Written Answers Nos. 87-99
87. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her plans to reassess the maximum participation time limit with regard to community employment schemes for persons aged 55 and over, which currently stands at six years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39868/14]
View answerCommunity Employment (CE) is a key resource in the provision of opportunities for long-term unemployed persons, lone parents, people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.
At the same time, CE provides valuable support to community and voluntary organisations in the provision of vital supports to local communities. At the end of September, 2014, there are over 1,030 CE schemes with over 24,300 places taken up. The budget for the programme will increase to over €373m in 2015, up from €358 million this year.
As to the duration a person can spend on the scheme, the position is that, since 2000, lifetime cumulative participation on CE by an individual is 6 years maximum for persons of 55 years of age and 7 years maximum for those over 55 years on disability-linked social welfare payments. This compares to 3 years for persons under 55 years of age.
At the moment, there are 6,515 participants who are over 55 years on CE.
I have asked my officials to examine the current duration practices, as part of the on-going monitoring of the CE programme. However, there are no current plans to extend the participation limit for those aged 55 and over above the current six years cumulative participation limit that currently applies.
The Deputy will appreciate that consideration of the extension of any duration on CE has to have regard to the availability of places for other job-seekers and vulnerable groups.
88. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the persistence of fuel poverty here; if she will enhance the fuel allowance in order to combat this poverty; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39804/14]
View answerThe Government will continue to ensure that those on low incomes and those who are more vulnerable to energy poverty are supported through the household benefits package and the fuel allowance. The Department will spend €230 million this year on the household benefits package for almost 415,000 customers. The fuel allowance, worth €520 per year, is paid for 26 weeks from October to April to almost 415,000 households at an estimated cost of €208 million in 2014.
This compares favourably with the winter fuel payment for the elderly in Northern Ireland which ranges from £100 (€126) to £300 (€379) per year depending on age and household composition. There is no equivalent in Northern Ireland to the free electricity allowance.
The Government has already announced that from 2015 both the household benefits package and the fuel allowance will also include a water support payment with an annual value of €100. The estimated cost of this new water support payment of €100 per annum will be in the region of €66 million in 2015.
I am confident that these measures will continue to meet the needs of those most in need.
The Government’s affordable energy strategy “Warmer Homes” indicated that the best measure to address energy poverty is to continue to improve the thermal efficiency of people’s homes. The “better energy warmer homes” scheme delivers a range of energy efficiency measures to low income households that are vulnerable to energy poverty at no charge to the householder. Since 2000, when the scheme began, over 105,000 homes around the country have received energy efficiency measures under the warmer homes scheme, with a total spend of over €116 million. The warmer homes scheme is expected to upgrade another 12,000 households by the end of 2014.
89. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she is satisfied with the appeals process in relation to complaints against the JobBridge scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39811/14]
View answerJobBridge is an administrative scheme on which participation is voluntary and, accordingly, there is no formal appeals process. However, there are complaints and queries procedures which interns, host organisations and other interested parties may use to raise any concerns that they may have with regard to the operation of the scheme. All complaints and queries, are processed through the Department’s standard complaints procedure, under which all complaints are logged and actions recorded centrally. I am satisfied with the process works efficiently and effectively and that complaints are dealt with expeditiously.
In addition, the Department applies a rigorous quality management and compliance regime in respect of JobBridge. There are criteria in relation to the duration of internships and the non-displacement of paid positions as well as the inclusion of training and mentoring in internships.
Compliance is enforced through submission of monthly compliance statements by all host organisations and by random onsite inspections. About 8,000 such inspections have been conducted to date.
Inevitably, given the level of interest in and use of the scheme, a small number of internships which may not meet the strict criteria pass through the screening process. Where this happens and the matter is brought to its attention, the Department acts quickly to withdraw such internships.
In this regard, the Department’s random inspection regime indicates the incidence of non-satisfactory internships is very low. Approximately 97% of all JobBridge inspections are found to satisfy the requirement of the scheme. Just 44 host organisations out of approximately 15,000 who have hosted interns have been excluded from further use of the scheme.
90. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the cost of administering the child benefit scheme; the estimated administration cost of a means-tested child benefit scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39850/14]
View answerChild benefit is a universal payment made to families with children. It assists those families with the cost associated with raising children. It is paid to almost 1.2 million children in over 600,000 families. The estimated expenditure in 2014 will be €1.9 billion. The cost of the administration of the scheme is in the order of €7.5 million per annum. The Department of Social Protection has not estimated the administrative cost of introducing a means tested child benefit scheme. There is therefore no reliable estimate of the approximate cost of introducing a means tested system for 600,000 families but this would cost a large multiple of the current administration cost. It would also take a significant time to design and implement.
The Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare examined the structure of child and family income support in Ireland. As part of this examination the Group considered the means testing of child benefit but stated that such a system would have considerable administrative consequences, as the scale of means testing would be considerably greater than anything required by the current system. Instead the Group recommended, among other things, that child benefit should continue to be paid on a universal basis.
I am pleased to say that in Budget 2015 it has been possible to increase Child Benefit by €5, from €130 to €135 per month which will benefit over 611,000 households with children.
This recognises the sacrifices that families made during the economic crisis and the fact that families are continuing to face difficulties. In the Statement of Priorities published earlier this year, the Government promised a new deal on living standards for hard-pressed families, and this increase is in line with that commitment.
In addition, I introduced a new Back to Work Family Dividend for long-term unemployed jobseekers with children who leave welfare to return to work. These families will, from January, be able to retain the child-related portion of their social welfare payment on a tapered basis over two years. This includes those who move to self-employment, such as the construction sector. It will also apply to One Parent Family Payment recipients who similarly go back into the workforce.
The scheme will be worth €1,550 per child in the first year of employment or self-employment and half that amount again in the second year.
The Dividend will help increase the pace of the progress we are making in helping people back to work. It will help boost the recovery, reduce welfare expenditure in the long-run, and, most importantly, help the families in question to build a better financial future for themselves.
I also provided for an additional €2 million for the School Meals scheme in 2015. In total over €2.4 billion will be provide for child related payments in 2015, up €125 million over this year.
91. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her plans to ensure that the senior citizens of Inishowen may avail of free travel in the same way that their contemporaries can all over the country by providing funds to a company (details supplied) in County Donegal under the free travel scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39871/14]
View answerThe free travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for approximately 800,000 people, elderly, disabled and carers, at an annual cost of €77 million. Funding for the free travel scheme was capped by the previous Government in the National Recovery Plan 2011-2014. To implement this cap on funding during a time in which passenger numbers have been increasing each year the Department has had to impose a freeze on the amounts paid to companies and a complete restriction on the admittance of new companies or routes to the scheme. This has included new companies taking over previously extant routes. Given the increasing number of recipients and the funding pressures, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and I established an interdepartmental working group to examine and report on the current operation and future development of the free travel scheme. I expect to receive the final draft of the review shortly.
The Government made clear in the “Statement of Government Priorities, 2014-2016” that we are committed to the full retention of the Free Travel Scheme. I appreciate the importance of the scheme to customers, particularly pensioners, and am aware of the implications for travel pass holders in those areas where services have been withdrawn. I have therefore asked officials in the Department to examine ways in which companies could be admitted to the free travel scheme, initially where they are taking over routes for which free travel funding was previously available, including in Donegal, and thereafter on other routes with licensed passenger services.
92. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the reason those in addiction recovery on community employment drugs rehabilitation schemes, many of whom are early school leavers, are expected to complete the educational level 5 aspects of the scheme in two years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39859/14]
View answerParticipants who are in addiction recovery and who are referred to a CE drugs rehabilitation place can engage in a wide range of training and development opportunities to assist their overall rehabilitation and re-integration into community and working life. There is no requirement that a referred client in recovery has to complete education or training to a FETAC Level 5 standard in two years or, indeed, while they are on the scheme. All participants work to their own individual learning plan, setting personal learning and progression goals at a level that suits their aptitude and capacity. This is decided between the scheme CE supervisor and the participant over a number of individual meetings. If the Deputy has a query in relation to a specific individual she might get in touch with me with the details. The current duration of participation on CE for these participants can be up to 4 years during which time they can access a range of development opportunities leading to relevant qualifications under the National Qualifications Framework. For early school leavers, compensatory learning objectives are built into their learning plans.
