Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 331: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if it is intended to incentivise motherhood as is the case in a number of other European countries having particular regard to the falling birth rate throughout Europe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35589/07]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provides a range of supports to parents, in particular mothers, which may impact on decisions regarding motherhood. In the context of measures to provide income support to mothers, child benefit and maternity benefit are the most direct financial provisions within the remit of my department. Child benefit, a universal payment, is paid in respect of children up to the age of 16 years and it continues to be paid in respect of children up to age 19 who are in full-time education, or who have a physical or mental disability. Maternity benefit is an income maintenance payment awarded by this department to eligible women for a 26-week period on foot of a confinement. Entitlement to this benefit for employees is contingent on entitlement to statutory maternity leave, which is the responsibility of the minister for justice, equality and law reform. Maternity leave legislation also provides an option for a woman to take an additional 16-week period of maternity leave that does not attract a benefit payment.

The Government has demonstrated its commitment to supporting parenthood through the significant enhancements to the child benefit scheme with increases of between 265% and 300% in the monthly payments since 2001. In addition in 2006 the government introduced the Early Childcare Supplement for children under age six. The supplement was increased to €1,100 in Budget 2008. Likewise Maternity benefit rates have increased substantially from some €219 in 2001 to 280. Furthermore the duration for maternity benefit has been extended from 18 to 26 weeks in recent years. The period of weeks which must be taken before the baby is due has been reduced from 4 to 2 weeks and the final 4 weeks can be postponed in the event of the child being hospitalised. It should be noted that the recently agreed programme for government contains the following commitment in relation to 'Giving Parents More Time with Their Children': Over the next five years we will increase paid maternity leave by five weeks and make all leave after the first 26 weeks available to either parent; Work with the social partners to promote the greater availability of family-friendly work practices; Examine the possibility of introducing paternity benefit; Examine the possibility of shared parental leave. Progression of this commitment is a matter for the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform in the first instance.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 332: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will extend social welfare rights to returning missionaries to include the provision of a travel pass when they reach 66 years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35642/07]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 334: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the plans he has to introduce a system where persons entitled to free travel who can not avail of public transport for hospital appointments could obtain a refund for the cost of taxis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35644/07]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 332 and 334 together.

The free travel scheme is available to all people living in the State aged 66 years or over. This includes people aged 66 or over, such as missionaries, returning from abroad to live in Ireland. 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. The scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by over 80 private transport operators.

I am aware of the difficulties that some free travel pass holders have in accessing public transport and my officials have discussed this issue with the Commission for Taxi Regulation. Various alternatives to the existing system, including the use of vouchers, have been examined. A study, "A Review of the Free Schemes," published in 2000 under the Department's programme of expenditure reviews concluded that a voucher type system, which would be open to a wide range of transport providers including taxis and hackneys, would be extremely difficult to administer, open to abuse and unlikely to be sufficient to afford an acceptable amount of travel. This position remains unchanged.

The issue of access to public transport in rural areas is being addressed at present through the Rural Transport Programme, which is being managed by Pobal, on behalf of my colleague the Minister for Transport. My Department contributed €500,000 to the initiative in 2004, €750,000 in 2005, €850,000 in 2006, and €1.5 million in 2007 to ensure that free travel passholders continue to have access to community based transport services. I will continue to review the operation of the free travel scheme with a view to identifying the scope for further improvements as resources permit.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 333: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will provide the fuel allowance in a lump sum in order that recipients can pay for the purchase of oil and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35643/07]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, 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 from end-September to mid-April. The allowance represents a contribution towards a person's normal heating expenses. A detailed review of the fuel allowance was carried out in 1998. This review looked at alternatives to the weekly payment method including a single lump sum payment. A survey of recipients with the allowance on a customer panel showed that the majority (58%) preferred weekly payment, 22% wanted a once-off lump sum payment, 12% favoured direct debit to a supplier while 8% would rather have two lump sum payments during the fuel season. The review recommended continuing with the weekly payment method. I will keep all aspects of the fuel allowance scheme, including the issue of a lump sum payment, under review. Any significant changes to the scheme that would require additional expenditure could only be considered within a budgetary context and in the light of resources available to me for improvements in social welfare generally.