Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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147. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to consider removing the means test for fuel allowance for those over 70 and in receipt of qualifying payments and meeting all other necessary criteria; the cost that would be involved in implementing such a change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50507/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The criteria for Fuel Allowance are framed in order to direct the limited resources available to my Department in as targeted a manner as possible. To qualify for the Fuel Allowance payment, a person must satisfy all the qualifying criteria. This ensures that the Fuel Allowance payment is targeted at those who are more vulnerable to fuel poverty, including those reliant on social protection payments for longer periods and who are unlikely to have additional resources of their own.

Awarding the Fuel Allowance Payment to all those aged over 70 irrespective of their means would change the targeted nature of the Fuel Allowance payment.

It is not possible to provide an accurate cost of the measure outlined by the Deputy, as my Department does not hold data on the number of persons in receipt of qualifying payments who would meet all other necessary criteria.

The Programme for Government includes a commitment to examine key ancillary benefits such as the fuel allowance, household benefits package and living alone allowance to support vulnerable groups. This is, in fact, an ongoing activity as part of the Department's budget planning each year. For example there have been a number of expansions under recent budgets to the Fuel Allowance to make it easier for those aged 70 or over to qualify for the payment.

The recent expansions to the Fuel Allowance Scheme have resulted in the Budget for the scheme increasing significantly with an estimated expenditure on the scheme in 2025 of €400.5 million compared to an expenditure of €290.45 million in 2020.

Any future decisions will, of course, have to take account of the overall budgetary context and the availability of financial resources.

I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.