Written Answers Nos. 133-141
133. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection when an application for carer's allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 11 will be assessed; and if she will expedite a decision on same [51779/12]
View answerI confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 8th May 2012. The application is with a deciding officer for a decision. Once processed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
134. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection when carer's allowance will be granted to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51787/12]
View answerI confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 16th April 2012. The application is with a deciding officer for a decision. Once processed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
135. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding an application for illness benefit in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Longford; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51805/12]
View answerThe person’s current claim for illness benefit was received and registered on the 1st October 2012. Further information regarding the nature of the incapacity was requested.
The information was received on 31st October and sent for examination by a Departmental Medical Assessor. A medical opinion was received from the Medical Assessor on 20th November 2012. The person concerned has been found eligible to receive illness benefit and payment at the appropriate rate will be made.
Illness benefit claims are subject to ongoing medical review by Departmental Medical Assessors to ensure that claimants continue to satisfy the medical eligibility requirements of the scheme.
136. Deputy James Bannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding an application for carer's allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Longford; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51806/12]
View answerI confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 29th May 2012. The application is with a deciding officer for a decision. Once processed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
137. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of jobseeker's allowance and the current weekly cost of payments; the number of adult dependent payments and the current weekly cost of such payments under this scheme; the number of child dependent payments and the current weekly cost of such payments under this scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51833/12]
View answerThe current maximum rate of Jobseeker’s Allowance is €188.00 per week for a single person, €312.80 per week for a couple and €342.60 per week for a couple with one child. A further €29.80 per week is paid in respect of each additional child dependant. Lower rates are payable in cases where a person has means. A half-rate child dependant allowance may be payable in certain cases, for example where the claimant’s spouse or partner also has a social welfare payment in their own right. In such cases, each adult may get a half-rate child dependant allowance.
At the end of October there were 288,707 recipients of a jobseeker’s allowance payment. Increases were in payment in 24% of cases in respect of 68,062 adult dependents. There were 116,213 full rate child dependents and 40,669 half rate child dependents in payment at that time.
While specific data on costs are not available in relation to these groups, the latest overall average weekly value of Jobseeker’s Allowance payments which covers the period August to October 2012 is calculated at just under €201 (€200.96) per week. This value includes increases for qualified dependants and also includes any arrears that may have been included with weekly payments.
138. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection if the processing of family income supplement has been ceased until after Christmas; and if so, the reason for same. [51923/12]
View answerThe Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers.
The average waiting time for new FIS claims is currently 16 weeks and for renewal applications is 17 weeks. At the end of October, there were 7,267 new FIS applications and 7,864 renewal applications awaiting decision. The volume of FIS claims on hands and the delays in processing are a consequence of continued strong claim intake.
An in-depth business process improvement (BPI) project has recently been completed for the FIS scheme. This project focused on optimising output and customer service and the elimination of backlogs. Part of the project was a detailed examination of workloads and a full assessment of existing capacity within the area and what capacity is needed in order to process the volumes of claims, both new and renewal, being received on a weekly basis.
A plan has now been devised and implementation commenced on 5 November 2012. This plan sees the normal weekly new claim and renewal intake processed without delay while the backlog is ring-fenced and a focused team assigned to this work with a clear plan for its elimination.
The first step taken to permanently eliminate the built-up of backlogs of FIS claims is to put in place sufficient capacity and suitable structures and processes to deal with the weekly intake of work. This has been done in the case of the FIS scheme and the first week of operation has been very successful in this regard, achieving its target output.
This is not to say that the backlog of claims awaiting decision is being ignored or that work has ceased on it. On the contrary, a separate team including additional temporary resources has been identified and is already assigned and working on the claims in question. This team is fully focussed on the elimination of the backlog of claims in the shortest possible timeframe, concentrating in the first instance on those claims which were previously in payment but where payment has expired.
It is expected that the backlog will be fully eliminated by the end of March 2013. Claims which are approved by the backlog team will be backdated to the date of claim or the date of expiry of the previous claim, as appropriate, and all arrears due will be paid.
139. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide details of the number of semi-State and State agency executives and employees on an agency by agency basis that have salaries of more than €100,000 per year; if she will provide this information in tabular form, detailing any additional allowances, bonuses and the annual cost to the Exchequer of any pension packages to such employees, in terms of tax reliefs or other costs; if she will provide this information for the past three years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52136/12]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy, in relation to the agencies that come under the aegis of my Department is set out in tabular format below:
Citizens Information Board
|
Year |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
|
Number of staff earning > €100,000 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
Bonuses/ Allowances |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Pension Ombudsman Office
|
Year |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
|
Number of staff earning > €100,000 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
Bonuses/ Allowances |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Pensions Board
|
Year |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
|
Number of staff earning > €100,000 |
6 |
4 |
5 |
|
Bonuses/ Allowances |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
It should be noted that the Pensions Board is self-financing and that consequently there is no cost to the Exchequer in relation to salaries involved. The pension schemes of the agencies are based on the standard civil service model pension schemes. There are no other costs associated with these salaries.
140. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide details of the number of former semi-State agency executives or employees, on an agency basis, in receipt of pensions in excess of €90,000 per year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52148/12]
View answer141. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide details of the number of former semi-State agency executives or employees, on an agency basis, in receipt of pensions in excess of €90,000 per year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52160/12]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 140 and 141 together.
The statutory agencies that operate under the aegis of my Department are the Pensions Board and the Citizens Information Board. In addition, the Office of the Pensions Ombudsman comes under the remit of the Department.
None of the former employees of these organisations are in receipt of a pension in excess of €90,000 per annum.