Under the CE programme, there are 1,000 CE places ring-fenced for referred clients as part of this Department’s contribution to the overall National Drugs Strategy. Currently, there are 841 referred clients and 199 support workers on the Drug Rehabilitation CE Strand.
As the Deputy is aware, a stakeholders group chaired by this Department was set up in May, 2013 to inform and advise on the delivery of the drugs rehabilitation response within CE. Membership includes representatives of the community and voluntary sectors, Drug Task Forces and statutory organisations.
Finally, it should be noted that there will be no reduction in the annual CE budget for drug rehabilitation places in 2015 which will remain at circa €15m.
93. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she has conducted a review of the rent allowance scheme; the way the rent caps relate to current market prices; the way the scheme as it stands is contributing or not to the increase in homelessness; if she will provide details of any and all such reviews; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39801/14]
View answerThere are approximately 73,500 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €344 million for 2014. I am acutely aware of the difficulties people are experiencing in maintaining affordable rented accommodation, including those in receipt of rent supplement, in the current market where supply is constrained. Raising rent limits may not be the solution to the problem as it is likely to add to further rental inflation and impact, not alone on rent supplement recipients, but also on many lower income workers, their families and students. I plan to keep the matter under close review. The Department is reviewing the maximum rent limits and the analysis shows that the impact of increasing limits will yield only a very marginal increase in available supply for rent supplement recipients with the only certainty that raising limits will increase costs disproportionately for the Exchequer with little or no new housing available to new recipients. Details of the Department’s review will be published when finalised.
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 including through the use of their discretionary statutory powers as necessary. In light of a particular concentration of the homelessness problem in the Dublin area, the Department has agreed a tenancy sustainment 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. Since the launch of this protocol in mid-June 2014, almost 140 families have had their rent supplement claims revised by the Department. I will continue to keep the protocol under review.
Increasing housing supply and the reactivation of the construction activity is a key issue for Government and is critical to restoring stability to the rental market. The Government has recently launched its Construction Strategy 2020 and will shortly launch a Social Housing Strategy.
As part of Budget 2015, Government has announced significant capital investment of over €2.2 billion for social housing for the next three years. In 2015, over €800 million will be invested in a range of housing programmes which represents the first major investment in housing since 2009.
An additional €10.5 million will be provided for accommodation and related services for homeless persons, increasing the annual expenditure for tackling homelessness to €55.5 million next year.
94. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of persons that are currently in receipt of rent allowance; the number of persons that have been transferred from rent allowance to housing assistance payment under the pilot project which is currently being carried out in Limerick city; when she envisaged that HAP will be extended nationwide; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39807/14]
View answerThere are approximately 73,500 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €344 million for 2014. There are currently almost 49,000 persons in receipt of the scheme for periods over 18 months. Under the new Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) responsibility for recipients of rent supplement with a long-term housing need will transfer to local authorities. HAP is being introduced to provide a more integrated system of housing supports and has been designed to allow any households that find full-time employment to remain in the scheme. HAP was introduced on a pilot basis in Limerick City and County Council in April 2014 and to date some 130 households in Limerick have transferred to this new scheme. HAP has since been recently extended to Cork County Council, Waterford City and County Council, South Dublin County Council, Kilkenny County Council, Monaghan County Council and Louth County Council. Department of Social Protection officials are working closely with those in the lead Department of Environment, Community and Local Government to support the implementation of HAP within the selected local authorities and to support further roll out during 2015.
95. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will address cap anomalies within the rent allowance scheme in view of the fact that it is contributing to family homelessness; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39851/14]
View answerThere are approximately 73,500 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €344 million for 2014. I am acutely aware of the difficulties people are experiencing in maintaining affordable rented accommodation, including those in receipt of rent supplement, in the current market where supply is constrained. Raising rent limits at this time may not be the solution to the problem as it is likely to add to further rental inflation and impact, not alone on rent supplement recipients, but also on many lower income workers, their families and students. I plan to keep the matter under close review. Analysis shows that the impact of increasing limits will yield only a very marginal increase in available supply for rent supplement recipients with the only certainty that raising limits will increase costs disproportionately for the Exchequer with little or no new housing available to new recipients.
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 including through the use of their discretionary statutory powers as necessary. In light of a particular concentration of the homelessness problem in the Dublin area, the Department has agreed a tenancy sustainment 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. Since the launch of this protocol in mid-June 2014, almost 140 families have had their rent supplement claims revised by the Department.
