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Departmental Expenditure

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 12 June 2013

Wednesday, 12 June 2013

Questions (111)

Willie O'Dea

Question:

111. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the current cost of administration for all universal payments made by her Department in tabular form; the current cost of administration for all means tested payments made by her Department in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28132/13]

View answer

Written answers

The Estimates for the Department published on Budget day provides for expenditure of €20.243 billion on schemes, services and administration in 2013. Of this, just under €580 million or 2.9% of total estimated expenditure will be spent on administration.

The Department provides a very wide range of schemes and services. These include social insurance schemes where entitlement, in the first instance, is based on PRSI contribution, means tested social assistance schemes and a universal scheme (child benefit) payable to families with children. It should also be noted, in this regard, that

- there is a means testing element to determining entitlement to an increase for a qualified adult and qualified child as well as the fuel allowance for social insurance schemes, and

- claimants of many schemes may have to satisfy conditions other than those related to PRSI contributions or means in order to fulfil the statutory requirements for entitlement to a given scheme. These conditions may, for example, relate to requirements in relation to jobseeking, illness, impact of disabilities, care requirements, as appropriate to the relevant scheme.

The various schemes are operated through a network of local and central offices. The main components of workflow in the department’s processing sections are claim processing, maintenance, control activity and dealing with enquiries. These functions are supported by investigators and employment services, as appropriate, and by a shared infrastructure and IT systems. The latter systems deliver various aspects of claim processing and payments, including means assessment. In addition, certain scheme administrative costs are also incurred centrally including, accounts, payment costs by external agencies such as An Post and the Revenue Commissioners, policy development, social welfare appeals, medical assessors and training.

Many staff may be involved, on a daily basis, in the administration of both social insurance and social assistance schemes such as jobseeker’s benefit and allowance which are both administered side by side in the local offices of the Department.

This means that it is not possible to disaggregate the specific administration costs for particular schemes given the level of costs which are borne centrally and the number of staff who are engaged, on one level or another, in the administration and support functions of more than one scheme.

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