Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 445: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his views on carrying out a review of social welfare payments to take account of the relatively high cost of healthy food for socially disadvantaged groups; if he will develop and implement such a review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3632/08]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The policy of this and previous governments has concentrated on providing real increases in primary social welfare rates, to help improve the ability of people who depend on social welfare to meet their basic living costs including food.

The Department through its various social insurance and assistance schemes provides income supports to people to meet their basic living needs, including food, clothing, heat and light.

In recent years, budgetary increases in social welfare payment rates have consistently exceeded increases in the cost of living. This key policy is the primary focus of Budget allocations to my Department each year, and it has helped ensure that those depending on social welfare experience real improvement in their ability to meet their basic needs, including provision of adequate food, heating, etc.

In addition to basic payments, supplements are also payable in certain circumstances for specific needs, for example fuel allowances, rent supplements, living alone allowance for older people or the household benefits package for pensioners, eligible disabled people and carers. Where people on low incomes have particular medical conditions or dietary requirements, diet supplements are available through the supplementary welfare allowance scheme which is administered on my behalf by the Community Welfare division of the Health Service Executive. Expenditure on diet supplements in 2007 amounted to €5.5m with over 10,000 people benefiting.

Revised diet supplements arrangements were introduced in April 2006 and subsequently updated in January 2007. These revised arrangements reflected the findings of a study commissioned from the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute on healthy eating. The objective is that all social welfare recipients, including those with special dietary needs, should be able to purchase an appropriate diet at a cost of no more than one third of their income. The study on healthy eating and specialised diets — Examination of the Cost of Healthy Eating and Specialised Diets for a Single Individual in Ireland — was carried out to inform policy on diet supplement arrangements and incorporated a costing for a healthy eating diet. It was published in January 2006. This report was updated in November 2007 in the light of changing prices and ongoing research on nutritional issues. One of the key findings in this update is that a balanced healthy eating diet can be purchased for between 18% and 30% of a person's social welfare allowance.

I am satisfied that the policy of providing substantial real increases in primary social insurance and assistance payment rates has been effective in ensuring that those who depend on social welfare income have sufficient income for healthy food and I do not consider that a review of social welfare payments in this regard is required.