Written answers

Thursday, 29 November 2018

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection

Dietary Allowance Administration

Photo of Lisa ChambersLisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

232. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the annual cost of the dietary supplement allowance for the five years running up to its abolition in 2014. [50030/18]

Photo of Regina DohertyRegina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Diet supplement, administered under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, is payable to qualifying persons, in receipt of the supplement prior to February 2014, who have been prescribed a special diet as a result of a specified medical condition. There are currently 2,500 in receipt of diet supplement at a cost of €1.4 million in 2018.

Following the outcome of a review of the costs of healthy eating and specialised diets by the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute commissioned by the Department during 2013, the scheme has been closed to new applicants from 1 February 2014. This independent research showed that the average costs across all of the retail outlets of the diets supplemented under the scheme can be met from within one third of the minimum personal rate of social welfare payment, i.e. the SWA rate which was then paid at €186 per week. The weekly rate of SWA is €196 and will increase to €201 from March further to Budget 2019. The diet supplement scheme was discontinued for new applicants on the basis of this evidence and I have no plans to reverse this decision.

Existing recipients continue to receive the diet supplement at the current rate of payment for as long as they continue to have an entitlement to the scheme or until their circumstances change.

In cases of particular hardship, officials continue to have the legislative power to award a SWA payment in cases of exceptional need. Any person who considers that they may have an entitlement to financial support should contact their local Community Welfare Service who may be able to offer assistance.

The annual cost of the dietary supplement allowance for 2009 to 2013 is provided in the attached tabular statement.

Tabular Statement: Expenditure on Dietary Supplement 2009 to 2013

YearExpenditure
€000
20094,606
20104,300
20113,996
20123,690
20133,084

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.