Written Answers Nos. 294-313
294. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection if an arrangement exists whereby patients who require transport to attend a hospital appointment may apply to the community welfare officer for assistance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18643/14]
View answerUnder the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off and unforeseen expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. The Government has provided €31.3 million for the ENP scheme in 2014.
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 for the expenditure or payment rests with another Government Department or Agency such as patient transport. Responsibility for patient transport is a matter for the Health Service Executive.
295. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the basis on which invalidity pension was refused in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Waterford; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18654/14]
View answerThe medical eligibility criteria for disability allowance (DA) and for invalidity pension (IP) are not the same. To qualify for DA, a person (inter-alia) must be considered to be substantially restricted in undertaking employment suitable to his/her age, qualifications and experience. The medical eligibility criteria for IP specify that the person must be permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity.
The person concerned is currently in receipt of DA.
A claim for IP was received for the person concerned on 16 August 2011. A deciding officer decided at that time that the claimant did not satisfy the medical criteria and the claim was refused.
A further claim for IP was received for the person concerned on 22 November 2013. A medical diagnostic report completed by the claimant’s general practitioner was returned on 13 March 2014. The person concerned also attended an in-person medical assessment on 24 March 2014 with a medical assessor. A deciding officer, having taken all the relevant evidence into account, decided that the person concerned did not satisfy the qualifying conditions for IP. The claim was refused and the person in question was notified of this decision on 02 April 2014. He was advised of his right to request a review of the decision and also of his right to lodge an appeal with the social welfare appeals office.
To date no further correspondence has been received from the person concerned.
296. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which a payment and-or support is available in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18655/14]
View answerIn order to qualify for the household benefits package a person must satisfy certain qualifying conditions. In this instance, the person concerned does not qualify as he is under 66 years of age and he is not in receipt of a qualifying payment from the Department e.g. invalidity pension or disability allowance.
297. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if rent support will be made available in the case of persons (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18660/14]
View answerNo rent supplement application has been received from these clients by the relevant Unit of the Department. Should the clients wish to make application they may contact the Unit directly at midleinsterrentsunit@welfare.ie or on the lo-call number 1890 800 698, where the criteria for rent supplement can be discussed.
298. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection notwithstanding her replies to previous parliamentary questions, the extent to which the deciding officer in her Department has had sight of the alleged private mutual agreement in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18661/14]
View answerUnder Social Welfare legislation, Deciding Officers are appointed to decide on entitlement to benefit or assistance. In coming to their decision on entitlement, the role of the Deciding Officer is to consider the evidence supplied and from that evidence establish the facts of the case. The Deciding Officer applies the legislation to the established facts.
In this case, the evidence considered by the Deciding Officer included correspondence from both the person concerned and the child’s mother. This evidence indicated that the care arrangements in this case were agreed between both of these parties.
Based on this evidence, the Deciding Officer decided that the care arrangements in place for the child in question were by private mutual agreement between the child’s mother and the person concerned and the child was not therefore deemed to be abandoned as defined in social welfare legislation. As a result, the Deciding Officer disallowed the Guardian’s payment (contributory) claim of the person concerned on 30th May 2012.
This decision was appealed by the person concerned to the Social Welfare Appeals Office and the decision of the Deciding Officer was upheld by the Appeals Officer on 15th March 2013. Under social welfare legislation, the decision of an Appeals Officer is final.
If there are new facts or evidence which the person concerned wishes to make available to the Deciding Officer or the Appeals Officer, they should forward it to the Guardian’s payments section, requesting a review of their entitlement.
299. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection notwithstanding her replies to previous Parliamentary Questions in the matter of entitlement to guardianship payment in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; if any evidence exists to support her Department's deciding officer's contention in the case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18662/14]
View answerFollowing a review of entitlement to guardian’s payment (contributory) in respect of the person concerned, it emerged that the circumstances in relation to the child’s mother had changed. The person concerned was asked to provide independent evidence to support her contention that the child satisfied the definition of an orphan under social welfare legislation. Sufficient evidence was not provided and the deciding officer decided that, with effect from 22 February 2013, there was no longer an entitlement to guardian’s payment (contributory), as the child concerned was not considered to be an orphan under social welfare legislation.
