Written Answers Nos 179-198
179. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide, in tabular form, the total cost of providing interpreters to the Labour Court, per year, from 2007 to the most recent year readily available; if he will provide, in tabular form, the representative bodies or persons with the highest number of requests for the provision of said services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29005/13]
View answerThe Labour Court is an independent statutory body under the aegis of my Department. As an independent quasi-judicial body, I have no role in the day-to-day exercise of its functions. I am informed that the total cost of providing interpreters for the Labour Court, per year, from 2007 to 2012 was as set out in the following table.
|
Year |
Cost (€) |
|
2007 |
Nil |
|
2008 |
1,595.40 |
|
2009 |
3,129.78 |
|
2010 |
1,960.40 |
|
2011 |
2,555.85 |
|
2012 |
3,049.00 |
|
Total |
12,290.43 |
I am informed that the Labour Court does not have specific records in relation to the representative bodies or persons with the highest number of requests for the provision of interpreter services for the period in question.
180. Deputy Derek Nolan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide, in tabular form, the total cost of providing interpreters to the Equality Tribunal, per year, from 2007 to the most recent year readily available; if he will provide, in tabular form, the representative bodies or persons with the highest number of requests for the provision of said services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29006/13]
View answerThe Equality Tribunal is an independent statutory body under the aegis of my Department. As an independent quasi-judicial body, I have no role in the day-to-day exercise of its functions.
I am informed that the total cost of providing interpreters for the Equality Tribunal, per year, from 2007 to 2012 was as set out in the following table.
|
Year |
Cost (€) |
|
2007 |
6,234.19 |
|
2008 |
14,720.72 |
|
2009 |
12,531.49 |
|
2010 |
27,899.71 |
|
2011 |
38,452.01 |
|
2012 |
36,940.24 |
|
Total |
136,778.36 |
I am informed that the Equality Tribunal does not have specific records in relation to the representative bodies or persons with the highest number of requests for the provision of interpreter services for the period in question.
181. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he intends to fill the two current vacancies on the National Consumer Agency that have been vacant since 1 May 2013, in view of the fact that it will soon merge with the Competition Authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29048/13]
View answerThe question of the filling of the two vacancies on the Board of the National Consumer Agency is currently under consideration. In so far as the amalgamation of the Agency with the Competition Authority is concerned, work on drafting the legislation to merge both bodies is on-going and the Bill is included in the “A list” in the Government’s current Legislative Programme. Following publication of the Bill and its subsequent consideration by the Oireachtas, I intend to establish the new agency as soon as possible after the enactment of the legislation.
182. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he intends to publicly advertise for the vacant position on the board of Industrial Development Agency Ireland through the Public Appointments Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29049/13]
View answerSince this Government came to office, there has been a series of public advertisements seeking expressions of interest from those members of the public who are interested in serving on State Boards, including the Board of the IDA. In addition, my Department receives a number of unsolicited expressions of interest from people willing to serve on State Boards. As a result, I have at my disposal a significant database from which appointment to the Boards of the various bodies, under the aegis of my Department, can be made.
In line with the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies, the Board of IDA constantly reviews its own operations and seeks to identify ways of improving its effectiveness, including the identification of gaps in the competencies in the make-up of the Board. The Chairman of the IDA Board advises me on a regular basis as to the specific skills set, expertise and sectoral knowledge which are required in respect of the filling of upcoming vacancies on the Board.
In the light of the foregoing, I do not consider it necessary to advertise the current vacancy on the IDA Board publicly through the Public Appointments Service. In fact, I hope to be in a position to fill the vacancy on that Board in the near future.
183. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide, in tabular form, the total number of uncertified sick days taken by employees in his Department; the average uncertified sick days per employee taken; the total certified sick days taken by employees; the average certified sick days per employee; the total sick days taken by employees; and the average total sick days and median overall sick days per employee in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. [29275/13]
View answerThe information sought by the Deputy in respect of my Department is as follows.
|
Sick Days |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
|
Sick Days (Total) |
10,644.5 |
11,120 |
10,223 |
8,301.5 |
|
Average no. of sick days per employee (FTE)* |
10.03 |
12.28 |
12.30 |
10.53 |
|
Median overall sick days per employee |
7 |
7 |
6 |
6 |
|
Sick Days (Certified) |
9,406.50 |
9,971 |
9,264 |
7,520.5 |
|
Average no. of certified sick days per employee (FTE)* |
8.9 |
11 |
11 |
9.5 |
|
Sick Days (Uncertified) |
1,238.00 |
1,149 |
959.00 |
781 |
|
Average no. of uncertified sick days per employee FTE* |
1.2 |
1.3 |
1.2 |
0.99 |
*Full time equivalent
184. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation in view of the statistics from Forfás on Ireland's competitiveness performance which demonstrates a less favourable ranking in terms of dealing with construction permits, getting electricity and enforcing contacts when compared with other similar sized nations, the steps he is taking to improve Ireland's performance. [29291/13]
View answerIreland is already rated highly internationally as one of the best countries in the world in which to do business, and we have built a strong competitive basis on which to compete on global markets. Ireland has moved up to 17th place out of 60 countries in the IMD’s World Competitiveness Yearbook 2013, having being ranked 24th only two years ago. In the World Bank's Doing Business 2012 Report, Ireland is ranked 15th out of 183 countries.
There are a number of key areas where Ireland tops global competitiveness rankings, including:
business impact of rules on foreign direct investment;
inflation;
FDI and technology transfer;
availability of skilled labour;
flexibility and adaptability of the labour force; and
investment incentives.
The 2013 Action Plan for Jobs includes a range of concrete measures to address issues which impact negatively on our competitiveness position. Action No. 123 specifically commits to putting in place a process to enhance Ireland’s competitiveness ranking in relation to businesses getting an electricity connection, enforcing contracts and dealing with construction permits, amongst other metrics. My Department and Forfás are working with the relevant Departments and bodies to address these issues. The implementation of these actions, combined with the Government’s broader objective of improving productivity, will play a key role in improving our competitiveness and realising our ambition of making Ireland the best small country in which to do business.
185. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the progress made at the Foreign Affairs Council, Trade, in Luxemburg in June 2013; the progress made on the trade and investment agreement between the European Union and the United States of America, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership; the negotiations on the EU-Canada Free Trade Agreement; the EU's trade relations with China; the other matters that were discussed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29404/13]
View answerThe Irish Presidency of the EU Council positioned trade policy development as one of its key priority objectives. The primary goal of the Irish Presidency in the trade area was to advance the recommendations of the High Level Working Group on Jobs and Growth and work towards agreement for a new generation Trade and Investment Agreement between the EU and the US. Following considerable preparatory work by the Irish Presidency and intensive discussions at the EU’s Trade Council, that I chaired on 14 June, EU Trade Ministers agreed negotiating directives that will enable the Commission to formally open detailed talks on this agreement.
The negotiating mandate is broad based and positions the Commission to enter the talks with strong support from the Council to negotiate the best possible deal for Europe. The mandate includes three key components: market access; regulatory issues and non-tariff barriers; and the rules which will govern the operation of any dispute settlement. The scale of opportunity for economic growth and job creation from this agreement are potentially enormous. The TTIP will be the largest bilateral agreement ever negotiated and offers significant opportunity to help our exporters and especially SMEs access the huge US market for goods and services. It is estimated that EU GDP rise by between 0.5 % and 1 % in GDP when the agreement is fully implemented. Other studies suggest 2 million jobs could be created across the developed economies of the OECD if we successfully conclude an agreement that is comprehensive and deeply liberalises the transatlantic marketplace. The first round of negotiations are set to commence in Washington on 8 July.
Canada
Ministers were briefed by the Commission on developments in the negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with Canada. Ministers confirmed full support for the Commission's approach in providing the impetus needed for finalising the talks and looked forward to a conclusion as soon as possible.
China
Ministers also discussed the EU's strategic trade relations with China, in particular the proposed launch of negotiations on an investment agreement. The EU is China’s largest trading partner and both economies have much to gain from developing closer economic and trading connections.
