Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 309: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the position regarding a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38636/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on behalf of the Department by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive (HSE), a diet supplement may be paid to a person who is receiving a Social Welfare or Health Service Executive payment where a special diet is prescribed as a result of a specified medical condition.

The Dublin/Mid-Leinster Area of the HSE has advised that the person concerned had been in receipt of a monthly diet supplement until March 2008 when a review of her entitlements was carried out. Following this review, the person concerned did not qualify for a diet supplement based on current diet supplement arrangements. Under these arrangements, which reflect the findings of a study commissioned from the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute (INDI) in 2006 on healthy eating, diabetes is not classified as a prescribed diet but rather comes within a healthy eating diet which a person can meet from their basic social welfare or HSE payment.

The Executive has further advised that the person concerned was notified of her right to appeal against this decision to an Appeals Officer in the HSE. However, an appeal has not been received to date in this case.

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 310: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the criteria in respect of a person, whose spouse is in receipt of the old age contributory pension and receives qualified dependant allowance for same spouse; if the means test is applicable if both spouses are named on joint accounts, despite one of the spouses not having savings in their own right; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38679/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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An increase for a Qualified Adult (IQA) is payable in respect of a spouse/partner of a recipient of State Pension (Transition) or State Pension (Contributory), where the spouse/partner is being wholly or mainly maintained by the pensioner.

Payment of IQA is subject to the qualified adult satisfying a means test based solely on their means.

Where the pensioner and his/her spouse/partner have bank accounts or investments which are in joint names, or property owned jointly (excluding the family home), half the savings/income is assessed when determining entitlement to IQA.

In addition, any other direct income the qualified adult may have is taken into account in the assessing of their means for IQA.