Written Answers Nos. 121-134
121. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will ensure that in forthcoming budget 2015 that there will be no further reductions or alteration to household benefit and free travel facilities and the living alone allowance will be substantially increased; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31883/14]
View answerThe Government, in its Statement of Priorities for 2014 – 2016 published last Friday, is committed to increasing the household benefits package by €100 in Budget 2015 to compensate older people and other vulnerable groups for the introduction of water charges.
Furthermore, the Government’s priorities for the period to 2016 also includes a commitment to the full retention of the free travel scheme. This commitment recognises the importance of the free travel pass to pensioners, people with disabilities and recipients of carer’s allowance. Since its introduction in the 1960s, the free travel scheme has been highly valued as it allows beneficiaries to participate and remain active in the community.
The appropriate rates of other welfare supports in the year ahead, including the living alone allowance, will be considered by Government as part of its deliberations on the next Budget. In this regard, each €1 per week increase in the living alone allowance would cost €9.4 million in a full year.
122. Deputy Noel Coonan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when a jobseeker's allowance appeal will be finalised in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31893/14]
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 appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned was notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision on 11 July 2014.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.
123. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the amount of unclaimed departmental payments that have been returned to her Department by An Post in the years 2011, 2012 and 2013; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31906/14]
View answer124. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will confirm that €65 million of unclaimed departmental payments was returned by An Post to her Department in 2013; the level of this that was subsequently paid out to claimants; the amount of money reimbursed to her Department through unclaimed or contested claims through the EFT system over the same period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31907/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 123 and 124 together.
The information requested by the Deputy in regard to unclaimed DSP payments is set out in the following table:
An Post unclaimed DSP payment issues
|
Year |
€m |
|
2011 |
83.1 |
|
2012 |
68.3 |
|
2013 |
65.6 |
In accordance with long established government accounting rules and procedures, payments routed through An Post are brought to account by the Department for expenditure purposes upon encashment (i.e. when the customer presents at a Post Office to collect their payment). Where customers do not to collect the amounts due for payment within a specified period or where customer circumstances change and payments are individually stopped by the Department the payment authorisations go out of date and are regarded as lapsed issues. In 2013 the value of lapsed issues as provided by An Post was €65.6 m.
Where the authorisation has lapsed but entitlement remains the customer is entitled to a subsequent payment. The Department does not maintain a cumulative record of issues which have lapsed and are subsequently paid.
Payments made by EFT are paid directly from the Department’s bank account to designated customers bank accounts and are recorded as expenditure on the date of issue. By their nature they do not give rise to unclaimed or contested claims on the Department’s payment system. Occasionally however EFT payments are returned by the Department’s bank as having been unapplied for reasons such as customer account closure or error. These details are investigated and where entitlement remains the customer is entitled to a subsequent payment. The Department does not maintain a cumulative record of unapplied EFT credits which are subsequently paid.
126. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide, in a tabular form, the number of participants on community employment schemes since 2011 on a county and yearly basis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31912/14]
View answerThe information sought by the Deputy is set out in the following table.
Year-End Community Employment Places by County
|
County/Area |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
14/07/2014 |
|
Carlow |
335 |
320 |
399 |
416 |
|
Cavan |
225 |
216 |
284 |
299 |
|
Clare |
596 |
573 |
605 |
582 |
|
Cork |
2,177 |
2,122 |
2,198 |
2,241 |
|
Donegal |
1,157 |
1,124 |
1,169 |
1,218 |
|
Dublin |
6,410 |
5,658 |
5,997 |
6,085 |
|
Galway |
1,507 |
1,467 |
1,538 |
1,558 |
|
Kerry |
966 |
973 |
1,014 |
1,010 |
|
Kildare |
664 |
615 |
817 |
873 |
|
Kilkenny |
445 |
389 |
443 |
461 |
|
Laois |
307 |
296 |
282 |
302 |
|
Leitrim |
170 |
182 |
172 |
178 |
|
Limerick |
1,305 |
1,160 |
1,196 |
1,217 |
|
Longford |
304 |
291 |
305 |
322 |
|
Louth |
817 |
776 |
845 |
831 |
|
Mayo |
794 |
767 |
796 |
783 |
|
Meath |
472 |
411 |
488 |
448 |
|
Monaghan |
341 |
340 |
358 |
405 |
|
Offaly |
372 |
357 |
372 |
387 |
|
Roscommon |
349 |
356 |
320 |
331 |
|
Sligo |
433 |
399 |
442 |
447 |
|
Tipperary |
1,022 |
905 |
992 |
1,013 |
|
Waterford |
708 |
716 |
766 |
851 |
|
Westmeath |
551 |
544 |
590 |
586 |
|
Wexford |
851 |
859 |
933 |
965 |
|
Wicklow |
726 |
629 |
622 |
665 |
|
TOTAL |
24,004 |
22,445 |
23,943 |
24,474 |
|
(Inclusive of Supervisors) |
- |
- |
- |
- |
128. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the expected total spend on jobseeker's allowance and social welfare allowance to recipients under the age of 26 in 2015. [31969/14]
View answer129. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 251 of 9 July 2014, if the figure of €163 million is based on paying the maximum weekly rate of €188 to all those in question under 26 years or on applying a maximum weekly rate of €188 to all those in question under 26 years; and in the event that the figure is based on the former, the estimated cost of the latter. [31970/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 128 and 129 together.
Data on the expenditure on jobseeker’s allowance and supplementary welfare allowance is not maintained on an age related basis and, accordingly, it is not possible to estimate expenditure in 2015 for persons aged under 26 on these schemes.
The answer to Parliamentary Question No. 251 (July 9 last) estimated that the cost of paying the maximum weekly rate of €188 to all recipients of jobseeker's allowance and basic supplementary welfare allowance aged under 26 would be €163 million in 2015. This costing is based on raising the maximum personal weekly rate of entitlement to €188 per week. The weekly rate payable to individual recipients aged under 26 would be €188 less any means assessed.
