Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 1 Feb 2001

Vol. 529 No. 3

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.

Nora Owen

Question:

121 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the number of people on the jobs initiative scheme who received their Christmas bonuses before Christmas; the number who have not yet been paid; when those remaining people will be paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2813/01]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

Last year was the first year in which the Christmas bonus was paid to participants in the job initiative programme. In the ordinary course of events the bonus payment would be made by FÁS but my Department agreed to effect the payment in this instance as it was not possible owing to the shortness of time to make other arrangements. The initial coverage of programme participants – those who were formerly in receipt of unemployment assistance – was extended to other categories – those formerly in receipt of unemployment benefit and those on one parent family payments – during the course of the implementation, but, unfortunately, not in time to allow for payment to them before Christmas. The task of identifying those who are entitled to the bonus and calculating and issuing payment was relatively time-consuming but outstanding payments have been issued throughout January and the remaining ones will be issued shortly.

The information requested by the Deputy regarding payment of the Christmas bonus is as follows:

Christmas bonus received before Christmas	1,079
Christmas bonus received after Christmas	619
Total number of payments outstanding (estimated)	415

Local offices of the Department are currently arranging to have outstanding payments made to remaining eligible participants.

Pat Carey

Question:

122 Mr. P. Carey asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs if employees on the jobs initiative programme are entitled to claim secondary benefits such as fuel allowance and rent allowance; the level of Christmas bonus payment to which these employees should be entitled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2829/01]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

The job initiative programme is a pilot initiative which is administered by FÁS, under the aegis of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. The question raised by the Deputy in regard to the entitlements of workers on the programme to secondary benefits is therefore more appropriate to the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment who has overall policy responsibility for the programme.

Briefly, the position is that participants on the job initiative programme may retain their secondary benefits at the level which obtained prior to participation on the programme, subject to a weekly gross household income limit of £250 per week. It should be noted that the rent supplement is phased out over a four-year period, with 75% of the claimant's previous entitlement being paid in the first year on the programme and 50%, 25% and 25% being paid in the subsequent three years.

My Department administered the Christmas bonus payments to job initiative participants on an agency basis on behalf of FÁS in 2000. In this context, the arrangements for the payment of the bonus to job initiative workers were cleared with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment which is responsible for the programme. Under these arrangements, the bonus was paid to former recipients of long-term unemployment assistance – LTUA – at 100% of the current equivalent of the former LTUA entitlement. Subsequently, these arrangements were extended to include former recipients of unemployment benefit and former one parent family payment recipients whose entitlement had ceased in the course of the programme by virtue of the qualified child or children reaching 18 years.

Michael Ring

Question:

123 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the reason a person (details supplied) in County Mayo who, while residing with her common law husband, was not getting the one parent family allowance for the child that was not his and where the father of the child was not paying maintenance. [2834/01]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern)

One of the conditions for receipt of one parent family payment is that the lone parent is not cohabiting, that is, not living with someone as husband and wife.

During a review of the entitlement to lone parent's allowance of the person concerned in 1996, it emerged that she had been cohabiting since 1994. Consequently, payment of one parent family payment was discontinued. The fact that the person with whom she is cohabiting is not the father of her child does not affect the application of the legislation in such cases.

Under social welfare legislation decisions in relation to claims must be made by deciding officers and appeals officers. These officers are statutorily appointed and I have no role in regard to making such decisions.