Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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344. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the supports available to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11986/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The telephone allowance was introduced at a time when telephones were expensive and a landline service, available only from one company, was the only option available to the customer. The market has changed considerably since the introduction of the allowance, with several companies providing a range of services and rates, and a range of bundled services including television, telephone and broadband and mobile phone services. There are also personal security services that use mobile technology rather than land lines. Accordingly, customers now have a choice of multiple competing offers.

In 2013 the value of the telephone allowance was €114.00 per annum. The cost of restoring the allowance at 2013 levels is estimated to be in the region of €50 million per annum.

The Government is keenly aware of the impact of Budget decisions on the Department’s clients, and strives to ensure that the money available is targeted in the most effective way.

In Budget 2016, the first increase in the basic rate of the State pension in seven years was given. This has increased the personal rate of the non-contributory pension to €222, and that of the contributory pension to €233.30. There was also a €2.50 increase in the rate of the Fuel Allowance, from €20 to €22.50 per week.

In Budget 2017, it was announced that there will be a further increase in the rate of State pensions, by €5, which will increase the maximum personal rate of the State pension (contributory) to €238.30 this month.

Therefore, over the past two Budgets, the maximum weekly rate for State Pensions has increased by €8 per week, which is the equivalent of over €416 per annum. The value of these increases is in excess of the value of the telephone allowance previously provided, and it is not necessary to have a landline in order to benefit from these increases.

Accordingly, I have no plans to introduce an additional allowance to cover the cost of a telephone line where a person has installed a phone watch alarm, and have instead concentrated on increasing the basic rate of pension for all older people.

The Department of the Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government has responsibility for 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 grant assistance is made available through community and voluntary groups registered with that Department and the equipment supplied under the scheme remains the property of the community group.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.