Increasing housing supply and the reactivation of the construction activity is a key issue for Government and the resolution of the housing supply situation is critical to restoring stability to the rental market. The Government has recently launched its Construction Strategy 2020.
As part of Budget 2015, Government has announced significant capital investment of over €2.2 billion for social housing for the next three years. In 2015, over €800 million will be invested in a range of housing programmes which represents the first major investment in housing since 2009. An additional €10.5 million will be provided for accommodation and related services for homeless persons, increasing the annual expenditure for tackling homelessness to €55.5 million next year.
My colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Alan Kelly TD, is also due to shortly publish a Social Housing Strategy.
96. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her plans to alter the number of social welfare offices in the County Dublin area over the next five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39861/14]
View answerThe following Intreo Centres (remodelled/refurbished Social Welfare Local Offices) have opened in Dublin since 2012:
1. Blanchardstown
2. Ballyfermot
3. Dun Laoghaire
4. Finglas
5. Navan Road
6. Kilbarrack
The following Intreo Centres are planned for the end of 2014/early 2015:
1. Bishop’s Square, Dublin 2 (refurbishment/extension of services): with the opening of the Intreo Office and the new improved service being provided from there, the Employment Service Office in Crumlin will close and the service will relocate to Bishop’s Square. In addition, Case Officers from D’Olier House (Employment Service) will be reassigned to Bishop’s Square as part of this process.
2. Cork Street/Ardee Street, Dublin 2 (new office location). Apollo House and Thomas Street SWLO will close and will be integrated into a new INTREO Office on Cork St./Ardee, with some business redirected to Bishop’s Square Intreo. Along with these, the remainder of the Case Officers in D’Olier House (Employment Services) will be reassigned to the new INTREO Office, resulting in the closure of that office. Community Welfare Officers based in Charlemont Street with responsibility for Dublin 8 will also be relocating to Cork Street/Ardee St.
3. Clondalkin (extension of service): As part of this process it is planned to move the Community Welfare Service (CWS) staff based in Rowlagh Health Centre, Ballyowen Medical Centre and Lucan Health Centre to the new Intreo office. An outreach CWS service will be maintained in Lucan. In addition the Employment Service staff currently based in Main St., Clondalkin and Boot Rd. Health Centres will also move to the Intreo office.
4. Nutgrove (extension of service): this will see the closure of the employment service office in Nutgrove Office Park which will be incorporated into the INTREO Office. In addition, the SWA services being provided from Balally Primary Care Centre and the Rathfarnham Health Centre will be merged into the INTREO Office in Nutgrove.
5. Balbriggan: A new INTREO office is being progressed for Balbriggan. The location is the Gallens Mill Building, Mill Street, Balbriggan. When works are complete the Department will be vacating the following locations: current DSP office on Mill Street; and the Employment Services Office, LinnComm House, Stephenstown Industrial Estate, Balbriggan. Malahide Social Welfare Inspectors Office (incorporating North Dublin Rents Unit) will close when both Balbriggan and Swords INTREO offices are open. In addition some services which are currently delivered to Balbriggan area customers from North Cumberland Street, Dublin 1 will be relocated to the Balbriggan INTREO Office.
6. Swords: A two-site INTREO solution is being progressed in Swords. The two locations are Mainscourt, Main Street, Swords and Fingal County Hall. When works are complete DSP will vacate the following locations: Swords former credit union building; St. Fintan's, Main Street, Swords; Employment Services Office, Main Street, Swords; HSE Health Centre in Bridge Street, Swords; HSE Health Centre Malahide. Malahide Social Welfare Inspectors (SWI) Office (incorporating North Dublin Rents Unit) will close when both Balbriggan and Swords INTREO offices are open. In addition, some services which are currently delivered to Swords area customers from North Cumberland Street, Dublin 1 will be relocated to the Swords INTREO.
7. Lucan/Adamstown: It is proposed that a new INTREO Office for the Lucan/Adamstown area will be progressed. This will involve the closure of the SWI Office in Chapel Hill, Lucan.
97. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if her Department conducted an equality and poverty impact assessment of budget 2015, including an examination of the cumulative impact of budgetary measures over the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39798/14]
View answerSocial impact assessment is an evidence-based methodology which uses a tax/welfare simulation model developed by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) to estimate the likely distributive effects of budgetary measures on income and social inequalities. The Department prepared a social impact assessment of the main welfare measures in Budget 2015 in advance of Budget Day. It will now prepare a further combined analysis of the main welfare and taxation measures for 2015. I will be examining the analysis when it is finalised and I will publish it in due course.
98. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will put a mechanism in place to implement the Labour Court recommendation of 2008 in relation to an agreed pension scheme provision for community employment supervisors and assistant supervisors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38011/14]
View answerIn July 2008, the Labour Court recommended that an agreed pension scheme should be introduced for Community Employment (CE) scheme supervisors and assistant supervisors (LCR19293) and that such a scheme should be adequately funded by FÁS, the agency responsible for CE at that time. The Department of Social Protection is now responsible for CE. Notwithstanding the position of this Department in rejecting that liability for these costs should be met from public funds, this matter has been the subject of discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (D/PER) and the unions representing CE supervisors. The D/PER’s position, as outlined to the unions, is that companies contracted by the State to provide a service, including in the community sector, will have to manage their expenditure pressures, including labour and pension costs, from within existing funding levels.
Given the level of funding that would be required from this Department, the implementation of the claim is not considered sustainable in light of the current and on-going fiscal environment and the requirement to contain public expenditure. The costs of the introduction of any scheme are likely to be of the order of €3m per annum.
It should also be noted that this Department is not the employer of CE supervisors and such employees are not public servants but are employees of the sponsoring organisations. The responsibilities of the sponsoring organisations as employers and the individuals concerned as employees must also be recognised when considering pension provision arrangements.
Employers (including CE Sponsoring Organisations) are legally obliged to offer access to at least one Standard Personal Retirement Savings Account (PRSA) under the Pension (Amendment) Act 2002. All CE sponsoring organisations were informed of their responsibilities under this Act at that time.
It should also be noted that CE Supervisors may also qualify for the State Pension at 66 years of age. If they have accrued sufficient PRSI contributions (520 contributions @ full rate, equivalent to 10 years contributions) they will qualify for the State Pension (Contributory), which is not means-tested. the event that there are insufficient contributions, the person will qualify for the State Pension (Non-Contributory), provided they satisfy the means test.
99. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her plans to implement the Labour Court recommendation of 2008 in relation to an agreed pension scheme provision for community employment supervisors and assistant supervisors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39823/14]
View answerIn July 2008, the Labour Court recommended that an agreed pension scheme should be introduced for Community Employment (CE) scheme supervisors and assistant supervisors (LCR19293) and that such a scheme should be adequately funded by FÁS, the agency responsible for CE at that time. The Department of Social Protection is now responsible for CE. Notwithstanding the position of this Department in rejecting that liability for these costs should be met from public funds, this matter has been the subject of discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (D/PER) and the unions representing CE supervisors. The D/PER’s position, as outlined to the unions, is that companies contracted by the State to provide a service, including in the community sector, will have to manage their expenditure pressures, including labour and pension costs, from within existing funding levels.
Given the level of funding that would be required from this Department, the implementation of the claim is not considered sustainable in light of the current and on-going fiscal environment and the requirement to contain public expenditure. The costs of the introduction of any scheme are likely to be of the order of €3m per annum.
It should also be noted that this Department is not the employer of CE supervisors and such employees are not public servants but are employees of the sponsoring organisations. The responsibilities of the sponsoring organisations as employers and the individuals concerned as employees must also be recognised when considering pension provision arrangements.
Employers (including CE Sponsoring Organisations) are legally obliged to offer access to at least one Standard Personal Retirement Savings Account (PRSA) under the Pension (Amendment) Act 2002. All CE sponsoring organisations were informed by the Department of their responsibilities under this Act at that time.
CE Supervisors may also qualify for the State Pension at 66 years of age. If they have accrued sufficient PRSI contributions (520 contributions @ full rate, equivalent to 10 years contributions) they will qualify for the State Pension (Contributory), which is not means-tested. the event that there are insufficient contributions, the person will qualify for the State Pension (Non-Contributory), provided they satisfy the means test.
