Written Answers Nos. 404-428
405. Deputy Kevin Humphreys asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the amount of funding her Department provides for library services for persons with a visual impairment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29582/14]
View answerThis Department does not provide funding for library services for persons with a visual impairment.
408. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide the name, position and annual salary awarded to each of her special advisers; if she will provide details of any request made for an increase above the special adviser pay cap from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the amount of the increase sought. [29609/14]
View answerGovernment limits on salaries and numbers of advisors are not applicable to the Taoiseach and Tánaiste.
The names and details of the salaries of the two Special Advisors I have appointed are shown in the following table.
|
Title |
Name |
Annual Salary |
|
Special Advisor |
Edward Brophy |
€119,577 |
|
Press Advisor |
Paul O’Brien |
€75,647 - €92,550 |
As Mr. Edward Brophy was previously employed in the private sector on a salary package that was more than twice the highest point of the Principal Officer (standard) scale, I sought sanction from the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for remuneration in excess of the applicable pay scale grade. A single point salary of €127,796 was sanctioned by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform effective from 29 July 2011. This represented a reduction of over one third in Mr. Brophy’s previous salary in the private sector. His salary was reduced to €119,572 per annum on 1 July 2013 in accordance with the Haddington Road Agreement.
Mr. Paul O’Brien was appointed in December 2012. Mr O’Brien on a salary of €80,051 per annum, the first point of the Principal Officer (standard) scale when he was appointed. However, his salary was reduced in accordance with the Haddington Road Agreement on 1 July 2013. Mr O’Brien progressed to the next point on the pay scale in December 2013.
410. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the position regarding illness benefit and carer's allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29643/14]
View answerI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to allow the Illness Benefit appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision in writing on 4 July 2014. I understand from Carers Allowance Section that the person concerned has been in receipt of Carers Allowance since 11 April 2013. 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.
411. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when an application for carer's allowance will be processed in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 15; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29651/14]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 30 June 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.
412. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when an application for carer's allowance appeal will be processed in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29652/14]
View answerI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an oral hearing of the appeal of the person concerned took place on 25 June 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.
413. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will confirm that before deciding to support the conclusion by the chairperson of the Pensions Authority that a complaint of failure by the trustees to comply with the law, trust deed and rules when amending the benefit structure of active pensioners does not fall within the board's remit and her accusation that the complainant made very serious allegations against a number of parties, including the Pensions Authority (details supplied), her Department obtained a written report detailing the criteria applied and reasons for the chairperson's conclusion as well as details of and justification for the very serious allegations she has accused the complainant of making; and if she will provide this information to the complainant as the chairperson, in breach of her statutory obligation under freedom of information legislation, has refused to do so. [29654/14]
View answer414. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 336 and 337 of 10 June and Question No. 94 of 18 June 2014, where she responded as if she has been asked to comment on issues arising in a particular pension scheme, if she will acknowledge that the issues raised with her Department refer solely to the Pensions Authority not complying with its statutory obligation under the Pensions Act to ensure scheme trustees carry out the duties imposed on them by law including the Pensions Act and the ineffective oversight of the Pensions Authority by her Department which has resulted in the undermining of the statutory regulation of pension schemes falling within the remit of the Pensions Authority. [29655/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 413 and 414 together.
The remit of the Pensions Authority is determined by the provisions in the Pensions Act. Its remit does not extend to the supervision of the trust deed and rules of a pension scheme. It is not within the remit of the Pensions Authority to ensure that the trustees of a pension scheme carry out the duties imposed on them by law other than the duties set out for the trustees in the Pensions Act.
It should be noted that the benefits of a pension can be restructured under the provisions of the Pensions Act or can be restructured under the rules of the scheme and without reference to any provisions or requirements of the Pensions Act. If the benefits of a scheme are restructured without reference to the provisions in the Pensions Act then any such adjustment of scheme benefits would not come within the remit of the Pensions Authority.
The matters raised by the complainant have been considered at the highest level both within the Pensions Authority and within the Department and unfortunately the outcome has not been to the satisfaction of the complainant. The Pensions Authority does not have the power to enforce the statutory provisions which established the scheme and the complainant will have to seek relief elsewhere.
If it is considered that a pension is not being paid in accordance with the rules of a pension scheme, the person concerned can invoke the dispute resolution procedures which the scheme is obliged to operate and if they are still dissatisfied, they can bring the complaint to the Pensions Ombudsman. You may also wish to note that the Pensions Authority came under the remit of the Ombudsman (not the Pensions Ombudsman), who deals with customers who feel they may have been unfairly treated by public bodies.
415. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when a decision will issue on a carer’s allowance appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) County Donegal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29661/14]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 7 February 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 1 July 2014 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, will 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.
416. Deputy Heather Humphreys asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when a decision will issue on a carer's allowance appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Monaghan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29698/14]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 9 January 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 3 June 2014 and the case has been 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.
