asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will extend the free electricity allowance scheme to widows.

Widows who have reached 66 years of age and who are in receipt of a widow's pension from my Department already qualify for the allowance provided the remaining conditions of the scheme are satisfied in each case. There are no proposals at present to extend the scheme to all widows.

17.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he has received representations from an organisation known as "The Cold Comfort" requesting an increase in the allowance of 300 units of free electricity for every two months during the winter half of the year to blind and disabled people, if he would comment on their statement that this winter allowance of five units a day is only enough to keep a two-bar electric fire burning for two-and-a-half hours and if he would accept the view of the organisation that the allowance should be increased to at least 500 units every two months throughout the year.

18.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will consider the expansion of the present free electricity scheme so that the elderly may avail of ancillary heating methods against the cold.

19.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is satisfied that an adequate fuel system will operate on a uniform basis throughout the country during this coming winter.

20.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will extend the free fuel scheme to meet the needs of all eligible people in rural areas and if not, why.

21.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will extend the free fuel voucher scheme to contributory old aged pensioners.

I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 17 to 21, inclusive, together.

I have not received the representations referred to in Question No. 17. The statement regarding the heating value of the allowance is, roughly speaking, correct. These groups of social welfare recipients are also being helped to meet their heating needs by the cheap fuel scheme and other schemes operated by health boards. The Deputies will be aware that a number of improvements in the provision of heating assistance for this winter have already been made.

The combined effect of the cheap fuel schemes operated by the local authorities concerned and of the schemes administered by the health boards should ensure that the domestic heating requirements of persons needing assistance in this regard throughout the country will be catered for this winter.

Persons with exceptional heating needs can also qualify for assistance under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme operated by the health boards.

Despite the enlightened position which he adopted in regard to the voucher scheme would the Minister accept that the amount of the voucher is decreasing almost daily in value? For example, is the Minister taking into consideration the recently announced increase in the cost of electricity and would he be willing to either index link the voucher or simply increase it?

The increase in the cost of electricity does not affect the free electricity scheme which is based on the number of units. The price may vary but the number of units is still the same.

I want to ask the Minister about the voucher, which is worth £1.50. The enormous amount of money expended on the turf scheme prior to the introduction of the voucher would seem to allow a little latitude which without extra cost to the Exchequer would enable the Minister to increase the voucher quite significantly. I suspect that the voucher scheme is saving quite a bit of money.

No.

Would the Minister be willing to increase it?

We hope to have a fairly comprehensive approach to heating needs. First, there will be the voucher. The Deputy will realise that we have added £1 per week to all social welfare payments for the winter period which will also help. In addition, in the city, Dublin Corporation and the Eastern Health Board will keep fuel depots in operation to meet any particular requirements. Voluntary organisations will have access to fuel supplies where necessary. I have asked the corporation and the health board to lay in supplies of blankets, electric fires and various heating equipment of that kind and have these available. As a last resort there is always the supplementary welfare scheme. I think the preparations we have made should meet the situation this winter. We can only hope that it will not be as severe as last winter.

Would the Minister include deserving widows in the free electricity scheme?

That question has been dealt with.

I understand the Minister is answering Nos. 16, 17 and 18 together.

No. Question No. 16 has been dealt with already. However, what I said in reply was that any widow who reaches 66 will qualify. At present we have no particular proposal to include all widows.

Will the Minister consider it?

Something will have to be considered in the budget context.

(Cavan-Monaghan): Would the Minister agree that old people who depend on buying coal in small quantities are particularly badly hit?

There may be a bit of a problem there but, on the other hand, we have received assurances from the merchants that old people will get preference. Secondly, the voucher introduces a great element of flexibility: they can now get turf or wood or gas or anything else.

(Cavan-Monaghan): Coal is costing about £4 per cwt.

And it is "cash with order" unlike in the case of bigger consignments which are sent "COD".

22.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare the changes now proposed in the cheap fuel scheme for 1979-1980, the weekly value of the voucher, the areas of eligibility and the number of weekly payments.

23.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is satisfied that £1.50 per week or equivalent available to persons eligible under the fuel scheme operated by him through local authorities is adequate for heating small houses in winter months and if he will make a statement on the matter.

