Written answers

Thursday, 6 July 2006

Department of Social and Family Affairs

Social Welfare Benefits

6:00 pm

Photo of Michael RingMichael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 381: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be approved retrospectively for fuel allowance. [27370/06]

Photo of Séamus BrennanSéamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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One of the conditions for receipt of a fuel allowance from my Department is that the claimant's heating needs are not covered under a Deed of Transfer. In October 1987, the person concerned transferred his holding to his son under such a Deed. This legally binding document obliged the son to provide for the heating needs of his parents.

In April 2006, the Deputy wrote to my Department enclosing correspondence from the pensioner's solicitors to the effect that his son had never supplied his parents with domestic fuel. Following investigation of the matter by a social welfare inspector, my Department is satisfied that the son is in employment and is therefore capable of providing fuel to his parents as required by the Deed. On this basis, the person concerned is not eligible for the fuel allowance.

Photo of Michael RingMichael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 382: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be approved and awarded unemployment assistance. [27368/06]

Photo of Séamus BrennanSéamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The person concerned had been in receipt of unemployment assistance since 1987. Following a review, a Deciding Officer disallowed his unemployment assistance claim from 28 December 2005, on the grounds that he was not genuinely seeking, or available for work. The person concerned appealed this decision. However, the Appeals Officer was not satisfied that he had made sustained efforts in genuinely seeking work and accordingly disallowed his claim.

The person concerned re-applied for unemployment assistance on 2 June 2006. His claim is currently with the social welfare inspector for investigation. Upon completion of inquiries a decision will be made and he will be notified of the outcome. Under Social Welfare legislation decisions in relation to claims must be made by Deciding Officers and Appeals Officers. These officers are statutorily appointed and I have no role in regard to making such decisions.

Photo of Michael RingMichael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 383: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will undertake a complete review of the free travel pass scheme, in conjunction with the Department for Health and Children and introduce a voucher system which will enable people living in rural isolated areas to avail of transport such as taxis to transport them to hospital outpatient appointments and admission, and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27375/06]

Photo of Séamus BrennanSéamus 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. All carers in receipt of carer's allowance and carers of people in receipt of constant attendance or prescribed relative's allowance, regardless of their age, receive a free travel pass. It is also available to people under age 66 who are in receipt of certain disability type welfare payments, such as disability allowance, invalidity pension and blind person's pension.

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 Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by over 80 private transport operators. The vast majority of private contractors providing services under the scheme operate in rural areas, including those in the Rural Transport Initiative. The underlying feature of the scheme is the use of spare capacity on these transport services. I am always willing to consider applications from licensed private transport operators who may wish to participate in the free travel scheme.

Various alternatives to the existing system, including the use of vouchers, have been examined. A study, "A Review of the Free Schemes," published in 2000 under the Department's programme of expenditure reviews concluded that a voucher type system, which would be open to a wide range of transport providers including taxis and hackneys, would be extremely difficult to administer, open to abuse and unlikely to be sufficient to afford an acceptable amount of travel. This position remains unchanged.

The issue of access to public transport in rural areas is being addressed at present through the Rural Transport Initiative, which is being managed by Pobal, formerly Area Development Management (ADM) on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Transport. My Department contributed €500,000 to the initiative in 2004, €750,000 in 2005 and is contributing €850,000 for the initiative in 2006, to ensure that free travel passholders continue to have access to community based transport services. I will continue to review the operation of the free travel scheme with a view to identifying the scope for further improvements as resources permit.

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