Tuesday, 5 Nov 2013

Written Answers Nos. 506-528

Invalidity Pension Appeals

Questions (506)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl

Question:

506. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will allow an appeal of an application for an invalidity pension in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46177/13]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all the evidence has allowed the appeal of the person concerned. The person concerned has been notified of the decision.

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.

Exceptional Needs Payment Eligibility

Questions (507)

Patrick O'Donovan

Question:

507. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Social Protection where he or she is unable to meet the maximum charge per month for the medical card prescription charge of €25, as announced in Budget 2014, if it is possible for a person to make an application for an exceptional needs payment under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme to her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46179/13]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off, exceptional and unforeseen expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. It is expected that the expenditure on the ENP scheme in 2013 will be in excess of €35 million.

There is no automatic entitlement to a payment. ENP’s are payable at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case in order to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance.

The ENP scheme is not intended to cover circumstances where responsibility rests with another Government Department or Agency such as assistance towards prescription charges. Responsibility for prescription charges is a matter for the Health Service Executive.

Jobseeker's Allowance Appeals

Questions (508)

John Browne

Question:

508. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Social Protection when an application for an appeal regarding jobseeker's allowance will be heard in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Wexford. [46198/13]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

The 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.

Question No. 509 withdrawn.

Community Employment Schemes Review

Questions (510, 511, 512)

Martin Ferris

Question:

510. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Social Protection her views regarding realignment of community employment schemes. [46223/13]

Martin Ferris

Question:

511. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Social Protection the effects the realignment of community employment schemes will have on supervisors and the local sponsor group; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46224/13]

Martin Ferris

Question:

512. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on the current discussions that are happening between her Department and community employment scheme sponsors around the State. [46225/13]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

I propose to take Questions Nos. 510 to 512, inclusive, together.

The Department of Social Protection (DSP) is consolidating and improving the provision of training and work experience for CE participants who wish to pursue a career in childcare.

For CE participants who work directly with children, a dedicated programme comprising formal learning and supervised work experience will become a mandatory part of participation. This formal learning programme will lead to a FETAC Level 5 Major Award in Early Childhood Care and Education. This is the minimum entry requirement for a Childcare Practitioner. The duration of this programme will comprise of 2 years in which the Major Award will be completed and one year work practice leading to a maximum 3 year programme overall.

This programme involves defined standards of achievement, a career progression path, and a structure for CE participants in Early Years Services. These changes are designed to provide a more tailored and valuable support to the provision of community childcare and to achieve greater coherence between participation on CE and the job market.

The objectives of this policy are:

- to ensure that all Community Employment schemes with childcare places will, in the future, operate under the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) framework and use the Síolta standards (the quality standards in childcare) as a developmental tool;

- to provide CE participants on childcare places who work directly with children with quality work experience, training, a clear progression path and qualifications in the childcare sector; and

- to re-align the allocation of CE childcare places under dedicated childcare schemes with the standards outlined by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.

There will be no reduction in the number of childcare places supported under CE. The locations where CE participants currently work will not change, only their employer will now be the dedicated childcare scheme for the area instead of their original CE Sponsor. Where a sponsor loses childcare places to the dedicated childcare scheme, these places can be back-filled with non-childcare related CE places.

All CE childcare places will be co-ordinated and managed by a dedicated CE Sponsored Childcare Scheme. The above improvements have been informed by consultation with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, County Childcare Committees and representatives of Scheme Sponsors and Supervisors.

Jobseeker's Benefit Payments

Questions (513)

Seán Kyne

Question:

513. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will confirm that the changes enacted last April to persons in receipt of jobseeker's benefit reducing the payment period from 12 to nine months applies to all recipients whose claim was six months or less in duration prior to April; and her views on the fairness and transparency of this change for those who had received written confirmation from her Department that their payment would last for 12 months. [46253/13]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

Jobseeker's benefit (JB) is a weekly payment to people out of work and covered by social insurance (PRSI). In 2012 my Department spent some €737m on the scheme and at the end of 2012 there were some 85,000 persons in receipt of a JB payment.

Budget 2013 provided that the duration for which JB is paid was, with effect from April 2013, reduced from 12 months to 9 months for recipients with 260 or more contributions paid and from 9 months to 6 months for recipients with less than 260 contributions paid.

The reduction in duration from 12 months to 9 months applied to new claimants from April 2013, and existing recipients who, in April, 2013, had been getting JB for less than 6 months. The reduction in duration from 9 months to 6 months applied to new claimants from April, 2013 and existing recipients who, in April, 2013, have been getting JB for less than 3 months.

