Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

262. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the cost of introducing funding to cover the leasing of a land-line as part of the household benefits package. [30247/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The overall concern of Government in Budget 2014 and previous Budgets has been to protect the primary social welfare rates. To allow the Department to protect core payments, we have had to look very carefully at other additional payments such as the household benefits package.

In Budget 2014, I regretfully had to make the decision to abolish the telephone allowance, which was €9.50 per month, for all recipients. I am not in a position to reverse this decision or provide an alternative payment.

The cost of line-rental varies between providers and is difficult to isolate, given the prevalence of bundled packages in the market. To reinstate the allowance and restore it to 2012 levels when the telephone allowance package covered line-rental and a small monthly call allowance would cost Department in the region of €115 million based on recipient numbers at the end of 2013.

The decision to discontinue the telephone allowance at a rate of €9.50 per month provided annual savings of €48 million and meant that the Department was able to retain the other elements of the household benefits package such as the electricity and gas allowance and the television licence. These are valuable supports for recipients. The Department will spend €230 million this year on these elements of the household benefits package for over 410,000 customers. The fuel allowance scheme and the free travel pass were also protected for older people and people with disabilities. The living alone allowance was maintained at €7.70 per week.

The Department of Environment, Community and Local Government operates the seniors alert scheme which provides grant support for the supply of equipment such as personal alarms, smoke detectors and security lighting to enable older people without sufficient means to continue to live securely in their homes. The budget allocation for 2013 was €2.35 million. There has been no reduction in this funding in Budget 2014.