Vol. 492 No. 7
270 Mr. Quinn asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the specific commitments, if any, set out in An Action Programme for the Millennium which have been implemented in full; the commitments, if any, implemented in part; the commitments, if any, initiated; the commitments, if any, yet to be initiated and implemented by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15050/98]
I am happy to respond to the Deputy whose question gives me the opportunity to outline the substantial progress made by my Department in implementing the key commitments in the action programme.
The following table outlines nine commitments contained in the Government's An Action Programme for the Millennium for which my Department is responsible. Significant progress has been made towards these objectives.
The resources provided in the 1998 budget for social welfare improvements amounts to £125 million this year and £225 million in a full year and is the largest budget package for many years.
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Action Programme Objectives |
Action Taken |
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1. Reduce PRSI and levies with emphasis on the low paid. (p6)* |
The 1998 budget provided for an increase in the weekly PRSI free allowance for Class A and H contributors from £80 to £100 per week. This will be of benefit to one million contributors with 60,000 being exempted. |
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In addition, the earnings exemption thresholds for the levies was increased by £10 per week (£197 to £207). |
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The earnings threshold for the lower rate of employer's PRSI (8.5 per cent) was increased from £260 to £270 per week. |
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The full year cost of these changes, which came into effect in April 1998, is £50 million. |
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2. Attack fraud and abuse. (p7)* |
Control savings in 1997 amounted to £159 million. The target for 1998 is £180 million. The SW Act 1998 includes measures to improve the flow of information between certain public bodies to improve service and control fraud, by providing for the more widespread use of a public service number and a public service card on the lines of the existing RSI number. It also specifies particular purposes for which information exchanges are authorised. |
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3. Substantial Social Welfare increases including increase of OAP to £100 p.w. within five years. (p18)* |
A significant first step has been taken in 1998. A £5 per week increase has been provided from June 1998 in the maximum personal rates of all payments for pensioners aged 66 and over with pro rata increases for all others. This represents increases ranging between 6.4 per cent and 7.4 per cent. |
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A general £3 per week increase payable in all other maximum personal rates. This represents increases ranging between 4.2 per cent and 4.6 per cent. |
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4. Refocus tax and welfare system in favour of the family unit. (p15)* |
The 1998 budget includes improvements in child benefit and family income supplement (FIS). |
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Increases in the rate of child benefit will be £1.50 for the first two children and £3.00 for all subsequent children, to bring the monthly rates to £31.50 and £42 respectively. |
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The budget also provides for a new payment of 150 per cent of the normal child benefit rate for twins. Also, the grants currently payable to twins will be extended to all multiple births of three or more children, i.e. £500 at birth and £500 when the children reach age four and 12 years of age. |
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All these improvements are effective from September 1998. |
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FIS will be calculated on a net income basis from October 1998 resulting in an average increase of £11 per week to families. Weekly thresholds have been increased from June 1998 giving a £ 4 per week increase to most recipients. |
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An interdepartmental working group is examining the treatment of one and two person households under the tax/social welfare system and is due to report later this year. |
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The findings of the final report of the Commission on the Family were published on 15 May 1998. Copies of the full report will become available in June 1998. |
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5. Establish a national mediation service. (p15)* |
As a first step, an additional £600,000 was provided in the 1998 budget for the family mediation service. It is hoped to open a number of new family mediation centres around the country during 1998 in addition to the two existing centres. |
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6. Provide the mechanism to allow women, who take time out for family reasons, to continue contributions for pension purposes. (p15)* |
Arrangements for notifying qualifying periods under the Homemakers' Scheme were launched in July 1997. Under the scheme, time spent working in the home rearing young children up to 12 years of age or caring for incapacitated people is disregarded for pension purposes. A maximum of 20 years may be disregarded. |
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Provision will be made for the award of credited PRSI contributions during periods of parental leave. |
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7. Progressively relax the qualifying criteria for carer's allowance. (p7)* |
A £5 increase per week has been provided for carers over 66 years of age and a £3 per week for those under 66 effective from June 1998. |
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From September 1998, all persons in receipt of a carer's allowance will be entitled to a free travel pass in their own right. |
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The “full time care and attention” rule has been relaxed. |
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An overall review of the scheme is under way in the Department and is due for completion later this year. |
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8. Provide funding of women's voluntary agencies. (p17)* |
Funding is provided under the “Scheme of Grants to Locally based Community and Family Support Groups”. In addition, 27 women's groups are in receipt of three year core funding with £354,000 committed in 1998. |
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9. Value of carer's allowance to be increased in real terms. (p18)* |
See 7, above. |
