Written Answers Nos. 83-98
83. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to allow private contractors provide employment activation services for the long-term unemployed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33205/13]
View answerThe Pathways to Work initiative launched last year signalled the potential of contracting with third party providers to complement the existing capacity of the Department of Social Protection and the Local Employment Services to deliver employment services. The potential contribution of such contracting and the design of a contracting approach has since been considered by the Department working with an Interdepartmental group, comprising representatives of this Department, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, the National Economic and Social Council, the Offices of the Attorney General and the Chief State Solicitor. The Department also availed, following an open tender process, of expert international advice. Arising from this evaluation, the Cabinet Committee on Pathways to Work approved in principle a proposal to tender for the provision of employment services and agreed to the issue Prior Information Notice (PIN), which was published on 28 June. This notice formally notifies the market that the State intends to procure employment services. A PIN is a discretionary and exploratory first step in a procurement process. The publication of a PIN will enable the State to engage with potential vendors and other interested parties to gauge the level of market interest and will assist in finalising tender-contract design. A final decision on whether or not to proceed to full tender, and if so in what form, will be made once this engagement process is completed. It is important to note that our intention in exploring this option is not to displace existing resources within the Department and the LES but to contract with other parties so as to complement and work alongside these resources and thereby increase our capacity to serve unemployed people.
84. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on the provision of a social welfare office in Balbriggan, County Dublin, for local community welfare services in view of the fact that currently recipients are required to travel to the city centre; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32894/13]
View answerI am pleased to advise the Deputy that, with effect from 1 July 2013, community welfare services (CWS) for the Balbriggan area, which were previously administered from Gardiner Street, Dublin 1, have transferred to Balbriggan Social Welfare Local Office, Mill Street, Balbriggan. As a result, all CWS services for the Balbriggan area are now delivered locally. Local TDs and the Citizen Information Centre were informed of the re-location of services in advance of the change. The CW services now provided from the Local Office covers all CW services for Balbriggan North (north of the Bracken Court Hotel) and their maintenance thereafter.
The Clinic times are: Monday - 9.30am to 11.30am; Wednesday - 9.30am to 11.30am; Thursday - 10.30am to 12.30pm; Friday - 10am to 11am (emergencies only). There will also be an appointments service on Wednesday afternoons between 2pm to 4pm. Customer emergencies will be dealt with as they arise and are not restricted to the clinic time’s referred to above. Customers can contact the CWS by phone on 01-6913812 and 01-6913813. There is no change to the delivery of Community Welfare services for the remaining area of Balbriggan which is administered from Balbriggan Health Centre.
85. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of participants on special community employment allowance and their locations; and if the full allocation of CE allowance positions has been filled and the reason there are empty positions. [33269/13]
View answerAt June 2013 there were 895 participants on drug rehabilitation places on Community Employment. Seventy-four per cent (664) of these places were in the Dublin Region and a further 14 per cent (125) were located in Cork Central. Table 1 details drug rehabilitation places by region. There is no special allowance for participants on drug rehabilitation places however there are special conditions to support the delivery of drug rehabilitation places on Community Employment. These conditions cover participant eligibility, referral, programme delivery and expected outcomes.
Table 1: Drug Rehabilitation Places by Region
|
Region |
Number |
|
Cork Central |
125 |
|
Dublin Central |
338 |
|
Dublin North |
130 |
|
Dublin South |
196 |
|
Mid Leinster |
28 |
|
Midlands North |
1 |
|
Mid West |
7 |
|
North East |
15 |
|
North West |
1 |
|
South East |
33 |
|
South West |
5 |
|
West |
16 |
|
Grand Total |
895 |
There are 1,000 drug rehabilitation places on CE, at June 2013 there were 895 places filled (excluding Supervisors).
Intreo Offices are ensuring that eligible persons for CE are made aware of the opportunities on CE and it is anticipated that this will help raise the demand for CE. The Department continues its commitment to getting people back to work as set out in the Programme for Government and the Pathways to Work documents.
The overall number of places available under CE has been increased by 2,000 to 25,300 (including supervisors) in 2013 with a budget of circa €352m. The composition of participant numbers has changed in recent years with a decline in One Parent Family Clients and clients in receipt of a disability payment and an increase in take-up by persons on Jobseekers Allowance. The change in participant composition has proved challenging for some sponsors and the department is working with these sponsors to assist them in filling the places already assigned to them. This additional allocation of places includes a priority being given to applicants who are referred to CE drugs rehabilitation places, childcare and social care. The take-up of CE places will be closely monitored. The Department is committed to reforming CE to ensure value for money, progression of the job seeker and support for community services.
87. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will look at the case of a person (details supplied) whose son has a disability who has been issued with a notice to quit in her current accommodation and cannot find anywhere to live within the rent caps; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33194/13]
View answerThe person concerned will be contacted by an officer from this Department in order to discuss her case.
88. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which she can streamline and-or accelerate the process for the determination of appeals in respect of disability payments, invalidity pensions or other disability related payments with a view to minimising the impact and-or hardship on the community; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33190/13]
View answer106. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps she has taken to reduce the waiting time for social welfare appeals and details of the success to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32893/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 88 and 106 together.
There has been a rapid and sustained increase in the number of appeals received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office since 2009 which has placed extraordinary pressure on the office. Up to 2009, the average number of appeals received was 15,000 per annum whereas in 2012, the office received 35,484 appeals.
In order to manage this increasing workload, significant resources and efforts have been put into reducing backlogs and improving appeals processing times for appellants, including the assignment of 15 additional Appeals Officers, in addition to 10 former Community Welfare Service Appeals Officers who joined the appeals office in 2011, bringing the total number of serving Appeals Officers to 41; reviewing and improving business processes; and implementing a new operating model within the appeals office.
In addition, a major programme of process redesign and modernisation is currently underway in the Department in relation to many of its scheme areas, aimed at reducing backlogs and reducing the time taken by the Department to respond to requests from the appeals office for submissions in relation to appeals.
These measures have led to improvements in processing times and a significant increase in the number of appeals finalised from 17,787 in 2009 to 32,558 in 2012. The Chief Appeals Officer expects to finalise 6,000 more cases in 2013 than in 2012. Good progress is also now being made in reducing the number of appeals on hand from 20,414 at 1 January 2013 to 16,542 at 1 July 2013.
The average waiting time for appeals peaked in 2011 when the average time for an oral hearing was 52.5 weeks and for a summary decision was 25.1 weeks. In 2012 these times improved by 10.3 weeks when the average time for an oral hearing dropped to 39.5 weeks while the time for a summary decision increased slightly to 27.8 weeks. This improvement has continued with the average processing time up to June 2013 reducing to 36.2 weeks for an oral hearing and 27.6 weeks for a summary decision.
These processing times are calculated from the registration date of the appeal to the date of its finalisation. They include all activities during this period including time spent awaiting any clarification from the appellant, time in the Department for comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal put forward by the appellant, and any further investigation, examination or assessment by the Department’s Inspectors and Medical Assessors that is deemed necessary. For example in cases of schemes which include medical criteria such as disability allowance or invalidity pension, the time taken by the Department may include a review by a different medical assessor to the one who initially examined the case, and there may even be a third review by a medical assessor where additional medical evidence is submitted. A considerable period of time is also added when an oral hearing is required because of the logistics involved in this process. While this process carries an inherent delay in terms of finalising an appeal, it also crystallises the flexibility and accessibility of the appeals system.
By its nature and because it is a quasi-judicial function, the processing of appeals takes time and reflects the fact that, by definition, the appeal process cannot be a quick one. However, if an appellant’s means are insufficient to meet their needs, it is open to them to contact their local Community Welfare Services concerning their eligibility for Supplementary Welfare Allowance while their appeal is pending.
89. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the fact that there is a 60% unemployment rate in Cherry Orchard, Dublin; and her plans to address the needs of areas with high levels of unemployment. [33247/13]
View answerThe definition of unemployment used in the above-mentioned survey is self-defined unemployment as opposed to the stricter definition used by the ILO. This can mean that people who are not working but who are also unavailable for work such as students and carers may be classified as unemployed in such a survey. The methods used in the survey can also be questioned (e.g. door-to-door surveys can capture less employed people as they are more likely to be out at work). While recent Live Register figures show that there has been a 4.8% decrease in the numbers signing on in Ballyfermot in the past twelve months (and a fall of 11.3% in the number of young people signing on), the Government recognises that unemployment black spots exist in specific areas across the country and need to be addressed.
The Government’s approach to tackling the unemployment problem is to focus resources on those individuals most at risk of long-term unemployment. Up to the recent past, this has been based on identifying all persons who remain on the Live Register for three months after first signing on, and referring them for more intensive job-search assistance and guidance. Increasingly, referral is now based on profiling people at the beginning of a spell of unemployment, so as to focus resources on those most in need at an even earlier stage. By definition, such an approach focuses resources on those areas where unemployment is highest and of longest duration. The roll-out of the profiling system at my Department’s ‘one-stop-shop’ Intreo offices will further enhance this effect as one of the main variables in the profiling system is geographical location. In other words, if someone comes from an area of high unemployment, s/he will, all other things being equal, receive more targeted assistance.
