment benefit, disability allowance and community employment.

The Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs has advised that equivalent payments will be made through the rural social scheme for participants who had an entitlement to fuel allowance previously under their relevant social welfare or community employment scheme.