139 Mr. Wyse asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will consider extending the full provisions of section 209 of the Special Welfare Consolidation Act, 1981 to persons paying local authority rents; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Under the provisions of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, weekly rent supplements may be paid by the health boards where the claimant's rent exceeds £3.50 per week. In general, the practice is to pay a supplement which will leave the claimant with a disposable income, after payment of rent, which is equal to the appropriate supplementary welfare allowance rate, less £3.50.

The responsibility for making and amending rent schemes for local authority dwellings was devolved to local authorities in August 1986. Local authorities were required by the Minister for the Environment to ensure that rent schemes adopted by them were based on certain broad principles. One of these was that the rent payable should be related to income and a smaller proportion of income should be required from low income households.

It is a further requirement that provision should be included for the acceptance of lower rent than that required under the terms of the scheme in exceptional cases, where payment of the normal rent would give rise to hardship.

The health boards do not normally pay rent supplements to persons paying differential rents as it is open to the local authorities to invoke hardship clauses under the differential rent schemes so as to reduce the rents charged.

140 Mr. Wyse asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will consider the setting up of a home maker service within his Department to help families in receipt of long term social welfare payments become more proficient in home making skills.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul operate a programme of home management and personal development courses. These courses are designed to help people on low incomes manage their budget and acquire basic domestic skills in low cost nutritional cooking.

141 Mr. Wyse asked the Minister for Social Welfare the amount of social welfare fraud detected in the Cork area for the years 1988, 1989, 1990 in respect of (a) unemployment benefit, (b) unemployment assistance, (c) deserted wife's benefit and (d) unmarried mothers allowance; and the number of prosecutions obtained.

My Department employ a number of systems to counteract fraud, abuse of the social welfare system and unwarranted claiming. These are known as the special investigation unit, the joint investigation unit, the external control unit and the fraud control unit in the widows and social assistance allowance section in Sligo. These units operate on a nation-wide basis in order to ensure the continued compliance of claimants with the conditions governing eligibility for payment in accordance with social welfare legislation.

The particulars sought by the Deputy in relation to fraud are set out as follows:

Fraud Detected in Cork City and County

142 Mr. Wyse asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason he has introduced the facility to have rent and ESB payments deducted from the source of social welfare payments.

143 Mr. Wyse asked the Minister for Social Welfare the arrangements he has made to allow social welfare recipients have deductions made from their social welfare payments in respect of rent, ESB and other payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

It is proposed to take Questions Nos. 142 and 143 together.

The introduction of household budget management facilities for social welfare recipients is being planned by my department in conjunction with An Post.

The bulk of social welfare recipients are paid through the post office system and a budget management facility would give greater scope for people to plan and manage their financial affairs.

This facility will be provided as part of the modernisation of post office counter services which will give social welfare recipients a greater choice in the method by which they can receive their social welfare entitlement. My Department are working closely with An Post on these developments.

It is expected that an electronic fund transfer facility will be introduced for child benefit recipients during the first half of 1992. In time this facility will be extended to other groups of recipients.

These developments will provide a choice in the method by which people can receive their social welfare payments and a degree of flexibility which is not possible using existing payment methods. This flexibility will enable those social welfare clients who may wish to do so make full use of existing banking facilities such as household budget planning and, for example, automatic transfer of payments to the ESB.

144 Mr. Dempsey asked the Minister for Justice if he intends to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of a person (details supplied) in County Meath in the courthouse, Trim, County Meath.

The person who retired was one of three court messengers in Trim Circuit Court office. The resultant vacancy has not been filled because the level of business in the under-sheriff's office is such that it can be adequately covered by the two other court messengers.