196 Mr. Crowley asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will allow disability allowance recipients to continue to claim their free fuel allowance from his Department as one lump sum rather than a weekly fuel allowance of £5 per week similar to the disabled person's maintenance allowance free fuel allowance scheme which was operated by the health board. [17643/96]

The administration of the disability allowance scheme transferred to my Department on 2 October 1996. The payment method for disability allowance is by way of personalised payable order book and payment of the fuel allowance is as in the case of the other long-term schemes, included in the weekly payment. Similar arrangements apply to other long-term payment schemes administered by my Department. The experience is that payment of the allowance in this way is the most convenient approach for claimants and I have no reason to believe that recipients of disability allowance will have any difficulty with a similar arrangement.