Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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323. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if the entitlement to the fuel allowance under the national fuel scheme can be extended to those in receipt of illness benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31769/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The fuel allowance is a payment of €22.50 per week for 26 weeks from October to April, to low income households. It was paid to 390,958 recipients in 2015. The estimated cost of the scheme in 2016 is €224 million. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. Only one allowance is paid per household. My Department also pays an electricity or gas allowance as part of the household benefits package to approx. 421,000 customers, at an estimated cost of €228 million in 2016.

The fuel allowance is a means tested payment, targeted at those who are more vulnerable to energy poverty, including those reliant on social protection payments for longer periods and who are unlikely to have additional resources of their own. As short term payments such as illness benefits are not means tested payments, they do not qualify for the fuel allowance.

Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme a recipient of a social welfare or health service executive payment who has exceptional essential heating costs due to ill health or infirmity and who cannot provide for such costs from within his or her own resources may qualify for a heating supplement. There is no standard rate for a heating supplement. Each case is examined on its merits and the Community Welfare Officer determines the amount to be paid taking account of the level of the expenses in question and the ability of the applicant to contribute towards his or her exceptional heating costs.

The best way to tackle fuel poverty in the long term is to improve the energy efficiency of the dwelling. My Department works closely with the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment on these issues and in moving forward the actions agreed in the Energy Affordability Strategy. In that regard, the Better Energy Homes scheme provides support towards the installation of attic and wall insulation, and heating system upgrades.

Any decision to extend the eligibility criteria for fuel allowance would have to be considered in the overall budgetary negotiations.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.