Michael McNamara
Question:94. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide a list of bodies to which she has the authority to appoint board members. [7022/14]
View answerMinisterial Appointments
Questions (94)
Written answers
The statutory bodies operating under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection are the Citizens Information Board, the Pensions Board, the Pensions Ombudsman (which does not have a board) and the Social Welfare Tribunal.
Citizens Information Board
Under the Comhairle Act, 2000 and the Citizens Information Act, 2007, I have the authority to appoint members to the Citizens Information Board
Pensions Board
The Pensions Board is a representative body whose members are also appointed by me. The Public Service Reform Programme provided for a critical review of the integration of the regulatory functions of the Pensions Board with the Financial Regulator and the merging of the Pensions Ombudsman with the Financial Services Ombudsman. The recommendations arising out of the Critical Review on the Pensions Board were approved by Government in April 2013 and were provided for in the Social Welfare and Pensions Act, 2013.
It was recommended that the governance structure of the Pensions Board be restructured. Oversight of the Pensions Board will be undertaken by a three person body called the Pensions Authority. This will consist of a Chairperson and two officials from the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Finance.
A separate unpaid Pensions Council, with a majority of members representing consumer interests, will be established to advise me on pensions policy. I expect to appoint the Chairperson of the Pensions Authority shortly. I intend to call for expressions of interest for the appointment to the Pensions Council through the Public Appointments Service.
Social Welfare Tribunal
Under the provisions of Social Welfare legislation, I have the authority to appoint members to the board on the nomination of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the Irish Business and Employer's Confederation.
Local Authority Functions
Questions (95)
Kevin Humphreys
Question:95. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide a list of all specific new powers or functions conferred on local authorities by legislation under her area since June 2009 and a reference to the specific section or regulation in each case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7037/14]
View answerWritten answers
There is a high level of interaction between local authorities and the Department of Social Protection in the provision of housing assistance. For instance, the Rent Supplement scheme administered by the Department of Social Protection provides short-term income support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation, whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. A number of eligibility criteria apply to the Rent Supplement, including a requirement that the applicant must be assessed by a local authority as being in need of social housing support in accordance with the Housing Acts.
In general, the social welfare legislation does not confer specific powers or functions on local authorities in relation to the provision of housing assistance. However, section 265 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, inter alia, enables local authorities to share information with other State bodies and agencies for the purposes of assessing a person's housing needs and allocating local authority accommodation. These provisions were amended by section 8 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and were brought into effect by the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 (Commencement) Order 2010 (S.I. No. 253 of 2010) and the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 (Commencement) Order 2011 (S.I. No. 83 of 2011).
While the amendments contained in the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 updated relevant references to provisions contained in the Housing Acts, they did not make any substantive change in the existing powers provided for in section 265 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005.
Section 15 of the Social Welfare Act 2012 introduced a new household budgeting arrangement whereby local authority tenants who are in receipt of a social welfare payment may agree to have a portion of their social welfare payment withheld and paid to the local authority in respect of their rent. Once a person participates in this household budgeting arrangement, that person cannot withdraw from such agreement without the consent of the relevant local authority. However, the consent of the local authority cannot be unreasonably withheld in these circumstances.
These new arrangements were introduced with effect from 1 January 2014 by way of the Social Welfare Act 2012 (Section 15) (Commencement Order) 2013 (S.I. No. 579 of 2013) and the Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control) (Amendment) (No. 11) (Budgeting in Relation to Social Welfare Payments) Regulations 2013 (S.I. No. 580 of 2013).
Disability Allowance Data
Questions (96)
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin
Question:96. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide in tabular form the number of persons in receipt of invalidity pension; the number of persons in receipt of disability allowance in each of the years 2011, 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014; and if she will provide a breakdown of same by counties Cavan, Monaghan, Meath and Louth. [7043/14]
View answerWritten answers
The information requested by the Deputy is collated at county level by my Department annually for inclusion in the Statistical Information on Social Welfare Services report. Work has commenced on the compilation of data for the production of the 2013 report. However, the most recent data available, at present, in respect of the number of persons in receipt of invalidity pension and the number of persons in receipt of disability allowance in each of the years 2011, 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014, including a breakdown of same by counties Cavan, Monaghan, Meath and Louth, are detailed in the following tabular statements.
Disability Allowance
|
- |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
End of January 2014 |
|
Total |
102,866 |
101,784 |
106,279 |
106,673 |
|
Cavan |
1,364 |
1,367 |
Not Yet Collated |
Not Yet Collated |
|
Monaghan |
1,245 |
1,216 |
Not Yet Collated |
Not Yet Collated |
|
Meath |
2,449 |
2,516 |
Not Yet Collated |
Not Yet Collated |
|
Louth |
2,747 |
2,673 |
Not Yet Collated |
Not Yet Collated |
Invalidity Pension
|
- |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
End of January 2014 |
|
Total |
49,792 |
50,053 |
53,196 |
53,222 |
|
Cavan |
593 |
581 |
Not Yet Collated |
Not Yet Collated |
|
Monaghan |
522 |
508 |
Not Yet Collated |
Not Yet Collated |
|
Meath |
1,409 |
1,421 |
Not Yet Collated |
Not Yet Collated |
|
Louth |
1,779 |
1,755 |
Not Yet Collated |
Not Yet Collated |
Carer's Allowance Appeals
Questions (97)
Patrick O'Donovan
Question:97. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding a carer's allowance appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Wexford; if assistance will be offered to call them for an oral hearing as a matter of urgency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7047/14]
View answerWritten answers
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 person concerned may claim reasonable travel expenses involved in attending the 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.
Social Welfare Appeals Status
Questions (98)
Damien English
Question:98. Deputy Damien English asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will issue on an appeal registered on 25 March 2013, in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Meath; the reason for the delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7074/14]
View answerWritten answers
The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 25 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 the 13 September 2014 and the case has been referred to an Appeals Officer who expects to issue a decision in the matter to the person concerned within the next week.
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.
Free Travel Scheme Administration
Questions (99)
Terence Flanagan
Question:99. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding a free travel pass; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7077/14]
View answerWritten answers
Free travel passes are already widely used on bus routes which are operated by private companies. The current free travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by over 90 private transport operators. There are currently over 780,000 people in receipt of free travel.
Funding for the free travel scheme was frozen by the previous Government as outlined in the National Recovery Plan 2011-2014. During this period it has not been possible to accept additional routes or providers within the scheme.
Given the increasing number of recipients and the funding pressures, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and I established a working group with representatives from the two Departments, as well as the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the National Transport Authority to review the free travel scheme. The purpose of this review is to examine and report on the current operation and future development of the free travel scheme. This will include the conditions imposed on the scheme in the National Recovery Plan 2011 – 2014. The work of this group is expected to conclude shortly.