Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 380: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the moneys allocated for supplementary welfare allowances in 2006; the breakdown of the type of payments made under this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37371/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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Over 110,000 people receive an SWA payment each week. Net expenditure on the scheme in 2005 was €654.6m, including administration costs of €47m.

Some €708.6m has been provided for the scheme in 2006 including provision for administration costs of €51.4m. A breakdown for each of the various components is shown in the following tabular statement.

These expenditure data exclude the cost of the back to school clothing and footwear scheme. That scheme is administered by the Community Welfare Officers in parallel with the SWA but it does not form part of the SWA scheme.

Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 381: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the percentage of social welfare recipients that are in receipt of their payment by way of direct payment into their bank or building society account; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37372/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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My Department's policy is to ensure that a range of payment options is available to customers and that the service is continually improved by providing access to the wide range of payment options and new facilities now available. The current range of payment options offered by my Department includes payment made directly to the customer's bank or building society account, at post offices by means of a pension order book or by electronic or manual postdraft issued to a customer's designated post office, or by cheque to the home address of the customer.

Currently some 37.5% of customers receive direct electronic payment to their bank or building society account, 52.5% of customers receive payment through their local post office and 10% are paid by cheque through the postal system.

Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 382: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the percentage of social welfare increases for the period 1994 to 1997; and the comparison for the years 2003 to 2006; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37373/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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For the period 1994 to 1997 personal rates of payment increased by between 9.8% and 15.6% depending on payment type, while for the period 2003 to 2006 personal rates increased by between 22.3% and 42.3%.

Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 383: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the breakdown of unemployment payments over the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37374/06]

Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 384: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the breakdown of payments under the various subheads made to people unable to find work over the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37375/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 383 and 384 together.

The numbers of people recorded on the Live Register who have been in receipt of unemployment payments at end year over the past five years are detailed in tabular format.

Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 385: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the range of payments available to families which are targeted to prevent the risk of poverty; the level of additional supports available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37376/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The main business of my Department is the provision of income support, including insurance based payments, social assistance payments, associated secondary benefits and universal schemes such as child benefit. My Department is also responsible for the provision, either directly or indirectly through its agencies, of other services designed to support individuals and families in participating actively in society.

Among the main goals of my Department is one to support families and to strive to attain better outcomes in tackling poverty. I believe that these twin aims are best achieved by improved employment opportunities and decreasing barriers to work.

While many of the income support payments are designed to provide a replacement income in the event of a particular contingency arising, a number of programmes and schemes are directly focused on families and benefit families at risk of poverty. Examples of these include the one parent family payment, family income supplement and the back to school clothing and footwear allowance.

Research has shown that lone parent families tend to be at greater than average risk of poverty. One of the key tasks in the "Ending Child Poverty" initiative under Sustaining Progress is to address obstacles to employment for lone parents. In March of this year I launched a major Government discussion paper "Proposals for Supporting Lone Parents" which addresses the social exclusion and risk of poverty faced by many such families and their children.

The report puts forward proposals for reform of the income support system for all parents on a low income. It proposes the expanded availability and range of education and training opportunities for lone parents, the extension of the National Employment Action Plan to focus on lone parents, focused provision of childcare, improved information services for lone parents and the introduction of a new social assistance payment for all low income families with young children. Work on developing these proposals further is underway. Once I am convinced that we have reached conclusions that are equitable, with a fully workable implementation strategy, it is my intention to bring forward proposals for legislation to implement the new income support structures.

In addition, cash support is provided by way of weekly payments to families, including lone parent families, at work on low pay, through the family income supplement scheme. This scheme is designed to provide income support for employees on low earnings, with families, and thereby preserve the incentive to remain in employment in circumstances where the employee might be only marginally better off than if s/he were claiming other social welfare payments.

A number of improvements have been made to the scheme over the years, including the assessment of entitlement on the basis of net rather than gross income and progressive increases in the income thresholds, making it easier for lower income households to qualify for payment.

There are currently 20,116 people in receipt of a weekly FIS payment. This is an increase of 2,628 or 15% since the beginning of this year. The average value of each FIS payment is over €113 per week.

The back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme is provided to qualifying persons to help towards the cost of children's school uniforms and footwear. The scheme operates from the beginning of June to the end of September each year. The rate of allowance in 2006 was €120 in respect of qualified children aged from 2 to 11 years, or €190 in respect of qualified children aged from 12 to 22 years.

The Government's approach to supporting families at risk of poverty will be further enhanced through the forthcoming National Action Plan for Social Inclusion, due to be launched in the new year, which will outline in more detail the Government's strategies to combating poverty and social exclusion. The plan is being prepared in tandem with and will complement the forthcoming National Development Plan 2007-2013, which will contain a specific chapter on social inclusion.

Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 386: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the amount of funding allocated for diet supplement which are provided through the supplementary welfare allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37377/06]

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.

The current diet supplement arrangements were put in place following a study commissioned by the Department from the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute which was published in January 2006. Under the new arrangements, a supplement may be paid in respect of four categories of diet:

low lactose, milk free diet,

gluten free diet,

high protein, high calorie diet, and

altered consistency (liquidised) diet.

The amount of supplement payable depends on the category of diet that has been prescribed by the applicant's medical adviser, as well as the income of the individual and his/her dependants. The objective is to ensure that a person does not have to pay any more than one third of their income on their special food needs. The amount of Diet Supplement payable is the cost of the category of diet less one-third (single people) or one-sixth (couples) of the actual rate of their current weekly social welfare payment.

Expenditure to date on the scheme in 2006 is €5.05 million. It is expected that a total of €6m will be spent in 2006 as a whole.

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 387: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason there are two assessment forms needed in relation to family income supplement payments and rent allowance as there is a serious communication breakdown between the Health Service Executive and his Department on this matter. [37403/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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Family Income Supplement (FIS) is designed to provide income support for employees on low earnings with children and thereby preserve the incentive to remain in employment in circumstances where the employee might be only marginally better off than if s/he were claiming other Social Welfare payments. As with all social welfare schemes, applicants must complete the relevant application form and provide details of income where means is being assessed in accordance with the qualifying criteria governing the scheme.

The legislation governing the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme, including rent supplement, provides that responsibility for its administration lies with the Health Service Executive. The scheme operates under the Community Care Programme, under the general direction and control of my Department and is delivered by Community Welfare Officers (CWOs).

The situation to which the Deputy refers arises because the two schemes are administered independently by two separate agencies. Earlier this year, the Government decided to transfer the administration of the SWA scheme from the Health Service Executive to the Department of Social and Family Affairs. This provides an opportunity to bring about positive change for customers and staff, including the streamlining of claim and decision processes, less duplication, improved communication and better customer service. The issues raised by the Deputy will be addressed in the context of implementing that Government decision.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 388: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the estimated cost of changes to maternity benefit whereby it would be paid at 100% of wages and where the minimum rate would be increased to €216.80 per week and the maximum rate increased to €309.70 per week. [37428/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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Entitlement to maternity benefit for employees is contingent on entitlement to maternity leave — legislation for which is the responsibility of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. Where women have accrued the requisite number of contributions required to establish entitlement and have been certified by their employers as being entitled to statutory maternity leave, maternity benefit is paid during their absence from work.

Based on the current average maternity benefit payment and existing levels of scheme take-up, the estimated cost of funding the scheme at 100% of wages — subject to a weekly minimum rate of €216.80 and a weekly maximum rate of €309.70 — would be some €36m per annum.

There have been significant improvements in the rate and duration of maternity benefit over the recent past. Any further improvements have to be examined in the context of the wider fiscal environment and the strategy which we have adopted in relation to social insurance contributions.