Written Answers Nos. 394-415
394. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will explain the process of collating data for the first 12 months of the operation of Tús; and when the verification of data will be completed and the precise figures released. [51359/12]
View answerTús is a community work placement initiative designed to provide up to 5,000 opportunities for those on the live register to engage in 52 weeks of work in support of services delivered by community, voluntary and not-for-profit organisations. Since it commenced operations, some 6,784 people, who had been on the live register for 12 months or more, have taken up work placements.
The process for collating data for Tús involves gathering data provided by the 52 Implementing Bodies managing Tús across the 13 divisional areas operated by the Department. A computer-based tracking system has been put in place by the Department to gather data on each person referred by it to each Implementing Body. This system is currently being populated with historic data and the verification of this data will be undertaken when the Department is satisfied that all persons referred have been recorded by the Implementing Bodies. Additionally, to coincide with the new divisional structure of the Department’s services (introduced in the first half of 2012), arrangements for gathering current and historic data in respect of Tús are currently being put in place.
The collation of this data is progressing more slowly than anticipated due to a variety of factors, including, the work involved for external bodies in capturing data from the inception of Tús to the introduction of the computer-based tracking system, changes in the Department’s divisional structure and related personnel changes, resource constraints and priorities associated with the completion of the first set of 12 month contracts for participants.
The Department is considering an evaluation of Tús and anticipates that this task will be undertaken during 2013, depending on the level of resources available. As with all such evaluations, the results will be published.
395. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding a carer’s allowance application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
View answerI confirm that the Department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on 9th February 2012. The medical assessment has been completed. The application is currently with a social welfare investigative officer for means assessment and confirmation that all the conditions for receipt of carer’s allowance are satisfied. Once the investigative officer has completed and submitted the report a deciding officer will make a full decision. The application will be processed as quickly as possible and when a decision is made the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
396. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made on a claim for carer's allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51366/12]
View answerI confirm that the Department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on 21st September 2011. This application was referred to one of the Department’s Medical Assessors who found that the caree in question was not medically eligible for carer’s allowance. A letter issued on the 28th June 2012 refusing the allowance. The person in question subsequently submitted further medical evidence for review on 17th July 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.
397. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision on carer's allowance will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51377/12]
View answerI confirm that the Department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on 2nd December 2011. This application was referred to one of the Department’s Medical Assessors who found that the caree in question was not medically eligible for carer’s allowance. A letter issued on 2nd November 2012 refusing the allowance. The person concerned has indicated that she will be requesting a review of this decision. Once further medical evidence has been submitted in support of this review it will be forwarded to the Department’s medical assessor for consideration.
399. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been made on a carer's allowance application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51383/12]
View answerI confirm that the Department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on 17th February 2012. The person concerned was refused carer’s allowance on the basis that they were not deemed to be habitually resident in the State. A letter issued on the 7th November 2012 notifying the person concerned of the decision, the reasons for it, and of his right of review or appeal.
400. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will ensure that persons who are in receipt of family income supplement are eligible for the back to school clothing and footwear allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51387/12]
View answerThe back to school clothing and footwear allowance (BSCFA) scheme provides a one-off payment to eligible families to assist with the extra costs when their children start school each autumn. The Government has provided €63.7 million for the scheme in 2012.
A person may qualify for payment of BSCFA in respect of a qualified child or children if they are in receipt of a social welfare payment or Health Service Executive payment, or participating in an approved employment scheme or attending a recognised education and training course and have household income at or below certain set levels.
Under the conditions of the BSCFA scheme, income assessed from employment includes earnings before tax, excluding PRSI and travelling expenses of up to €20 a week. Income received under family income support (FIS) is disregarded when determining entitlement to BSCFA.
Automatic payments issued in July 2012 to in excess of 115,000 families in respect of 205,125 children, which included approximately 3,000 families in receipt of family income supplement. In cases where an automatic payment did not issue to customers in receipt of family income supplement, an assessment of earnings from employment was required in order to determine entitlement to BSCFA. In total, approximately 7,000 family income supplement customers received BSCFA payments in 2012 at a cost of €2.5 million.
