Written Answers Nos. 114-121
114. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made on an appeal date given for disability payment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare who is unable to seek employment due to her health condition; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48918/12]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 10th May 2012. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. These papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on the 4th October 2012 and the case will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions on social welfare entitlements.
115. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will issue on a jobseekers allowance appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48988/12]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 12th July 2012. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. These papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 26th July 2012 and the case has been referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions on social welfare entitlements.
116. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will arrange to have a rent allowance restored to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48991/12]
View answerThe person concerned is now in receipt of their full entitlement to rent allowance based on their household circumstances. Arrangements are being made to pay arrears due as soon as possible.
117. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Social Protection if there has been any change in the way that the universal social charge or any other taxes or levies are assessed by her Department for the purposes of means assessment for any of her Department's allowance based payments in the past 12 months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49001/12]
View answerThere have been no changes to the treatment of the universal social charge (USC) for means testing purposes for social assistance payments over the past 12 months.
The earnings assessed for social assistance means testing purposes generally is based on earnings net of PRSI contributions, superannuation/PRSA contributions and trade union subscriptions. No account is taken in the calculation of any income tax or USC payable on earnings.
The one exception to this arrangement relates to entitlement to Family Income Supplement. This has been, for many years, assessed net of all statutory charges including income tax. This approach has been continued following the introduction of the universal social charge. Family Income Supplement is assessed on the basis of net income after deduction of all statutory charges including the universal social charge, income tax and PRSI.
The programme for government contained a commitment to review the universal social charge. It was announced in Budget 2012 that, following this review, the exemption level was being raised from €4,004 to €10,036 per annum and this came into effect from the beginning of January last. It was estimated, at the time, that this measure would benefit nearly 330,000 people (including part-time workers in receipt of primary weekly welfare payments).
118. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is satisfied with the reasons an application for carer's allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Donegal has been refused; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49006/12]
View answerI confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 16th November 2011. This application was referred to one of the Department’s medical assessors who found that the care recipient was not medically eligible for carer’s allowance. A letter issued on the 19th July 2012 refusing the allowance. The person in question subsequently submitted further medical evidence for review on 13th September 2012. This medical evidence is awaiting medical assessment by a medical assessor. On completion of all the necessary investigations as part of this review, a decision will be made and the person in question will be contacted directly with the outcome.
120. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Social Protection when a review of entitlement to domiciliary care allowance will be decided in respect of a person's (details supplied) in County Wexford [49044/12]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 28th September 2012. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When received, the case in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions on social welfare entitlements.
121. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will address concerns regarding the arms length principle and the proposed dissolution of the independent boards of the National Library and National Museum; if he will provide an estimated breakdown of the cost-benefit analysis on each of the recently announced reform proposals for the 12 organisations under his aegis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49014/12]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that, as part of a range of reforms recently agreed by Government under the Public Service Reform Plan, it was decided that the existing National Archives of Ireland (NAI) governance model will be applied to the National Library of Ireland (NLI) and the National Museum of Ireland (NMI). The National Archives Advisory Council will be retained, with a reduced membership operating pro bono. A single statutory NLI and NMI Advisory Council will operate pro bono in place of the existing boards. Board membership will be reduced overall by some 60%. It is anticipated that this model will achieve significant savings and increase efficiencies across the institutions. The NAI will continue to operate, as currently, with a statutorily independent Director, within the ambit of my Department, and a similar model will be put in place for the Directors of the NLI and NMI. A robust shared services model will be deployed - through my Department in relation to corporate support services and by formal inter-institutional agreement in relation to operational services.
In light of the foregoing in relation to ensuring statutory independence for the Directors of the institutions, I do not consider that any issue arises in relation an 'arms length principle' as suggested by the Deputy.
The Deputy should note that savings of €20 million in enhanced service efficiencies and value-for-money were targeted in the Public Service Reform Plan. In this context, it is expected that savings in the region of approximately €1m will be made initially across the institutions involved in the reform programme which are funded from my Department's Vote Group, with further savings to be identified as the various cost saving measures are implemented.