24.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare if, in view of the sharp increase in fuel prices, he will consider increasing the weekly value of vouchers under the scheme.

I propose with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 22 to 24, inclusive, together.

Since 1 October local authorities who operate the cheap fuel scheme may issue money value vouchers which will be exchanged by shopkeepers and traders for any type of domestic fuel or which can be used in paying gas or electricity bills. This arrangement replaces the old one under which one cwt. of turf was supplied weekly to those eligible.

The weekly value of the voucher is £1.50 and 30 weekly payments will be made in the period from October 1979 to April 1980. This is intended as a supplement to help meet the cost of domestic heating. The social welfare payments of all those eligible for the cheap fuel scheme have also been increased by a minimum of £1.00 per week this winter.

The cheap fuel scheme is in operation in the following 17 cities and towns —Dundalk, Drogheda, Balbriggan, Dublin, Dún Laoghaire, Bray, Wicklow, Arklow, Kilkenny, Gorey, Enniscorthy, Wexford, New Ross, Waterford, Dungarvan, Cork and Limerick. A similar type of scheme is in operation for the remainder of the Eastern Health Board area not covered by the cheap fuel scheme. Other health board areas have schemes in operation for their particular areas.

Is the Minister aware that £1.50 per week is not sufficient for people on a low income?

It is meant as a supplement.

Many people depend on it for a fire during the winter. Would the Minister consider increasing that amount to £3 per week, a figure which would be somewhat more effective for old people?

I accept that the larger the amount is the more effective it will be but that is all I can do at present. Members should not forget that this winter there will be a special addition of £1 per week on all benefits.

That was intended to cover the cost of living generally but it does not.

Deputy Collins asked me to increase it to £3 but, in fact, it is £2.50 if one takes the extra £1 per week into account.

The £1 was needed to cover other things.

We would all like to give more if we could but I have to work within the constraints of my budget.

I appreciate that the Minister has had severe constraints imposed upon him by the Minister for Finance for some reason or another but even allowing for that does he not appreciate that the amount of the allowance would not cover one-third of the needs to keep a fire going?

The Deputy's heart rending appeal would be much more effective were it not for the fact that he was a member of a Government who for four years did nothing about the antiquated fuel scheme which was in existence. He did not make any improvements in that scheme.

It is very easy to have a social conscience when in Opposition.

Is the Minister aware that since Fianna Fáil came to office the cost of electricity alone has risen by about 50 per cent?

That does not affect people who get free electricity.

It affects those who do not qualify for free electricity.

In 1975 the Deputy's party cut out that scheme altogether.

(Cavan-Monaghan): The Deputy's party took the milk from the children.

In view of the fact that the scheme was introduced some months ago when £1.50 was an acceptable figure does the Minister accept that the cost of energy has increased significantly since then? Will the Minister agree to link the scheme to the increasing cost of energy, whatever about the basic cost?

The Deputy has a point. When we brought in the figure of £1.50 a certain level of prices prevailed and I accept that that has changed since. However, the £1.50 is an improvement and people in the city area who wish can get turf instead of the voucher. They will get the same amount of turf, 1 cwt.

The price of turf has increased also. The reason the Minister introduced the voucher scheme was because of the inequalities in the turf scheme.

If people feel the voucher is inadequate they can still get 1 cwt. of turf.

When will the Minister change the figure of £1.50?

The Minister will not be allowed to do so.

That is not so. As I stated, the flexibility of the voucher scheme has been welcomed, as Deputy Keating is aware, by everybody concerned about this aspect of our welfare services in the city. In addition, the corporation intend maintaining their fuel dumps and individuals and voluntary organisations will have access to those dumps in cases of necessity, as well as the vouchers.

If it was indexed it would be a better scheme.

25.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare if the application from the Mid-Western Health Board for an allocation of £200,000 to extend the cheap fuel scheme will be sanctioned.

Proposals for the introduction of a new fuel scheme in their area were received in my Department from the Mid-Western Health Board at the end of August. The cost was not stated but it was subsequently ascertained that it would be in the region of £250,000. The board were informed that because of the additional cost involved it was not then possible to give approval to the proposal for the 1979-80 heating season and that they should continue to provide heating assistance in their area under their present arrangements.