asked the Minister for Social Welfare why unemployment assistance is not being paid to a person (name supplied) in County Kerry.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Services.
95.
The person concerned was not entitled to unemployment assistance on his application of 17th February, 1976, as he was not the holder of a qualification certificate. Following a report by a social welfare officer, a deciding officer refused his application for a qualification certificate on the ground that his means for unemployment assistance purposes exceeded the statutory limit which in this case was £985.40. He appealed against the deciding officer's decision and his case was considered by an appeals officer who upheld the decision. An appeals officer's decision is final in the absence of new facts or fresh evidence.
The statutory means limit applicable in his case was increased with effect from 31st March, 1976, and he became entitled to a qualification certificate showing weekly rate of means of £19.23. Arrangements have been made to have payment of all arrears of unemployment assistance due from 31st March, 1976, to be made to him during the present week.
96.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare why unemployment assistance is not being paid to a person (name supplied) in County Galway.
Payment of unemployment assistance to the person concerned was suspended from 31st March, 1976, so that his entitlement to assistance from that date could be determined. A deciding officer has now assessed his weekly rate of means at £16.54 on the basis of £40 for each £1 of the rateable valuation of the land, excluding buildings, owned or occupied by him.
Arrangements have been made to have payment of all unemployment assistance due to him paid during the course of the present week.
97.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is aware that there would appear to be undue delay in arriving at decisions on appeals concerning the payment of unemployment assistance; and if he will take steps to improve the existing machinery for dealing with these appeals.
Decisions on appeals in unemployment assistance cases are normally given very promptly unless there is some factor requiring further inquiry or investigation to enable the appeals officer to arrive at a decision in a particular case. I am satisfied that the existing machinery for dealing with these appeals is satisfactory and I do not therefore propose making any changes in this regard.
If, however, the Deputy can furnish details of any case or cases in which he considers that undue delay has occurred, I shall be glad to have the matter specially examined and to advise him of the result.
98.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if, in view of the fact that the Social Welfare (Supplementary Welfare Allowances) Act, 1975, becomes operative on 1st July, 1976, and that certain sections of it will be unworkable, with particular reference to payment of the supplementary welfare allowance, he will make a statement outlining the action, if, any, he intends taking in the matter.
A ministerial order is required to bring the provisions of the Social Welfare (Supplementary Welfare Allowances) Act, 1975, into operation. It had been the intention to bring the Act into operation not later than 1st July, 1976, but as certain negotiations regarding conditions of employment of the staff concerned are in progress between the Local Government Staff Negotiations Board and the unions concerned, it has been decided to defer the making of the necessary Order in the hope that the negotiations in question can be concluded at an early date.
99.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when it is intended to commence the pilot schemes to combat poverty; the number of such schemes; the nature of the schemes; the cost of each scheme; the location of each scheme; the number of personnel involved in each scheme; and the minimum qualifications of these personnel.
Work on one of the four approved pilot schemes to combat poverty, namely, that concerned with an evaluation of the existing home assistance scheme and, in due course, of the new supplementary welfare allowance scheme, has already commenced. There are three other such projects, namely, the welfare rights project, the community action research project and the social service council project. I am advised by the national committee on pilot schemes to combat poverty that work on the welfare rights and community action research projects is expected to commence shortly in various centres throughout the country. Staff for these projects is at present being recruited by the committee. The committee intend that field work in relation to the social service council project should commence later this year. As regard the cost of each scheme I understand that a detailed budget has not yet been approved by the committee but the cost will be met out of the committee's allocation which this year amounts to £359,000 which includes a substantial contribution from the EEC.
Work on the project which has already commenced is country-wide because of its nature and the committee hope to announce shortly the areas in which elements of the community action research and the welfare rights projects respectively will be established initially.
The committee are not in a position to indicate the number of personnel which will be involved in each scheme but there is an approved staffing establishment of 40 posts, including both central and local staff. No minimum qualifications have been fixed except in relation to research staff who are required to have the necessary technical skills and qualifications.
100.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the amounts paid under (i) the unemployment benefit scheme and (ii) the unemployment assistance scheme for the six months to 31st December, 1975, and the five months to 1st June, 1976.
In the six months to 31st December 1975, expenditure was £19.095 million on unemployment benefit; £3.276 million on pay-related unemployment benefit and £21.450 million on unemployment assistance.
The expenditure data for the first five months of 1976 has not yet been fully processed. It is estimated, however, that expenditure this year up to 1st June, 1976, was approximately £18.437 million on unemployment benefit, £3.312 million on pay-related unemployment benefit and £19.960 million on unemployment assistance.