Other matters discussed
The Council welcomed the successful conclusion of negotiations with the European Parliament on the so called "Omnibus I & II" Regulations which govern the procedures used for decision-making under the EU's common commercial policy. The two draft regulations are aimed at modifying a number of regulations adopted between 1972 and 2009, adapting them to decision-making procedures provided for by the Treaty of Lisbon, which entered into force in December 2009. The Presidency reached an agreement on both Regulations with the Parliament on 5 June.
The Council also discussed labour conditions in Bangladesh following recent tragic accidents and dreadful loss of life involving workers in garment factories. The Council considered the potential for companies to use their codes of corporate social responsibility to help improve supply chain and working conditions as well as the opportunities for the EU to provide further technical assistance to the Bangladeshi authorities.
186. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will list the regulators which are accountable to his Department; the administrative cost of operating each regulator in 2012; the accommodation costs and the number of staff employed; the total income and expenditure in 2012 for each regulator; his plans to amalgamate some regulatory offices and processes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29425/13]
View answerMy Department has a number of Offices and Agencies with regulatory and enforcement remits, namely the Competition Authority, National Consumer Agency, Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement, Companies Registration Office, Registry of Friendly Societies, Irish Auditing and Accounting Supervisory Authority, Employment Appeals Tribunal, Labour Relations Commission, Labour Court, National Employment Rights Authority, Health and Safety Authority, Patent’s Office, the Legal Metrology Unit of the National Standards Authority of Ireland and Irish National Accreditation Board.
|
Regulator Name |
No. of Staff |
|
Forfás – Irish National Accreditation Board |
11 |
|
The Competition Authority |
44 |
|
National Consumer Agency (NCA) |
38.4 full time equivalents |
|
Irish Auditing and Accounting Supervisory Authority (IAASA) |
14 |
|
Legal Metrology Unit of the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) |
21 |
In respect of information requested for the Agencies under my remit, this is an operational matter for the Agencies concerned, for which I have no direct function. I am referring the specific question to each of the Agencies under my remit with a request to respond to you directly.
All Agencies are required to have their annual reports audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General. The Agencies 2012 audited accounts are not yet available. Once completed, the audited accounts will be presented to me following which they will be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas.
In relation to costs for Offices of my Department for 2012, all of the necessary processes in advance of publication of the 2012 Appropriate Account are not yet complete and, therefore, this information is not yet available. However, the allocations for each were as follows:
|
Regulator Name |
No. of Staff |
|
National Employment Rights Authority (NERA) |
103.23 full time equivalents |
|
The Labour Court |
26.03 full time equivalents |
|
Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) |
35.9 excluding Gardaí |
|
Companies Registration Office (CRO) & Registry of Friendly Societies (RFS) |
110.6 Full time equivalents |
|
Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT) |
38.2 Full time equivalents |
|
Labour Relations Commission (LRC) |
44.1 Full time equivalents |
|
Patents Office |
49 |
NERA is one of the workplace relations bodies to be incorporated into the Workplace Relations Commission. I have commenced the process to reform the State’s employment rights and industrial relations structures. This will involve two statutorily independent bodies replacing the current five (which includes NERA). There will be a new single body of first instance to be called the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) and a separate appeals body, which will effectively be an expanded Labour Court. The WRC will replace the Labour Relations Commission, NERA, the Equality Tribunal and undertake the first instance functions of the Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT). The Labour Court will take on the appellate functions of the EAT. A significant amount of work has been completed on the preparation of the Workplace Relations Bill, which will give statutory effect to the Reform proposals. The Scheme of the Workplace Relations Bill has been approved by Government for priority drafting. Engagement is on-going with the Attorney General’s Office and I am committed to enactment of the legislation at an early stage with a view to having the proposed new structures in place from 2014.
As part of the programme of rationalisation of state bodies, the National Consumer Agency is to merge with the Competition Authority. Work on drafting the legislation to merge the National Consumer Agency and the Competition Authority is on-going and the Bill is included in the “A list” in the Government’s current Legislative Programme.
187. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will outline in tabular form the number of semi-State organisations currently in operation under the aegis of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29816/13]
View answer188. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will outline the number of new semi-State organisations under his aegis which have been established since March 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29829/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 187 and 188 together.
