Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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596. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 294 of 19 May 2022, the estimated cost of including the working family payment as a qualifying payment for the fuel allowance for the period 30 September to 31 December 2022, 12 October to 31 December 2022 and from 21 January 2023 and for the fuel allowance season 2023 by period, in tabular form. [37154/22]

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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640. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full year cost of including the working family payment as a qualifying payment for fuel allowance for the period from 30 September 2022, 12 October 2022 and 21 January 2023, in tabular form. [37790/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 596 and 640 together.

Fuel Allowance is a household payment and the circumstances and income of any other member of the household will be taken into account when deciding a Fuel Allowance application. Accordingly, it is difficult to provide an accurate estimate for the proposed measure. The estimate is based on a weekly Fuel Allowance payment of €33 and the fuel season payment period remaining the same. Taking this into consideration, the estimated cost of the measures proposed by the Deputy is as follows:

The provision of any additional supports such as extending the Fuel Allowance to those in receipt of the Working Family Payment would have cost implications and could only be considered while taking account of the overall budgetary context and the availability of financial resources.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.