Individuals affected by this measure are able to apply for Jobseeker’s Allowance, which is subject to a means test. The rates of Jobseeker’s Allowance are the same as the basic rates of JB.

Legislation provides that, subject to the person having paid 156 or more qualifying contributions and satisfying the general scheme conditions, a person whose JB expires in their 65th year will continue to be paid benefit up until the age of 66. On this basis, workers who suffer a substantial loss of employment at age 65 will not be subject to the reductions in duration provided they have paid at least 156 qualifying contributions.

The reduction in the duration of JB was introduced given the significant pressure on the public finances and the Social Insurance Fund in particular. The significant shortfall in the Social Insurance Fund, which is being met by the Exchequer and the prospect of acceleration of this deficit in the future, represented a daunting challenge, which needed to be addressed. The introduction of this measure will contribute towards placing the Social Insurance Fund on a more sustainable footing in the future.

Social Welfare Appeals Delays

Questions (514)

Seán Kyne

Question:

514. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Social Protection the work under way to reduce the delays at the social welfare appeals office in Dublin, particularly those appeals with oral hearings. [46278/13]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

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 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 15,981 at 1 November, 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 October 2013 reducing to 34.9 weeks for an oral hearing and 26.3 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. A considerable period of time is added to the process 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 crystalises 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.

Question No. 515 answered with Question No. 411.

Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility

Questions (516)

Pádraig MacLochlainn

Question:

516. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person who is seeking the lone-parent payment, and who is estranged from their spouse, is obliged to provide utility bills and bank statements for their ex-spouse (details supplied). [46287/13]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

One parent family payment is made to a parent who is bringing up a child(ren) without the support of spouse or partner. The onus is on the claimant to provide proof that the relationship has ended and that the couple are living separately. The Department has to fully satisfy itself that this is the case before approving payment and is entitled to request any information that it considers necessary in this regard.

When assessing capital for means purposes, the value of any property the claimant has, other than their own home, in which they have to be resident at the time of the claim, is taken into account and a valuation is required for this purpose. The Department takes into account any outstanding mortgage on the property. If the person cannot afford to have the property valued the Department can determine the value of the property based on the current market value of a similar property in the same area.

FÁS Training Programmes Provision

Questions (517)

Clare Daly

Question:

517. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection the remedy available to FÁS scheme participants who made a complaint against a scheme supervisor and were subjected to personalised abuse after they left the scheme, including derogatory commentary being posted from a FÁS funded company Facebook and website (details supplied). [46289/13]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

My Department’s Divisional Office in Galway has made direct contact with the persons concerned and has arranged to meet them to discuss the issues raised and how they might be resolved. That meeting is scheduled to take place next week - on 13th November 2013.

Question No. 518 withdrawn.

Question No. 520 withdrawn.

Question No. 519 answered with Question No. 421.

Rent Supplement Scheme Payments

Questions (521)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

521. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 131 of 23 October 2013, the correct and exact amount of rent allowance payable in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46347/13]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

As detailed in Parliamentary Question No. 131 of 23 October 2013, the client is in receipt of her full and maximum entitlement to rent supplement based on her household circumstances. Both the client and her partner are in receipt of full rate single person allowances and their full entitlement to rent supplement.

Social Welfare Appeals Issues

Questions (522)

Jack Wall

Question:

522. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding an appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46352/13]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer having fully considered all the available evidence, including that adduced at the oral hearing disallowed the appeal of the person concerned.

Under Social Welfare legislation, the decision of the Appeals Officer is final and conclusive and may only be reviewed by the Appeals Officer in the light of new evidence or new facts.

Following the submission of additional evidence, the file has been requested to be returned to the Social Welfare Appeals Office. On receipt of this file, the Appeals Officer will review the case. The person concerned will be contacted when the review of his appeal has been finalised.

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.

Jobseeker's Benefit Applications

Questions (523)

Stephen Donnelly

Question:

523. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of young persons aged 18 to 25 years who have applied for jobseeker's benefit or jobseeker's allowance and were unsuccessful and-or ineligible for a payment in the years 2009 to 2012, inclusive, broken down by county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46353/13]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

The information requested by the Deputy is not published by county by my Department. I am informed however of the total number of young persons whose applications were unsuccessful for jobseeker’s allowance (JA) and jobseeker’s benefit (JB) in the years 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 which are outlined by local/branch office in the tabular statement.

Unsuccessful jobseeker's allowance (JA) and jobseeker's benefit (JB) claims by office for persons aged 18-25 years 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.