Any changes to the BSCFA scheme will be considered by Government in the context of the forthcoming Budget.
401. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been reached on a disability allowance appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51402/12]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the appeal from the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer who proposes to hold an oral hearing in this case on 29th November 2012. The person concerned has been notified of the arrangements for the 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.
402. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has completed a report to advise on the appropriate steps to deal with the general issue of social welfare payments to retained fire fighters; if she will publish this report; if legislation may be required in this area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51418/12]
View answerSocial welfare legislation provides that a person must satisfy the conditions of being available for and genuinely seeking work in order to be entitled to jobseeker’s benefit or jobseeker’s allowance. Any person who fails to satisfy these conditions is not entitled to a jobseeker’s payment.
Part-time fire-fighters are entitled to a jobseeker’s payment in respect of days that they are engaged in fire-fighting or training. They are, however, required to satisfy the statutory conditions for the receipt of a jobseeker’s payment of being available for and genuinely seeking work. In this respect, Deciding Officers do not treat them differently to any other jobseeker’s benefit or allowance claimant.
Taking account of the unusual circumstances of retained fire brigade personnel and general efforts to develop and standardise our jobseeker schemes, a departmental group was established in late 2011 to examine the position of these workers vis-à-vis jobseeker’s benefit and jobseeker’s allowance.
Officials in my Department are also in discussions with their counterparts from the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government concerning this issue. Deliberations in relation to the position of these workers are on-going and final decisions have not been made with regard to potential changes to existing arrangements.
403. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 301 of 15 May 2012, if she will accept a late appeal for an invalidity pension in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51436/12]
View answerAn application for invalidity pension, by the person concerned, was disallowed by a Deciding Officer of the Department on 8th October 2011.
I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that a letter of appeal dated 21st May 2012, from the person concerned, together with representations from the Deputy were received by that office on 17th October 2012 and a reply issued to the Deputy on 12th November 2012, refusing his request for late appeal.
In the normal course, an appeal against the decision of a Deciding Officer must be made within 21 days of the date on which a formal decision is issued. Appeals received outside of this time limit may be accepted at the discretion of the Chief Appeals Officer, but in view of the length of time which has elapsed since the notification of the Deciding Officers decision in this case and in the absence of any explanation for the failure to make the appeal within the prescribed time, it is considered that the acceptance of an appeal is not warranted at this late stage. It is, however, open to the person to make a fresh application for invalidity pension.
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.
404. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is planning to close the community welfare office at Wilton Park House, Wilton, County Cork after 30 years in order to amalgamate it with the Togher office; if yes, to ask that this decision be overturned in order to continue to facilitate this large population in the area who avail of this busy office; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51446/12]
View answerA comprehensive review of community welfare service clinics in Cork City and suburbs is currently underway with a view to maximising the services provided by the available staff. The staffing needs for all areas within the Department are continuously reviewed, having regard to workloads, management priorities and the competing demands arising, to ensure that the best use is made of all available resources with a view to providing an efficient service to those who rely on the schemes operated by the Department. No final decisions have been made in respect of future clinic closures or amalgamations in the Cork city area. Once the review has concluded the Department will notify your office and other interested parties of the outcome.
408. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding a carer's allowance appeal in respect of a person (details supplied); and if she will expedite the matter. [51485/12]
View answerI confirm that the Department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on 2nd December 2011. This application was referred to one of the Department’s Medical Assessors who found that the caree in question was not medically eligible for carer’s allowance. A letter issued on 19th July 2012 refusing the allowance. The person in question subsequently submitted further medical evidence for review on 21st August 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.
409. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) in County Carlow will receive a decision on their appeal for disability; and if she will expedite an answer. [51489/12]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 13th November 2012, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the 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.
410. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will expedite an application for carer's allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51495/12]
View answerI confirm that the Department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on 29th November 2011. This application was referred to one of the Department’s medical assessors who found that the caree in question was not medically eligible for carer’s allowance. The person in question subsequently submitted further medical evidence for review on 24th July 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.
412. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will maintain the current sick leave payment regime and ensure that no further sick pay obligations are passed on to private companies in order to protect jobs and ensure the cost of home care remains competitive. [51521/12]
View answerThe range of complex issues associated with the possible introduction of a scheme of statutory sick pay - including such matters as the provision of possible compensatory mechanisms for particularly vulnerable employers, the extent of coverage of such a scheme, the appropriate rate of payment involved and how a scheme would be enforced - continue to be examined in the context of the need to maintain competitiveness in all sectors of the economy.
All of these issues need to be addressed to the satisfaction of the Government before any decision could be taken on the possible introduction of a statutory sick pay scheme.
413. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide details of the health levy element of the PRSI paid by employees in respect of 2009 and 2010 and, if she will explain, in view of the fact that the health levy was replaced in 2011 with the universal social charge, the element of an employee's PRSI and universal social charge in 2011 and 2012 that relates to health; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51526/12]
View answerPrior to 2011 the health contribution paid by employees was collected along with PRSI. While the PRSI contributions were and continue to be paid into the Social Insurance Fund to fund social insurance benefits, the health contribution was remitted to the Department of Health.
In 2009 and 2010 people earning in excess of €500 a week were liable to pay the health contribution. On 1 January 2009 the health contribution was charged at the rate of 2 per cent on all weekly income up to €1,925 and at 2.5 per cent on the balance of weekly income over €1,925. From 1 May 2009 the health contribution was increased to 4 per cent on all weekly income up to €1,443 and at 5 per cent on the balance of weekly income over €1,443.
In 2009 and 2010 the health contribution collected amounted to €1,634 million and €1,829 million respectively.
In January 2011 the health contribution was abolished upon the introduction of the Universal Social Charge (USC). The USC is collected through the PAYE system by the Office of the Revenue Commissioners. Accordingly my Department is not in a position to provide details of the proportion of USC which relates to health.
414. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Social Protection the control savings and reviews recorded on child benefit in each of the past five years; the overpayments sought each year, and the repayments to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51567/12]
View answer415. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of quarterly child benefit review forms issued in 2011 and to date in 2012; if these form part of the control review process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51568/12]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 414 and 415 together.
As part of the child benefit control programme the Department commenced issuing continuing eligibility certificates to parents in 2008. In the first instance these were issued to non-Irish nationals as these had been identified in an earlier fraud and error survey as posing a greater risk. Certificates continue to issue to these customers every six months. The results of the programme are shown in the table below, with this customer group marked as certificate 1 and certificate 1 savings.
The control policy for the child benefit scheme was reviewed in 2010 to ensure that controls on fraud and abuse of the scheme continue to be effective and relevant. As a result of this review, enhanced and updated control measures have been devised, which include the automated issue of forms (certificates) to other sub-sets of selected groups of customers for completion to confirm they continue to satisfy the conditions for receipt of Child Benefit. This accounts for the additional numbers of certificates issued in 2010 and subsequent years as the control programme has been extended to all child benefit customers.
Table 1. Number of certificates issued and value of savings returned from 2008.
|
Child Benefit |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 to date |
|
Certificate 1 |
69,237 |
249,182 |
288,513 |
247,899 |
235,274 |
|
All certificates |
69,237 |
249,182 |
522,314 |
349,005 |
375, 966 |
|
Certificate 1 savings |
€56 M |
€26.2 |
€23.7 M |
||
|
All Certificate Savings |
€26 M |
€63 M |
€106 M |
€85 M |
€73 M |
Table 2. The number and value of child benefit overpayments for the period 2007 to date
|
Child Benefit |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 to date |
|
Overpayment Value |
€2.5m |
€3.2m |
€5.9m |
€7m |
€4.8m |
€4.2m |
|
Overpayment Cases |
1,510 |
2,007 |
3,182 |
3,250 |
3,519 |
3,621 |
|
Recoveries |
€2.3m |
€1.5m |
€2.5m |
€2.8m |
€4m |
€2.9m |
