Written Answers Nos. 163-173
163. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the case of a person (details supplied) who was diagnosed with a very serious illness and was admitted to hospital on 5 February and discharged on 12 April and was not paid their jobseeker's allowance if she will have their payments reinstated. [23472/13]
View answerOne of the conditions to receive a jobseeker's payment is that an individual must be capable of, available for and genuinely seeking work. That is, a person must be available for work in respect of each day for which s/he declares that s/he is unemployed.
In this case, the person’s claim was stopped when he entered hospital as it was decided he was not capable of, available for and genuinely seeking work. While in hospital, the person received an exceptional needs payment of €100 to meet the cost of personal necessities and arrangements were made to continue the payment of his rent supplement payment. The person is currently receiving a weekly supplementary welfare allowance payment while awaiting the outcome of an illness benefit claim.
164. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection if narcolepsy can be recognised as a disability as requested by SOUND to ensure that its members cannot be discriminated against in the work place and that they are entitled to a disability allowance in the event that they are dismissed, given that their diminished ability to work prevents them from adequately supporting themselves in the future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23479/13]
View answer165. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection if narcolepsy can be recognised as a disability as requested by SOUND to ensure that its members cannot be discriminated against in the work place and whether they are entitled to a disability allowance in the event that they are dismissed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23481/13]
View answer167. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on whether rapid access to carer’s allowance and domiciliary care allowance should be granted for those parents have had to give up or reduce employment hours to become carers for their child or children suffering from narcolepsy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23539/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 164, 165 and 167 together.
I wish to reassure the Deputy that narcolepsy is recognised as a clinical entity. However, eligibility on medical conditions, for any illness-related benefit/allowance will depend on the severity and expected duration of the condition, and in the case of carers the care requirements. All applications are assessed on a claim-by-claim basis.
166. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Social Protection the current average waiting times for a decision on an application for disability allowance to be made by her Department; the number of applicants currently waiting for a decision on applications submitted for disability allowance. [23507/13]
View answerThere are approximately 6,800 applications for disability allowance awaiting decision of which some 5,800 are new applications. Of the 5,800 new claims awaiting decision 600 have been actioned and are awaiting further information before a decision can be made.
A recent analysis of the applications pending decision indicated that approximately 60% of them had been waiting for a decision for less than 12 weeks.
Following the completion of a major service delivery modernisation programme a plan is now in operation to reduce the backlog, including the assignment of additional staff and it is anticipated that the full backlog will be actioned by the end of the second quarter of this year.
It should be noted that the processing time for individual disability allowance claims can vary depending on the complexity of the claimant’s circumstances and the information they provide. In addition, a request for a review or an appeal by a person adds to length of time taken to deal with the claim.
168. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will issue on an illness benefit appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23553/13]
View answerPayment of illness benefit to the person concerned was disallowed by a Deciding Officer of the Department of Social Protection, following an examination by a Medical Assessor of the Department, who expressed the opinion that she was capable of work.
An appeal was registered on the 3 April 2013 and the Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that, in accordance with statutory requirements, the Department was asked for the documentation in the case and the Deciding Officer’s comments on the grounds of the appeal. In that context, an examination by another Medical Assessor will be carried out. The person concerned will be notified when arrangements for the examination have been completed.
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.
169. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding a domiciliary allowance appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23554/13]
View answerI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an oral hearing of the appeal of the person concerned took place on 10th May 2013 and the Appeals Officer is now considering the appeal in the light of all the evidence submitted, including that adduced at the hearing. The person concerned will be notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision when the appeal has been determined.
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.
170. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) in County Galway cannot remain on the Tús programme for another year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23562/13]
View answerThe purpose of Tús is the provision of quality work for those who are unemployed in order to break the cycle of unemployment and to improve a person’s opportunities in returning to the labour market. The 12-month duration on Tús is designed to ensure that the benefits of these work placements are offered to the greatest number of those eligible. I consider the existing 12-month period on Tús to be adequate to meet the objectives of the initiative whilst also ensuring that as many unemployed people as possible are able to benefit from the initiative. There are no circumstances under which a person’s term on Tús can be extended.
