Written Answers Nos. 245-260
245. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of freezing the age limit for a relevant child for the one-parent family payment at ten years for all applicants and recipients in 2014 and 2015 respectively. [30228/14]
View answer246. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if there will be an implied cost to the Department in 2015 of maintaining the age of the relevant child for one-parent family payment at ten years of age. [30229/14]
View answer247. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of freezing the one-parent family payment income disregard at €90 next year. [30230/14]
View answer248. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing the one-parent family payment income disregard in €10 increments from €90 to €150 respectively. [30231/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 245 to 248, inclusive, together.
The information that the Deputy has requested is currently not available in the Department. Given the complex nature of the request, the Department will provide the information directly to the Deputy in due course.
249. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the estimated revenue that would be raised by introducing a new employer's rate of PRSI of 15.75% on the portion of salary paid in excess of €100,000 per annum. [30232/14]
View answerIt is not possible to provide this figure in the time available. I will revert directly to the Deputy with the figure as soon as possible.
250. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the estimated share of the total employer' class A PRSI contributions yield derived from employments in respect of which the higher rate of employers PRSI is payable relative to the percentage derived from employments with respect to which the lower rate is payable and the total number of persons in class A insurance in 2013. [30233/14]
View answerThe most recently available estimates relating to employers PRSI for 2014 show that the estimated share of employers’ class A PRSI contributions paid at the higher rate relative to the percentage derived from employments with respect to which the lower rate is paid is as follows:
|
--- |
% |
|
Lower Rate |
5.4 |
|
Higher Rate |
94.6 |
The total number of persons in class A insurance in 2012 was 2,182,783. Figures for 2013 are not yet available.
256. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the cost of the school meals scheme in 2014; the projected cost of the scheme in 2015; the number of schools this scheme will be available in and the cost of rolling out/extending the scheme to an additional 500/600/700/800 schools respectively. [30241/14]
View answerThe school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food services to some 1,600 schools and organisations which benefits some 205,000 children through two schemes. The first is the statutory urban school meals scheme, operated by local authorities and part-financed by the Department. The second is the school meals local projects scheme through which funding is provided directly to participating schools and local and voluntary community groups who run their own school meals projects. The Government has provided €37 million for the scheme in 2014.
Despite pressure on the social protection budget, the Government allocated an additional €2 million for the school meals programme in 2013, increasing the total allocation from €35 million to €37 million. The additional €2 million was used to extend the school meals local projects scheme to some 100 additional DEIS and special schools benefiting over 9,700 children.
The school meals scheme is in place to provide support to disadvantaged children and priority is given to schools to schools which are part of the Department of Education and Skills’ initiative for disadvantaged schools, ‘Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools’ (DEIS). Analysis undertaken with the Department of Education and Skills shows that there are currently 850 DEIS schools of which some 715 are participating in the school meals programme. Applications from DEIS schools not currently participating in the scheme will continue to be accepted into the scheme for the forthcoming academic year.
Budget 2014 announced the provision of breakfast clubs to support school going children in disadvantaged areas. Correspondence has issued to 12 DEIS schools currently participating in the scheme which have applied for funding towards a breakfast club for the forthcoming academic year.
The cost of extending the scheme to additional schools can only be quantified where more specific information is available such as the number of pupils and the type of food clubs provided. Details of the various food clubs available under the scheme and the maximum daily rate per pupil is provided in the attached tabular statement.
The financial provision for the scheme in 2015 could only be considered in a budgetary context.
School Meals Food Clubs
|
Meal |
Maximum Rate of Payment (per child per day) |
Examples of Food to be Provided |
|
Breakfast/Snack |
€0.60 |
Cereal, Toast, Scone, Fruit, Yogurt, Milk, Unsweetened Juice-2 Items must be provided |
|
Lunch |
€1.40 |
Filled Sandwich/Roll or Soup & Roll or Salad Plate, plus 2 other items (e.g. Milk, Unsweetened Juice, Fruit, Yogurt) |
|
Dinner |
€1.90 |
Meat, Potatoes & Vegetables or Chicken Curry or Spaghetti Bolognaise, plus a drink (Milk, Unsweetened Juice, Water) |
258. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the cost of extending the duration of jobseeker's benefit by three months. [30243/14]
View answerThe jobseeker's benefit and jobseeker’s allowance schemes provide income support for people who have lost work and are unable to find alternative full-time employment. The 2014 Estimates for the Department provide for expenditure this year on the jobseekers’ schemes of €3.28 billion.
The profile of the schemes has changed significantly over recent years, in particular in respect of jobseeker’s benefit where recipient numbers have steadily decreased from a crisis peak of over 180,000 in 2009 to circa 55,000 currently.
In considering the potential costs associated with any proposal to increase the duration of jobseeker’s benefit a range of policy and operational factors would have to be considered. These would include implementation issues, such as the treatment of existing recipients at the date of implementation, and the extent to which associated costs would be moderated via reduced recourse to other schemes, such as jobseeker’s assistance. Such detailed considerations have not been undertaken. In this context it is not possible at this point in time to supply a robust cost estimate in respect of this measure.
259. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of bids received in the JobPath tender process; the names of the bidding companies and if he will provide an update on the process. [30244/14]
View answerThe Department is currently in the process of finalising the evaluation of tenders for the provision of employment services under the JobPath initiative. This is a confidential process and is being conducted in accordance with EU and national public procurement rules. No information in relation to the tenders will be released during the process. In order to respect the procurement process I have not sought, nor have I received, any information regarding the tenders.
