Written Answers Nos. 43 - 55
47. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her views on the request by Irish Water for the use of individual PPS numbers; the reason this is required by Irish Water; the provisions her Department will make to ensure that such information once provided to Irish Water is secure and used correctly; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36377/14]
View answerThe Personal Public Service (PPS) number is a unique identifier for use in any transaction a person may have with specified public bodies or persons authorised by those bodies to act on their behalf. The legal basis of the PPS number is set out in the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 (as amended) and this legislation sets out the circumstances in which the PPS number can be used. It also specifically covers the fact that the PPS number can only be used by certain specified bodies and only for the purposes of public service transactions.
Irish Water, a registered subsidiary company of Bord Gáis Éireann, was incorporated in July 2013, as a semi-state company under the Water Services Act 2013 to bring the water and wastewater services of the 34 Local Authorities together under one national service provider. The Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2014 included an amendment to include Irish Water as a specified body in Schedule 5 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act, 2005 (as amended). This Legislation was enacted on the 17th of July 2014 and it allows Irish Water to request and use the PPS numbers from customers.
As part of is functions, Irish Water will be transacting with members of the public and will need to share or confirm data and information in certain cases. The PPS number is being collected by Irish Water for the purpose of validating the identity of customers in order to ensure the proper application of both household and children’s water services allowances for which customers may be eligible.
The actual arrangements for any required data exchange and validation with the Department are under consideration. Any such arrangements will be subject to compliance with all relevant legislation, including the provisions of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 (as amended) and the Data Protection Acts. For its part, Irish Water is subject to the onus on public bodies to comply with relevant legislation in terms of the collection, storage and use of all sensitive data including the PPS number.
Irish Water has confirmed to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government that the data protection notice it has in place is fully compliant with Data Protection requirements and that it is in regular contact with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner to ensure this is the case.
48. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the approximate cost of increasing the maximum rent limits, within the rent supplement scheme, by 5% in the four Dublin local authority areas as well as Cork city and Galway city; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36379/14]
View answerThe purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term income support to assist with reasonable accommodation costs of eligible people living in private rented accommodation who are unable to provide for their accommodation costs from their own resources. The overall aim is to provide short term assistance, and not to act as an alternative to the other social housing schemes operated by the Exchequer. There are currently approximately 73,800 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €344 million for 2014.
The cost of increasing payments under the rent supplement scheme by 5% for recipients in the three counties of Dublin, Cork and Galway would be in the region of €11.5 million. A breakdown of these costs in respect of the Dublin local authorities, Galway city and Cork city is not available.
A review of the maximum rent limits is underway within the Department and will be considered as part of the forthcoming budgetary process.
49. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the cost of restoring 50% of the 2013 cut to the respite care grant; the cost of reversing the cut in full; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36383/14]
View answerIt is estimated, based on the anticipated number of grants in 2015, that the cost of increasing the Respite Care Grant by €325, to €1,700 (the rate that existed prior to Budget 2013), would be approximately €29.6 million in a full year. The cost of restoring 50% of this would be approximately €14.8 million in a full year.
Issues in relation to the rate of social welfare payments are a matter for Government in the context of the upcoming Budget.
50. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the cost in 2015 of not proceeding with the reduction in income disregard for the one-parent family payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36385/14]
View answerThe one-parent family payment (OFP) scheme supports 71,886 recipients at an estimated cost of €863 million in 2014.
The Social Welfare and Pensions Act, 2012, provided for the reduction, on a phased basis, of the OFP scheme income disregard for new and existing recipients of the payment. In line with the legislation, the income disregard was reduced from €110 per week to €90 per week in January, 2014, and will be further reduced from €90 per week to €75 per week in January, 2015, and from €75 per week to €60 per week in January, 2016.
The estimated cost, in 2015, of maintaining the OFP scheme income disregard at its current level of €90 per week would be in the order of €8.3 million. There would also be additional costs in maintaining the income disregard at €90 per week in 2016 and in subsequent years.
Any changes to the OFP scheme income disregard, other than those that are already provided for in legislation, would be a matter for the Government to consider in a budgetary context.
52. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the extent to which the one-parent family allowance or an alternative is payable in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Carlow; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36403/14]
View answerThe person concerned applied for a basic social welfare allowance payment on 10 July 2014, which was disallowed as she did not satisfy the habitual residence condition. To date no application for a one-parent family payment, to which the habitual residency condition also applies, has been received by the Department.
54. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the correct level of payment of jobseeker's allowance in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36418/14]
View answerThe person concerned is not in receipt of a social welfare payment in their own right, however, another person is being paid a qualified adult increase of €124.80 (maximum increase for qualified adult) in respect of the person concerned.
The person concerned has agreed to refund €10.00 per week by standing order in respect of an overpayment.
55. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the maximum rent support available in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36420/14]
View answerThe maximum rent limit at which Rent Supplement is assessable to a client of this family composition residing in Celbridge, is €500 per calendar month.
