John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 111: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his views on the record 79,000 people who have asked his Department in 2006 for assistance with the costs of sending their children back to school. [31787/06]

Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 128: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if the take up for the back to school clothing and footwear allowance has improved in 2006; the percentage take up rate of eligible families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31831/06]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 178: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will make a statement on the operation of the back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme in 2006; the number of applications received; the number of applications granted; and the amount paid out. [31748/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 111, 128 and 178 together.

The back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme (BSCFA) operates from the beginning of June to the end of September each year and is administered on behalf of my Department by the Community Welfare division of the Health Service Executive. Applications for the allowance may be made between the beginning of June and the end of September each year.

The scheme provides a one-off payment to eligible families to assist with the extra costs when their children start school each autumn. The allowance is not intended to meet the full cost of school clothing and footwear but to provide assistance towards these costs. From June 2006, an allowance of €120 is payable in respect of qualified children aged from 2 to 11 years, or €190 in respect of qualified children aged from 12 to 22 years. Separately, the Department of Education and Science operates a book grant scheme for primary and secondary schools.

A person may qualify for payment of a back to school clothing & footwear allowance if he or she is in receipt of a social welfare payment (including family income supplement), or Health Service Executive payment, is participating in an approved employment scheme or attending a recognised education and training course and have household income at or below certain set levels.

Budget 2006 provided for a number of improvements to the scheme. These include –

an increase of €40 in rates from June 2006

Extension of entitlement to the back to school clothing and footwear allowance to recipients of guardian's (formerly orphan's) payments for the first time.

An increase in the additional income disregard for entitlement to the scheme from €50 to €100 over the relevant social welfare rate.

These improvements are very significant when viewed in the context of clothing and footwear price trends. According to the Consumer Price Index for August 2006, the overall cost of clothing and footwear has fallen by 3.6% over the past twelve months. Since December 2001, clothing and footwear costs have decreased by 18.8%.

While the closing date for applications for the scheme was 30th September 2006, processing and payment of late applications is ongoing. Current indications are that about 84,000 families with approximately 160,000 children will benefit from the scheme this year at a cost of €25.5m. This is an increase on the 2005 figures when some 76,166 families with 157,254 children benefited at a cost of €16.7m.

The increase is attributed to the easing of the means test, the information services operated by my Department and the significant level of publicity given to this scheme in the media. In previous years, the national average number of claims granted was 88.3% of all claims received.

I consider the back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme to be an important support for parents at a time of financial strain. The improvements to the scheme for this year provide a major boost to meeting the financial costs associated with return to school for those who most need assistance. I will continue to monitor the scheme and to examine opportunities to further improve and expand this important scheme.