Dara Calleary
Question:63. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will outline her discussions with the Troika on the social welfare system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44394/12]
View answerTuesday, 16 October 2012
Questions (63, 89)
Seán Fleming
Question:89. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will outline the discussions she has had with the Troika in relation to the future of the disability allowance for people aged 16 to 18 years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44392/12]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 63 and 89 together.
In November 2010 the then Government negotiated a funding agreement with the EU / ECB / IMF funding Troika. That Government agreed a structural adjustment programme which is subject to a monthly and quarterly reporting process as well as on-going discussions with the Troika on all expenditure headings, including social protection. The latest quarterly review commenced this week.
The arrangements governing Ministerial meetings with the Troika on their quarterly delegation visits to Dublin are that my colleagues the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform meet with the delegation on behalf of the Government. Consequently, apart from an initial meeting immediately on taking office, I have not formally met with the Troika recently to discuss the Irish social protection system generally or disability allowance, in particular. However, I have met members of the Troika informally.
Officials from my Department, and from other Departments, meet with the Troika delegation as part of each quarterly review. Commitments in the Funding Programme which relate to my Department are discussed with the Troika delegation, the achievement of commitments is noted where relevant, and the agreement is revised to reflect any new or follow-on commitments made in the course of the quarterly review, as appropriate. All of the commitments in the social protection area that were required to be delivered up to the present time have been delivered in full and on time.
After each quarterly review, both the European Commission and the IMF publish the findings of their review in what are known as occasional papers or country reports, respectively. The most recent of these was published in September and related to the Troika delegation visit in July. In these reports, the Commission and the IMF may identify areas of social welfare expenditure which they believe merit examination in the context of the continuing reform of the system and fiscal consolidation.
Although the Troika may identify areas of expenditure which they believe merit examination, any changes to the schemes operated by the Department will be decided by the Cabinet, subject to the approval of the Oireachtas, in the context of the on-going review of expenditure generally and in the context of deciding the fiscal consolidation measures to be included in Budget 2013.
Question Nos. 64 answered with Question No. 62.
Question No. 65 answered with Question No. 61.