Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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119. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will give consideration to restoring the funding for the telephone allowance component of the household benefits package; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34034/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The overall concern of Government in Budget 2014 and previous Budgets has been to protect the primary social welfare rates. The largest block of expenditure in the Department in the Estimate for 2014 is on pensions which will amount to €6.5 billion, or 33% of overall expenditure. Because of demographic change the Department’s spending on older people is increasing year on year. In 2013, the Department had to make provision for an additional €190 million for the increasing number of pensioners. Maintaining the rate of the State pension and other core payments is critical in relation to protecting people from poverty.

The decision to discontinue the telephone allowance 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 411,000 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.

As part of the household benefits package, a new water support payment of €25 every three months, will be introduced in January 2015 at an annual cost of €42 million. Existing customers in receipt of household benefits will not have to make any additional application to receive the new payment. The water support payment will be available for all those in receipt of household benefits, including those who make provision for their own water supply and sewerage and who will not be required to make payments to Irish Water.

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.