Written Answers Nos. 75-95
75. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the way citizens signing for credited contributions with her Department could be further supported in acquiring skills and training opportunities in order to assist them to return to the workforce. [30822/14]
View answerGiven the scale of unemployment, the key objective of activation policy and labour market initiatives has been to offer assistance to those most in need of support in securing work and achieving financial self-sufficiency. Accordingly the employment services and schemes provided by the Department are focused in the first instance on the cohort of people who are unemployed and in receipt of a social welfare payment (either Jobseekers Allowance or Jobseekers Benefit). There are no plans to make changes to these arrangements at present.
Despite this focus, access to training and employment programmes is also open to other groups under certain circumstances. Thus, persons who have been signing for credits for three months (78 days) of the last six months are eligible to participate in the JobBridge programme. Persons signing on for credits for 12 months or longer are also entitled to participate on Momentum provided that they have been actively seeking work. Persons signing for six months or more are entitled to participate on VTOS courses subject to availability. In the case of VTOS courses, participants do not receive a training allowance but may receive travel and lunch allowances from the VEC.
More generally, a range of services are available to persons who are unemployed but not in receipt of a social welfare payment. For example employment services, such as advice on job-search activities and the use of online job search tools, are available to people if they register with the Department’s employment services offices, regardless of their social welfare status. Furthermore, unemployed persons not in receipt of payments may also be eligible to avail of up-skilling opportunities, for example through ETB (formerly FÁS) training for unemployed people, but are not eligible to receive a training allowance while undertaking the course. The Work Placement Programme is also open to persons not in receipt of a social welfare payment, although the participant will not receive a payment while on the programme.
76. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the progress of the rent supplement initiative with Threshold; and the number of households that have availed of this to date. [30934/14]
View answerThe purpose of rent supplement is to provide short-term income support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation. There are approximately 76,000 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €344 million for 2014. Prospective tenants, including those seeking to access rent supplement, particularly in urban areas, are finding it increasingly difficult to secure appropriate accommodation due to the reduced availability of rental properties. In view of these difficulties, the Department has agreed a protocol with the Dublin local authorities and voluntary organisations so that families on rent supplement who are at risk of losing their accommodation can have more timely and appropriate interventions made on their behalf. To date, some 20 cases have been referred to the Department under this protocol, of which 7 cases have been finalised. The remaining cases are being processed in line with the terms of the protocol.
I can assure the Deputy that officers administering rent supplement throughout the country have considerable experience in dealing with customers and make every effort to ensure that their accommodation needs are met. A notice reminding all staff of their statutory discretionary power to award a supplement for rental purposes in exceptional cases, for example, when dealing with applicants who at risk of losing their tenancy, has recently been circulated.
77. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of investigations that have taken place following complaints made by interns on the JobBridge scheme; the number of these that resulted in a finding against a host organisation; the number of companies that have been banned from the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30935/14]
View answerA rigorous monitoring system is in place to ensure that the JobBridge scheme is not abused. More than 6,600 on-site monitoring visits have been conducted in the 3 years since the JobBridge scheme was introduced. These on-site monitoring visits are to host organisations either chosen at random or visits arranged in response to concerns raised by interns or others. 97% of those visits found internships to be proceeding satisfactorily and in line with the established criteria. 41 host organisations have been excluded from participation in the JobBridge scheme. However, the vast majority of the more than 13,000 host organisations are compliant and participate successfully in JobBridge.
78. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her future plans for the rural social scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30810/14]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the rural social scheme (RSS) provides income support for low income farmers and those engaged in fishing who have an entitlement to specified social welfare payments. Participants are engaged for 19½ hours per week to provide certain services of benefit to rural communities. The Department has engaged 35 local development companies and Údarás na Gaeltachta to deliver the scheme.
The scheme currently provides work opportunities for 2,600 participants and 130 supervisory staff. The funds allocated for 2014 amount to €45m. This level of funding will allow the scheme to continue along the same lines in 2014, as in previous years, but does not allow for the recruitment above the numbers stated above. As of week ending 4 July 2014, 2,563 participants and 130 supervisors were engaged on the RSS.
