Vol. 731 No. 5
41 Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the average time it is taking to process carer’s allowance applications; the number of applications awaiting decision; if there is a plan to reduce delays; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10413/11]
The average time taken to award a claim for carer's allowance in the first quarter of 2011 was 12 weeks. A total of 3,815 applications were registered in the first quarter of 2011 and 3,883 were processed in the same period. Some 4,509 applications are awaiting a decision at present. Approximately 51,000 carer's allowance claims are in payment. I acknowledge that the time taken to process carer's allowance claims is not satisfactory but I am satisfied that the Department is taking appropriate steps to resolve the situation. It recently commenced a major service delivery modernisation project to improve the efficiency with which it processes applications from clients for carer's allowance. This involves the development of information technology functions and associated business process reorganisation.
It is anticipated that the new system will introduce significant processing efficiencies and a quicker and more responsive service to the customer. Accordingly, the project is being given high priority. It involves a significant level of time and commitment from the relevant staff in the Department. This has had a short-term negative impact on claim processing times. I am pleased to say the modernisation project is on target. The first tranche of new carer's allowance claims will be processed under the new system from July. Although the new systems and processes will facilitate a significant improvement in overall processing times, individual claims may continue to take some time to process. Entitlement to carer's allowance is based on satisfying medical, means and residency conditions. In determining entitlement to the allowance, in certain cases unavoidable time lags are involved in making the necessary investigations and inquiries to enable accurate decisions to be made. Delays can also arise if those applying for the allowance are not in a position to supply all the necessary information in support of their claim.
The staff and other resources available to the Department are regularly reviewed with regard to the workload. The Department monitors available resources against workload on an ongoing basis with a view to ensuring claims are processed as quickly as possible. The action taken may include providing for flexibility in the application of staff resources in accordance with seasonal or temporary fluctuations in workload and using overtime where appropriate. The position is being kept under continuous review. In the meantime, if a person's means are insufficient to meet his or her needs while awaiting a decision on a claim, he or she can apply for a means tested supplementary welfare allowance payment from his or her community welfare officer.
My understanding of the monitoring of information systems is that when the term "business process reorganisation" is used, the entire process is thrown out and a new one is introduced. Is that what is taking place in this instance? The Minister suggested that there is an overlap between one processing system and another. The key issue is what the ideal time will be. That is one of the questions I have. I accept that if a person does not provide sufficient information, it is not possible for his or her claim to be dealt with within the ideal time. There can be variations. Does the Minister envisage that an ideal time for making a decision will be determined? She is aware that if one encounters uncertainty when leaving work to care for somebody with a sudden illness, it can take a long time for one to deal with such matters, which can be very stressful.
It appears to me that the refusal rate is quite high. Having heard anecdotal evidence and discussed this with some of my Independent colleagues, it seems that there is a high level of success on appeal. Has the Minister examined that in her Department? Can she ascertain whether there is a variation between the approach to carer's allowance and the approach to other kinds of allowances provided by the Department?
In 2010, the average time it took to award a claim for carer's allowance was eight weeks. Some 18,212 applications for carer's allowance were made and some 16,629 claims were processed in that year. The main reason for the deterioration in the processing time is that major modernisation work is ongoing. That work will be completed and the new system will be started by July of this year. My experience of the Department of Social Protection is that investment in the modernisation of information technology facilities achieves results such as improvements in processing times.
The Deputy asked about levels of refusal. Some 16,574 new claims were received in 2009. Some 5,776 claims were refused in that year. That represented a refusal rate of 34.8%. As I said, some 18,212 new claims were made in 2010 and 6,972 were refused. That represented a refusal rate of 38.2%.
One of the reasons for delays in processing all social welfare applications, including for carer's allowance, is the provision of insufficient or inaccurate information. As the Deputy noted, owing to changing circumstances people often make applications while under pressure and it may take time to obtain all the relevant information and present it properly. I am optimistic that when the new system is operational, we will be able to achieve the previous processing times and perhaps improve on them. The process would be facilitated if people had more complete information when they made an application.
