Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 55: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his views on a national advertising campaign to promote greater awareness of social welfare entitlements, similar to the campaign being run by the Revenue Commissioners to promote greater awareness of tax allowances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43143/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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My Department aims to ensure that all citizens are made aware of their rights and entitlements and that they are kept informed of changes and improvements in schemes and services as they occur. The provision of information in a clear and accessible manner is an essential element in the achievement of this objective.

My Department takes a pro-active approach in advertising its schemes and services by using an appropriate mix of national and provincial media, information leaflets, factsheets, posters, direct mailshots, advertising on television screens in over 60 Credit Unions nationwide, and by distributing information booklets to health centres throughout the country.

National advertising campaigns are undertaken periodically to promote greater awareness of a specific scheme or to highlight changes in schemes and services. The following campaigns have been undertaken in 2006:

In March, my Department undertook a nationwide awareness campaign to promote and encourage take up of the Family Income Supplement (FIS) scheme. An extensive week-long campaign included advertising on television, on national and local radio and in national and regional newspapers. Since this campaign was undertaken the number of new claims applications is 11,551 and renewals are 15,693 compared with 6,327 and 11,966 for the same period in 2005.

In August, the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance was advertised in national and regional newspapers.

During the last week of September, an information campaign was conducted on television, on national and local radio and in national and regional newspapers to raise public awareness of the Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit and the Respite Care Grant, schemes designed to provide supports for carers. This campaign has proved successful. For example, the number of Respite Care Grants which will have issued in 2006 is expected to be of the order of 36,000 as compared with 34,300 approximately in 2005.

My Department's PRSI information emailing service was recently advertised in the business supplements of the national newspapers. Employers and payroll companies were invited to register their details with the Department. Early notification, by email, of PRSI changes such as Budget Information will be provided to those who register their email addresses on my Department's website.

As part of the Budget awareness campaign, this year, as in previous years, advertisements were placed in the national and regional newspapers listing phone numbers, including a Budget Freephone number, which customers could contact to receive information on changes in the various social welfare schemes and services.

A LoCall helpline (1890 66 22 44) was provided for all campaigns. In addition to the LoCall number, the campaigns also highlight other sources of information available to the public, including my Department's network of Social Welfare Local Offices, Citizens Information Centres and my Department's website (www.welfare.ie). The responses to the campaigns have been encouraging and resulted in increases in the number of applications received for the schemes.

In view of the range of services available from my Department it would not be possible to highlight all of them in a single advertising campaign. Therefore, nationwide advertising campaigns are designed to highlight specific schemes and services. Targeted advertising campaigns focusing on specific schemes and services will continue to be a key priority for me in the drive to ensure that citizens are aware of and claim their social welfare entitlements. I have secured an additional €0.75m in the budget for entitlement awareness campaigns in 2007.