As with all schemes, the Department is required to ensure that the RSS remains effective, provides value for money and is in line with other Government policies. A Focused Policy Assessment on the Scheme was carried out by the Department of Public Expenditure and the results were published in recent months. The Assessment highlights the difficulty in assessing the impact and benefits from the scheme and that it is generally out of line with current Government policy, which is focused on having greater targeting of labour market activation and on the integration of income support schemes with activation. The Assessment also concluded that while there are social inclusion aspects to the RSS, these are not clearly defined and an improved activation component would be beneficial.
The Department is examining the conclusions made in the Assessment, together with the recommendations contained in the Review of Employment Support Schemes which published by the Department in early 2013. This is with a view to determining the measures needed to improve the delivery and focus of the RSS, whilst ensuring the continued support for the provision of services across rural areas.
79. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will consider amending section 290 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 in order to reinstate the lough payment scheme until there are suitable and affordable saving, credit and payment options available to financially marginalised persons; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30930/14]
View answerThe Household Budget facility, operated by An Post on behalf of the Department of Social Protection, provides customers with a facility to have their household utility bills and social rents deducted directly from their weekly social welfare payment. While some 33,000 housing authority tenants have availed of the facility in terms of social rents, the housing authorities were experiencing difficulties with tenants subsequently cancelling the arrangements. In 2012, in order to address this issue, legislative amendments to Section 290 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act, 2005, specific to housing authority rents, were introduced to ensure that once a person participates in a household budgeting arrangement they cannot withdraw from the arrangement without the consent of the relevant housing authority or housing body. This change has been implemented in respect of all new applications made under the Household Budget scheme in respect of housing authority rents from January 2014, which will support the collection of rents for local authorities and will also facilitate the pilot phase of the new Housing Assistance Payment (HAP).
There are a number of Money Advice and Budgeting Services (MABS) companies which have been assisting and supporting their clients with a facility to make direct deductions from their social welfare payments for bill paying purposes through historical arrangements put in place by Cork MABS and the Lough Credit Union, using the Household Budget facility operated by An Post. This arrangement is known as the Lough Payment Scheme or MABSlink. The purpose of the Household Budget facility is to facilitate deductions from social welfare payments for specified creditors. The Lough Payment Scheme catered for a variety of creditors, some outside those specified for the Household Budget facility. The local MABS companies involved are working closely with those currently availing of the Lough Payment Scheme to help put alternative arrangements in place.
The Citizens Information Board, which has statutory responsibility for the Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) is liaising with the local MABS companies concerned. Particular effort is being made to ensure that suitable alternative options are made available and that clients will be fully supported through the transition to the alternative arrangement. I am informed that the current arrangements will continue for the remaining clients on an administrative basis in the interim.
80. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will cancel the latest change to the one-parent family payment and freeze any further reductions of the scheme in view of the Government's failure to deliver the promised child care. [30869/14]
View answerThe one-parent family payment (OFP) scheme supports 74,426 recipients at an estimated cost of €863 million in 2014.The reforms to the OFP scheme are reducing on a phased basis, the maximum age limit of the youngest child at which an OFP recipient’s payment ceases to 7 years from 3 July 2014 for new entrants and from 2015 for existing recipients. There are no plans to cancel or freeze these arrangements as this would require substitute savings and would have to be considered in a budgetary context. The majority of lone parents who lose their OFP payment are expected to apply for the jobseeker’s allowance (JA) payment. Should any of these customers have a child under 14 years of age, they will be entitled to the JA transitional arrangement, which exempts them from having to be genuinely seeking, and available for, full-time employment. This exemption recognises the caring responsibilities of lone parents and will reduce their requirement for childcare.
Childcare is the responsibility of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (D/CYA). However, in Budget 2013, the then Minister for Children and Youth Affairs and I announced an after-school child care (ASCC) initiative. The purpose of this scheme is to 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 provides 800 subsidised after-school childcare places and is open to both jobseekers and OFP recipients.
In Budget 2014, the re-focusing of the original ASCC budget enabled Minister Fitzgerald and I to introduce the community employment (CE) childcare programme. This scheme was implemented in January and provides some 1,800 subsidised child care places to CE participants. These two schemes build on the existing supports provided by the D/CYA, through which subsidised childcare is provided to approximately 35,000 children of low-income parents.
81. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the extent to which she continues to draw on the EU supports in respect of youth unemployment; the extent to which such funding is instrumental in addressing the issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30872/14]
View answerThe cost of employment, training and education programmes for unemployed young people are funded, in the first instance, by the Irish Exchequer. However, it is expected that a number of the programmes included in Ireland’s Youth Guarantee Implementation Plan will meet European Social Fund eligibility criteria and will be included in the Youth Employment Initiative application for Ireland. This should permit EU funding to be drawn down in respect of expenditure in 2014 and 2015 to a level that should enable the full YEI allocation for Ireland of €68.1 million in current prices (with a further similar amount in ESF funding) to be taken up over those two years.
Given the way the funding is structured, in order to recoup these amounts from the EU in due course, it will be necessary that we spend, in the first instance, close to €100 million on relevant programmes each year, or close to €200 million in 2014-2015 overall. It is anticipated that actual expenditure will be significantly in excess of that amount over the period concerned. Taking existing and planned provision together, the current estimate of programme uptake by young people in 2014 of approximately 28,000 will involve associated programme costs of €336 million. If all Post-Leaving Certificate course and apprenticeship provision is included, the total programme uptake of approximately 52,000 has associated programme costs of €528 million.
In addition, under the European Commission’s call for proposals for preparatory actions under the 'Youth Guarantee', the Department of Social Protection has obtained EU funding to pilot a Youth Guarantee Scheme in Ballymun. The total cost of the project is EUR 302,279. This includes funding of EUR 250,000 from the European Commission.
82. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide details of the discretion that is available to community welfare officers in the area of rent allowance and rent caps in view of the fact that a crisis is developing as a result of dramatically increasing rents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30932/14]
View answerThe purpose of rent supplement is to provide short-term income support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation. There are approximately 76,000 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €344 million for 2014. Prospective tenants, including those seeking to access rent supplement, particularly in urban areas, are finding it increasingly difficult to secure appropriate accommodation due to the reduced availability of rental properties.
A review of the maximum rent limits has commenced and will feed into the budgetary process. This review involves a comprehensive analysis of information from a range of external sources in addition to seeking the views from a number of stakeholders including staff, relevant Departments and Agencies and non-Government organisations such as Threshold, Focus Ireland and the Society of St Vincent de Paul.
In view of the current supply difficulties, the Department has agreed a protocol with the Dublin local authorities and voluntary organisations so that families on rent supplement who are at risk of losing their accommodation can have more timely and appropriate interventions made on their behalf. A key element of these arrangements is the statutory discretion available, under Article 38 of S.I. 412 of 2007, to officers to award a supplement at a rate higher than the prevailing maximum rent limits where the circumstances of the case so warrant.
A notice reminding all staff of their statutory discretionary power to award a supplement for rental purposes in exceptional cases, for example, when dealing with applicants who are at risk of losing their tenancy, has recently been circulated. I can assure the Deputy that officers administering rent supplement throughout the country have considerable experience in dealing with customers and make every effort to ensure that their accommodation needs are met.
83. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of people affected by the transition from the one-parent family payment; the progress she has made on the introduction of safe, affordable and accessible child care as was promised at the time the change in one parent family payment was announced in April 2012. [30936/14]
View answerThe one-parent family payment (OFP) scheme supports 74,426 recipients at an estimated cost of €863 million in 2014.The reforms to the OFP scheme are reducing on a phased basis, the maximum age limit of the youngest child at which an OFP recipient’s payment ceases to 7 years from 2014 for new entrants and from 2015 for existing recipients. On 3 July, 2014, 5,140 customers saw their entitlement to the OFP payment cease as a result of these reforms. The majority of these customers have applied for the jobseeker’s allowance (JA) payment. Should any of these customers have a child under 14 years of age, they will be entitled to the JA transitional arrangement, which exempts them from having to be genuinely seeking, and available for, full-time employment. This exemption recognises the caring responsibilities of lone parents and will reduce their requirement for childcare.
Childcare is the responsibility of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (D/CYA). However, in Budget 2013, the then Minister for Children and Youth Affairs and I announced an after-school child care (ASCC) initiative. The purpose of this scheme is to 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 provides 800 subsidised after-school childcare places and is open to both jobseekers and OFP recipients.