In addition, the geographical distribution of places on employment programmes such as CE and Tús & training programmes has been highly correlated with unemployment rates for each region. Within the Tús programme there is a specific area-based approach to the allocation of places. The 5,000 places on the scheme are allocated to community and voluntary organisations involved in the delivery of local services in urban and rural areas. The allocation is based on the numbers of eligible unemployed people in each local development company or Údarás na Gaeltachta area.
Other than through administrative mechanisms like those described, it is difficult to identify and target specific unemployment black spots at a very local level. The most frequent unemployment data come from the Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS); as a sample survey, the QNHS provides reliable data at a regional, but not at a local level. Small-area statistics are collected in the Census, but these are available only at five-year intervals, and the unemployment concept underlying them does not correspond exactly with that used in the QNHS.
However, the Government’s policy of targeting resources at those most at risk of long-term unemployment overcomes this statistical deficit and ensures those areas that are most in need of assistance are prioritised. The Department works primarily at a local level and is acutely aware of the differentiated impact of unemployment across local areas. The Department has 59 Intreo-local offices, 63 branch offices and newly incorporated employment offices. The Live Register figures by office are closely monitored and are an important consideration for the provision of our activation services.
90. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding an invalidity pension application in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 13 which had gone to appeal and which has been granted under special provision by her Department, only to be immediately subjected to a medical review; if her attention has been drawn to the concerns and worry that this is causing the applicant who has been awaiting their claim for nearly two years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32900/13]
View answerInvalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who satisfy the contribution conditions and who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity. In order to ensure adequate controls of the scheme expenditure, the continuing eligibility of persons in receipt of IP is reviewed periodically in accordance with their assessed risk of a change in circumstances. During 2012, there was a backlog of new invalidity pension claims which meant that there was an unacceptable delay in processing of new claims. Following a major service delivery modernisation project and business process improvement in the scheme area, the backlog of claims was cleared and new invalidity pension claims are now actioned upon receipt.
Following a review of an initial decision to disallow on medical grounds, the person concerned was awarded invalidity pension on the 14th March 2013 and the award was backdated to the 29th April 2011 - the date of her initial application and any arrears due for that period were paid. On 4 June 2013, a review of the continuing medical eligibility of the person concerned was initiated based upon the effective start date of her claim i.e. April 2011. This did not take account of the fact that the award date in the case had been so recent. In the particular circumstances of this case, the continuing eligibility review will be deferred for a reasonable period. We appreciate that reviews may cause worry or concern to individual customers and apologise if any such concern was caused in this case. Customers are given a reasonable length of time to provide the information necessary for the review and, if there is any particular difficulty with meeting the time limit, they may request additional time.
91. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has examined the Gender Recognition Bill 2013; the date on which she will publish her own Bill on gender recognition; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33268/13]
View answerI take it that the Deputy is referring to Deputy Ó Snodaigh’s Private Member’s Bill which was introduced in Dáil Eireann on 22 May 2013 but which has not yet progressed beyond First Stage. I am satisfied that any legislation providing for the recognition of the acquired gender of transgender persons will have to be more comprehensive and detailed than that Bill. As I have indicated on a number of occasions, I want the legislation that the Department is preparing to be introduced as quickly as possible. However, the issues involved are complex and have implications for other areas of government.
I realise also that this is a very sensitive area for those involved and people are naturally keen that the legislation be brought forward quickly. I understand that but I also have to have regard to the legal complexities involved in relation to some of the recommendations of the Gender Recognition Advisory Group (GRAG) relating to the marital and civil partnership status of individuals. The Department has been taking advice on this matter including talking to the various stakeholders involved. I have requested the Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection to consider the provisional draft Heads of Bill and, in that regard, officials from the Department will appear before the Committee in the Autumn. I feel that the Committee can make a very positive contribution to the preparation of the legislation and I believe that this approach should greatly assist the drafting of the legislation and its progress through the Oireachtas. When the Oireachtas Committee has discussed the provisional draft Heads of Bill, I will be in a better position to give a timeframe for the introduction of the legislation.
92. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide details of the local authority community employment scheme announced in budget 2013; and the number of persons who are currently participating in this scheme. [33261/13]
View answerThe Government, as part of the Budget package for 2013, announced a number of initiatives focused on providing work opportunities for jobseekers, including the provision of 10,000 additional work placements across a number of schemes. The additional placements on community employment, Tús and JobBridge have already been rolled-out and are in the process of being filled by the sponsoring organisations and implementing bodies. The Budget package introduced a new initiative with local authorities to provide part-time work opportunities. This is in line with the commitments set out in the Action Plan for Jobs and Pathways to Work.
The design of this initiative which is called Gateway has been largely completed and local authorities have been engaged in a process of identifying the nature of work and range of opportunities that can be made available across their administrative and operational areas. Local authorities have been asked to complete consultations with staff representative bodies and other key stakeholders to enable the scheme to commence on a staged basis over the coming months.
Currently, 13 local authorities have agreed to lead out the first wave of Gateway and selection of participants will commence shortly by the Department of Social Protection. Following referral of interested customers by the Department, each local authority will conduct their own recruitment process, involving skill profiling, job matching and vetting by An Garda Síochána before a person is assigned to a position. The 13 local authorities have identified some 800-1,000 places for immediate recruitment with the objective of beginning work in late September/early October 2013 (pending improvements in the timeframe for Garda Vetting).
In addition to the above local authorities six to eight city and county councils intend to commence operations with a view to adding 500-800 placements by end October 2013. The remaining places will be filled in 2014 (pending completion of selection, recruitment and vetting processes).
93. Deputy Seamus Kirk asked the Minister for Social Protection the way the Government proposes to respond to the decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union on 25 April 2013 which found that the Government is liable for the shortfall in pension funds for the Waterford Crystal workers; the estimated cost to the State; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33219/13]
View answerThe ruling by the European Court of Justice was in response to a reference by the High Court seeking clarification of the interpretation of European law emanating from EU Directive 2008/94EC on the protection of employees in the event of the insolvency of their employer. Following the ECJ ruling, the matter will now revert to the High Court for consideration. Given this matter remains before the courts, it would not be appropriate that I comment further on any aspects of or possible issues arising from the case at this time. Careful and detailed consideration is of course being given to the ruling of the European Court of Justice, and will be given to the outcomes of the case before the High Court.
94. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will outline the level of information required to be provided by claimants who are returning Irish emigrants to satisfy the habitual residence condition; if she will provide an average time frame for the verification of habitual residency of such persons; and if she is satisfied with this process. [33203/13]
View answer110. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Social Protection the date on which she will publish new guidelines to reform the rules regarding the habitual residency condition; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33252/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 94 and 110 together.
The requirement to be habitually resident in Ireland was introduced as a qualifying condition for certain social assistance schemes and child benefit with effect from 1 May 2004. The term ‘habitually resident’ conveys a degree of permanence and implies a close association between the applicant and the country from which payment is claimed, which relies heavily on fact. The habitual residence guidelines were comprehensively revised in 2011 to take account of developments in case-law, both national and international, and to reflect the Department’s interpretation of the legal provisions that impact on the habitual residence condition (HRC).
The guidelines are reviewed and revised on an ongoing basis to reflect changes in the conditions and processes as they occur, for example, the removal of the work permit condition for Romanian and Bulgarian nationals and very recently the accession of Croatia to the EU. The guidelines are published and available to customers on the Department’s website to reflect the most up to date requirements.
In addition to the HRC guidelines there is further information for customers including:
- HRC information leaflet SW108 available on the website
- A HRC supplement with example cases published on the website.
Internally within DSP the Decisions Advisory Office unit provides guidance and support in complex cases and the staff development unit of DSP provides on-going HRC training.
There is comprehensive information on the HRC guidelines relating to material to be provided by returning Irish emigrants. Before a decision can be made regarding a person’s habitual residence, it must be established whether the person has a legal right to reside in the State and all Irish nationals have a right of residence in Ireland. At that stage the five factors are examined to determine whether a person satisfies the HRC i.e. a) the length and continuity of living in Ireland, b) length and reasons for any absence, c) nature and pattern of the person’s employment, d) person’s main centre of interest and e) future intentions of the person applying for the social welfare scheme.
Each case is dealt with in its own right and a decision is based on the application of the legislation and guidelines to the particular circumstances of the case. Examples of documentation required is outlined on the HRC guideline, on the HRC information leaflet and on the Citizens Information website, including:
- Proof to show applicant has given up accommodation abroad
- Proof applicant has cancelled or applied to cancel any non-transferable benefits
- Proof to show measures put in place to open a bank account here
- Proof to show applicant has a tenancy in Ireland
- Proof of travel documents and evidence of transportation of personal possessions etc.
