James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Question 130: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if his Department has conducted a review of social welfare assistance payments to take account of the relatively high cost of health foods for socially disadvantaged groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8315/08]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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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.

In that regard, the Department commissioned a study on healthy eating and specialised diets from the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute on healthy eating. The study — 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.

Revised diet supplements arrangements were introduced in April 2006 reflecting the findings of the study and subsequently updated in January 2007. 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.