Written Answers Nos. 110-113
110. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding a disability allowance appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39938/13]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 2 August 2013. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Social Protection. These papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 28 August and the case will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on 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.
111. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection her views outlining her Department's local authority employment initiative including the way the scheme operates, the funding assigned to it and the number of persons engaged on it. [39942/13]
View answerThe objective of Gateway is to assist the personal and social development of participants by providing short-term work opportunities with county and city councils with the objective of bridging the gap between unemployment and re-entering the workforce. Gateway is a joint initiative between this Department and county and city councils and responsibility for delivery of this initiative rests with individual councils.
Participants are randomly selected by this Department from those on the Live Register for 24 months or more and currently in receipt of a jobseeker's payment. Those agreeing to be considered then have their contact details referred to the appropriate council for recruitment. Failure to respond to the Department’s invitation or to offer an acceptable reason for being unable to participate in Gateway can result in sanctions for the jobseeker. The selection of participants has recently commenced by the Department in respect of Louth, Cork City, Galway and Mayo councils and recruitment in these areas is commencing. County and city councils have projected that roughly 1,200 of 3,000 placements will be in the process of being filled by the end of 2013, with the remaining positions being filled during the first quarter of 2014.
The resources committed to Gateway by my Department for 2013 amounts to just over €11 million. The 2014 projected costs have yet to be finalised. I have contacted all county and city councils to urge them to identify suitable placements, consult with stakeholders and make internal and local preparations for the roll-out of Gateway at the earliest opportunity.
113. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide in tabular form for the years 2007 to date in 2013, the amount of funding provided to the insolvency payments scheme through the Social Insurance Fund to pay for pay-related entitlements due to employees in the event of the insolvency of their employer; if she will report on the amount of funding, if any, that has been recovered from employers by the Social Insurance Fund after employees have received their payments through the insolvency payments scheme in each of those years. [39949/13]
View answerThe level of expenditure from the Social Insurance Fund (SIF) under the insolvency payments scheme in recent years is as follows:
|
Year |
Expenditure |
|
2013 (to end July) |
€14.2 million |
|
2012 |
€21.7 million |
|
2011 |
€18.5 million |
Information in relation to expenditure in earlier years and the level of funds recovered is being compiled and will be provided to the Deputy in writing as soon as possible.
