Written Answers. - National Economic and Social Forum Report.
Denis Foley
Question:
49
Mr. Foley
asked the
Minister for Social Welfare
the recommendations in the reports of the National Economic and Social Forum published to date which are relevant to his Department; and the extent to which these recommendations have been implemented.
[7196/96]
The National Economic and Social Forum has produced a number of reports which, to a lesser or greater extent, are relevant to my Department. These reports are as follows:
—‘Commission on Social Welfare — Outstanding Recommendations'— Forum report No. 3, published in January 1994;
—‘Ending Long-Term Unemployment'— Forum report No. 4, published in June 1994;
—‘Income Maintenance Strategies'— Forum report No. 5, published in June, 1994; and
—‘Quality Delivery of Social Services'— Forum Report No. 6, published in February 1995.
The recommendations contained in these reports continue to be addressed on an ongoing basis by my Department in the context of the development and enhancement of social welfare schemes and services generally and, more specifically, in the context of the allocation of limited resources to social welfare improvements at budget time.
In the case of forum report No. 3, which examined the outstanding recommendations of the Commission on Social Welfare, substantial progress has now been achieved in meeting the forum's recommendations in the areas, for example, of achieving adequate rates of payment; the introduction of a substantial means disregard for the carer's allowance; and the extension of the child dependant allowance for children up to age 22 in full-time education in the case of long-term payments. The Deputy will be aware that I have commissioned the Economic and Social Research Institute to review the minimum adequate rates that were recommended by the Commission on Social Welfare in 1986.
Forum Report No. 4 sought to examine the dimensions and causes of the long-term unemployment problem and its recommendations related to the development of training, employment services and taxation and PRSI reform aimed at increasing the opportunities for the long-term unemployed to gain access to the workforce. This year's budget provided an integrated package of pro-employment measures designed to tackle the problem of long-term unemployment. In so far as my Department is concerned, the measures included a substantial increase in the PRSI-free allowance, reductions in the employer PRSI rates, increases in the thresholds governing entitlement to family income supplement, provision for the retention of child dependent allowances for 13 weeks after taking up employment and reform of the unemployment assistance scheme.
The fifth report of the forum set out its views on the values, objectives, principles and strategic issues which it believes should underpin income maintenance policies. In this regard, I am awaiting the final report of the expert group on the integration of the tax and social welfare systems which will provide a sound basis for the development of policies in this area. That report is expected to be available by the middle of this year.
Forum report No. 6 is focused on quality improvements in the delivery of a range of social services. The recommendations made by the forum in this regard are very much in line with action already taken by my Department over the years aimed at improving the quality and delivery of social welfare services to our citizens. Among the improvements introduced are:——
more provision of services locally,
substantial improvements in the time taken to process claims,
different methods of payment,
the provision of new offices and systematic refurbishment of older offices,
better access and more privacy facilities, and
a new regional management structure which has enabled a more focused and co-ordinated approach at local level to the delivery of a quality service to customers. This has, in addition, enabled better co-operation with local and community groups involved with social welfare customers.
The recommendations arising from the work of the National Economic and Social Forum will continue to provide a major input into the ongoing development of the social welfare system.
