Written Answers Nos. 209-225
211. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when a decision on a disability allowance appeal will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41790/14]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 16th October 2014. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When these papers have been received from the Department, the case in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral appeal hearing.
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.
212. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will expedite an application for carer's allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Carlow. [41791/14]
View answerI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer having fully considered all of the available evidence, including that adduced at the oral hearing, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision
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.
214. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide additional rural social scheme spaces to Údarás na Gaeltachta catering for the Ballinskelligs, the Glen, Waterville, Dromid and Caherdaniel areas of County Kerry to ensure essential services such as day care centres, meals on wheels, bus and laundry services and house respite can be maintained; if, due to the diminishing number of eligible persons available for RSS in the area, she will be flexible in applying the rules for eligibility for recruitment of suitable persons to participate in their Údarás region; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41847/14]
View answerThe purpose of the rural social scheme (RSS) is to provide income support for farmers and those engaged in the fishing sectors that have an entitlement to specified social welfare payments and to support the delivery of needed services to rural communities. The scheme currently provides work opportunities for around 2,600 participants. Údarás na Gaeltachta has an RSS allocation of 437 participants and 21 supervisors. I do not propose allocating additional places to Údarás given its own capacity to allocate these resources to meet applications from community organisations seeking support for service delivery. The identification of organisations and decisions in respect of the allocation of resources are matters for Údarás.
The Deputy should also note that Údarás is also engaged by the Department to deliver Tús, the community work placement initiative, and Community Employment (CE) in Gaeltacht areas. The numbers allocated for Tús is 200 places and for CE is 366. With over 1,000 placements under various schemes available, I consider that Údarás has sufficient resources to manage the issues identified.
217. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of persons who will be affected by the decision to terminate the practice of paying an additional social welfare payment to some participants on community employment schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41886/14]
View answerThe Budget of 2012 announced the disqualification from certain welfare payments for welfare recipients while participating on Community Employment (CE). Up until 16th January 2012, certain social welfare payments could be retained in part or in full when participating on CE. The CE personal rate of €208.00 was applicable to these participants (as any dependants were covered under the original social welfare payment).
These who retained social welfare payments included:
- One Parent Family Payment (partially retained)
- Deserted Wife’s Benefit (fully retained)
- Widow(er)s Pension (fully retained)
- Illness Benefit (fully retained)
- Disability Allowance (partially retained)
- Invalidity Pension (fully retained)
- Blind Pension (partially retained)
As part of Budget 2012, new entrants to CE were disqualified from simultaneously receiving their original social welfare payment and CE allowances with effect from Monday 16th January 2012. From that date, participants receive CE allowances only at a rate equivalent to their scheduled social welfare payment, plus €20, subject to a minimum payment of €208.00 per week. This disqualification was enacted under Section 12 of the Social Welfare Act 2011.
For those participants already engaged on CE at the time of the introduction of this measure it was possible to retain their dual payments under a saver clause in the above legislation. The Department is currently considering this matter and is in the process of collating data on claimants who are currently in receipt of dual payments and will respond in due course to the Deputy.
218. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide in tabular form the budget for the youth guarantee in 2013, 2014 and 2015; the number of places available in the youth guarantee in 2013 and 2014 and the number expected to participate in 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41888/14]
View answer231. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the progress of the implementation of the youth guarantee scheme; and if or when it is envisaged that pilot schemes of the overall scheme which were in place in parts of Dublin will be extended nationwide. [42072/14]
View answer237. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the extent to which the youth guarantee scheme is likely to be accessed in order to address youth unemployment in a formal and planned way; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42150/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 218, 231 and 237 together.
The objective of the Youth Guarantee is to ensure that young people receive a quality offer of assistance within four months of becoming unemployed. This objective is to be achieved over time by enhancing and prioritising the Intreo engagement with newly unemployed young people, and by maintaining and developing the current range of education, training and employment interventions for young people.
The rollout of the Youth Guarantee will be based on the Youth Guarantee Implementation Plan, which was published in January 2014. Implementation of the Youth Guarantee began in 2014. Starting in 2014, and for completion by the end of 2015, processes and programmes are being progressively 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 support from the Public Employment Services) will receive a Youth Guarantee offer within four months.
