Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 235: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the population catchment and number served by his Department offices in Dublin 15 for each of the past five years; if statistics are available; the staffing levels in the same offices for each of the years since this office opened; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34763/06]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 236: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of people who are recipients of the social welfare payments in the Dublin 15 area for each of the main categories for example unemployment assistance, unemployment benefit, one parent family payment, pension, disability benefit, invalidity and so on for each of the years since the dedicated office in Dublin 15 was opened; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34764/06]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 237: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will provide comparative statistics between the Blanchardstown Social Welfare Office and other social welfare offices across Dublin of the increase in claim numbers over the past five years for each of the main categories of social welfare payments for example unemployment assistance, unemployment benefit, one parent family payment, pension, disability benefit, invalidity and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34765/06]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 238: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if his Department has a standard set of client services to indicate the amount of time it takes his Department to process applications for payment for each of the main categories (details supplied); the average period, the shortest period and the longest period to process a claim for payment in each category for Dublin 15 residents; if he will provide comparative figures on waiting times for processing claims across the Dublin social welfare offices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34766/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 235 to 238, inclusive, together.

It is not possible in the time available to supply the information requested. Accordingly I have asked my officials to respond directly to the Deputy within the next two weeks on the matters raised by her.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 239: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will be approved and awarded the fuel allowance. [34777/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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To qualify for a payment under the national fuel scheme, the total income of a person over age 80 must not exceed EUR 254.30 per week. The person concerned is receiving United States Social Security Pensions and, according to the information in my Department, her income is above the threshold of EUR 254.30 per week. Accordingly her application for the fuel allowance has been disallowed.

The person concerned has been asked to confirm details of her United States Pensions and, when she does so, her entitlement to a fuel allowance will be reviewed.

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 240: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason his Department pay a higher rate of child benefit for a third and subsequent child than that paid for the first and second child in a family; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34780/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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Child Benefit is a universal payment which is payable in respect of all children up to the age of 16 years and continues to be paid up to the age of 19 in the case of children who are still in full-time education and children with disabilities.

Government policy over the past number of years has been to substantially increase the amount spent on Child Benefit, to the advantage of all families. Commitment to this policy is reflected in the significant resources invested in the child benefit scheme since 2001, increasing monthly payments to €150 for each of the first two children and €185 for the third and subsequent children.

To ensure that additional resources are targeted at larger families, who are at greater risk of poverty, a higher rate of child benefit is paid in respect of the third and subsequent qualified children. In this regard, the Child Benefit Review Committee, which was established by the then Minister for Social Welfare and which reported in 1995, considered a number of alternative arrangements including a single rate of payment for all children, a rate structure differentiated on age grounds, and payment of a higher rate for the first child. The Committee concluded that the current differential should be retained.