Thursday, 11 Oct 2012

Written Answers Nos. 89-97

Back to Education Allowance Eligibility

Questions (89)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

89. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection in situations where jobseeker's are invited by FÁS to attend labour market interviews the reason eligibility is not determined at that stage for the back to education scheme; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that some applicants apply for a back to education allowance following such a FÁS referral and are turned down on eligibility grounds where they are short of the required contributions; her views on whether this is wasteful of administrative time; is wasteful of college allocations and resources; her views on whether this is a blow to the applicants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43928/12]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

When determining eligibility for back to education allowance (BTEA) a number of factors are taken into account including, but not limited to, age of applicant, receipt of a prescribed social welfare payment for a specified duration, current educational qualifications, proposed course of study and the institution in which it is to take place.

Returning to education would be considered when jobseekers are invited to explore the wide variety of options available to them. However, eligibility for individual schemes can only be determined following a formal application process during which all relevant circumstances are established.

Rent Supplement Scheme Eligibility

Questions (90)

Michael Moynihan

Question:

90. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection the maximum amount of savings a person can have and still be entitled to qualify for rent allowance. [43934/12]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

There are approximately 90,000 persons in receipt of rent supplement for which the Government has provided a sum of €436 million for 2012. Rent supplement is normally calculated to ensure that a person, after the payment of rent, has an income equal to the rate of supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) appropriate to their family circumstances less a minimum contribution which recipients are required to pay from their own resources. The weekly minimum contribution is €30 for a single adult household and €35 for coupled households. Many recipients pay more than this amount because recipients are also required, subject to income disregards, to contribute any additional assessable means that they have over and above the appropriate SWA rate towards their accommodation costs.

As part of the assessment of means for rent supplement, capital (savings and investments) and the value of property owned but not personally used or enjoyed are assessed as means. Where capital or property is assessed on this basis, any income received from its use (e.g. interest on savings, dividends from shares, rent from property let) is not assessed as cash income. Instead, the following formula is used to establish weekly means:

- Disregard first €5,000 of capital value of property/savings

- Assess next €10,000 @ €1 per €1,000

- Assess next €25,000 @ €2 per €1,000

- Assess remaining capital over €40,000 @ €4 per €1,000.

The amount of rent supplement is determined by not only the person’s savings, but also includes factors such as earnings, household composition and the local rent limits in force. In this regard, it is not possible to specify an amount of savings that a person could have and still qualify for a rent supplement payment without an understanding of the person’s individual circumstances.

Family Income Supplement Eligibility

Questions (91)

Brian Walsh

Question:

91. Deputy Brian Walsh asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider extending eligibility criteria for family income supplement to include self-employed persons; the basis on which such persons are precluded from qualifying for the payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43935/12]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

The family income supplement (FIS) payment provides income support for employees on low earnings with children. In 2011 expenditure on FIS amounted to almost €205 million in respect of some 29,000 families.

The FIS payment is designed to preserve the financial incentive to take-up or remain in employment in circumstances where the employee might be marginally better off in employment than on social welfare payments. To qualify for payment of FIS, a person must be engaged in insurable employment which is expected to last for at least three months and be working for a minimum of 38 hours per fortnight or 19 hours per week.

There are no plans to extend FIS to self-employed persons at the present time. There are a number of factors that would have to be taken in to account in any consideration of extending eligibility criteria for family income supplement to include self-employed persons. There would be considerable practical difficulties in defining and controlling an alternative to the hours worked condition it would be impossible to establish satisfactorily their eligibility and their hours of employment would be difficult to establish and certify on an ongoing basis. Furthermore, the cost of extending the scheme to the self-employed would be considerable. Such a consideration would also need to take into account the fact that there are already arrangements in place to provide income support to self-employed people on low incomes, such as through jobseeker’s allowance and through farm assist for low-income farmers.

An extension of the FIS scheme would in effect change the nature of the scheme and it would not be feasible or desirable to extend FIS to the self-employed in its current form.

Nonetheless, I am conscious that achieving a better design of the overall system of child income supports, including the family income supplement payment, raises complex issues about the effectiveness and efficiency of the full range of income supports currently provided to families and their children. In this context and in line with a commitment in the Programme for Government, I established an Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare last year, which has been asked to recommend cost-effective solutions as to how employment disincentives can be improved and better poverty outcomes achieved, particularly child poverty outcomes. The Advisory Group prioritised the area of family and child income supports and has completed its work on this area. Their report is currently receiving my consideration and will assist the Government in setting out a pathway towards a more appropriate system of child income supports.

