Written Answers Nos. 77-82
77. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide a breakdown of the annual infrastructure and capital expenditure by the State on a regional basis and a county basis over the past five years. [48450/13]
View answerMy Department is responsible for setting the overall capital allocations across Departments and for monitoring monthly capital expenditure at Departmental level. Information in relation to expenditure at project level is a matter for individual Ministers and their Departments. My Department does not maintain information in relation to the regional or county breakdown of capital expenditure by Departments and their Agencies.
Details in relation to the overall annual Exchequer capital budget for the past five years along with a breakdown by Department can be found on the databank website hosted by my Department, http://databank.per.gov.ie/. The databank contains a comprehensive set of data on public expenditure in Ireland.
78. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the Office of Public Works will consider funding for flood alleviation measures in an area (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48575/13]
View answerThe management of localised flooding issues in any particular area is a matter in the first instance for the relevant local authority concerned.
It is open to Kildare County Council to submit an application under the Office of Public Work's Minor Works & Coastal Protection Scheme. Any application received will be assessed under the eligibility criteria, which includes a requirement that any measures are cost beneficial and have regard to the overall availability of funding. Application forms and related guidelines are available on the OPW website under Flood Risk Management.
79. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation further to Parliamentary Question No. 391 of 5 November, the reason it is not possible to track the exact number of positions which have been filled as a result of the combined efforts of the measures introduced under the jobs initiative; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48411/13]
View answerOne of the key roles of Government is to create a stable and supportive operating environment for businesses, where enterprises can start-up, grow and create jobs.
Since coming into office, the Government has taken a number of initiatives to support the business environment. These include recapitalising the pillar banks to enable them to commence lending again, re-establishing control of public expenditure, rebuilding Ireland’s reputation abroad, introducing the 2011 Jobs Initiative and delivering commitments under the 2012 and 2013 Action Plans for Jobs. All of these measures are combining in different ways to support companies, attract investment and support jobs growth. It is not feasible to disaggregate the impact of one initiative over another in what is a complementary suite of activity on the part of the Government to rebuild the economy.
However, the latest employment figures published by the CSO show that the number of people in employment increased by 33,800 in Quarter 2 of this year compared to the same period in 2012. This was the third consecutive Quarter where employment increased year-on-year. We have now moved from a situation where the private sector was losing over 7,000 jobs per month before this Government came into office, to one where it is creating close to 3,000 jobs per month. This follows on the success of Enterprise Ireland and IDA client companies in creating almost 10,000 net new jobs last year – their best performance in many years.
In Quarter 2 of this year, employment grew in nine of the fourteen economic sectors reported on by the CSO. These included Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing, Accommodation & Food Services, Wholesale & Retail, and Industry. All of these sectors have been targeted for support under the Action Plan for Jobs process.
The Government will continue to build on this progress through the Action Plan for Jobs in 2014, as we continue to transform the economy from one based on unsustainable debt to one based on enterprise, innovation and exports.
80. Deputy Ann Phelan asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the new social welfare checks announced recently (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48407/13]
View answerA key priority for Government is to ensure that social welfare payments are available to those who are entitled to them and that fraudulent activity is vigorously prevented and combatted. A range of measures are employed by the Department to ensure that social welfare fraud and abuse is minimised and that it’s control activity is appropriately focused. The approach taken by the Department to combat fraud is frequently reviewed and is regularly adjusted to ensure it is proportionate and that it is targeted on the areas of greatest risk.
81. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding issues raised in correspondence to her Department in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Carlow. [48419/13]
View answerI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an oral hearing of the appeal of the person concerned took place on 7 October 2013 and that the Appeals Officer is now considering the appeal in the light of all of the correspondence/evidence submitted, including that adduced at the oral hearing. The person concerned will be notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision when the appeal has been determined.
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.
82. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to any cases of persons retiring at 65 qualifying for jobseeker's benefit for nine months but then failing a means test for jobseeker's allowance for the three months before their entitlement to their old age pension at 66; her plans to examine this with a view to ensuring persons on modest incomes maintain a payment in the three months until they are 66; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48425/13]
View answerJobseeker's benefit is a weekly payment to people out of work and covered by social insurance. If a person does not qualify for JB they may qualify for means tested jobseeker's allowance. The Revised Estimates for the Department provide for expenditure on the jobseeker’s schemes of €3.66 billion in 2013.
Budget 2013 provided that the duration for which jobseeker’s benefit is paid has been 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.
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 generally be able to claim jobseeker’s benefit for the full year to age 66 provided they have paid at least 156 qualifying contributions.
