John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 194: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason elderly persons who are not living alone are not entitled to the fuel allowance of €9 or €12 as the carers who are looking after elderly parents; the reason the Government is discriminating against a small minority of the elderly by refusing them the fuel allowance due to the fact that they do not meet the criteria, for example living alone and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37310/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The aim of the national fuel scheme is to assist householders on long-term social welfare or health board payments towards the cost of their additional heating needs during the winter season. Fuel allowances are paid for 29 weeks from end-September to mid-April and are not intended to meet the full cost of heating. Some 274,000, 151,000 with basic fuel allowance and 123,000 with smokeless fuel supplement benefit under the scheme at a cost of €85.4 million in 2005. The main conditions that apply to the scheme are that a person must be in receipt of a qualifying payment, satisfy a means test and must either be living alone or only with: a dependent spouse or partner; a dependent child; a person who gives full-time care and attention where the applicant requires constant care and attention; a person who is in receipt of a qualifying payment from the Department; a person in receipt of a short-term unemployment assistance payment; a person in receipt of a carer's allowance. The purpose of the household composition and means test rules for fuel allowance scheme qualifying purposes is to ascertain the ability of applicant households to meet their normal heating requirements out of their own resources and to ensure the maximum amount of support is targeted at those most in need of the fuel allowance support. The scheme is not intended for households that include a person in full-time employment.

If an elderly person in the situation outlined by the Deputy is not eligible for a fuel allowance on these grounds, but has an exceptional heating cost by virtue of a particular infirmity or medical condition which he-she is unable to meet out of household income, it is open to him-her to apply to the local community welfare officer for a special heating supplement under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme.