Jim Higgins
Question:79 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Finance the number of EEC, EC and EU directives which have come to his Department since Ireland joined the European Community.
Written Answers. - European Directives.
It is not clear what the Deputy means by the term "come to" my Department. The European Commission's 11th Annual Report on the monitoring of the application of community law lists a total of 1,148 directives applicable to Ireland at 31 December 1993. It would not be possible to say how many of these apply to areas for which I am responsible without devoting a disproportionate amount of time and resources to the task. I would point out to the Deputy that many of the directives adopted in the past are no longer in force because they have been repealed or have been replaced by other forms of legal instrument such as regulations. This is particularly so in the customs area, where practically all directives within the last two years have been repealed and consolidated into a new Community Customs Code (Council Regulation (EEC) No. 2913/92 of 12 October 1992 and Commission implementing Regulation (EEC) No. 2454/93 of 2 July 1993).
Helen Keogh
Question:80 Ms Keogh asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will have the matter of telephone assistance for disabled people with young children examined with a view to implementing a new system whereby people living a certain distance away from neighbours or a public phone will obtain further assistance.
The free telephone rental allowance scheme operated by my Department is available only to people who are in receipt of certain social welfare-type payments, who are either living alone or only with children or persons who, because they are so permanently incapacitated, could not get help in an emergency. The main purpose of the scheme is to ensure that people in those circumstances, particularly elderly people, have some way of getting help when it is needed.
The number of people currently availing of the free telephone rental allowance scheme is about 144,000 at an annual cost of some £20 million. The question of providing further assistance in certain cases would have cost implications which would have to be considered in the light of available resources. I am keeping the scheme under review to see what changes may be necessary. If the Deputy has a particular case in mind I will have it examined in that context.