In Budget 2014, the re-focusing of the original ASCC budget enabled Minister Fitzgerald and I to introduce the community employment (CE) childcare programme. This scheme was implemented in January and provides some 1,800 subsidised child care places to CE participants. These two schemes build on the existing supports provided by the D/CYA, through which subsidised childcare is provided to approximately 35,000 children of low-income parents.
84. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the new measures she has implemented to the eligibility criteria of applicants for the back to education scheme in terms of students who wish to work throughout the summer term of their college course; if she will render them ineligible for the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31027/14]
View answerThe back to education (BTEA) programme is a second-chance education scheme for jobseekers, lone parents and people with disabilities who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments. Under the BTEA, income support is provided to allow jobseekers undertake a second-level or third-level course to improve their education and skills. In mid-May, I announced a number of enhancements to the BTEA which are designed to further support the policies outlined in the Government’s Pathways to Work strategy, which seeks to help 75,000 long-term unemployed people return to work by the end of 2015. The key enhancements expanded the BTEA to support:
- the new Professional Master’s in Education;
- opportunities for those holding Level 5 or 6 qualification under the National Framework of Qualifications to undertake further study at either of these levels, subject to the additional study furthering their professional/career development and work prospects; and
- the Department of Education and Skills’ Springboard and Momentum initiatives.
In addition, and in line with Pathways to Work, revised application and selection processes have been introduced.
A jobseeker in receipt of BTEA resuming a college course or who are progressing to a new approved course of study may engage in summer employment and any means from this employment will not be assessed for BTEA purposes for the following academic year. Confirmation that the employment has ceased (in the form of a Revenue cessation certificate - form P45) must be provided to the Department before the commencement of the new academic year.
The Deputy should note that means from employment are assessed in cases where the BTEA recipient wishes to remain in part-time employment whilst continuing to study during the academic year and where this employment commenced before the start of the academic year.
85. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of pension schemes that have utilised the Social Welfare and Pensions (No 2) Act 2013 legislative provisions; when pensioners in Waterford Crystal will receive their pension entitlements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30817/14]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the Social Welfare and Pensions (No.2) Act amended the Pensions Act to change the manner in which the assets of a pension scheme are distributed in the event of the wind up of a scheme. It also broadened the options available to the trustees of a pension scheme when considering a restructure of scheme benefits under section 50 of the Pensions Act. These changes essentially provide for the sharing of the risk of scheme underfunding between all scheme members and beneficiaries. These changes came into operation from 26 December 2013.
Since the introduction of the legislation, the number of trustees who have notified the Pensions Authority of the wind up of a pension scheme is 13. These schemes would be subject to the changes provided for in the Social Welfare and Pensions (No.2) Act 2013. All notices issued by the Pensions Authority under section 50 of the Pensions Act to the trustees of a pension scheme to restructure scheme benefits have been on the basis of an application to the Pensions Authority from the trustees of a pension scheme. The Pensions Authority can issue a unilateral section 50 notice to the trustees of a pension scheme to restructure scheme benefits. The Authority has not exercised this power to date.
The Pensions Authority issued 14 section 50 notices to trustees of pension schemes this year. None of these notices availed of the additional option presented to trustees in the Social Welfare and Pensions (No 2) Act 2013. As the Deputy is aware the matters arising in relation to the Waterford Crystal pension schemes are scheduled for a hearing in the High Court. While I am very aware of the issues arising in this case, the Deputy will appreciate that in the circumstances, it is not appropriate for me to comment on this matter.
86. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will ensure that the travel pass scheme is fully protected; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30867/14]
View answerThe free travel scheme is currently available to all people living in the State aged 66 years or over, to carers and to customers under 66 who are in receipt of certain disability type payments. There are currently over 790,000 customers in receipt of free travel at an annual cost of €77 million. The freeze on funding for the scheme introduced by the previous government in 2010 as part of its four year plan, the Programme for National Recovery, has placed pressure on the operation of the scheme as eligible passenger numbers have continued to rise.
In the context of the freeze on funding, 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. I expect that group to complete its work soon. When we receive its recommendations we will consider them. In the context of a very tough budgetary environment, the Government will continue to do its utmost to protect the most vulnerable people in Irish society. This includes the free travel scheme, which we have protected in successive Budgets and will continue to protect. The free travel pass is safe for beneficiaries.
87. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will consider reversing the cut to jobseeker's allowance for those aged under 25 when considering the negative disproportional impact it has on young persons and that it is effectively a cut to a core social welfare payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30927/14]
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 employment. The revised estimates for the Department of Social Protection provide for expenditure of €3.3bn in 2014 in respect of the jobseeker’s schemes. Reduced rates for younger jobseeker’s allowance recipients were first introduced in 2009. Budget 2014 further extended the reduced rates of jobseeker’s allowance to recipients under 26 years of age.
This is a targeted measure aimed at protecting young people from welfare dependency. It aims to incentivise young jobseeker’s allowance recipients to avail of education and training opportunities. If a jobseeker in receipt of the reduced jobseeker’s allowance rate participates on an education or training programme they will receive a higher weekly payment of €160. To guard against the development of welfare dependency I believe that it is necessary to provide young jobseekers with a strong financial incentive to engage in education or training or to take up employment. If they do not improve their skills, it will be much more difficult for them to avail of job opportunities as the economy recovers and they are at risk of becoming long term unemployed from a young age.
In this context it may be noted that starting in 2014, processes and programmes will be 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 any support) will receive a Youth Guarantee offer within four months. Any change in relation to the reduced rates would be a matter for Government to consider in a budgetary context.
88. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her plans to enhance social welfare supports available for those persons who were self-employed and who now find themselves unemployed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30820/14]
View answerSelf-employed persons are liable for PRSI at the class S rate of 4% which entitles them to access long-term benefits such as State pension (contributory) and widow's, widower's or surviving civil partner's pension (contributory). Ordinary employees who have access to the full range of social insurance benefits pay class A PRSI at the rate of 4%. In addition, their employers make a PRSI contribution of 10.75% in respect of their employees, resulting in the payment of a combined 14.75% rate per employee under full-rate PRSI class A. (For employees earning less than €356 per week, the rate of employer’s PRSI is 8.5%).
Self-employed workers may access social welfare supports by establishing eligibility to assistance-based payments such as jobseeker’s allowance and disability allowance. In the case of jobseeker’s allowance they can apply for the means-tested jobseeker’s allowance if their business ceases or if they are on low income as a result of a downturn in demand for their services. In assessing means from self-employment, income from the previous twelve months is used as an indicator of likely future earnings. Given the variety of self-employment situations, the means assessment procedures are applied in a flexible manner to ensure that any circumstances that would be likely to lead to a significant variation, either upward or downward, in the level of a person’s income from one year to the next are taken into consideration.
It is recognised that the downturn in the economy had an impact on many self-employed persons and the consequent reduction in their income and activity levels. This may be reflected in any assessment of their means from self-employment for jobseeker’s allowance purposes. As in the case of a non-self-employed claimant for jobseeker’s allowance or disability allowance, the means of husband/wife, civil partner or co-habitant will be taken into account in deciding on entitlement to a payment.
In September 2013, I published the report of the Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare on Extending Social Insurance Coverage for the self-employed. The Group was asked to examine and report on issues involved in extending social insurance coverage for self-employed people in order to establish whether or not such cover is technically feasible and financially sustainable, with the requirement that any proposals for change must be cost neutral. The Group found that the current system of means tested jobseeker’s allowance payments adequately provides cover to self-employed people for the risks associated with unemployment. In this context, the Group noted that almost 9 out of every 10 self-employed people who claimed the means tested jobseeker’s allowance during the three-year period from 2009 to 2011 received payment. Consequently, the Group was not convinced that there was a need for the extension of social insurance for the self-employed to provide cover for jobseeker’s benefit.
The Group found that extending social insurance for the self-employed was warranted in cases related to long term sickness or injuries. To this end, the Group recommended that class S benefits should be extended to provide cover for people who are permanently incapable of work, because of a long-term illness or incapacity, through the invalidity pension and the partial capacity benefit schemes. The Group further recommended that the extension of social insurance in this regard should be on a compulsory basis and that the rate of contribution for class S should be increased by at least 1.5 percentage points.