-	2012	2012	2011	2011	2010	2010	2009	2009
-	JA	JB	JA	JB	JA	JB	JA	JB
Totals	4,288	688	5,244	1,035	6,576	1,237	5,872	1,443

LOCAL AND BRANCH OFFICES

Branch Office	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
ACHILL	1	0	1	0	1	0	0	1
APOLLO HOUSE	10	0	7	3	3	1	2	4
ARDEE	24	5	18	7	31	8	36	4
ARKLOW	24	1	31	4	32	4	29	3
ATHLONE	34	7	66	7	82	10	54	18
ATHY	10	0	12	5	19	4	11	7
BALBRIGGAN	72	1	73	5	50	7	49	6
BALLINA	37	5	36	15	44	10	29	11
BALLINASLOE	30	6	41	7	55	4	57	9
BALLINROBE	9	3	5	2	15	4	9	1
BALLYBOFEY	29	15	37	15	36	27	34	20
BALLYCONNELL	28	2	35	9	30	10	21	9
BALLYFERMOT	32	1	42	1	41	12	37	6
BALLYMUN	21	5	14	0	18	1	18	3
BALLYSHANNON	22	2	17	6	19	1	35	7
BALTINGLASS	5	0	3	2	8	3	7	3
BANDON	8	1	9	0	16	0	16	1
BANTRY	7	1	8	2	12	0	18	2
BANTRY CO	1	0	2	1	2	2	7	1
BELMULLET	9	3	11	5	7	0	4	1
BIRR	44	3	38	6	39	5	19	7
BISHOP SQUARE	118	9	149	13	215	16	119	24
BLANCHARDSTOWN	92	2	91	24	127	20	169	32
OFFICE	2012 JA	2012 JB	2011 JA	2011 JB	2010 JA	2010 JB	2009 JA	2009 JB
BOYLE	6	4	16	3	10	2	10	7
BRAY	62	4	81	16	63	13	70	12
BUNCRANA	42	18	40	39	74	38	79	28
CAHIR	10	0	10	1	9	3	14	9
CAHIRCIVEEN	10	0	10	3	6	4	12	2
CARLOW	34	4	70	7	59	1	57	5
CARRICKMACROSS	19	2	17	1	45	4	41	4
CARRICK-ON-SHANNON	7	1	14	0	17	4	33	6
CARRICK-ON-SUIR	10	2	17	2	16	4	12	1
CARRIGALINE	20	0	19	8	39	5	20	4
CASHEL	8	1	11	3	22	3	9	9
CASTLEBAR	28	12	28	9	29	20	0	9
CASTLEBLAYNEY	24	3	20	1	64	4	53	4
CASTLEPOLLARD	18	1	30	2	22	0	21	3
CASTLEREA	11	0	23	10	30	12	25	9
CAVAN	92	3	136	16	159	24	137	45
CLAREMORRIS	19	6	22	12	37	13	20	10
CLIFDEN	7	0	6	1	11	1	10	2
CLONAKILTY	13	2	4	4	18	4	8	3
CLONDALKIN	77	9	80	29	173	13	82	25
CLONES	12	2	18	1	20	2	15	0
CLONMEL	30	3	35	8	53	5	25	7
COBH	25	0	36	5	46	1	51	3
COOLOCK	70	11	73	27	67	7	69	7
CORK	159	38	200	54	366	85	223	56
DINGLE	9	2	11	1	24	4	10	0
DONEGAL	12	12	15	16	29	13	26	10
DROGHEDA	111	23	62	17	124	13	105	34
DUNDALK	52	5	95	18	135	18	193	31
OFFICE	2012 JA	2012 JB	2011 JA	2011 JB	2010 JA	2010 JB	2009 JA	2009 JB
DUNFANAGHY	20	2	9	0	9	1	7	1
DUNGARVAN	15	3	30	4	22	5	12	2
DUNGLOE	20	4	13	5	14	1	9	2
DUN LAOGHAIRE	69	5	90	11	107	16	222	23
EDENDERRY	27	2	43	4	34	11	37	4
ENNIS	61	11	81	21	102	23	81	30
ENNISCORTHY	31	8	38	10	63	14	53	10
ENNISTYMON	10	4	19	2	9	6	18	5
FERMOY	46	5	68	4	39	10	40	8
FINGLAS	58	13	56	18	72	20	67	17
GALWAY	97	27	107	33	148	36	112	31
GOREY	33	10	50	17	56	9	44	17
GORT	12	4	20	5	13	6	26	5
KELLS	11	1	12	4	19	5	28	5
KENMARE	7	0	7	4	18	3	11	17
KILBARRACK	90	17	131	22	96	20	75	19
KILKENNY	37	12	76	9	96	21	112	16
KILLARNEY	54	8	46	4	82	12	58	6
KILLORGLIN	2	1	10	1	14	2	23	2
KILLYBEGS	12	4	17	10	12	9	7	6
KILMALLOCK	26	7	42	7	39	7	38	15
KILRUSH	14	2	19	0	17	2	17	3
KINGS INN STREET	121	3	130	18	135	10	152	13
KINSALE	9	2	11	0	19	3	10	1
LETTERKENNY	44	5	62	7	71	9	66	10
LIMERICK	114	31	109	46	183	61	125	51
LISTOWEL	24	1	23	7	22	7	24	15
LONGFORD	45	8	40	5	64	13	74	25
LOUGHREA	25	8	30	12	32	8	25	7
OFFICE	2012 JA	2012 JB	2011 JA	2011 JB	2010 JA	2010 JB	2009 JA	2009 JB