Does the Minister accept that greater use should be made of the review process as opposed to the excessively arduous appeals process? Many of those who apply for carer's allowance do not understand the documentation or the requirement to include details on the level of care they provide. Does the Minister agree that waiting times, especially for appeals, are unacceptably long across all schemes? I do not know if she is aware of today's missive from the Minister without Portfolio, Deputy Brendan Howlin, which indicates that the Department of Social Protection will be allocated an additional 22 staff by the end of the year. This figure does not take account of the transfer of community welfare officers from the Health Service Executive. Does the Minister agree that 22 additional staff will not be sufficient to address the delays in processing social welfare applications?
What is the average processing time for an appeal? What difference will the review process make? If an appeal is successful, the relevant payment will be backdated to the date on which the application was submitted and the Exchequer will not make any savings. In many cases, people are being put through the wringer unnecessarily.
I expect completion of the information technology modernisation programme will significantly improve processing times from July onwards.
I did not hear the announcement made today by the Minister, Deputy Brendan Howlin. I accept that an additional 22 staff is small in the context of the number employed in the Department, which currently stands at approximately 5,000. However, since my appointment I have signed in nine additional appeals officers.
We had a discussion previously at Question Time on the need for better quality information in processing applications and to use reviews rather than full appeals. Last week I met senior staff and many other employees in the appeals section, including inspectors and staff manning the telephones. I am aware that the section is of particular concern to Members. Given the condition of the economy, staff in the office must contend with providing testing and exacting services for members of the public. Nevertheless, everybody in the appeals structure is determined to give citizens the best possible service. As I indicated, the additional nine appeals officers should produce a significant improvement and reduce processing times.
What is the average processing time for an appeal?
I do not have detailed information on appeal times, but I will send it to the Deputy.
42 Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps she will take to ensure that participation in Tús involves training; and if she will make funding available for same. [10448/11]
45 Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide the guidelines and criteria that will govern the targeting and selection of persons to participate in Tús; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10452/11]
52 Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount of funding being made available for all aspects of Tús. [10457/11]
57 Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps she will take to ensure that no worker displacement arises from the introduction of the new Tús scheme, the work placement programme and internships. [10450/11]
68 Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will introduce a travel allowance for Tús participants. [10449/11]
168 D’fhiafraigh Éamon Ó Cuív den Aire Coimirce Sóisialaí cén uair a bheidh cead ag Cumann Lúthchleas Gael an 200 duine a bhí le hearcú acu faoin scéim TÚS a earcú ó tharla go bhfuil an séasúr faoi lán seoil agus ag cur san áireamh freisin na hacmhainní atá an Cumann sásta a chur ar fáil don scéim; agus an ndéanfaidh sí ráiteas ina thaobh. [10362/11]
191 Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection when will the new Tús employment scheme be established and if the participants on these schemes have the same entitlements as the workers on existing community employment schemes. [7978/11]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 42, 45, 52, 57, 68, 168 and 191 together.
The Minister for Finance announced the introduction of a community work placement initiative for up to 5,000 persons in the Budget Statement to Dáil Éireann on 7 December 2010. The initiative, known as Tús, was launched on 21 December 2010 and work on developing the necessary implementation structures has been under way since. The aim of Tús is to provide short-term, quality work opportunities for those who are unemployed for more than one year. Some €30 million has been provided in my Department's Estimates in 2011 to fund the roll-out of the initiative.
Detailed conditions and rules to guide the operation of Tús have been developed with representatives of the local development companies and officials of my Department. These conditions and rules require that each local development company takes the necessary steps to guard against potential displacement of existing private or public sector service or worker displacements. Additionally, internal procedures for the selection of persons to participate have been developed and will be issued to local office managers and staff in the coming days. The random selection of participants by my Department will commence shortly as the necessary arrangements become operational at local development company level.
Promotion of Tús to potential work placement providers has been under way for some weeks as part of a process of identifying suitable work placements and local development companies are recruiting supervisory staff. This includes engagement with a number of national sports organisations, including the GAA, in respect of games development and related activities. With respect to the latter, my Department will make detailed proposals in the coming days with a view to finalising arrangements to enable participants to avail of games development opportunities across the country.
There are a number of significant differences between the operation of Tús and the community employment programme. In the main, these differences relate to the programmes' aims, participant selection, delivery, duration of engagement and training requirements. The amount paid to participants on both programmes will be similar and participants will continue to maintain their entitlement to certain secondary benefits. Equally, participants will be required to work 19½ hours per week.