Any information that customers provide to establish their claim will be considered and it may be necessary in some cases to submit further documentary evidence in support of a claim. The average time frame for the verification of habitual residency for applicants for social welfare is not captured as the HRC is examined as part of the overall claim process. It is important to point out that if claimants are not satisfied with a decision they have the right to have the decision reviewed internally in DSP and-or appeal the decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office.
95. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Social Protection the courses that staff in her Department have had funded for them; the cost of each of those courses through the learning and development strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33245/13]
View answerThe Department is committed under its Learning and Development Strategy to provide opportunities for the education and development of its staff. The Department recognises that investment in learning leads to improved performance and productivity, increased employee engagement and better customer service. Business areas offer development opportunities to staff through internal training, courses delivered externally or the refund of fees scheme. In 2012 and to date in 2013, staff attended 114 different external course types at a cost of €394,681 in 2012 and €138,036 in 2013.
The Department also operates the Refund of Fees scheme to encourage staff to pursue higher educational achievement outside of normal business hours. The scheme operates within the parameters of Department of Finance Circular 23/07. In the 2011/2012 academic year, 87 staff participated in the scheme resulting in a cost of €181,890. In the 2012/2013 academic year, 97 staff are participating, resulting in a cost to date of €92,163. Expenditure since 2009 for external courses and courses funded under the Refund of Fees scheme are outlined in Table 1 below.
Table 1
|
External Courses |
Cost |
Refund of Fees |
Cost |
|
2009 |
€352,435 |
2008/09 academic year |
€194,709 |
|
2010 |
€290,323 |
2009/10 |
€177,131 |
|
2011 |
€206,421 |
2010/11 |
€195,552 |
|
2012 |
€394,681 |
2011/12 |
€181,890 |
|
2013 (to date) |
€138,036 |
2012/13 |
€92,163 |
With regard to the cost of each course undertaken, this information is not readily available. The Department will, however, provide this information to the Deputy once it is compiled. The full list of courses under both external training and the Refund of Fees scheme are listed in Tables 2 and 3 below.
Table 2: Externally delivered courses 2012/13
|
Absence Management Accounting Procedures Advanced Access Advanced Excel AE Bootcamp (IT) Agewise Agile Data Warehouse Design Agile Methodologies Agile Project Management Basic Freedom of Information Basic Quark Xpress Business Process Improvement Business Statistics C# Programming (Intermediate) C# Programming (Introduction) Cert in Project Management Change Management Children First CISCO ACE Boot Camp Course CISCO Routers (Configuring BGP) Clear and Critical Thinking Comptia Network training (IT) Configuring BGP on Cisco Routers (IT) Configuring Windows 8 Conflict Management Courtroom Skills CPD Workshop in Adult Guidance Data Protection Awareness DCCM (IT) training Developing Web Applications Diabetes Awareness Diploma in Leadership ECDL CTP Training (IT) Editing Skills Effective Strategies to Reducing IT costs Effective Interviewing Skills Energy Conservation EU Presidency Training Excel Elementary Excel Intermediate Training Facilitation Skills First Aid Freedom of Information Fuel Poverty Conference Future of HR in Public Sector conference Gaeilge (FETAC) Gartner Workshop Health and Safety IDEA (IT) InDesign Pro Skills Industry Matters Conference Intermediate Access IT Audit Training IT Project Management Lean Six Sigma for Public Sector Leadership IT CMF Passport Course |
Managing Performance Measuring Training Effectiveness Media Skills Mediation Training Mentoring Training Course Microsoft 2010 Advanced Microsoft Visio (2010) Minute Taking Money Skills MS Office 2010 & Windows 7 MS Office User Specialist MS TechEd MS Visio 2010 Non Violent Crisis Instructor Occupational First Aid Course OO Programming Intro Pensions Training Plain English Planning for Retirement Portfolio Process & Catalogue Planning Powershell for Administrators PQ Process Procurement in Public Sector Project Management Project Management & Engineering- Agile Public Financial Management Public Procurement Conference Public Procurement- Litigation Quality in Social Research Training Quark Level ½ Rent Supplement Requirements Engineering Risk Based Auditing/Planning Safe Pass System Training Safety Representative Scoping and Delivering IT Projects Senior Management Training Shared Service & Outsourcing Sharepoint 2010 Sharepoint – Custom Course (IT) Staff Management Training Stress Awareness SQL Training Team Building Team Foundation Server 2010 (IT) Training Needs Analysis Train the Trainer MS Visio Professional 2010 WEB Design with XHTML Windows Server 2008 Windows7 Troubleshooting Word Elementary Workforce Planning in Public Service Working successfully within Team Training Workplace Programme XML Design and Build 3Par Admin Training (IT) |
Table 3: Courses funded under Refund of Fees Scheme 2011/12/13
|