My Department currently has the following State Agencies supporting us in our work:
|
1. |
Enterprise Ireland |
|
2. |
IDA Ireland |
|
3. |
Science Foundation Ireland |
|
4. |
Shannon Development |
|
5. |
County and City Enterprise Boards (35) |
|
6. |
National Standards Authority of Ireland |
|
7. |
Forfás |
|
8. |
National Consumer Agency |
|
9. |
The Competition Authority |
|
10. |
Irish Auditing and Accounting Standards Authority |
|
11. |
Personal Injuries Assessment Board |
|
12. |
The Health and Safety Authority |
|
13. |
The National Employment Rights Authority (NERA) |
The Minister has commenced the process to reform the State’s employment rights and industrial relations structures. This will involve two statutorily independent bodies replacing the current five (which includes NERA). There will be a new single body of first instance to be called the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) and a separate appeals body, which will effectively be an expanded Labour Court. The WRC will replace the Labour Relations Commission, NERA, the Equality Tribunal and undertake the first instance functions of the Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT). The Labour Court will take on the appellate functions of the EAT. I have established no new semi-State organisations in my Department since March 2011.
189. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason inshore fishing crew members are categorised as self-employed even though they can be made redundant by the vessel owner at any time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29031/13]
View answerThe employment status of fishing crew members, including inshore fishing crew members, reflects the differing pay and conditions that apply, which varies throughout the fishing sector. Where a crew member is paid a set wage, even where it may be supplemented by reference to a share in the catch, the worker is generally considered to be an employee and covered for all benefits and pensions at PRSI Class A. Where a crew member is paid solely by reference to a share in the catch, they are considered to be insurable as a self-employed contributor at PRSI Class S. This entitles them to the following benefits:
Widow's and Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner (Contributory) Pension
Guardian's Payment (Contributory)
State Pension (Contributory)
Maternity Benefit
Adoptive Benefit
Bereavement Grant.
A share fisherman, or woman, who is classed as self-employed, may choose to pay an additional PRSI contribution at Class P. The rate of Class P contribution is 4% of income in the preceding contribution year, in excess of €2,500, or €200, whichever is the greater amount. This contribution is additional to the normal Class S payment made by the contributor. In order to remain a Class P contributor a person must continue to be liable for Class S PRSI and ensure that all payments due are up to date. The additional contribution entitles crew members to limited short-term benefits such as jobseekers benefit for up to 13 weeks, illness benefit for up to 52 weeks and treatment benefits. These special arrangements recognise the particular circumstances associated with working in the fishing sector in Ireland.
190. Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the fact that a new European Commission study, The Gender Gap in Pensions in the EU, indicates that Irish women aged 65 years and over receive an average pension which is 35% lower than the average for Irish men in the same age group; her view on the reason for this imbalance; and the efforts being made to address same. [29150/13]
View answerThe recently published European Commission report, ‘The Gender Gap in Pensions in the EU’, deals with the gender gap in pensions across Europe and is the first study of its kind. The study reveals that across the 27 EU Member States, women who are currently in receipt of pensions, receive average amounts which are 39% lower than those of men. For Ireland, the report indicates this pensions gender gap is 35%. The report considers total income received from all sources including State, occupational and private pensions. I am pleased to note that for those on modest levels of income, which would broadly include the State pension, the report details that the gender pensions gap in Ireland is considerably lower at 3.5% compared to the EU average of 48.7%. This indicates that the Irish State pension has been successful in providing citizens with a basic level of income in a more gender balanced manner than our European counterparts.
However, for those on the highest incomes, which includes income from occupational and private pensions, the report indicates a gender pensions gap in Ireland of 44.7% compared to an EU average of 39.4%. In providing a rationale for this pensions gender gap, the report notes that pensions in payment reflect yesterday’s employment and social norms. Thus, the effects of historical lower female employment rates and breaks in employment during careers are clearly apparent for women.
In relation to the State pension, the Actuarial Review of the Social Insurance Fund published in September 2012 confirms that the Fund provides better value to female rather than male contributors. The Review shows that those with lower earnings and those with shorter contribution histories, mostly women, have and will continue to obtain the best value for money from the Fund due to its redistributive nature.