172. Deputy Damien English asked the Minister for Social Protection further to a report commissioned from the Economic and Social Research Institute by her Department entitled Work and Poverty in Ireland: An Analysis of the Central Statistics Office Survey on Income and Living Conditions 2004-2010 and published jointly in 2012; her views on this report highlighting that the rate of joblessness at household level here was very high by European standards even during the boom years prior to the recent recession; and if this requires structural reforms of the social welfare system to remedy the situation. [23577/13]
View answerThe report - Work and Poverty in Ireland: An analysis of the CSO Survey on Income and Living Conditions 2004-2010 - was jointly published by the Department and the Economic and Social Research Institute in 2012. Its findings were discussed with national and European stakeholders at a conference last December. The purpose of the study is to provide new insights into the relationship between work, unemployment and poverty, which has assumed greater importance with the economic recession and the subsequent rise in unemployment.
A particular focus of the study was on the EU concept of jobless households, defined as households where the total time allocated to work by working age adults is less than 20 per cent. The study found that the population aged 0 to 59 in jobless households rose from 13 per cent in 2005 to 22 per cent in 2010, which is twice the EU average. The high proportion of the population in jobless households reveals a structural problem that predates the current recession, though it has been exacerbated by the rise in unemployment. The severity of the problem in Ireland reflects a number of factors, namely, a higher percentage of the adult population who are not economically active; a greater likelihood that jobless adults live with other jobless adults, and a higher proportion of children living with adults in jobless households. Such households, in effect, contain adults who are furthest from the labour market and who generally have a strong pattern of educational and social class disadvantages. Furthermore, children in jobless households are at risk of inter-generational poverty.
The main policy conclusion from this study is that the number of jobless households is a key factor in determining overall levels of poverty and social exclusion. Social transfers play a key role in reducing the at-risk-of-poverty rate among jobless households and, compared to other EU countries, are considerably more effective in reducing poverty. Despite this, jobless households still experience higher levels of basic deprivation and consistent poverty and account for two-thirds of the total population in consistent poverty.
To address the issue, the Government, as part of the national social target to reduce consistent poverty to 4 per cent by 2016 and to 2 per cent or less by 2020, has agreed to set a sub-target to reduce the share of jobless households in consistent poverty. The key to ensuring that the target will be addressed is an active labour market policy. A Programme for Government priority for 2013 is to make sure that economic recovery does not bypass jobless households, by enhancing the Pathways to Work strategy to ensure new jobs go to people on the Live Register. The Government is implementing a number of actions which will have a positive impact on jobless households including (i) the new integrated employment and support service (Intreo); (ii) streamlining and restructuring of working age supports; (iii) improving labour market measures to assist those furthest from the labour market, in particular the long-term unemployed; and (iv) an area-based response to child poverty.
173. Deputy Damien English asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of Intreo offices that are currently operational; the number that she or her Department plan to open in the future; when these will be opened; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23578/13]
View answerThe Pathways to Work document states that the introduction of the new Intreo service is a multi-annual project with all Department Local Offices upgraded to full Intreo offices by the end of 2014.
The delivery of the Intreo service comprises a number of elements. the main elements being:
i. The integration of the various welfare decision making processes to speed up decision making and minimise recourse to supplementary welfare payments.
ii. The implementation of a systematic activation process based on profiling of clients
iii. The delivery of a ‘one-stop-shop’ service from an integrated office location.
The first ten Intreo offices, with all elements in place, went live in 2012. These first ten offices were Sligo, Arklow, Tallaght, Kings Inns, Ballymun, Buncrana, Coolock, Dundalk, Finglas and Killarney.
A further two Intreo offices have now opened in Newcastlewest and Blanchardstown. It is intended have the full service available from a total of 40 offices this year and to complete the full roll-out of all service elements to all 63 offices of the Department in 2014. As part of this process it is intended to complete the roll-out of elements (i) and (ii) above to all offices during 2013. Element (iii) requires infrastructural works in many office locations and therefore has a longer timeline.
The plans for the remainder of 2013 are now being finalised and details of the office locations to which the new service will be rolled out will be published in due course.
