Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 268: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his plans to increase the carer's allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36301/05]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 269: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if the single social welfare payment rule will be reconsidered with regard to carers who are in receipt of the widower's pension, old age pensions and lone parent's allowances and who are not, at present, eligible for the carer's allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36302/05]

John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 273: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the benefits available to a person who is in receipt of a widow's pension of €154, a monthly domiciliary care allowance of €224 and works full time caring for her child with disabilities; and his plans to introduce a carer's allowance without means testing in such circumstances. [36434/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to answer Questions Nos. 268, 269 and 273 together.

The carer's allowance is a social assistance payment which provides income support to people who are providing certain elderly or incapacitated persons with full-time care and attention and whose incomes fall below a certain limit.

From January this year the maximum rate of carer's allowance for a carer under 66 years increased from €139.60 to €153.60 per week, while the maximum rate for a carer over 66 years increased from €157.80 to €169.80 per week.

In addition, all recipients of the carer's allowance receive the household benefits package of free schemes and the annual respite care grant. A person caring for two or more people also receives an additional 50% on his or her personal payment.

The primary objective of the social welfare system is to provide income support and as a general rule, only one weekly social welfare payment is payable to an individual. This ensures that resources are not used to make two income support payments to any one person.

I made provision in 2005 for major improvements to the respite care grant. This included the extension of the grant of €1,000 to all persons providing full-time care and attention, regardless of their means. Those persons in receipt of other social welfare payments, excluding unemployment assistance and benefit, will be entitled to this payment subject to meeting the full-time care condition.

This arrangement was introduced to acknowledge the needs of carers, especially with regard to respite and it is estimated that more than 31,000 carers will receive a respite care grant in 2005.

With regard to the means test for carer's allowance, the weekly income disregards have been increased to €270 for a single person and to €540 for a couple. This means that a couple with two children can earn up to €30,700 and receive the maximum rate of carer's allowance, while the same couple can earn up to €49,200 and receive the minimum rate of carer's allowance, free travel, the household benefits package and the respite care grant.

The complete abolition of the means test would have substantial cost implications, estimated at €140 million in a full year. Any further improvements to the carer's allowance will be considered in the context of the budget and overall social welfare policy reform.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 270: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his views on extending child benefit for parents of children in third level education and over 19 years to assist with the crippling costs of educating a child at third level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36304/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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Child benefit is payable in respect of all children up to the age of 16 years and continues to be paid in respect of children up to age 19 who are in full-time education, or who have a physical or mental disability.

According to figures collected under the quarterly national household survey by the Central Statistics Office for the final quarter of 2004, there were an estimated 84,000 students aged 19 to 22 years. Extending child benefit to this category would cost in the region of €144 million per annum. Any change to the qualifying conditions for child benefit would have to be considered in a budgetary context and in the light of competing demands for available resources.

Entitlement to child dependant allowance was extended to age 22 from October 2003, where the parent of a full-time student has been in receipt of a short-term social welfare payment for six months or more. Short-term schemes include such payments as unemployment benefit and assistance, disability benefit and supplementary welfare allowance. The provision already applied to recipients of long-term payments. In addition, family income supplement is payable to low income families in respect of children aged up to 22 years while the child remains in third level education.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 271: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason a person (details supplied) in County Mayo was not approved the unemployment assistance. [36401/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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A deciding officer disallowed the unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned from 4 October 2005 on the grounds that he was not genuinely seeking employment. The deciding officer, taking into account all relevant circumstances based on the evidence provided by the claimant, was not satisfied he had been consistently seeking work.

It is open to the person concerned to appeal this decision and a form for this purpose was issued to him on 22 November 2005.

Under social welfare legislation, decisions with regard to claims must be made by deciding officers and appeals officers. These officers are statutorily appointed and I have no role in making such decisions.

Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Question 272: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he has reviewed the position of persons in local authority accommodation where central heating is provided; if the fuel allowance will be granted to those persons from whom it was recently withdrawn; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36403/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The aim of the national fuel scheme is to assist householders who are in receipt of long-term social welfare or health service executive payments towards their additional heating needs during the winter season.