While the resources under the Youth Guarantee are targeted more towards those with the highest risk of becoming long-term unemployed, all young people signing on enter the engagement process (via Group Engagement sessions) within the first two weeks of signing on. Effectively, therefore, all persons under the age of 25 who become unemployed and join the Live Register represent the target group at whom policies developed under the Guarantee are aimed.
The Youth Guarantee Implementation Plan provides for over 28,000 programme opportunities for unemployed young people in 2014. 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 28,000 plus places for unemployed young people, approximately 14,500 of these had been taken up at the end of September. The table supplied below displays both the total estimate for the full-year intake and costs provided in the Youth Guarantee Implementation Plan as well as the most recent year-to-date intake figures. The estimated full-year cost of the measures included in the table is €336 million.
Take-up is expected to rise substantially by year-end, for several reasons.
First, the student intake on programmes such as the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) and Vocational Training Opportunity Scheme (VTOS) is concentrated in September/October in line with the academic calendar. In addition, the intake of young people to the 2014 iteration of the Momentum programme for long-term unemployed jobseekers has just begun (late September).
Second, some of the initiatives planned under the guarantee required primary legislation to allow positive discrimination on age grounds in the provision of employment services and supports. This legislation was enacted as part of the Social Welfare Bill over the summer.
Two employment schemes in particular, the Youth Guarantee developmental internship programme and the JobsPlus variant for young people (supporting young unemployed at risk of becoming long-term unemployed who have been signing on the Live Register for 4 months), were dependent on this legislation being passed. These schemes will be in place shortly. The legislation also permits the introduction of earlier and more intensive engagement by INTREO with the young unemployed which should also translate increased placement on schemes covered by the Youth Guarantee; processes to give effect to this engagement are currently being implemented by the Department.
Estimates for the projected 2015 inflow and associated costs will be at the same level as those planned for 2014.
The Ballymun Youth Guarantee Pilot is being mainly funded by the European Commission. Such specific funding for other pilot programmes is not available. Moreover, it is unlikely that the Department will operate a specific scheme for each of its 60+ local offices. However there will be flexibility to tailor the implementation to local conditions (for example with regard to the cohorts of young people to be selected for engagement in the first instance etc.) and the specific approach to be followed in each area, be it rural or urban, will be a matter for local DSP management in consultation with relevant stakeholders. It is intended that the approach in other areas will however benefit from the lessons learned during the Ballymun pilot. In particular, it is intended, that local employment initiatives will be driven by local employer groups, local DSP/Intreo staff, local community groups and local training providers working collaboratively, as in Ballymun, to tailor the approach to their local circumstances.
Youth Guarantee Estimates and Update Table
|
Programme |
Expected full-year intake |
Indicative 2014 cost of youth provision (€million |
2014 YTD |
Note |
|
Youthreach/CTC |
3,300 |
110 |
1,300 |
Only CTC starters -- Youthreach figures not yet available for 2014 |
|
JobBridge (including planned reserve) |
5,000 |
27 |
2,682 |
As of 31th October |
|
Tús |
1,000 |
15.9 |
1,223 |
As of 30th September |
|
JobsPlus |
1,500 |
4.5 |
265 |
As of 30th September |
|
Momentum |
2,000 |
6.1 |
13 |
2014 intake commencing September-October |
|
BTEA (excl Momentum) |
3,300 |
60 |
2,319 |
As of 14th October |
|
BTWEA |
200 |
4.1 |
139 |
Including 5 persons on STEA |
|
VTOS |
500 |
14.3 |
Not available |
|
|
FAS/Solas |
9500 |
72 |
6,036 |
Based on SST, Traineeship, Bridging & LTI starters YTD (end September) |
|
CEB youth Entrepreneurship Training and Mentoring supports |
700 |
1 |
Not yet commenced |
|
|
CEB/MFI micro-loans for young people |
150 |
2.5 |
2 |
31st August |
|
International Work Experience and Training |
250 |
2.5 |
Not yet commenced |
|
|
Gateway |
450 |
2.5 |
122 |
26th September |
|
Community Employment |
500 |
14 |
438 |
30st September |
|
Total |
28,350 |
336.4 |
14,561 |
Excluding where figures are not available |
219. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of persons under the age of 25 who are currently on the live register broken down by jobseeker's benefit, jobseeker's allowance and jobseeker's credits for less than three months, for three to six months, for six to 12 months, for 12 to 24 months, for 24 to 36 months, and more than 36 months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41889/14]
View answer221. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the percentage and number of young persons currently underemployed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41891/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 219 and 221 together.