This decision was appealed by the person concerned to the Social Welfare Appeals Office and the decision of the deciding officer was upheld by the Appeals Officer on 24th January 2014. Under social welfare legislation, the decision of an Appeals Officer is final.
However, if the circumstances in relation to the child change, the person concerned can request a review of her entitlement to Guardian’s payment (contributory), supported by any relevant new evidence.
300. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection when carer's allowance will be restored in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18663/14]
View answerA child under 16 years is deemed medically eligible for carer's allowance when domiciliary care allowance is in payment for that child. Once the child reaches 16 years of age and entitlement to domiciliary care allowance ceases, a review of the continuing entitlement to carer’s allowance is undertaken as medical eligibility is no longer automatically satisfied and must be confirmed. This resulted in a review in this case. Following that review carer’s allowance in respect of one care recipient was stopped on 26th March 2014 as it was decided that the medical criteria were no longer satisfied.
The person in question submitted additional medical evidence in support of their application. However following review the decision to disallow carer’s allowance was confirmed. The person in question was notified of this on the 2nd April 2014 and of her right of appeal to the independent social welfare appeals office within 21 days.
301. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Social Protection when her Department will begin to administer the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived; the forms of assistance that will be available; and if she will advise on the sectors or groups that may seek to avail of this funding. [18688/14]
View answerThe regulation to create and underpin the operations of the new EU Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived was adopted by the Council in early March and came into effect shortly thereafter. Under this regulation, Member States will be required to devise operational plans to procure supplies and support the distribution of food and consumer good using partner organisations (NGOs) and other public bodies to support these efforts.
This Department has been tasked with the development of the operational programme and has been in discussion with the European Commission and other agencies in setting out the implementation arrangements. A key priority is to ensure the administrative and associated cost burdens associated with the Fund are minimised to ensure that the indicative EU and Exchequer allocation of up to €3.5m per annum is prioritised for the purchase and distribution of food stuffs and goods. The regulation requires certain tasks to be undertaken in the preparation of the operational programme, including undertaking an ex-ante evaluation by a competent independent body and consultation with interested parties and stakeholders.
The European Commission is continuing to finalise its guidance for Members States to underpin the development of the operational programme and the delivery of the programme.
Given that this Fund represent a new and innovative approach to the delivery of such support, a number of matters remain to be clarified before commitments to a particular delivery approach can be made. The regulation requires that the assistance will be procured on the basis of needs identified nationally through the ex-ante evaluation and consultation process and agreed with the European Commission in the context of an operational programme.
302. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide, in tabular form for the years 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014, the number of persons in receipt of mortgage interest supplement and the overall cost of the payment in each of those years; and the expected number of persons who will exit the scheme this year and in each year up to 2017. [18689/14]
View answerThe original purpose of the mortgage interest supplement scheme was to provide short-term support to eligible people who are unable to meet their mortgage interest repayments in respect of a house which is their sole place of residence. The supplement assists with the interest portion of the mortgage repayments only. There are currently approximately 8,500 people in receipt of mortgage interest supplement for which the Government has provided €17.9 million in 2014.
The Government’s strategy to assist those in mortgage difficulty is built around the following measures, as recommended in the 2011 Interdepartmental Mortgage Arrears Working Group (Keane Group), in four main distinct areas:
- Lenders providing sustainable and durable resolution options to their borrowers.
- A social housing response (Mortgage to Rent).
- Comprehensive advice to borrowers.
- Personal Insolvency Reform.