Many women now in retirement were home makers and rely on benefits available from their spouse/partner’s pension scheme. Also, women generally live longer than men. These factors mean that these women can be more vulnerable in relation to retirement and as such women have been one of the priority groups targeted by the National Pensions Awareness Campaign in recent years. The Homemakers Scheme makes qualification for the State pension (contributory) easier for those who take time out of the work force for caring duties. The scheme was introduced in and took effect from 1994. The scheme allows up to 20 years spent caring for children under 12 years of age or incapacitated adults to be disregarded when a person’s social insurance record is being averaged for pension purposes. This can be beneficial for women who have taken time out of the work force for caring purposes.
In relation to supplementary occupational and private pensions, both the labour market participation rates and supplementary pension coverage of women have improved greatly over the last number of years reflecting the development of Irish society: this will reduce the pensions gender gap for future retirees. In 1987, female participation was 35% whereas in 2012 this was 52.4% (compared to 67.3% for men). In Q1 2002, 45 per cent of females and 57 per cent of male workers had a private pension. By Q4 2009, the rate for female workers had increased to 49 per cent and the rate for male workers had decreased to 53 per cent.
However, notwithstanding this, it is estimated that just half of those in employment between the ages of 20 and 69 years have supplementary pension coverage. As I have highlighted previously, this relatively low rate of coverage in Ireland and the adequacy of that coverage is a key concern of the Government. That is why the Programme for Government includes a commitment to reforming the pensions system to progressively achieve universal coverage.
As the Deputy will be aware, the OECD recently launched their Review of the Irish Pension System which I commissioned in recognition of a need for a focused review of Ireland's pension policy, taking economic conditions into consideration, and to provide recommendations for long-term reform. One of the key findings of the OECD was to confirm that private pension coverage, both in occupational and personal pensions, is uneven and needs to be increased urgently with a view to improving the adequacy of pensions. The review acknowledged that while the State pension has been successful in lifting older people out of poverty, the financial challenges of our changing demographics and aging population mean that we need to improve occupational and private pension coverage. It is for this reason the introduction of an auto-enrolment system is currently being considered. Such schemes are a very proactive way in which supplementary pension coverage can be increased, with more adequate pensions and improved outcomes in retirement for all workers including women.
Detailed analysis of options advanced in the OECD report will be required before decisions can be brought to Government. Consideration of the recommendations of this report will also inform further developments in pensions policy. I will bring proposals to Government in due course setting out my long term plans in this area.
191. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection the authority under which the Registrar General acted to set aside the powers vested by legislation in the Supreme Court of the land to appoint a commissioner for oaths to take any affidavit, affirmation, statutory or other declaration, acknowledgment, examination and attestation, for the purposes of any court in this jurisdiction or for the registration of any instrument, when the Registrar General refuses to allow the Commissioner for Oaths to take a solemn declaration from both parties to a civil marriage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29325/13]
View answerI understand that this refers to the question of having a commissioner for oaths entered in the register of solemnisers provided for under section 53 of the Civil Registration Act 2004, as amended, in order that they may solemnise marriages. Section 54 of the Act provides that a religious body, a secular body and the Health Service Executive (HSE) may be registered in the register of solemnisers for the purpose of legally solemnising marriages in the State. Last December I championed a significant change to the Civil Registration Act, 2004 which provided that secular bodies can now be included in the register of solemnisers of a marriage. This amendment to the Act was approved by the Oireachtas and is now being implemented. I made clear that in order to safeguard the institution of marriage any secular bodies that wish to apply to have one of its members solemnise a marriage must meet a number of criteria. The commissioners for oaths are not covered by this amendment and I have no plans to amend this aspect of the legislation.
Question No. 192 withdrawn.
193. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on the impact on families receiving family income supplement if the proposals contained in the report of the advisory group on tax and welfare on reforming child income supports were to be implemented. [28643/13]
View answer199. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the End Child Poverty Coalition's response to the proposed reform of child income supports as set out in the report of the advisory group on tax and welfare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28677/13]
View answer200. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will outline the impact of the implementation of the report of the advisory group on tax and social welfare on child and family income supports using the illustrative scenario contained in the report on each of the following family types: single earner, couple with three children, earning €100,000 per annum and receiving child benefit; single earner couple with three children, receiving family income supplement and child benefit earning €26,000 per annum; and one parent family with one child, working part-time and earning €20,000, receiving the one parent family payment, child benefit and family income supplement. [28678/13]
View answer205. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection her response to the claim by the End Child Poverty Coalition that the implementation of the reform of child income supports as proposed by the advisory group on tax and welfare will result in a low paid married couple with two young children losing more than five and a half times more of their income than a high earning family of the same size. [28735/13]
View answer206. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will outline the alternative scenarios she has asked the advisory group on tax and welfare to look at with regard to reforming child and family income supports. [28736/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 193, 199, 200, 205 and 206 together.
In line with commitments contained in the programme for Government, I established an Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare in June 2011, with the aim of harnessing expert opinion and experience to examine a number of specific issues. These include making cost-effective proposals for improving employment incentives and achieving better poverty outcomes, particularly child poverty outcomes.
The group commenced its work programme by prioritising the area of family and child income supports and its report on this first module of work was published in February. The report makes important recommendations as to how child benefit could be maintained as a universal payment while reforming the current system of child and family income supports through a two-tier payment so as to better target those who need these supports most while minimising work disincentives. In its report the Advisory Group looked in detail at issues around the design and financial implications of a number of specific packages for the two-tier payment proposal, in terms of payment rates and withdrawal thresholds and tapers. Under this two-tier payment approach, the Advisory Group suggests rebalancing and integrating child and family income support payments as follows:
A universal first-tier payment in respect of all children, which would replace the current child benefit payment.
A child income support supplement or second-tier payment for low-income families, which would replace the current qualified child increases components on all Social Protection weekly payments as well as the family income supplement (FIS). This second-tier payment would be proportionately reduced as income increases and would be withdrawn for families on a higher income.
The Group used a specific package (Package A) in a way that would illustrate the practical effects and operation of the payment. This package consisted of a rate of €25 per week for the first tier payment and €38 per week for the second tier payment. A threshold of €480 per week or €25,000 a year was set above which the second tier payment would be withdrawn at a rate of 20% as income increased.
The Group emphasised that it was not recommending a particular package for the two-tier payment as this is ultimately a matter for Government should such an approach be decided upon. In effect, I note that the Group’s report uses this illustrative package and other packages to explore the ways in which such a reform would operate and the effect on different household types. It was acknowledged in the report that under the proposals, certain households, including some low-income households currently in receipt of FIS, could lose out financially if the illustrative package was implemented in that way. This is because FIS has a dual role not only as a child income support but also as an in-work support for parents on low incomes. Given this dual nature of the payment, the Advisory Group undertook to give further consideration to this issue in the context of its examination of working age supports, an issue which the Group is currently progressing. It is also important to note that not all families would lose out as some low income families who are currently not entitled to FIS, due to the hours worked condition or the employee condition, would stand to gain. For this reason, I have no specific comments on the effect of the illustrative package on the family types mentioned in the questions but prefer to consider this issue when the final report of the Group is submitted to me and when the consultation process is complete.
The design of the proposed payment means that any number of variations of illustrative packages is possible. In order to ensure proper consideration of this approach and through my Department’s participation on the Advisory Group, I ensured that the effects of alternative scenarios would be considered and their impact is summarised in Appendix 8 of the Advisory Group’s report. Subsequent to the publication of the report, I also asked my Department to undertake further analysis particularly around using an income threshold of €35,000 a year (close to annual equivalent of weekly average wage) and €41,800 a year (income point at which the marginal tax rate is applied for a married/civil partnership couple).
In relation to the scenarios identified in question 28678/13, I attach a tabular statement summarising the results.