Departmental Expenditure

Questions (92)

Dara Calleary

Question:

92. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will outline in tabular form, the amount of money allocated by her Department and agencies within her Department to Ballina, Castlebar and Westport Town Council between 1997 and 2012; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43953/12]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

The amount of money paid by my Department to Ballina, Castlebar and Westport Town Councils between 1998 and to date in 2012 is set out in the following table. There are no records available for 1997.

Town Council

Year	Expense Type	Ballina (€)	Castlebar (€)	Westport (€)
-	Water Charges	282	452	-
-	Refuse Charges	241	274	323
	Student Summer Job Scheme Sponsor	-	4,836	1,933
1998	1998 Totals:	523	5,563	2,255
-	Water Charges	306	484	-
-	Refuse Charges	274	291	484
-	Student Summer Job Scheme Sponsor	-	-	968
-	School Meals Scheme	1,733	-	-
1999	1999 Totals:	2,313	775	1,451
-	Water Charges	323	516	193
-	Refuse Charges	919	387	193
-	Student Summer Job Scheme Sponsor	-	-	968
2000	2000 Totals:	1,242	903	1,354
-	Water Charges	387	597	210
-	Refuse Charges	1,072	452	226
2001	2001 Totals:	1,459	1,049	436
-	Water Charges	366	520	190
-	Refuse Charges	1,270	532	254
2002	2002 Totals:	1,636	1,052	444
-	Water Charges	550	640	260
-	Refuse Charges	1,655	640	310
-	School Meals Scheme	2,035	-	-
2003	2003 Totals:	4,240	1,280	570
Year	Expense Type	Ballina (€)	Castlebar (€)	Westport (€)
-	Water Charges	550	640	280
-	Refuse Charges	1,730	335	330
-	School Meals Scheme	1,214	-	-
2004	2004 Totals:	3,494	975	610
-	Water Charges	585	640	300
-	Refuse Charges	1,900	360	355
-	School Meals Scheme	1,132	-	-
2005	2005 Totals:	3,617	1,000	655
-	Refuse Charges	1,900	360	355
-	School Meals Scheme	1,469	-	-
2006	2006 Totals:	3,369	360	355
-	Refuse Charges	1,808	-	-
2007	2007 Totals:	1,808	0	0
-	Refuse Charges	1,910	-	-
2008	2008 Totals:	1,910	0	0
-	Refuse Charges	2,302	-	-
2009	2009 Totals:	2,302	0	0
-	Refuse Charges	2,774	-	-
2010	2010 Totals:	2,774	0	0
-	Refuse Charges	2,350	-	-
2011	2011 Totals:	2,350	0	0
-	Refuse Charges	4,313	-	-
to date 2012	to date 2012 Totals:	4,313	0	0
-	Overall Totals:	37,350	12,957	8,130

The statutory bodies operating under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection are the Citizens Information Board, the Pensions Board, the Office of the Pensions Ombudsman and the Social Welfare Tribunal. No money was paid by the Pensions Board, Office of the Pensions Ombudsman or the Social Welfare Tribunal to Ballina, Castlebar or Westport Town Councils between the years 1997 and 2007. Details of money paid by the Citizens Information Board (formerly Comhairle) are outlined in the following table.

Citizen Information Board

-	-	Town Council	Town Council	Town Council
Organisation	Year	Ballina (€)	Castlebar (€)	Westport (€)
-	2000	-	-	-
-	2001	-	-	-
-	2002	-	-	-
-	2003	-	-	-
-	2004	-	-	-
-	2005	-	-	-
Comhairle (established in June 2000)	2006	-	-	-
-	2007	485	-	-
-	2008	990	-	-
-	2009	720	-	-
-	2010	864	-	-
-	2011	228	-	-
Citizens Information Board (The Comhairle name was changed to Citizens Information Board in February 2007 under the Citizens Information Act 2007)	to date 2012	-	-	-
-	Totals:	3,287	0	0

Comhairle was established in June 2000 and was renamed the Citizens Information Board (CIB) in 2007. Other than the payments outlined in the response to Castlebar Town Council in the years 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011, no other payments were made by Comhairle/CIB since its establishment. Comhairle/CIB has never made any payments to either Ballina or Westport Town Councils.

Departmental Staff Redeployment

Questions (93)

Brian Walsh

Question:

93. Deputy Brian Walsh asked the Minister for Social Protection if an application to revert to a work sharing basis by a person (details supplied) will be accommodated. [43962/12]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

The person in question was facilitated with a position in my Department’s office in Galway on 3rd September 2012, as her previous Department were not in a position to accommodate her wish to return to work from career break.