Accounting Accounting and Business Adult Guidance Advanced ECDL Applied Social Research Business Administration Business Management Business Studies Business Studies & HRM Business/Commerce Computing & IT Counselling Counselling & Psychotherapy ECDL Education and Training Forensic Accounting Frontline Managers Gaeilge Fheidhmeach Geographic Information Systems Government Human Resource Management Humanities Inclusion/Disability Studies Information Systems Information Systems & Management |
Information Technology Irish Irish Law IT JEB Law Leadership & Management Learning & Development Microsoft Office Specialist Payroll Technician Personal & Professional Development Psychology Psychology & Social Science Psychology/Counselling Public Accounts Public Administration Public Management Science In IT Management Social Policy Social Science Social Science and Psychology Statistics Training & Continuing Education Training & Development Web Design Women/Gender/Society |
97. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to reverse the budget 2013 cuts to respite carers' grant. [33253/13]
View answerThe contribution that people provide in caring for members of their own family is critical for society. It was for that reason that the Government last year adopted the National Carers’ Strategy with a view to giving greater public recognition to carers and their work. Carers receive significant income supports from the Department of Social Protection so that people can continue living at home as long as possible. Expenditure on carers has increased significantly in recent years. In 2013 it is estimated to be €776 million compared with an estimated outturn of €771 million in 2012. The expenditure on carers in 2012 included: €509 million on carer’s allowance; €24 million on carer’s benefit; €135 million on the respite care grant; and €103 million on domiciliary care allowance. Carers also receive a free travel pass at an annual cost of €6 million and carers who reside with the care recipient are eligible for the household benefits package at an annual cost of approximately €30 million.
The respite care grant is available to all full-time carers regardless of their means while the income disregard and means test for carers allowance is the most generous in the social welfare system. Carers are entitled to an extra half-rate carer’s allowance if they care for more than one person and a respite care grant for each care recipient. A person in receipt of certain qualifying payments and also providing full-time care and attention to another person may qualify for a half-rate carer’s allowance while retaining their main social welfare payment. Regrettably, I am not in a position to reverse last year’s cut in the respite care grant. It should be noted that the supports available to carers in Ireland are among the highest rates of income support in Europe.
98. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection if any figures are available which demonstrate the extent of fuel poverty here; if she is planning a strategy to address fuel poverty; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33224/13]
View answerThere are currently no comprehensive up to date national statistics available on the number of people experiencing fuel poverty in Ireland. The EU Survey on Income and Living Conditions, which is carried out by the Central Statistics Office each year, does however, measure the percentage of the population that said they were unable to afford to keep the home adequately warm, over the previous year. The most recent figures available from this survey indicate that in 2011, some 6.8% of households in Ireland were unable to afford to keep the home adequately warm, the same level as in 2010 but an increase on the 2009 figure which was 4.1%. The Government has an energy poverty strategy; ‘Warmer Homes – A Strategy for Affordable Energy in Ireland’ which was published by the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources towards the end of 2011. The Strategy identified the extent and impact of energy poverty, the existing measures in place and the actions required looking forward. My Department has been working with the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and other stakeholders on the implementation of this Strategy. Energy poverty is a factor of income, energy prices and the thermal efficiency of the home. In 2013, my Department will spend an estimated €284 million on the household benefits scheme, providing some 410,000 customers with a package worth almost €700 per year. In addition, some 410,000 customers will receive the fuel allowance of €20 per week paid for 26 weeks, at a cost of €211 million.
Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, exceptional needs payments may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which customers are unable to meet out of their own resources; this may include exceptional heating costs. In addition, more than 3,000 customers are currently in receipt of a special heating supplement, paid to assist people with special heating needs because of ill health or infirmity. The provision for exceptional needs payments in 2013 is €47.6 million, with an additional €11.4 million for supplements. The most cost-effective means of protecting households from energy poverty is to improve the thermal efficiency of the home. The Better Energy Warmer Homes scheme (BEWH), administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), funds energy efficiency improvements in the homes of the elderly and vulnerable, making the homes more comfortable, healthier and more cost effective to run.