Other than tasks related to training, Tús will not have a compulsory training element, although training opportunities may be available from the range of initiatives delivered by local development companies. Travel and out-of-pocket expenses will not be payable, although every effort will be made to ensure work placements are available close to a participant's home. The target is to have 1,000 placements filled by the end of June, with the remainder being filled over the course of the next year.
Is the Minister aware that circumstances may arise in which Tús participants will find themselves working alongside community employment scheme participants while enjoying fewer entitlements? Does she agree that this is unfair?
Does the Minister agree that random selection may be a flawed approach in that, for example, persons without a background in sport could be sent to the GAA or the FAI to engage in sports training? The selection process needs to be reviewed. Will the Minister consider allowing those who qualify for the scheme by virtue of having been on the dole for one year to apply to be included in a panel for selection to participate in Tús?
If Tús is to be more than workfare, it must have a strong training element. The Minister has indicated funding is not available for this purpose. Is funding available that could be allocated to partnership groups or local development companies to enable them to provide additional training over and above their current contracts to ensure Tús participants have some access to training and the scheme will deliver real benefits?
I was very encouraged when I first heard about Tús on entering the Department. I was under the impression that many of the places had been taken up and was surprised to find that while there had been four or five announcements on the launch of the initiative, other than the pilot scheme involving 119 people in two local development company areas, Tús had not commenced. I have now spent a considerable number of weeks seeking to encourage the widest possible participation from the various local development companies and sporting organisations that have been provided with a complement of places.
I am encouraged by the positivity with which people have been reacting. I also have had discussions with Members of different parties from all sides of this House, many of whom are also involved in local development companies. In a manner similar to the internship scheme that will be announced later today by the Minister for Finance, there is an opportunity for everyone who is involved in a local development company to identify people. In many ways Tús is probably modelled on the original rural social scheme. However, it now applies to both urban and rural areas and as Minister, I certainly intend to ensure that not only rural areas but every town, village and city in Ireland in which there are development companies and partnerships anxious to engage people will be fully involved in the process. As I stated, the response thus far is encouraging.
The Minister referred to Tús and the local development companies. My local development company in County Offaly has informed me that in respect of the recruitment of supervisors, for example, those who advanced themselves or who sought to better themselves by participating in departmental training in the year previous to their application are not allowed to apply. How can the Minister stand over this and how can local development companies be hamstrung by virtue of this fact? People were given a leg up by encouraging them to participate in training and to further improve themselves and their skill sets, yet the Minister presides over a scenario whereby she will not allow anyone to take up a supervisory position because they tried to better themselves in the previous year.
Will the Minister review the random selection element to put in place some sort of system that would enable participants or those who wish to participate to put their names forward in a manner that would avoid, for example, those who have no interest in sport being forced to engage in sport? How many staff supervisors are being employed to cover this initiative?
Some of the local partnership companies are Leader companies. Is any European money available for this programme?
County Offaly has been offered 100 Tús places with five supervisors. While I acknowledge the Deputy's point in respect of the selection of supervisors, I inherited this scheme and the legislation relating to it from my predecessor, the Deputy's distinguished colleague.
That will only last for so long. For as long as the Minister is playing that game, it is like stretching elastic.
One reason for the inclusion of random selection was that one measure in the programme agreed by the previous Government with the troika was to provide for activation measures, some of which would be based on random selection.
In response to Deputy Ó Snodaigh's question on the possibility of someone like me, who is not the greatest person at football or hurling, being selected, this is about reasonable offers that relate to a person's capacity or interest. There is no way in which someone who was totally unsuitable would be selected for a particular offering. It is about reasonable offers that are meant to assist a person to acquire valuable experience and training. I am confident there will be a good match and I intend to send the details to all Members of this House. Moreover, as I stated previously, I have spoken personally with many Deputies in respect of their interaction with their own local companies. We will make as great a success of this as we can.
I am afraid that no additional European funds have been made available in this regard. However, much emphasis is laid in the memorandum of understanding with the troika on the business of getting people into work, training and education. Were we to show that schemes such as this or the internship schemes can be successful, productive and helpful to people trying to get back into work, it would bear fruit during the renegotiation of the terms and conditions of the deal.
Written Answers follow Adjournment Debate.
