Written Answers Nos. 291-308
291. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) who has reached 18 years of age and is unemployed is not entitled to a jobseeker's payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53706/13]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 29 November 2013. The person concerned was disallowed jobseekers allowance by a Deciding Officer of the Department as his means, derived from benefit of board and lodging in his parents’ home, exceed the statutory limit.
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 2 December 2013 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.
292. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding a domiciliary care allowance in respect of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53734/13]
View answerThe age limit for receipt of domiciliary care allowance (DCA) is 16 years. As the child concerned reaches the age of 16 years in February 2014, DCA is no longer payable after that date. A letter issued in October 2013 advising that payment of DCA is due to end in February and that the child could apply for disability allowance in her own right.
Entitlement to carers allowance is reviewed when DCA ceases to be payable. In order to continue receiving Carer’s Allowance the person receiving care must be so incapacitated as to require full time care and attention for a period of at least twelve months.
293. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding a deferred pension issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 3; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53742/13]
View answerThe Deputy will appreciate that it is not appropriate for me to comment on matters relating to an individual pension scheme.
The provision in the Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill broadens the options available to the trustees of a pension scheme in the event of the restructure of scheme benefits. It essentially provides for the sharing of the risk of scheme underfunding across all scheme members. The issue of how these changes might be applied will be a matter for the trustees of the scheme who are required under trust law of act in the best interest of all scheme beneficiaries.
The supervision of the scheme under the Pensions Act is a matter for the Pensions Board. I understand the Board are in dialogue with the scheme trustees in relation to the funding position of this scheme.
294. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider changing the requirement of JobBridge, the national internship scheme, that a host organisation must have at least one employee to be eligible so that sole traders can participate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53752/13]
View answerJobBridge, the National Internship Scheme, was launched on 1 July, 2011 as part of the Government’s Jobs Initiative. JobBridge provides work experience placements for those on the Live Register for a 6 or 9 month period to assist in breaking the cycle where jobseekers are unable to get a job without experience, either as new entrants to the labour market after education or training or as unemployed workers wishing to learn new skills.
The Department requires that JobBridge host organisations have at least one full-time employee for the benefit and the protection of interns and to ensure the integrity of the scheme. The Department considers that this requirement is necessary to ensure that the host organisation can offer the intern a high-quality, real-workplace experience. The Department also considers that the support and example of workplace colleagues is a necessary part of the internship experience and that this is critical in enhancing the experience for the intern. The Department is not in a position to make exceptions to this requirement.
Those sole traders who have at least one full-time employee are in a position to become JobBridge host organisations.
If an individual has any queries relating to the operation of the JobBridge Scheme, they may contact the JobBridge team via the Contact Us section of the JobBridge website www.jobbridge.ie.
295. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person on jobseeker's allowance is precluded from making monthly instalments at source to the property tax; the number of persons who have been on jobseeker's allowance since January 2013; the average duration of dependence on this allowance before employment is secured; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53779/13]
View answerCurrently the following schemes have been specified by the Revenue Commissioners, with my consent, for the deduction at source of the Local Property Tax (LPT):-
|
State pension (contributory), |
State pension (non-contributory), |
|
Widow/er’s or surviving civil partner’s (contributory) pension, |
Widow/er’s or surviving civil partner’s (non-contributory) pension |
|
State pension (transition) |
Blind pension, |
|
Invalidity pension, |
One-parent family payment, |
|
Carer’s allowance and |
Disability allowance. |
The list of schemes where a deduction at source facility is provided is being kept under review.
The maximum personal rate of jobseekers allowance (JA) is currently €188.00 per week. This scheme of its nature is intended to be a short term support until an individual finds employment. In relation to the possibility of providing the facility for those on JA at some point in the future, it is important to note, that under current legislation, deductions at source for LPT cannot bring the personal rate below the personal rate of the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) which is currently €186.00 per week. Therefore, if the deduction at source facility were to be made available, the current maximum allowable weekly deduction for LPT would be €2.00 per week; otherwise the rate would be under the SWA rate.
At the end of November this year there were 107,323 persons with active claims for JA on the live register with a duration of less than 12 months. This represents 35.9% of the total number of persons (298,983) signing for JA at that date. A tabular statement detailing jobseekers allowance claims that closed in the first 11 months of 2013 for the reason ‘found work’ follows.
Claim Duration
|
Reason |
<3mths |
3-6mths |
6mths-1yr |
1-2yrs |
2-3yrs |
3-5yrs |
>5yrs |
Grand Total |
|
Found Work |
15,827 |
10,512 |
9,815 |
8,703 |
4,461 |
4,858 |
800 |
54,976 |
296. Deputy Noel Coonan asked the Minister for Social Protection when a carer's allowance appeal will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53784/13]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 29th July 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 25th November 2013 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.
297. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision on an invalidity pension appeal will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53800/13]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 20 March 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 23 October 2013 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.
298. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision on a carer's allowance will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53802/13]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 30 July 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 12 November 2013 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.
299. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision on a domiciliary care allowance will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53803/13]
View answerAn application for domiciliary care allowance was received on the 14th August 2013. The application was not allowed as the child was not considered to satisfy the medical qualifying criteria for the allowance. A letter issued on the 6th November 2013 advising of the decision.
