Written Answers Nos. 103 - 109
103. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been made on an appeal on a supplementary welfare allowance application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39871/13]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the appeal from the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer who has decided to convene an oral hearing in this case.
Every effort will be made to hear the case as quickly as possible and the appellant will be informed when arrangements for the oral hearing have been made.
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 in relation to social welfare entitlements.
104. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if supplementary welfare allowance will be approved in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny. [39895/13]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 03rd September 2013. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When these have been received from the Department, the case in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral appeal hearing.
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 in relation to social welfare entitlements.
105. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if disability allowance will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Carlow. [39896/13]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 23rd August 2013, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing.
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 in relation to social welfare entitlements.
106. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if an appeal relative to the rate of jobseeker's allowance being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny will be expedited; if the maximum benefit will be approved. [39902/13]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 20th September 2013, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing.
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.
109. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps she is taking to allow self employed persons who are seeking work but ineligible for a social assistance payment to be eligible for schemes or employment when being on the live register is a requirement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39916/13]
View answerGiven the scale of the unemployment crisis, the key objective of activation policy and labour market initiatives is to offer assistance to those in need of support in securing work and achieving financial self-sufficiency. This policy objective prioritises scarce resources to those in receipt of qualifying welfare payments. Accordingly the employment services and schemes provided by the Department are focused, in the first instance, on this cohort of unemployed people. It is recognised, however, that not all unemployed people (including those previously self-employed) are dependent on the State for financial support and some services (for example assistance with job search activities, use of online job search tools) are available to such people if they register with the Department’s employment services offices.
Unemployed persons (including those previously self-employed) not in receipt of payments may also be eligible to avail of up-skilling opportunities, for example through FÁS training or through further or higher education courses, but will not be eligible to receive a training allowance while undertaking such training.
Access to employment or work-experience-based programmes, involving the payment of a supplement to participants’ basic jobseekers’ payments, continues to be confined to unemployed persons who are in fact in receipt of such payments.