The post offered to the person in question was a full-time post and this was made clear to her in her formal offer of transfer, and she was advised verbally prior to her commencing work in the Department. She accepted the position on this basis.

All applications for participation in the worksharing scheme are subject to the principle that the operating requirements of individual business units and the Department, as a whole, are not adversely affected. While all reasonable efforts are made to facilitate requests from staff to participate in the worksharing scheme, it is not always possible to approve such requests given the Department’s obligations to provide an acceptable level of service to its customers, particularly in the context of the current moratorium on recruitment.

Approval of applications for worksharing is, in the first instance, a matter for local management with appropriate input from HR Division. Local management in Galway have informed HR Division that they are not in a position to approve this request.

In addition, there are a number of staff in the Galway Local Office who have applied for worksharing ahead of the person in question. If local management in Galway are in a position to approve worksharing in the future, those applications must be considered before the application in question. In light of all of the above it is unlikely that approval for worksharing will be given in this case in the short to medium term.

Community Employment Schemes Review

Questions (94)

Clare Daly

Question:

94. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will outline the extent of discussions she has had with the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government regarding the introduction of new community employment type schemes to undertake work currently being carried out by council workers. [43963/12]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

The Department of Environment and Local Authorities currently sponsor 879 Community Employment positions. These are distributed as detailed in the table hereunder:

Breakdown of CE Participants and Supervisors Placed with Local Authorities

Sponsor Type	PUBLIC BODIES - LOCAL AUTH.
Row Labels	Sum of App No of Parts	Sum of App No of Supervisors
DS	195	9
DUN LAOGHAIRE/RATHDOWN CO.CO.	108	3
STH.DUBLIN CO.COUNCIL	87	6
MS	49	3
Thurles Town Council	16	1
TIPPERARY S.R. CO.CO.	33	2
NW	141	6
HSE head office	35	2
UDARAS NA GAELTACHTA	106	4
SE	153	7
DUNGARVAN TOWN COUNCIL	15	1
NEW ROSS TOWN COUNCIL	15	0
WATERFORD CITY COUNCIL	61	4
WEXFORD COUNTY COUNCIL	62	2
SW	41	2
UDARAS NA GAELTACHTA	41	2
WR	260	13
MAYO COUNTY COUNCIL	15	1
UDARAS NA GAELTACHTA	245	12
Grand Total	839	40

The DSP is reviewing the effectiveness of a range of labour market activation programmes and in this context over the next number of months it will determine the need to revise existing programmes or establish new programmes. Measures to prevent displacement are a feature of all activation programmes and this will continue to be the case.

Rent Supplement Scheme Expenditure

Questions (95)

Clare Daly

Question:

95. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will reverse her current policy of cuts to rent allowance which has had a devastating effect on families; and if she will confirm that rent allowance will not be further cut in Budget 2013. [43964/12]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. The overall aim is to provide short term assistance, and not to act as an alternative to the other social housing schemes operated by the Exchequer. There are currently approximately 90,000 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided €436 million for 2012.

As the Department currently funds approximately 30% of the private rented sector it is essential that State support for rents are kept under review and reflect current market conditions. New maximum rent limits came into force on 1 January 2012 and are in place until June 2013. These new limits were set after an analysis of the most up to date market data available. The emphasis of the rent limit review was to ensure that maximum value for money for tenants and the taxpayer was achieved whilst at the same time ensuring that people on rent supplement are not priced out of the market for private rented accommodation.

Approximately 45,000 rent supplement claims have been awarded in 2012, representing 50% of total claims in payment, indicating that accommodation can be secured within the existing rent limits. Department officials dealing with rent supplement tenants will continue to ensure that their accommodation needs are met; there will no incidence of homelessness due to these changes.

It is my intention to transfer responsibility for the provision of rental assistance to persons with a long term housing need from my Department, currently provided through rent supplement, to housing authorities using a new Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). A multi-agency steering group has been established to develop proposals to give effect to this transfer, on which my Department is represented. This will help achieve a key Government commitment of removing barriers to employment at the same time returning rent supplement to its original purpose, that of a short term income support payment for those temporarily unemployed.

The Department will continue to monitor rent levels throughout the country but at this point I have no plans to revise the existing rent limits. Any changes to the rent supplement scheme will be considered in a budgetary context.

Question No. 96 answered with Question No. 78.

Question No. 97 withdrawn.