417. Deputy John Lyons asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will consider extending the water allowance payment to all full-time carers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29711/14]
View answerAt its meeting on 6th May 2014, discussing Irish Water financing, the Government approved a financial assistance package from this Department which will be available from 2015 to those eligible for the existing household benefits package. The household benefits package is paid to 410,000 customers at an estimated cost of €230 million in 2014. The Department is currently preparing the necessary system changes and operational guidelines for the introduction of this new water support component to the existing household benefits package. The household benefits package is currently available to full-time carers who are in receipt of carer’s allowance from my Department and who are living with the person for whom they are caring.
418. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide in tabular form by county the number of persons who lost their farm assist payments under the terms of budget 2013. [29745/14]
View answerThe farm assist scheme was introduced in 1999 to replace ‘Smallholders Unemployment Assistance’ for low income farmers, without the requirement to be available for and genuinely seeking work. This year the Department will spend approximately €91.6 million on the farm assist scheme and it is expected that an average of 9,900 individuals will be in receipt of this payment each week.
Statistics on the numbers of persons whose entitlement to farm assist ceased directly as a result of the changes announced in the 2013 Budget are not available. However, the following table details recipient numbers at points before and after the changes were introduced in April, 2013.
Farm assist – total claims awarded March 2013 and June 2013
|
County |
Mar-13 |
Jun-13 |
|
Carlow |
81 |
77 |
|
Cavan |
395 |
368 |
|
Clare |
601 |
579 |
|
Cork |
902 |
874 |
|
Donegal |
1,554 |
1,529 |
|
Dublin |
34 |
34 |
|
Galway |
1,094 |
1,071 |
|
Kerry |
812 |
781 |
|
Kildare |
52 |
44 |
|
Kilkenny |
145 |
136 |
|
Laois |
158 |
146 |
|
Leitrim |
399 |
388 |
|
Limerick |
253 |
242 |
|
Longford |
258 |
250 |
|
Louth |
88 |
80 |
|
Mayo |
1,817 |
1,762 |
|
Meath |
92 |
86 |
|
Monaghan |
505 |
484 |
|
North-Tipperary |
228 |
222 |
|
Offaly |
132 |
120 |
|
Roscommon |
422 |
419 |
|
Sligo |
312 |
309 |
|
South-Tipperary |
162 |
157 |
|
Waterford |
92 |
85 |
|
Westmeath |
184 |
178 |
|
Wexford |
248 |
233 |
|
Wicklow |
81 |
72 |
|
- |
11,101 |
10,726 |
419. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the amount it would cost to restore farm assist to 2013 levels. [29746/14]
View answerThe farm assist scheme was introduced in 1999 to replace ‘Smallholders Unemployment Assistance’ for low income farmers, without the requirement to be available for and genuinely seeking work. This year the Department will spend approximately €91.6 million on the farm assist scheme and it is expected that an average of 9,900 individuals will be in receipt of this payment each week. Recent changes to the scheme have brought it into closer alignment with the jobseeker’s allowance scheme’s treatment of self-employed persons. In respect of the farm assist scheme, preliminary estimates indicate that changing the rate assessment of means from self-employment, including farming, from 100% to 85%; and re- introducing deductions from income for children of €127 per year for each of the first two dependent children and €190.50 per year for each subsequent child; would cost approximately €5 million in a full year.
421. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will meet the National Traveller Partnership as soon as possible (details supplied). [29775/14]
View answerI understand that the matters of concern to the National Traveller Partnership relate to the current public procurement process for the delivery of the future Social Inclusion Community Activation Programme under the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. These matters are primarily for that Department to address.
Officials from the Department of Social Protection have already made contact with the representative whose details were supplied to identify the matters of concern and will raise these with the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. In considering a request for a meeting, the need to respect the current public procurement process and the role that the Partnership may have in respect of the future delivery of services to the Traveller community under the new Programme must be taken into account.
422. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she is satisfied with a social welfare appeal being furnished to an appeals officer in early February of this year in respect of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29778/14]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned, was registered in that office on 24 January 2014. The case was referred to an Appeals Officer on 6 February 2014 who requested clarification on certain issues from the Department of Social Protection on 25 March 2014. Following receipt of the clarification, the Appeals Officer 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 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.
423. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her plans to increase the age of eligibility for the Youth Guarantee scheme ahead of the next budget. [29813/14]
View answerImplementation of the Youth Guarantee is a medium-term policy of the Irish Government. It is envisaged that the guarantee as it affects those aged under 18 years will be implemented within 2 years, i.e. by the end of 2015. The guarantee of an offer of training, education or work experience for those aged 18-24 years after a four month period will be implemented on a phased basis.
Starting in 2014, and for completion by the end of 2014, processes and programmes will be progressively rolled out to ensure that all of those young unemployed people who need most support (i.e. are assessed as having a low probability of securing employment in the absence of support from the Public Employment Services) will receive a Youth Guarantee offer within four months.
