asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will make a fuel allowance under the national fuel scheme available to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny.

The national fuel scheme applies to persons in receipt of long-term social welfare or health board payments. This year for the first time the scheme has been extended to the long-term unemployed where they are living alone or with dependants.

While the person concerned is in receipt of long-term unemployment assistance, he apparently resides with a person who is in receipt of a separate social welfare payment and is not, therefore, his dependant within the terms of the national fuel scheme. Accordingly he is not entitled to a fuel allowance under the scheme. A notification to this effect was issued to him on 11 November 1987.