Finian McGrath
Question:36. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the employment options available for persons (details supplied) with a physical disability. [43612/14]
View answerEqual Opportunities Employment
Questions (36, 59)
Finian McGrath
Question:59. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the options available for persons (details supplied) with a physical disability who have done many courses or training and now want jobs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43613/14]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 36 and 59 together.
The Government recognises the importance of increasing participation in employment for persons with a disability and is committed to removing barriers which prevent those persons with a disability from availing of employment opportunities. The Department provides a wide range of income and work-related supports specifically for people with disabilities. These supports include:
- the EmployAbility service (formerly the Supported Employment Programme), which facilitates people with disabilities into paid employment in the open labour market; and
- a number of other supports specifically for employers, including the Wage Subsidy Scheme, which pays an employer a subsidy for employing a person with a disability; the Work Equipment Adaptation Grant, the Employee Retention Grant, and the Disability Awareness Scheme.
The national internship programme – Jobbridge – is also open to people with disabilities while the activation service managed by the Department – Intreo – is available to any person with a disability who wishes to avail of the service.
It should also be noted that persons in receipt of disability allowance (DA) can take up employment and avail of an earnings disregard of up to €120 per week without affecting their rate of DA payment.
Question No. 37 withdrawn.
Pensions Legislation
Questions (38, 39)
Terence Flanagan
Question:38. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if there is a European Union directive or legislation that Ireland has not enacted regarding rights for deferred pensioners; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43499/14]
View answerTerence Flanagan
Question:39. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her plans to introduce legislation to guarantee the property rights of deferred pensioners in order to ensure that their rights are not eroded in view of what has happened with the Irish Airlines Superannuation Scheme pension scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43500/14]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 38 and 39 together.
I would like to assure you that Ireland is compliant with its requirements in relation to the transposition of EU directives concerning occupational pensions.
While I am aware of the complex issues arising in relation to Irish Airlines Superannuation Scheme, you will appreciate that it is not appropriate for me to comment on issues relating to a particular pension scheme as these are a matter for the management of the companies concerned and the trustees of the pension scheme.
I assume that your question relates to the provision in section 50 of the Pensions Act which provides an option to the trustees of a defined benefit pension scheme to apply to the Pensions Authority to issue a direction to restructure the benefits of a pension scheme.
You will be aware that a number of changes were made to the Pensions Act in recent years to assist both the employers and the trustees of defined benefit pension schemes respond to the funding difficulties encountered by many schemes at this time. The Pensions Act was amended in 2009 to broaden the options available to the trustees of a defined benefit pension scheme in any consideration of a restructure of scheme benefits under section 50 of the Act to include the benefits of deferred scheme members and post retirement increases in pension benefits. Prior to the 2009 Act, only the benefits of active scheme members could be considered in a restructure of scheme benefits. The Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Act 2013 further extended the options available to the trustees of a scheme to include a portion of benefits payable to pensioners.
These changes essentially provide for the sharing of the risk of scheme underfunding across all scheme members. The issue of how these changes might be applied is a matter for the trustees of a scheme who are required under trust law to act in the best interests of all scheme beneficiaries.
There are no plans to bring forward further amendments to section 50 of the Pensions Act at this time.
Illness Benefit Appeals
Questions (40)
Ciaran Lynch
Question:40. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when a determination will be made on an application for illness benefit in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43510/14]
View answerWritten answers
The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 4th November 2014, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral 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.
Respite Care Grant Expenditure
Questions (41)
Michael Healy-Rae
Question:41. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will amend the Social Welfare Bill to make provisions for the restoration of the respite care grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43521/14]
View answerWritten answers
The respite care grant (RCG) is an annual non means-tested payment made to all carers who provide full time care and attention to others. In 2014, more than 80,000 carers benefited from the respite care grant at an estimated cost of €122 million.
The RCG forms part of a range of income supports for carers provided by the Department. In total, over €822 million is being provided next year for these direct supports, up nearly €17 million from that provided for in 2014.
While I have no plans to increase the current annual rate of the RCG from €1,375, I would point out that in the recent Budget, I did announce a number of welfare initiatives which will benefit those, including carers, who are in receipt of a welfare payment.
These initiatives included an increase in Child Benefit, an increase in the Living Alone Allowance and support for welfare recipients with the cost of water services.
I am also pleased to say that I am in a position to partially restore the Christmas Bonus this year. A bonus of 25% will be paid in early December to all long-term welfare recipients including carers. This is in recognition of the position of vulnerable households and it is important to note that recipients of half-rate carer’s allowance will also get a bonus.
