Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 290: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason fuel allowance is not granted in conjunction with illness benefit but is allowed in conjunction with jobseeker's allowance; his plans to correct this anomaly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17665/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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The fuel allowance scheme assists householders on long-term social welfare or Health Service Executive (HSE) payments with meeting the cost of their heating needs during the winter season. Fuel allowance is paid for 32 weeks from end-September to end-April each year. The allowance represents a contribution towards a person's normal heating expenses. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. The current rate of fuel allowance is €20 per week (€23.90 in smokeless areas).

The main conditions are that a person must be in receipt of a qualifying payment, must satisfy a means test and must either be living alone or with other qualified people.

People in receipt of short-term social welfare payments such as jobseeker's benefit, 'short-term' jobseeker's allowance (i.e. less than 13 weeks), illness benefit or occupational injuries benefit are not eligible to receive a fuel allowance. Subject to qualifying conditions, there are special arrangements in place to pay the smokeless fuel allowance (€3.90 per week) to people who live in one of the designated urban smokeless fuel areas and who have been receiving one of these social welfare payment types for 13 weeks or more.

Individuals who are in receipt of long-term jobseeker's allowance (15 months or more) are eligible to apply for a standard fuel allowance.

Any changes to the fuel allowance scheme, such as allowing eligibility to people on short-term social welfare schemes, would have significant cost implications and would have to be considered in a budgetary context and in the light of resources available for improvements in social welfare generally.