It is a long-standing policy within the scheme that fuel allowances are not payable in cases where a person has access to his or her own fuel supply, or is benefiting from a subsidised heating service, such as that provided by Dublin City Council at a number of its housing complexes.

In the course of a routine review of fuel allowance payments, the Department recently ceased fuel allowance entitlement which had been paid in error in a number of cases where recipients were in local authority accommodation with subsidised heating. The allowances were withdrawn in these cases with effect from the start of the winter heating season.

Fuel allowances were paid in error to these people in previous years. In some instances, fuel allowance was awarded because the applicants indicated that their heating costs were not being subsidised. It could be considered to be inequitable to retain the fuel allowance in these cases when neighbouring tenants in the same circumstances are not eligible and are managing their budgets accordingly. Nonetheless, I am conscious of the particular circumstances which apply in the cases concerned and I am reviewing the position now to see if there is scope to resolve the situation in the context of the budget.

Gerard Murphy (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 274: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason his Department encourages payment of social welfare through banks rather than post offices. [36489/05]

Gerard Murphy (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 275: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the safeguards which his Department has taken to ensure that banks do not use social welfare payments to re-pay bank loans. [36490/05]

Gerard Murphy (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 276: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the percentage of social welfare payments which are made through the post office; and the percentage which is paid through other institutions. [36491/05]

Gerard Murphy (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 277: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the security measures his Department advise recipients of social welfare in certain cases (details supplied). [36493/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 274 to 277, inclusive, together.

My Department's policy is to ensure that a range of payment options is available to customers and that service is continually improved by providing access to the wide range of payment options and new services and facilities now available.

Current payment methods include payment at post offices by means of a pension order book, electronic or manual postdraft issued to the customer's designated post office each week, payment by cheque to the home addresses of customers and direct payment to customers' bank or building society accounts by electronic fund transfer. Where possible, my Department provides a payment option which best suits the needs of customers. My Department does not promote the use of any one payment method over another.

Currently 56% of customers receive payment through their local post office, 10% are paid by cheque and 34% have chosen to be paid electronically by direct payment to their bank or building society account.

The relationship between individuals and the financial institutions they use is subject to regulation by the Irish Financial Services Regulatory Authority. Private arrangements between individuals and their financial institutions with regard to loan repayments are subject to the rules and protocols of the authority. My Department does not have a function in the matter.

With regard to matters of personal security in receiving and cashing social welfare payments, my Department urges all customers to heed the advice of the Garda Síochána, An Post and the financial institutions on how best to secure their personal safety in carrying out their financial transactions.

Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Question 278: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason a person (details supplied) in Dublin 3 with Down's syndrome was refused financial assistance towards the cost of respite care by the community welfare officer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36525/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive, provides for exceptional needs payments to assist with essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of his or her household income or other resources.

The Dublin north east area of the executive has advised that the sister of the person concerned applied for assistance with the cost of respite care for the person. Her application was refused by the executive on the grounds that the household income was sufficient to meet this cost. It is open to the persons concerned to appeal this decision to the designated appeals officer of the executive.

Social welfare supports available from my Department for carers comprise carer's benefit and allowance, as well as the domiciliary care allowance scheme administered by the Health Service Executive. Carers receiving payments through one of these schemes may also qualify under the respite care grant scheme administered by my Department. This grant scheme is not means-tested.

Respite care grants are also available to those who are providing all-of-the-time care, but not receiving carer's benefit, carer's allowance or domiciliary care allowance, subject to the following conditions: the carer must be aged 16 or over, ordinarily resident in the State, caring for the person on a full-time basis, for at least six months — this period must include the first Thursday in June, for example 2 June 2005 — and living with the person being cared for or, if not, be contactable quickly by a direct system of communication, for example, telephone or alarm.

Information about these schemes is available on the website of my Department, www.welfare.ie, or from social welfare local offices, the Health Service Executive and community information centres.