Carers with children will benefit from the increase in child benefit. There will be an increase in the living alone allowance from January, bringing the rate up to €9 for pensioners and people with disabilities. The living alone allowance was last increased in 1996.
In line with the Government’s Statement of Priorities, I have introduced a water support payment of €100 to recipients of the Household Benefit Package, to help older people and other vulnerable groups meet the cost of water services.
As well as the measures mentioned above, all existing welfare payments and supports for carers, pensioners and people with disabilities will be maintained in 2015 – there will be no reductions.
Public Services Card
Questions (42)
Denis Naughten
Question:42. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide the actual data held on the new public service card incorporating photo ID; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43529/14]
View answerWritten answers
The Public Services Card (PSC) has been introduced to enable individuals gain access to public services more efficiently and with a minimum of duplication of effort, while at the same time preserving their privacy to the maximum extent possible. The PSC is designed to replace other cards within the public sector such as the Free Travel Pass and the Social Services Card (SSC) of this Department and to make it easy for providers of public services to verify the identity of customers.
A PSC is currently issued following a registration process which is called a SAFE registration process. This involves the capture of an individual’s photograph and signature and the verification of identity data already held by the Department. Both the PSC and SAFE registration are provided for in primary legislation.
The PSC itself securely contains a person's identity dataset on the PSC chip. The data encoded on the chip is as follows: Name, Personal Public Service Number (PPSN), Photograph, Signature, Card issue number, Card expiry date, Date of birth, Sex, All former surnames (if any) of mother, Place of birth, All former surnames (if any), Nationality.
A subset of this data is also stored on the face of the card: Name, PPSN, Photograph, Signature, Card issue number, and Card expiry date.
The Department is committed to protecting the rights and privacy of individuals in accordance with the Data Protection Acts. The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner was consulted and involved in card design discussions. The card has multiple protection mechanisms, all of the highest current international standards, to prevent and detect tampering with the physical card and its contents. As well as some hidden security features, the card contains visual measures such as its overall graphical design, branding, microprinting, use of optical variable ink and a kinegram. In addition, a PSC and a card reader will communicate with each other by cryptographic means. Only card readers specifically programmed to accept PSCs can undertake this functionality.
The SAFE registration process and the roll-out of the PSC holds a number of benefits for the customers, the Department and for other Public Service bodies. These include improvement in existing cards (e.g. Social Services Cards and Free Travel) through better security features, considerably reducing the potential for forgery and fraudulent use, a reduction in the rate of fraud and errors caused by incorrectly identified and authenticated people, and improvement in the efficiency of every service delivered by the State through the removal of the duplication caused by multiple agencies each solving the problem of identity and authentication themselves.
The introduction of the card, in addition to providing a more efficient service for customers, is also helping to deter and prevent irregularities, including identity theft. The Department has deployed facial image matching software to help detect and deter duplicate SAFE registrations. This has led to the identification of 39 cases (individuals) of facial matches with some prosecutions pending as a result.
Fuel Allowance Applications
Questions (43)
Michelle Mulherin
Question:43. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the position regarding a fuel allowance application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Mayo; if it will be expedited; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43550/14]
View answerWritten answers
Persons who had applied for or were awarded Fuel Allowance prior to commencing on TÚS can be paid Fuel Allowance where they satisfy or continue to satisfy the conditions. It is not possible to obtain entitlement while on the scheme. The person concerned commenced on TÚS on 1 September 2014 and did not have an entitlement to Fuel Allowance at that time. An application for Fuel Allowance could not therefore be awarded when he applied on 23 October 2014.
Social Welfare Offices
Questions (44)
Robert Troy
Question:44. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the cost to the State for the renovation of the social welfare offices in Blackhall, Mullingar, County Westmeath; the purpose of these works; if all the staff will be housed in this building when completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43559/14]
View answerWritten answers
The introduction in Mullingar of INTREO, the Department’s integrated income and employment supports service, will involve a single service delivered over two sites: Blackhall and Bellview.
When building works are complete, Blackhall will be the location of most of the INTREO services. Some of the employment supports will be located in Bellview, along with other DSP services.
Building works are currently underway in Bellview and are due for completion in December. Staff and functions currently located in Blackhall will relocate temporarily to Bellview in January to facilitate building works in Blackhall.
Tenders for work in Blackhall have been invited by the Office of Public Works and are due to be received on 28th November. It would not be appropriate to disclose an estimate of cost until the tendering process has been completed.
Question No. 45 withdrawn.