The total live register at the end of September stood at 370,050, which includes people working part time and signing for other days (Jobseeker’s Allowance Casuals and Jobseeker’s Benefit Casuals). Also included in the live register are people signing on for Credits but not receiving any payment (Jobseeker’s Benefit Credits only) and Springboard participants, who are in part-time education and allowed to retain their benefits.
The number of persons under the age of 25 who were on the live register at that date was 55,138 which equates to 14.9% of the live register. A breakdown of this number by scheme, duration and percentage of total live register is detailed in the tabular statement.
|
Less than 3 Months |
3 to 6 Months |
6 to 12 Months |
1 to 2 Years |
2 to 3 Years |
More than 3 Years |
Totals |
|
|
Jobseeker's Allowance |
18,028 |
7,038 |
7,063 |
9,195 |
4,525 |
6,303 |
52,152 |
|
Jobseeker's Benefit |
2,121 |
502 |
90 |
14 |
0 |
0 |
2,727 |
|
Jobseeker's Credits |
79 |
68 |
45 |
47 |
11 |
9 |
259 |
|
Totals |
20,228 |
7,608 |
7,198 |
9,256 |
4,536 |
6,312 |
55,138 |
220. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of employment service officers currently employed in her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41890/14]
View answerCase officers employed by my Department deliver activation and case management services through Intreo centres and through the network of Departmental offices which are currently transitioning to a full Intreo service. Case Officers generally work in teams dedicated to activating clients and supporting them in various ways in their efforts to regain employment. The team-based approach helps to maximise efficiency and effectiveness and to ensure that a streamlined service is provided to jobseeker clients.
The total number of staff dedicated to providing activation and case management support services is currently 538 (Whole-Time Equivalents), not including clerical support. This number is subject to change over time as staff retire, are re-assigned, promoted etc. and is kept under review.
In common with all Government Departments, DSP must operate within an Employment Control Framework target, set by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and within this activation and control functions are prioritised as resources allow.
The Local Employment Service, which the Department contracts annually, supplements its own employment service provision and provides vocational guidance, employment supports and mediation to jobseekers and others. In the region of 150 mediators are currently employed by 21 Local Development Companies and 1 Community Group as part of the contractual arrangements in place in the Department.
222. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide in tabular form each live register activation programme currently in operation and the numbers participating in these programmes in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and expected in 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41892/14]
View answerPathways to Work, the Government’s activation strategy, includes a wide range of programmes and services to help jobseekers back to employment. These include programmes such as JobBridge, JobsPlus and Momentum introduced by this Government and schemes such as Community Employment and TÚS where we have significantly increased the number of places available.
The Table below outlines the average number of participants per activation programme for the years 2011, 2012, 2013 and the first eight months of 2014. The year-to-date figure for 2014 is influenced by the below average figure for Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) arising from the seasonal pattern of participation that is largely determined by the academic calendar. A noticeable increase in BTEA participation is expected from September onwards. Estimates for participation in 2015 will be available in the first quarter of 2015.
Table: Average Participation in Activation Programmes 2011 to 2014
|
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 to August |
|
|
Back to Work Schemes |
||||
|
Back to Work allowance scheme - Employee strand |
449 |
63 |
13 |
7 |
|
Back to Work Enterprise allowance scheme –self-employed strand |
9,624 |
10,964 |
10,416 |
10,420 |
|
Short-term Enterprise Allowance |
1,245 |
1,151 |
887 |
530 |
|
Total Back to Work payments |
11,318 |
12,177 |
11,316 |
10,957 |
|
Other Activation Programmes |
||||
|
DSP Part-time Job Incentive |
168 |
195 |
248 |
313 |
|
TUS - Community Work Placement Initiative |
539 |
3,955 |
5,742 |
7,345 |
|
JobBridge |
940 |
4,739 |
5,890 |
6,559 |
|
Total Other Activation Programmes |
1,646 |
8,888 |
11,880 |
14,217 |
|
Community Employment Schemes (excluding Supervisors) |
22,001 |
21,547 |
21,487 |
22,948 |
|
SOLAS \ETB Full Time Training for Unemployed People |
8,891 |
8,909 |
8,710 |
8,198 |
|
Back to Education Courses (VTOS) |
5000 |
5000 |
5000 |
5000 |
|
Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) |
BTEA figures include Momentum participants.