Consultation with stakeholders is an important source of views for the Advisory Group in fulfilling its mandate. It also provides interested parties with an opportunity to make submissions on this topic. The response of the End Child Poverty Coalition to the Advisory Group’s report on child and family income supports has been submitted to my Department. I also recently met with representatives of the Coalition to discuss their submission and listened to their views with interest as with part of the overall consultation process. Given a range of complex issues involved with this proposal, including fiscal, operational and legal considerations, as well as the implications for reforms in terms of child poverty and employment incentive outcomes, the Government has made no decision at this time on the core recommendations of the report. It is the Government’s intention that the report will now contribute to the broader policy debate on this important issue for families and their children.
Table: Alternative scenarios requested in Parliamentary Question 28678/13
|
Description of household |
Child and family income support from existing payment structure |
Child and family income support from proposed two-tier child and family income support payment |
Potential loss from illustration of Package A |
|
Couple, single earner earning €100,000 a year with 3 children and in receipt of child benefit |
€5,040 |
€3,900 |
€1,140 |
|
Couple, single earner earning €26,000 a year with 3 children and in receipt of child benefit and FIS |
€12,528 |
€9,628 |
€2,900 |
|
Lone parent with one child earning €20,000 a year and receiving the one parent family payment, including QCI, child benefit and FIS |
€4,634 |
€3,276 |
€1,358 |
194. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will issue on a disability allowance appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28662/13]
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 on 1 July 2013. The person concerned has been notified of the arrangements. 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.
195. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the rate of take up of supports available through FÁS or other Government agencies to support the training and re-skilling needs of the 70 former employees of a company (details supplied) who were made redundant. [28671/13]
View answer196. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps taken to promote supports available through FÁS or other Government agencies to support the training and re-skilling needs of the 70 former employees of a company (details supplied) who were made redundant. [28672/13]
View answer197. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of former employees of a company (details supplied) who were recently made redundant who have been assisted back into employment by FÁS or any other Government support. [28673/13]
View answer198. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will detail additional measures identified by her Department to support the former workers of a company (details supplied) to regain employment. [28674/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 195 to 198, inclusive, together.
The employees of Curragh Carpets were made redundant in November 2012. Most of the staff had been on systematic short-time working prior to that. The Department did not receive a full list of staff to be made redundant from the company. A list of 51 former employees has been compiled using data supplied by the company to the redundancy and insolvency section and the Department’s own data.
The following table gives a summary of the position in relation to the 51 former employees identified.
|
Employees |
- |
|
39 |
Were referred to the Department’s employment services under the National Employment Action Plan or they attended of their own accord. |
|
5 |
Did not register for jobseekers payment |
|
1 |
Found work before referral to employment services |
|
6 |
Were not referred or did not engage with employment services. These are currently being followed up for immediate referral. |
The following table gives a summary of the outcomes for the 39 former employees who were referred to the Department’s employment services under the National Employment Action Plan or who attended of their own accord.
|
Employees |
- |
|
15 |
Have completed or are currently attending a training course. |
|
7 |
Are now in full-time employment. |
|
1 |
Is in part-time employment |
|
2 |
Are awaiting a FAS training course |
|
1 |
Is in the process of applying for the back to work enterprise allowance. |
|
13 |
Have completed the guidance process and are considered job ready. They have been provided with information and guidance on how to source employment. |
The Department’s employment services staff provide information and guidance on CV preparation, interview techniques and job vacancies notified to the Department and to the JobsIreland web based services and the National Contact Centre. They also provide information on training programmes, jobs clubs (where available), JobBridge Internships as well as one-to-one guidance to develop individual action plans where requested, along with on-going support.
A number of additional supports are available for people who are long-term unemployed as follows:
The back to education allowance (third level option) is available to jobseekers who are over 9 months on the live register.
The back to work enterprise allowance is available for people who are over 12 months on the live register.
Places on community employment schemes are available to those over 12 months on the live register.
The momentum programme. Momentum provides jobseekers who are over 12 months on the live register with access to a range of quality education and training projects, links to identified job vacancies, employers work placement opportunities and relevant industry and National Framework of Qualifications certification.
The Department has developed a jobseeker information pack which will be issued to people when they register for jobseeker’s payments and when they attend interviews or group sessions with employment services. The pack will give practical advice on CVs, job letters and interviews and will also give details of the allowances, schemes, grants and other supports that are available to help people in their search for employment.
