Written Answers Nos. 121-133
121. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the efforts his Department and IDA Ireland are making to attract a new company to the vacant Moy Isover facility in Ardfinnan, County Tipperary; if he is confident that a new company can be sourced for the factory which has been closed since November 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10300/14]
View answerI am informed by IDA Ireland that the property mentioned by the Deputy is not in the ownership of the agency. IDA Ireland is aware, however, of the availability of this property but has not had any client requirements for this type of facility. If the owners of the property so wish they can request IDA to include the facility on the agency’s database for marketing. However, as the requirements for facilities vary from client to client, IDA Ireland has pointed out that it could only market this particular facility to potential clients if the facility meets the requirements of that particular client.
122. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation further to Parliamentary Question No. 229 of 10 December 2013, when the Bill reforming the law on employees' right to engage in collective bargaining under the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2001 will be introduced; if a regulatory impact assessment will be published in advance of publication of this Bill; if he will confirm that the Bill will continue to respect Ireland’s voluntarist system of industrial relations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10318/14]
View answerIn my reply of 10 December 2013, I indicated that discussions with stakeholders on the programme for Government commitment to reform the current law on employees' right to engage in collective bargaining (the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2001), so as to ensure compliance by the State with recent judgments of the European Court of Human Rights were ongoing. While these discussions have yet to conclude, I hope to be in a position to bring forward legislative proposals in the near future.
It has been the consistent policy of successive Irish Governments to promote collective bargaining through the laws of this country and through the development of an institutional framework supportive of a voluntary system of industrial relations that is premised upon freedom of contract and freedom of association. I am certain that the existing legislative provisions in this area can be improved and secured while respecting Ireland’s voluntarist system of industrial relations. Any legislative proposals that emerge following the discussions with stakeholders will be the subject of a Regulatory Impact Assessment.
123. Deputy Noel Coonan asked the Minister for Social Protection when a domiciliary care allowance application will be finalised in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9990/14]
View answerAn application for domiciliary care allowance was received from the person concerned on the 2nd August 2013. This application was referred to one of the Department’s Medical Assessors whose opinion was that the child was not medically eligible for the allowance. A letter issued on the 9th September 2013 advising of the decision to disallow the application.
The person concerned subsequently lodged an appeal against this decision. As part of the appeal process, the case has been forwarded to another of the Department’s Medical Assessors for further consideration, including a review of new information supplied.
Upon receipt of the Medical Assessor’s opinion, the case will be further examined by a deciding officer, who will revise the original decision if warranted or forward the case for consideration by the Appeals Office.
124. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding a disability allowance review application in respect of a person (details supplied). [9999/14]
View answerThe person concerned was refused Disability Allowance by the Department on the grounds that they did not satisfy the medical conditionality. The Deciding Officer took into account the opinion of the Department’s Medical Assessor that the person concerned was not substantially restricted in seeking suitable employment, by reason of a specified disability, which is expected to last for a period of at least one year. The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 5th November 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 6th February 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.
Questions Nos. 125 and 126 withdrawn.
127. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection the number and location of participant on the Gateway programme to date. [10071/14]
View answer143. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide a county breakdown of the number of positions to be available under Gateway schemes in counties Monaghan, Cavan, Meath and Louth; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10297/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 127 and 143 together.
Gateway is one of a number of initiatives being offered by the Department to bridge the gap between unemployment and re-entering the workforce. The initiative is fulfilling the obligation in the Government’s programmes Pathways to Work and the Action Plan for Jobs which sets out specific commitments through which local authorities can support labour market activation schemes. Responsibility for delivery of this initiative rests with the individual county and/or city council. A target of 3,000 placements, focusing on those who have been unemployed for 24 months or more, has been set for the initiative. Participants are currently being selected by a random process conducted by the Department for recruitment by county and city councils.
Progress on the roll-out has been slower than anticipated. While, to date, small numbers have started work, progress is expected to accelerate in the coming weeks. County and city councils have given assurances of accelerating the recruitment process to fill all places identified and to meet the target of 3,000 placements at an early date.
The table under sets out the number of placements identified by the city and county councils, as well as the numbers actually engaged on Gateway as of week ending 21st February 2014.
|
Name of city/county council |
No.s engaged on Gateway at 21/02/14 |
Target no. places within city/county councils |
|
Carlow |
- |
55 |
|
Cavan |
- |
55 |
|
Clare |
- |
80 |
|
Cork City |
- |
110 |
|
Cork County |
- |
215 |
|
Donegal |
- |
80 |
|
Fingal |
4 |
215 |
|
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown |
- |
110 |
|
Dublin City |
- |
295 |
|
Galway City |
- |
55 |
|
Galway County |
- |
80 |
|
Kerry |
- |
80 |
|
Kildare |
- |
110 |
|
Kilkenny |
- |
80 |
|
Laois |
- |
55 |
|
Leitrim |
- |
55 |
|
Limerick |
47 |
110 |
|
Longford |
- |
55 |
|
Louth |
9 |
80 |
|
Mayo |
- |
80 |
|
Meath |
- |
110 |
|
Monaghan |
- |
55 |
|
Offaly |
- |
55 |
|
Roscommon |
- |
55 |
|
Sligo |
- |
55 |
|
South Dublin |
- |
215 |
|
North & South Tipperary |
- |
80 |
|
Waterford City & County |
- |
80 |
|
Westmeath |
- |
80 |
|
Wexford |
- |
80 |
|
Wicklow |
- |
80 |
|
Totals |
60 |
3,000 |
130. Deputy Emmet Stagg asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason for the delay in determining an appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare. [10137/14]
View answerThe 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 on 14th March 2014 in order to determine the appeal. The person concerned has been notified of the arrangements for the hearing.
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 number of appeals received peaked at 35,484, reducing to 32,777 appeals in 2013.
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. A major programme of process redesign and modernisation is also 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 a significant improvement in appeal processing times. The average processing time for all appeals peaked in 2011 at 52.5 weeks for an oral hearing and 25.1 weeks for a summary decision. In 2012, processing times improved by 10.3 weeks when the average time for an oral hearing was 39.5 weeks while there was a slight increase to 27.8 weeks for a summary decision. This improvement continued in 2013 to 33.9 weeks for an oral hearing and 25.8 weeks for a summary decision.
In addition to improved processing times, the number of appeals finalised in the appeals office has also increased as a result of these measures from 17,787 in 2009 to 38,421 in 2013. The number of appeals finalised in 2013 has also increased by 5,863 compared to 2012. Good progress has also been made in reducing the number of appeals on hand from 20,414 at 1 January 2013 to 14,077 at 24th February 2014.
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.
131. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been made on a carer's allowance appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Galway; if so, the outcome and the reasons for the outcome; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10140/14]
View answerI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an oral hearing of the appeal of the person concerned took place on 5th February 2014 and that the Appeals Officer is now considering the appeal in the light of all of the 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.
Question No. 132 withdrawn.
133. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if partial rent support will be offered to a person (details supplied) in Dublin 7 who is in full-time employment but having difficulty meeting the increased rent demands; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10172/14]
View answerThere is no record of an application for a rent supplement from the person concerned having being received in my Department; however it is open for him to make an application. It should be noted that persons engaged in full-time employment do not normally meet the qualification criteria for this scheme.