|
18,716 |
18,652 |
19,911 |
15,125 |
|
23,716 67,573 |
23,652 75,173 |
24,911 78,304 |
20,125 76,445 |
223. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide in tabular form the number of persons who receive jobseeker's allowance at a rate below €188; the reason for this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41893/14]
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.
It is a fundamental qualifying condition for these schemes that a person must be available for and genuinely seeking full-time work. In the case of jobseeker’s allowance they must satisfy a means test.
The application of means, where the amount of jobseeker's allowance payable is reduced due to the customer having income from work or other sources, is the primary reason why a jobseeker may receive an amount below €188. Other reasons include the application of reduced rates in respect of persons aged under 26, the application of penalty rates, limitation of the total amount that may be paid to a couple, the application of benefit and privilege rules in respect of certain customers and the recovery of overpayments.
As at 19 September 2014, just over half (54%) of the people on the Live Register were receiving less than the maximum personal weekly Jobseekers Allowance (JA) / Jobseekers Benefit (JB) rate of €188.
- 19% or 72,910 received no payment at all. Of these:
- 35,325 (9%) signed for PRSI credits only; and
- 37,585 (10%) were suspended, disallowed or pending award.
- 15% or 57,377 received a payment for part of the week only.
- The remaining 19% or 72,098 received JA or JB of less than the maximum personal rate. This included:
- 36,305 (10%) on a reduced rate of JA due to their means (and/or penalty rates applied due to non-compliance);
- 30,820 (8%) on the reduced rate of JA for those aged under 26 (these cases may also be penalty-rated);
- 4,973 (1%) on a graduated rate of JB.
225. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her views on the option of retirement on a transitional payment until retirement age is reached (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41917/14]
View answerThe Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2011 provides that State pension age will be increased gradually to 68 years. This began in January 2014 with the abolition of the State pension (transition) available at 65, thereby standardising State pension age for all at 66 years. State pension age will increase further to 67 in 2021 and 68 in 2028. This policy is to make the pension system sustainable, in the context of ever increasing life expectancy.
The State pension (transition) was introduced in 1970 when it was known as the retirement pension. It was designed to bridge the gap between the standard social welfare pension age, which at that time was 70 years of age, and retirement age.
All short term social welfare schemes are payable to age 66. The main social welfare payment available to those who leave employment before pension age is jobseeker’s benefit. Persons aged between 65 and 66 years who qualify for a jobseeker’s benefit are generally entitled to receive payment up to the date on which they reach pensionable age (66 years). In the case of a jobseeker’s benefit recipient aged under 65 whose claim spans from one benefit year into another, a new relevant tax year requirement is not applied in the case of the job seekers entitlement relating to the second benefit year. A further provision states that 3 waiting days do not have to be served for jobseekers assistance in the case of certain people aged between 65 and 66 years who have been in receipt of job seekers benefit within the past year.
I was happy to be able to introduce new arrangements in Budget 2014 for older jobseekers, i.e., those aged 62 and over who have left work before reaching the State pension age of 66 and who wish to claim a jobseeker’s payment. With effect from 1 January 2014, fully unemployed jobseekers aged 62 or over will be placed on yearly signing and will be given the option of transferring to EFT payments. Furthermore, they will not be subject to mandatory activation measures or activation-related sanctions but may avail of employment support.
There is no statutory compulsory retirement age for employees in Ireland. Responsibility for setting retirement age is a matter for the employer/employee relationship and the contract of employment.
Social welfare supports will continue to be available to those who need it most and where a person fails to meet the qualifying conditions of an insurance based scheme, a means tested assistance payment may be available provided they satisfy the qualifying conditions.
