Written Answers Nos. 41 - 47
42. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if consideration was given to extending the disability allowance for eligible community employment participants beyond 31 December and the number of community employment participants affected by the change. [40744/14]
View answerThis matter is under examination by Departmental officials at the moment and the details of the numbers of participants affected are being collated and cross-checked and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.
43. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if rent supplement caps in County Kerry will be reviewed in view of increasing rents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40748/14]
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 approximately 73,500 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €344 million in 2014.
Prospective tenants are finding it increasingly difficult to secure accommodation due to the reduced availability of properties, particularly in areas of high demand. 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.
Increasing housing supply and the re-activation of the construction activity is a critical issue for Government and key to restoring stability to the rental market. 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 2014, over €800 million will be invested in a range of housing programmes which represents the first major investment in housing since 2009.
My colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Alan Kelly TD, is also due to publish a Social Housing Strategy shortly which will provide a basis for an improved and sustainable approach to the provision of social housing supports in Ireland.
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. A notice reminding staff of their 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 was circulated earlier this year. The fact that approximately 1,700 people are in receipt of rent supplement in Kerry, of which over 500 were awarded this year, shows that a significant number of persons are being accommodated under the scheme in this region.
45. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the reason an overpayment of child benefit occurred in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40751/14]
View answerIn accordance with Social Welfare legislation the person with whom a qualified child normally resides is qualified to receive child benefit in respect of that child.
The person concerned received child benefit for her daughter for a period when the child no longer resided with her. As a result, she was not entitled to payment for the period in question and a revised decision was made disallowing child benefit from August to October 2006. This resulted in an overpayment of €450.00 and the person concerned was notified of the decision and the overpayment amount in November 2006.
46. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when she expects a decision on the introduction of a health and social care strand to community employment; the remaining elements of the reform process that are outstanding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40760/14]
View answerFunding of €373 million has been secured for Community Employment schemes in 2015 which will fund 25,500 places across the country in over 1,000 projects.
CE schemes in the health and social care sector provide a range of supports to caring organisations in the provision of services to local communities. The main sponsors are organisations in the disability and caring sectors. The total number of dedicated places to support health and social care services is 2,400 places (September 2014). The key objective of CE is to provide valuable work experience and training to job-seekers while at the same time providing the above supports.
The Department intends to roll out a new Health and Social Care Programme for CE next year. This programme will ensure participants have adequate access to qualifications in the health and social sector in order to take up employment opportunities in this area and to support local service delivery. The Department will be consulting with key stakeholders and service providers in this sector in preparation for the implementation of the programme in 2015. On-going support will be provided to the CE Sponsoring Organisations who manage these schemes throughout the process.
