Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 131: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his policy in regard to the extension of free travel on buses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9954/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The free travel scheme is available to all people living in the State aged 66 years, or over, and to all carers in receipt of carer's allowance and to carers of people in receipt of constant attendance or prescribed relative's allowance. It is also available to certain people with disabilities and people who are in receipt of certain welfare type payments.

The scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Luas, Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as services provided by over 80 private transport operators. The vast majority of private contractors providing services under the scheme operate in rural areas. My Department is always willing to consider further applications from licensed private transport operators who may wish to participate in the free travel scheme.

The most recent development in the free travel scheme relates to the time restrictions which have been a feature of the free travel scheme since its inception. From next Monday the morning restriction on free travel will be reduced by 45 minutes — 9.45 a.m. to 9.00 a.m. as the start of reform in this area. Time restrictions do not apply on any transport services in the case of people with learning disabilities, people attending long-term rehabilitation courses or certain work experience programmes and certain other people with disabilities or visual impairment. These people are issued with an unrestricted free travel pass which enables them to travel during the normally restricted travel times. There are no peak time travel restrictions on Luas, DART, suburban rail services, and on services provided by private transport operators in other parts of the country.

I am continuing to keep this issue under review and to work towards the complete abolition of the time restrictions.

Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 132: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his plans to increase the fuel allowance, especially for elderly people with oil fired central heating who face large lump sum bills; if supplementary welfare allowance can be utilised for such purposes or for elderly people who wish to install storage heaters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9880/06]

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 service executive payments with meeting the cost of their additional heating needs during the winter season. Fuel allowances are paid for 29 weeks from end-September to mid-April. The allowance represents a contribution towards a person's normal heating expenses. In addition, many of the households concerned qualify for electricity or gas allowances. Some 264,400 customers — 145,800 with basic fuel allowance and 118,600 with smokeless fuel supplement — will benefit in 2006 at an estimated cost of €125.1 million.

Budget 2006 provided for an increase in the rate of fuel allowance of €5.00 from €9.00 to €14.00, €17.90 in designated smokeless areas. This is an increase of between 38% and 55%. The scheme has been improved in recent budgets. The means test has been eased and the duration of payment increased from 26 weeks to 29 weeks.

In addition to the fuel allowance, over 320,000 pensioner and other households qualify for electricity or gas allowances through the household benefits package, payable towards their heating, light and cooking costs throughout the year, at an overall cost of €109 million in 2005. As currently structured, these allowances are linked to unit energy consumption, so that these people are protected against unit price increases in electricity or gas.

There is also a facility available through the supplementary welfare allowance scheme to assist people in certain circumstances that have special heating needs. If a person has an exceptional heating cost by virtue of a particular infirmity or medical condition which he or she is unable to meet out of household income, it is open to him or her to apply to the local community welfare officer for a special heating supplement under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. However, the supplementary welfare allowance scheme is not intended to meet ongoing fuel costs or storage heater costs.

The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government administers a scheme of special housing aid for the elderly. The scope of this scheme includes the provision of suitable heating systems. Applications for this special housing aid can be made through the community care department of the Health Service Executive.

Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Question 133: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the rates for the dietary allowance; his plans to review this in view of the high cost of specialist foods; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9884/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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Diet supplements are provided through the supplementary welfare allowance scheme which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive.

Any person who is receiving a social welfare or health service executive payment, who has been prescribed a special diet as a result of a specified medical condition and who is unable to provide for his or her food needs from within his or her own resources, may qualify for a diet supplement under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme.

With effect from 1 January 2004 the diet supplement scheme was restructured to take account of increases in both social welfare payment rates and the rate of food inflation since 1996.

In the case of new applicants for diet supplement the amount of supplement payable is based on increased up-to-date diet costs, €44 for lower cost diets or €57 for higher cost diets, less one third of the applicant's income or one sixth of the joint income in the case of a couple. The assessment of individual entitlements takes account of the annual increases in primary social welfare rates since 2004.

As diet supplements are subject to a means test, the amount payable in any individual case depends on the applicant's income and other aspects of the household's circumstances as well on the type of diet that has been prescribed. For example, in the case of a single person on disability allowance with no other income, who has been prescribed a high cost diet, the amount payable at present is €12.07 per week. The most typical payments are in the range €5.00 to €7.99 per week which account for 42.5% of all payments.

Because increases in the social welfare payment rates were higher than food price inflation since 1996, the shortfall to be met by the diet supplement is less than it was in the past. However, as a special arrangement, people who were in receipt of a diet supplement prior to the introduction of the revised regulations on 1 January 2004 continue to receive their existing rate of supplement until such time as there is a change in their circumstances that would warrant a review of their cases.

In order to inform a re-appraisal of the scheme, my Department commissioned a study by an expert from the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute.

The study examined the special diets prescribed in legislation for which assistance is available through the existing diet supplement scheme. The study also considered the appropriate level of assistance required to cater for any additional costs involved in providing for necessary special diets, relative to the cost of a normal healthy eating diet. This report was formally presented to me in January 2006.

My Department is finalising a revised scheme which will take account of the findings and recommendations of the study and I would hope to be in a position in the near future to introduce regulations to provide for this. Pending finalisation of the revised scheme, diet supplements continue to be provided for existing recipients and new applicants as heretofore.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 134: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be approved and awarded the respite care grant. [9903/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The application for a respite care grant from the person to whom the Deputy refers was successful. The payment issued on 28 February 2006.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 135: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of people on a county basis who applied for unemployment assistance; the number of these who were refused on the basis that they were not genuinely seeking work. [9907/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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In order to be entitled to unemployment benefit, UB, or unemployment assistance, UA, social welfare legislation provides that, among other conditions, a person must satisfy the condition of genuinely seeking work.

A table showing the number of customers who made an application for unemployment assistance in 2005 together with those who were disallowed as not genuinely seeking work is set out in the following table.

A deciding officer will take a number of factors into account in deciding whether a customer is genuinely seeking work. Any steps that a person has taken to secure employment will be taken into consideration, provided they offer a reasonable chance of the person getting employment. The steps that are expected to be taken, to seek work will vary from person to person and seasonal factors may also be a consideration. In determining what are reasonable steps, the deciding officer considers the nature and conditions of the employment sought and the individual circumstances of the persons concerned, including their level of skills and-or qualifications for the employment in question having regard to the state of the labour market and existing labour market opportunities.

Any person who fails to satisfy the deciding officer that he or she is genuinely seeking work is not entitled to an unemployment payment. Where a person is dissatisfied with a decision made by a deciding officer he or she may appeal this decision to the social welfare appeals office.

The details requested by the Deputy have been compiled from data that is maintained on a local office catchment area basis and these do not correspond exactly with county boundaries.