Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 44: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his views on paying persons their qualified adult allowance directly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37245/05]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 54: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he intends to directly pay persons who are in receipt of a qualified adults allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37244/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 44 and 54 together.

My Department provides for payments due to qualified adults to be paid separately in certain circumstances, for example, in case of domestic difficulty where a spouse might otherwise have no other form of income. Also for certain categories of old age non-contributory pension, where the couple are both aged 66 or over, payment is made individually to each partner.

Over the years various groups and reports have recommended that individualised payments for all qualified adults be progressed within the social welfare codes.

In 2003 The National Women's Council of Ireland produced a report, A Woman's Model for Social Welfare Reform, in which it clearly indicated its desire for a move away from the current qualified adult allowance to a full direct adult payment, and during my meeting with this group in April last it again reiterated its position on this matter.

The question of personal payments was considered by a working group in 1999 which examined the treatment of married, cohabiting and one-parent families under the tax and social welfare codes. A working group chaired by my Department was established in 2002 in response to submissions from the trade unions and the voluntary and social partners in negotiations for the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness. The group's recommendations included proposals for the implementation of a system of personal payments which would involve the payment of the qualified adult allowance directly to a spouse, on a consensual basis, with both parties agreeing to the splitting of the personal and qualified adult rates. The group envisaged a phased implementation of this arrangement.

In October 2002, my Department introduced administrative arrangements to provide an option to have the qualified adult allowance paid directly to the spouse for all new applicants to retirement and old age contributory pension, OACP-RP. These arrangements continue to apply in the case of old age contributory and retirement pensions and to date some 1,101 couples have indicated their preference to have the qualified adult allowance paid directly to the spouse. This represents about 6.75% of approximately 16,300 OACP-RP pensions awarded with a qualified adult allowance since October 2002.

I am aware of the desire of certain sectors of the community to have mandatory personal payments implemented. I am also conscious of the need to take account of the views of our customers regarding this matter. Furthermore, there is a number of administrative and legislative issues that requires further examination before extending or modifying these arrangements. These issues are under active consideration by my Department and I hope to progress the matter in the coming year.