In the context of the overall strategy, the continued payment of mortgage interest supplement does little to assist recipients in improving the long term difficulty in addressing their mortgage problem and provides little incentive for the lender to provide sustainable solutions.
The most appropriate way in which customers experiencing mortgage difficulties can be supported is through engagement with their lender under the Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process (MARP) which explores the various options available to the person and provides sustainable solutions.
As part of the fiscal adjustment required for Budget 2014, provision was made for the discontinuation of entitlement to mortgage interest supplement for all new applicants from 1 January 2014. Existing customers are not affected by this measure and may retain entitlement to the scheme over a four year period, up to 1st January 2018.
This timeframe allows for a winding down – primarily through securing employment, sustainable solutions being put in place by the lenders or through the use of exit strategies sponsored by the Department of Environment, Community & Local Government (DECLG) namely the Mortgage-to-Rent scheme.
The number of mortgage interest supplement recipients at the end of each year from 2012 to 2013 and total scheme expenditure for those years are provided in the tabular statement. Forecast recipients exiting the scheme from 2014 to 2017 are also provided.
Mortgage Interest Supplement – Recipients and Expenditure 2012-2013
|
Year |
Recipients at Year End |
Expenditure €000 |
|
2012 |
14,597 |
55,082 |
|
2013 |
9,768 |
35,049* |
Mortgage Interest Supplement – Forecast Persons Exiting 2014 - 2017
|
Year |
Recipients Exiting |
|
2014 |
3,500 |
|
2015 |
2,100 |
|
2016 |
2,100 |
|
2017 |
2,068 |
303. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will confirm (details supplied) if €14 million is being spent every year and if the 6,000 places available are actually being taken up. [18706/14]
View answerIn Budget 2013, a joint initiative between the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs was announced to provide subsidised after-school childcare places for low-income and unemployed persons who enter employment. The purpose of the after-school child care (ASCC) scheme is to help offset some of the after-school childcare costs that are associated with availing of an employment opportunity in a bid to encourage more individuals to take up employment.
The scheme was funded from savings of €14 million from the Department. There are 42 children availing of ASCC childcare places as at 23rd April 2014. Due to the low take up of places the €14m funding has been re-focused for 2014 to support customers on community employment (CE) programmes via the childcare education and training scheme (CETS). To date 237 places have been taken up on the CE CETS scheme.
The €14m budget has been re-allocated in 2014 as follows:
|
Expansion of CETS to CE participants |
€7.5m (approx. 1,800 places) |
|
Afterschool childcare scheme |
€2m (approx. 800 places) |
|
Quality improvements initiatives – Dept. of Children and Youth Affairs |
€4.5m |
|
Total |
€14m |
The afterschool childcare scheme continues to be available nationally in 2014 with funding of €2m ring-fenced for these customers providing 800 places. The allocation of places and funding for both the ASCC and CE CETS will continue to be monitored and reviewed during 2014.
304. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will expedite an appeal for carer's allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18708/14]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 23rd April 2014, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the 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 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider extending the children's allowance to cover all children up to and including 18 years of age who remain in full-time, second level education as the expense of secondary school remains in place even though the child is 18 years old; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18729/14]
View answerChild benefit is a monthly universal payment to assist with the costs associated with raising children. It is paid to around 616,000 families in respect of some 1.17 million children, with an estimated expenditure of around €1.9 billion in 2014. Child benefit continues to be paid in respect of children up to their 18th birthday who are in full-time education or who have a disability. I am conscious that child benefit is an important source of income for all families.
Budget 2009 provided for the reduction of the age for which child benefit is paid from under 19 years to under 18 years. This measure was implemented in full in 2011 and has resulted in savings of €79 million on an annual basis. A value for money review of child income supports undertaken by the Department of Social Protection in 2010 found that participation patterns in education support the 18 year age limit for child benefit. I have no immediate plans to make any changes to the age threshold for child benefit. Furthermore, any changes to the eligibility criteria for child benefit could only be decided in a budgetary context.