During 2014 – 2015 all long-term unemployed young people under 25 will be engaged by the Public Employment Service and will receive a Youth Guarantee offer if still unemployed after four months of this engagement process commencing.
The operation and coverage of the Youth Guarantee offer described above will be reviewed before the end of 2015, in the light of developments in the economy and in the labour market. Should the labour market situation of young people improve during this period the review will examine opportunities to broaden and deepen the level of supports offered in respect of those young people who continue to be unemployed.
The EU Council Recommendation on the Guarantee recommends that member states “should “ensure that all young people under the age of 25 years receive a good-quality offer of employment, continued education, an apprenticeship or a traineeship within a period of four months of becoming unemployed or leaving formal education”.
The age coverage for the implementation of the Guarantee here is in line with the EU Recommendation, and there are accordingly no plans to increase the age of eligibility for the youth guarantee in Ireland.
424. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the services and opportunities that are offered to those seeking work by the Skills to Work initiative; if the Skills to Work roadshow will visit Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29817/14]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the Government launched the Skills to Work initiative on 19 May 2014, funded by the Department of Education & Skills. The Skills to Work campaign promotes in particular five initiatives. Three run by the Department of Education and Skills: Springboard, Momentum and Skillnets; and two run by the Department of Social Protection: JobBridge and JobsPlus. Participation in the following events has been planned by the Department of the Taoiseach to publicise the initiative:
|
Date |
Event |
Location |
|
5-6 September 2014 |
Which Course? Adult Education Fair |
Dublin |
|
13 September 2014 |
Career Zoo |
Dublin |
|
September 2014 |
Jobs Expo |
Cork |
|
8 October 2014 |
Grad Ireland Graduate Careers Fair |
Dublin |
|
16 October 2014 |
Taking Care of Business |
Dublin |
425. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the correct level of jobseeker's allowance payable in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29839/14]
View answerThe person concerned is in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance at the full maximum personal rate of €188 per week.
426. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will undertake to review the decision to discontinue the telephone allowance; the implications this decision has had on old age pensioners and persons living alone in rural isolated areas; if she will give due consideration to an alternative system or an exemption or an allowance for persons living alone who have monitored phone alarms or panic buttons and who rely on a landline telephone connection; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29863/14]
View answerThe overall concern of Government in Budget 2014 and previous Budgets has been to protect the primary social welfare rates. The biggest single block of expenditure in the Department in the Estimate for 2014 is expenditure on pensions which will amount to €6.5 billion, or 33% of overall expenditure. Because of demographic change the Department’s spending on older people is increasing year on year. In 2013, the Department had to make provision for an additional €190 million for the increasing number of pensioners. Maintaining the rate of the State pension and other core payments is critical in relation to protecting people from poverty.
To allow the Department to protect core payments, we have had to look very carefully at other additional payments such as the household benefits package.
In Budget 2014, I regretfully had to make the decision to abolish the telephone allowance, which was €9.50 per month, for all recipients. I am not in a position to reverse this decision or provide an alternative payment.
The decision to discontinue the telephone allowance provided annual savings of €48 million and meant that the Department was able to retain the other elements of the household benefits package such as the electricity and gas allowance and the television licence. These are valuable supports for recipients. The Department will spend €230 million this year on these elements of the household benefits package for over 410,000 customers.
The fuel allowance scheme and the free travel pass were also protected for older people and people with disabilities. The living alone allowance was maintained at €7.70 per week.
The Department of Environment, Community and Local Government operates the seniors alert scheme which provides grant support for the supply of equipment such as personal alarms, smoke detectors and security lighting to enable older people without sufficient means to continue to live securely in their homes. The budget allocation for 2013 was €2.35 million. There has been no reduction in this funding in Budget 2014.
428. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will increase the living alone allowance form €7.70 a week in budget 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29898/14]
View answerThe Living Alone Allowance (LAA) was introduced from October 1977, and is an additional payment of €7.70 per week made to people aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments, including State pensions, and who are living alone. It is also available to people who are less than 66 years of age, living alone and in receipt of disability allowance, invalidity pension, incapacity supplement or blind pension.
The most recent Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC) data from 2012 show that the various poverty indicators demonstrate no significant difference in outcomes for those over 65 living alone, and those over 65 who live with another adult. The “at risk of poverty rate” for households aged over 65 with one adult was 12.9%. For households with two adults it was 13%. Similarly, the consistent poverty rate for households aged over 65 with one adult was 3.1% and for two adults it was 2.9%.
Each €1 increase in the living alone allowance would cost €9.4 million in a full year. The overall concern of the Government in recent budgets has been to protect the primary weekly social welfare rates. Maintaining the rate of the State pension and other core payments is critical in protecting people from poverty.
The appropriate rates of welfare payments in 2015, including the weekly rate of the living alone allowance, will be considered in the context of the Government’s discussions on the next Budget.