A review of this decision has been requested and additional information on this child’s condition/care needs has been supplied. The person concerned will be notified of the outcome of this review as soon as it is completed.
300. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection if PRSI is to be levied on the gross amount of rental income a person receives or the net amount after allowable expenses such as interest expense have been deducted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53819/13]
View answerIn general PRSI is chargeable on all income including rental income. There have however been a number of exemptions from PRSI for specific categories of contributors, including the exemption applied to the additional income of employed contributors and occupational pensioners under age 66 years where their only source of additional income is unearned. Unearned income includes rental income, investment income, dividends and interest on deposits and savings.
With effect from 1 January 2014, this unearned income will be liable to PRSI at 4%, provided the person is a chargeable person in accordance with the Revenue definition.
In general the rules which apply to income for taxation purposes also apply to income for the purposes of charging PRSI. Therefore the income on which PRSI is applied will, in general, be the same as that for charging of tax.
This income will be chargeable at the PRSI Class K rate of 4%. This new PRSI charge will not give rise to any additional social insurance benefits. The individuals may however qualify separately for social insurance entitlements based on PRSI paid on other sources of income, such as PRSI paid on income from their employment.
302. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding an invalidity pension application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53828/13]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 21 October 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 14 November 2013 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.
303. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) in County Mayo was refused domiciliary care allowance in respect of a child; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53871/13]
View answerAn application for domiciliary care allowance was received on the 20th August 2013. The application was not allowed as it was considered that the child does not meet the medical eligibility criteria for the allowance. A decision letter issued to the customer on the 18th September 2013 advising of this decision.
In the case of an application which is refused on medical grounds the applicant may submit additional information and/or ask for the decision to be reviewed or they may appeal the decision directly to the Social Welfare Appeals Office within twenty one days.
304. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) in County Carlow will receive a decision on an invalidity appeal; and if she will expedite an answer. [53882/13]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 15 July 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 November 2013 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.
305. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the major funding shortfall which threatens the closure of a centre (details supplied) in County Leitrim which is partly funded under the Family Support Agency; if her Department will consider any further allocations to ensure the protection of this very vital service to vulnerable families in County Leitrim; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53908/13]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that this centre does not receive funding from the Department of Social Protection and is unlikely to be eligible for support from the programmes administered given the nature of the counselling services it provides. I have made enquiries and understand that a small grant of less than €8,000 was approved for the centre in 2013 following an annual call for proposals by the Family Support Agency for the provision of counselling services. I understand that applications for the scheme of counselling grants are invited at the beginning of each year and that the Family Support Agency plan to do this in early 2014. The Family Support Agency operates under the aegis of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.
306. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on the introduction of JobPath including the status of the tendering process, terms of reference and timeframe for conclusion of the tender, costings and roll-out of the project. [53937/13]
View answerJobPath is the Government’s new programme of labour market activation aimed specifically at the long-term unemployed and those most at risk of becoming long-term unemployed. JobPath will be delivered by third party providers of employment services under contract to the Department.
On 12 December 2013, the Department published a contract notice inviting tenders for the provision of JobPath services. JobPath will be delivered in four contract areas that are based on the Department’s current divisional structure. The closing date for receipt of tenders is 28 February 2014. The cost of JobPath is dependent upon the price agreed following the tendering process. JobPath is a payment by results model and as such the cost of JobPath is also dependent upon the number of individuals that JobPath providers place into sustained employment. Taking account of the time required for the tender evaluation process and the service establishment phase it is expected that JobPath will become operational towards the end of 2014.
307. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive a decision on an invalidity pension review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53942/13]
View answerThis Department received a claim for invalidity pension from the person concerned on 1 February 2013. The medical evidence provided by the claimant in support of her claim was examined by a medical assessor who was of the opinion, based on the evidence provided, that the person concerned is not eligible for invalidity pension as she does not satisfy the medical criteria. The application for invalidity pension was disallowed by a deciding officer. The applicant was notified of this decision and the reason for it on 3 May 2013.
An appeal and further medical evidence was subsequently submitted by the claimant. This additional evidence, along with the original information, was evaluated by a different medical assessor who expressed the opinion that the person concerned does not satisfy the medical criteria. Her file and all relevant papers were sent to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office for determination on 12 December 2013 who will notify the person concerned with the outcome.
308. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Social Protection if the jobseeker register data could be mined to identify and inform suitable candidates of conversion opportunities in ICT; if her Department, as recommended in the Forfás report of November 2013 on addressing future demand for high-level ICT skills, could draw on international best practice, including the IT 50 plus initiative in Denmark and the Nokia Bridge Programme in Finland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53954/13]
View answerJobseeker register data is mined at present in order to identify and inform suitable candidates of a range of opportunities. The data is mined with reference to a jobseeker’s previous occupation, job preferences, education background, preferences for existing training programmes, and any interest expressed in training which is not currently available.
Recent examples of mining jobseeker data for ICT programmes include identifying candidates for a range of ICT programmes on offer through the ETBs (formerly FÁS) including Momentum ICT programmes, and for Springboard ICT programmes.
The question of specific provision of training and further education in the ICT area (whether as initial training or in the context of conversion courses) is a matter for the education and training authorities.