MACROOM	21	2	46	8	69	10	67	21
MALLOW	46	8	59	5	53	12	87	16
MANORHAMILTON	14	1	12	4	16	1	5	2
MAYNOOTH	62	11	112	14	153	29	117	37
MIDLETON	23	7	27	3	43	5	38	10
MONAGHAN	40	5	49	10	69	15	60	8
MUINE BHEAG	10	6	16	3	19	4	11	2
MULLINGAR	81	12	92	13	123	17	85	15
NAVAN	51	5	72	4	81	19	72	31
NAVAN ROAD	37	6	44	6	107	4	106	12
NENAGH	25	10	39	11	32	6	50	12
NEWBRIDGE	49	3	58	14	94	18	50	42
NEWCASTLE WEST	69	11	56	13	66	29	71	21
NEWMARKET	21	1	18	4	31	7	23	14
NEW ROSS	32	2	45	6	49	8	30	10
NUTGROVE	69	6	86	1	89	3	81	7
PORTARLINGTON	25	2	26	14	29	10	32	16
PORTLAOISE	34	11	36	9	54	10	54	15
RATHDOWNEY	6	2	4	5	13	2	6	6
ROSCOMMON	14	7	14	0	9	4	15	2
ROSCREA	22	4	17	2	19	3	29	6
SKIBBEREEN	6	2	15	4	4	3	12	3
SLIGO	87	6	96	11	79	9	99	8
SWINFORD	16	3	11	7	21	5	17	15
SWORDS	62	12	69	11	83	15	62	5
TALLAGHT	80	16	130	22	119	23	68	33
THOMAS STREET	57	4	92	7	121	11	72	10
THOMASTOWN	14	0	21	4	10	4	6	2
THURLES	40	8	36	5	41	11	48	11
OFFICE	2012 JA	2012 JB	2011 JA	2011 JB	2010 JA	2010 JB	2009 JA	2009 JB
TIPPERARY	13	1	23	4	24	6	9	3
TRALEE	96	11	109	13	133	18	164	44
TRIM	22	6	38	6	40	13	38	10
TUAM	20	4	30	10	43	8	35	8
TUBBERCURRY	7	3	10	0	10	1	16	0
TULLA	7	7	8	4	11	2	9	2
TULLAMORE	26	3	41	5	54	9	48	24
TULLOW	21	1	20	1	19	4	21	0
WATERFORD	92	16	123	8	133	28	135	31
WESTPORT	4	1	7	3	24	10	11	7
WEXFORD	42	11	65	12	74	18	78	13
WICKLOW	15	1	16	4	22	3	18	6
YOUGHAL	12	2	22	2	17	1	34	12

Supplementary Welfare Allowance Appeals

Questions (524)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

524. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress to date in determination of a date for an oral hearing in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; if supplementary welfare has been reinstated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46357/13]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that a third oral hearing of this appeal has been scheduled for Tuesday, 05th November 2013. The person concerned has been notified, by registered post, of the arrangements for the hearing.

I understand that payment of supplementary welfare allowance has been re-instated to the person concerned pending the outcome of his jobseeker’s allowance appeal.

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.

Departmental Expenditure

Questions (525)

Lucinda Creighton

Question:

525. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will detail in tabular form the total public expenditure for each individual benefit detailed in the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013 in euro for every year between 2001 to date in 2013; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46369/13]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

The information requested is being compiled by my officials, who will write to the Deputy in the next week.

Questions Nos. 527 and 528 withdrawn.

Question No. 526 answered with Question No. 472.