Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 140: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of recipients of fuel allowance with a breakdown for each welfare payment. [34995/06]

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.

A number of improvements have been made to the scheme in recent years including the easing of the means test and extending the duration of payment from 26 weeks to 29 weeks. Most recently, 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).

Some 264,400 people (145,800 with basic fuel allowance and 118,600 with smokeless fuel supplement) benefited from the scheme in 2005 at an annual cost of €85.4 million. It is estimated that some 274,000 people (151,000 with basic fuel allowance and 123,000 with smokeless fuel supplement) will benefit in 2006 at an estimated annual cost of €125.1 million.

The following table shows the number of fuel recipients by scheme at 20 October 2006.

John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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Question 141: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his views on granting individual travel passes to the spouses of travel pass recipients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35001/06]

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. 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. People resident in the State who are in receipt of a social security invalidity or disability payment from a country covered by EU Regulations, or from a country with which Ireland has a bilateral social security agreement, and who have been in receipt of this payment for at least 12 months, are also eligible for free travel.

Spouses of travel pass holders may travel on the same journey with their partner at no cost to them. In addition, the free travel companion pass entitles the pass holder to have any one person, aged 16 years or over, to accompany him/her free of charge when travelling. Such companion passes are available to persons who qualify for free travel and who, on account of their disability, are unable to travel alone.

The main objective of the free travel scheme is to encourage older people and people with disabilities to remain independent and active in the community, thereby reducing the need for institutional care. The purpose of allowing pass holders to be accompanied while travelling is to further facilitate this mobility. While extension of the scheme in the manner proposed would not be in keeping with this objective, I am always willing to look at proposals within the budgetary context.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 142: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if arrears of invalidity pension, back dated to 2001, is payable in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35049/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The person concerned applied for an invalidity pension on 13 June 2006 and was awarded the pension from 15 June 2006. Unfortunately it has now transpired that in this case the pension was originally awarded in error. To qualify for an invalidity pension an applicant must, inter alia, have a total of 260 PRSI contributions paid and 48 PRSI contributions paid or credited in the last tax year before their claim is made. Only PRSI contributions paid at classes A, E and H are reckonable. The person concerned does not satisfy the PRSI contribution conditions for receipt of pension and the necessary arrangements are being made to reinstate payment of disability allowance of which he was previously in receipt. Any inconvenience caused to the person concerned as a result of the error is very much regretted.