This recommendation will require further consideration in conjunction with the findings of the most recent Actuarial Review of the Social Insurance Fund which indicated that the self-employed achieve better value for money compared to the employed when the comparison includes both employer and employee contributions in respect of the employed person. My colleagues in Government and I will reflect on the findings of the Advisory Group on this issue and will further consider the recommendations contained in the report taking into account future developments in terms of the budgetary and fiscal situation.
89. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection in view of the NESC finding that 23% of households are underemployed, which is more than twice the EU average, if she is concerned that the JobBridge scheme may be exacerbating the underemployment crisis; if her Department has researched the link between the availability of free labour via the JobBridge scheme and the poverty of hours crisis in certain sectors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30870/14]
View answerI am satisfied that JobBridge is not exacerbating under-employment. As independent research has shown it significantly improves the chances of unemployed jobseekers moving into employment. In addition JobBridge is not free labour as suggested by the question – it is an internship scheme which provides unemployed jobseekers with valuable workplace experience and training. In this regard while host organisations do not pay the interns, they are required to invest considerable resources in providing interns with a high-quality real-workplace experience, including mentoring, so as to increase the intern’s employability and help them to bridge the gap to employment. Interns continue to receive their Social Welfare payments plus an extra €50 per week as a contribution to costs incurred in participating in JobBridge.
90. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on the roll out of the youth guarantee; and if she further provide a breakdown by location of when necessary funding or job activation measures supported specifically under the youth guarantee for young persons not in education, employment or training will be made available. [30823/14]
View answerThe Youth Guarantee Implementation Plan was published in January. It provides for over 28,000 programme opportunities for unemployed young people in 2014, as set out in the table attached as an appendix to this statement. This figure excludes some 24,000 places provided for young people through PLC courses and apprenticeships. These PLC and apprenticeship places, together with the wide range of vocational third-level courses provided for the young, although not reserved for unemployed jobseekers, nevertheless contribute to the spirit of the guarantee.
In relation to the 28,500 places for unemployed young people, approximately 6,700 of these were taken up in the first half of 2014. This is broadly in line with expectations, as some programmes such as the student intake on programmes such as the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) and Vocational Training Opportunity Scheme (VTOS) are concentrated in September/October in line with the academic calendar. A new intake of young people to the second iteration of the Momentum programme for long-term unemployed jobseekers is also scheduled for later in the year.
The table supplied displays the total number of under 25s who have started across the various programmes outlined in the Youth Guarantee Implementation Plan in the first six months of 2014. In addition, it is important to note that some of the initiatives planned under the guarantee require primary legislation to allow positive discrimination on age grounds in the provision of employment services and supports. This legislation will be enacted as part of the Spring Social Welfare Bill which is before the Oireachtas this month. Two employment schemes in particular, the Youth Guarantee developmental internship programme and the JobsPlus variant for young people, are dependent on this legislation being passed.
The JobsPlus variant will be available as soon as possible after the relevant legislation has been cleared. The developmental internship, which will include a pre-internship training period, will be in place no later than autumn. Passage of the legislation will also permit the introduction of earlier and more intensive engagement by INTREO with the young unemployed. The groups that the Department of Social Protection will be engaging with in any specific area of the country will be determined primarily by the level and trend of youth unemployment and the resulting demand for places, and the programme mix of such places, in each area. Given the number of factors involved, it will not be possible to make detailed advance projections of the groups that the Department will be engaging with for its rollout and implementation on an area-by-area basis. Local implementation of the Youth Guarantee will be a matter for the respective Department of Social Protection Divisions in each respective divisional area.
Under 25 starters on Youth Guarantee programmes, End June 2014
|
Programme |
2014 YTD |
Note |
|
Youthreach/CTC |
684 |
Only CTC starters – Youthreach figures not available for 2014 |
|
JobBridge (including planned reserve) |
1701 |
|
|
Tús |
890 |
|
|
JobsPlus |
362 |
As of 30th April 2014 |
|
Momentum* |
13 |
As of 30th April 2014 |
|
BTEA (excl Momentum)** |
Not available |
|
|
BTWEA |
61 |
Including 5 persons on STEA |
|
VTOS |
Not available |
|
|
FAS/Solas |
2813 |
Based on SST, Traineeship, Bridging & LTI starters YTD |
|
CEB youth Entrepreneurship Training and Mentoring supports |
Not yet commenced |
|
|
CEB/MFI micro-loans for young people |
2 |
|
|
International Work Experience and Training |
Not yet commenced |
|
|
Gateway |
22 |
|
|
Community Employment |
147 |
As of 30th April 2014 |
|
Total |
6,695 |
Excluding where figures are not available |
91. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on the JobPath tender process; the number and names of companies that submitted a bid; and if any of the companies that bid have had involvement in the delivery of the work programme in Britain. [30868/14]
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.
92. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will ensure that any future changes made to funding channels for the NICDATF and other community employment projects will be negotiated with staff prior to the change as the company needs to be aware of changes coming down the line, as opposed to a decision being pre-made without the projects being informed; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that NICDATF has a responsibility to report back to national and local structures but cannot do this if it is not informed of changes made; if she will confirm that NICDATF will be informed of any issues or changes made by all parties; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30818/14]
View answerThe Department of Social Protection acts as a channel of funding (CoF) for a range of Drugs Task Force projects, as approved by the Drugs Programme Unit of the Department of Health. Under the conditions of the CoF function, it is a requirement of the Department of Health that the payments are made in line with this Department’s financial governance procedures. This includes funding, contracting and financial reporting procedures.
In January 2014, a revised system for payments was introduced by this Department, in line with standard DSP payment procedures. A three month advance is now paid to projects on receipt of the signed Memorandum of Agreement. This is designed to ease cash flow problems that can arise at the beginning of the financial year. It is also consistent with other programmes funded through the Department and ensures a regular cash flow to projects. To date, a number of meetings have taken place with the NICDATF (North Inner City Drugs and Alcohol Task Force) and their projects to clarify any issues arising from the revised payment system. There is now agreement in relation to this matter.
Overall, the Deputy should note that the Department is committed to supporting the drugs response nationally and Departmental officials communicate with projects on an ongoing basis and link with Task Forces to advance project activities at a local level. The Department will continue to engage directly with projects on these matters and in accordance with the conditions of funding as laid down by the Department of Health.
93. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if her Department has conducted research or engaged with others to establish the impact of the loss of the telephone allowance component of the household benefits package on older persons and those with disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30866/14]
View answerThe Department has published a social impact assessment of the main welfare and tax measures in Budget 2014, including the discontinuing of the telephone allowance. The analysis shows that the combined welfare and tax measures for 2014 result in a loss of 0.8 per cent in average household income. The largest percentage loss is for the top and bottom quintiles at 1.1 per cent, with lower losses for middle income groups. The family type most affected is unemployed single people. There was no significant change in the at-risk-of-poverty rate, as social transfers continue to perform strongly, substantially reducing the at-risk-of-poverty rate during the economic recession.
As part of the Department’s regular meetings of the community and voluntary pillar, the pre-budget forum and submissions, groups have had an opportunity to present their views on the impact of the discontinuing of the telephone allowance, which was €9.50 per month. The 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.
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.
94. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if the free travel pass for older citizens will not be restricted, or charged for. [30807/14]
View answerThe free travel scheme is currently available to all people living in the State aged 66 years or over, to carers and to customers under 66 who are in receipt of certain disability type payments. There are currently over 790,000 customers in receipt of free travel at an annual cost of €77 million. The freeze on funding for the scheme introduced by the previous government in 2010 as part of its four year plan, the Programme for National Recovery, has placed pressure on the operation of the scheme as eligible passenger numbers have continued to rise.
In the context of the freeze on funding, 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. I expect that group to complete its work soon. When we receive its recommendations we will consider them. In the context of a very tough budgetary environment, the Government will continue to do its utmost to protect the most vulnerable people in Irish society. This includes the free travel scheme, which we have protected in successive Budgets and will continue to protect. The free travel pass is safe for beneficiaries.
95. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of companies that have been banned from using JobBridge; the names of these companies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30933/14]
View answer41 host organisations have been excluded from participation in JobBridge. The Department does not disclose the names of those host organisations. Host organisations have been excluded for a number of reasons, including administrative or technical reasons such as the company having been dissolved before the end of the internship, failure to respond to e-mails, the use of a third party to select or mentor interns or failure to provide a reference to the intern. However, it is important to emphasise that the vast majority of the more than 13,000 host organisations are compliant and participate successfully in JobBridge.