Families on a low income can avail of a number of social welfare schemes to support children in full-time education until the age of 22, including the qualified child increase (QCI) on primary payments, the family income supplement (FIS) and the back to school clothing and footwear allowance. These payments provide a level of assistance which is directly or indirectly linked with a household’s income situation. I am therefore satisfied that the social protection system adequately supports low income families with children aged 18 years and over who are participating in full-time education.
306. Deputy Noel Coonan asked the Minister for Social Protection when a carer's allowance appeal will be finalised in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary. [18730/14]
View answerI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an oral hearing of the appeal of the person concerned took place on the 2nd April 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.
307. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Social Protection the eligibility criteria for the Gateway programme; if it is envisaged that persons on disability allowance will gain work with local authorities as part of this programme and if so, if any indications are available as to the numbers involved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18738/14]
View answer310. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason the Tús or Gateway schemes are not open to persons who are in receipt of disability allowance. [18783/14]
View answer311. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason those who are interested in the Tús or Gateway schemes cannot have their interest in being a participant in such scheme recorded-included in those who would be allocated a place. [18784/14]
View answer312. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will outline the logic behind refusing to have a training budget for the Gateway participants to enhance their employability. [18785/14]
View answer313. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection the logic behind the failure to have supervisors to co-ordinate, liaise and monitor participants as part of the Gateway scheme. [18786/14]
View answer317. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress made to date on the roll-out of the Gateway project. [18804/14]
View answer355. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to introduce a scheme which will allow local authorities to employ persons with disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19111/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 307, 310 to 313, inclusive, 317 and 355 together.
The purpose of Gateway and Tús is to focus on jobseekers who are long-term unemployed. For this reason, eligibility is confined to those on the Live Register and receiving a jobseekers allowance payment for 24 months in the case of Gateway and 12 months for Tús. Selection for both schemes is by way of random selection of those eligible by the Department. These provisions are to ensure a targeted approach to those jobseekers currently affected by long-term unemployment. Persons in receipt of disability payments are not, therefore, eligible for participation on either Gateway or Tús. I currently have no plans to extend the qualifying criteria beyond that identified above.
The level of placements allocated to Gateway is 3,000 with 7,500 allocated to Tús. As of 28th April, Gateway was supporting 177 participants and Tús 7,419. Some 380 Tús supervisory posts are also being supported. In respect of supervision on Gateway, the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government recently sanctioned 150 acting-up allowances for existing staff to support the scheme. That Department has also provided €2m in funding as a contribution towards once-off costs such as health and safety, training for specified tasks and personal protective equipment.
The operation of all schemes funded, either in part or full, by this Department is monitored on an on-going basis and changes are introduced to facilitate more efficient and effective operation and/or to better address the needs of jobseekers. In this context, the Department is currently examining a range of options to provide jobseekers interested in working on either Gateway or Tús with opportunities to access and participate on the schemes.
308. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will expedite an application for a social welfare appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath, as same has been submitted a number of months ago; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18748/14]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on the 3rd March 2014. 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 14th March 2014 and the case was referred to an Appeals Officer on the 17th April 2014 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.
309. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount her Department spent on the State pension in 2013. [18764/14]
View answerThe estimated expenditures on State pensions for 2013 are as follows-
|
State Pension (Non-Contributory) |
€952.4m |
|
State Pension (Contributory) |
€3,983.3m |
|
State Pension (Transition) |
€137.3m |
|
Widows', Widowers' / Surviving Civil Partners' Pension (Contributory) |
€1,349.8m |
|
Widows', Widowers' / Surviving Civil Partners' Pension (Death Benefit) |
€7.8m |
This amounts to just over €6.43 billion, compared to just over €6.26 billion in 2012, an increase of just over 2.7%.
The figures available in respect of 2013 expenditure are provisional at this point, and will be until approved by the Comptroller & Auditor General.
