Written Answers Nos. 46-55
46. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide a copy of the report completed by her Department in or around 2009 into nature of the employment status of 14 ESB meter readers, including (details supplied) specifically; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43580/14]
View answerThere is no report in relation to this issue. These cases are being dealt with on an individual basis and are the subject of ongoing investigation in my Department. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on the likely outcome of these investigations at this stage.
47. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she is withdrawing double payments after 1 January 2015, as this will affect community employment schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43585/14]
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.
48. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if there has been a massive change in criteria in eligibility for community employment applicants to allow long-term unemployed back into the workforce; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43586/14]
View answerThere have been no recent changes to the eligibility criteria for entry to Community Employment programmes.
Should the Deputy wish to supply further information regarding his jobseekers benefit query, this will be addressed immediately.
49. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the way the transition will take place for persons on rent supplement to the new scheme housing assistance payment; in what order will persons be moved from rent supplement to the new scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43587/14]
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 72,500 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €344 million for 2014.
The Department’s strategic policy direction is to transfer responsibility for recipients of rent supplement with a long-term housing need to local authorities under the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). HAP will 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. Rent supplement will continue to be paid to those already in the private rented sector who have a short-term need of rental support, often as a result of the loss of employment.
HAP was introduced in Cork County Council, Limerick City and County Council and Waterford City and County Council on 15th September, 2014 and in South Dublin County Council, Kilkenny County Council, Monaghan County Council and Louth County Council on 1st October, 2014.
To date, over 160 customers have been taken onto the HAP scheme, which includes both direct transfers from the rent supplement scheme and new applicants that have being assessed as qualifying for social housing support by the local authority. Prior to the introduction of HAP, new applicants qualifying for social housing support were eligible for rent supplement. The Department is requesting rent supplement recipients, who have been in receipt of the supplement for periods in excess of 18 months, to apply to the housing authority for a social housing assessment and as a consequence, an assessment for social housing support including HAP.
Department of Social Protection officials are continuing to work closely with those in the lead Department of Environment, Community and Local Government to support the implementation of HAP within the selected local authorities.
50. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding community employment schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43588/14]
View answerThe Department has improved the financial and programme monitoring of schemes since it became responsible for the Community Employment (CE) programme. The renewed focus on the development of individuals on schemes is leading to greater achievements for the learner and an improved service to local communities across the country. The putting in place of an Individual Learner Plan some years ago has added to this achievement. The role of the Sponsoring Organisation and the CE Supervisor in the provision of guidance and support is critical to achieving positive outcomes. With this in mind, the Department provides funding for the employment of supervisors on a 39 hour week basis, while the participants participation on the scheme is for 19.5 hours. This is in order to provide adequate time to the sponsoring organisation to provide the necessary supports for the daily management of the scheme.
There are two monitoring visits carried out by the Department to a scheme on an annual basis – financial monitoring and programme monitoring which focus on gaining evidence from the scheme of compliance with the CE Operational Procedures. Each scheme is notified by the Department well in advance of what is expected from them so that it is made as easy as possible for the scheme to become compliant. The scheme itself has no paperwork to complete. The monitoring form is completed by officials from the Department. If the scheme is found not to be fully compliant, every assistance is provided by the Department in order to become so.
The average fund provided to CE schemes is in the region of €350,000 per annum, which is a significant outlay by the Department. The Deputy will appreciate, therefore, that robust controls and monitoring are required to ensure that public monies are being spent in an effective and efficient manner.
51. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding community development officers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43590/14]
View answerThere are currently five Community Development Officers, (CDOs), in Kerry, supporting the delivery of Community Employment (CE) schemes, Jobs Clubs and Employability Kerry.
Personnel changes in the past year have meant that two staff from other areas within the Department have recently been allocated and trained to work in Community Services. They are in the process of increasing the number of CE schemes they administer.
In common with all Government Departments, the Department must operate within an Employment Control Framework target, set by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. To support the Department’s activation commitments under the Pathways to Work Programme and the development of Intreo services nationally, it has been necessary to review the administration of all its services including the community services. The reference to eight CDOs is historic and attaches to a period prior to the integration into the Department.
Community Services represents an important area of departmental operations, in particular given its increasing role in support of the Pathways to Work activation agenda for jobseekers and the Department is committed to supporting resourcing for these functions.
52. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if there is a Government policy to withdraw community employment schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43591/14]
View answerI wish to confirm that there is no Government policy to withdraw community employment (CE) schemes. The CE scheme currently has 25,300 places, having risen from 23,300 places in 2011. It is the largest employment programme in the country giving long-term jobseekers and other disadvantaged groups valuable work experience and training/development opportunities to assist then in their return to the open labour market.
53. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of community employment schemes operational in the country at present; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43592/14]
View answerThe number of community employment schemes operational in the country at present is 1,026 as at 11th November 2014. The total number of places available on CE is 25,300.
54. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding community employment supervisors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43593/14]
View answerThe programme and training monitoring carried out under Community Employment (CE) focuses on gaining evidence from individual schemes of their compliance with the CE Operational Procedures, which sets the quality standard for the schemes. The purpose of this is to ensure that the CE participant benefits from the programme and is assured of getting a quality service.
In relation to follow-up with CE participants, this is to ensure that there is a smooth transition from the programme and that a level of support is still provided to the individual. It was always the role of the CE scheme and supervisor to support the job search of the CE participant – particularly when coming up to leaving the scheme. This arrangement was formalised in special agreements which were put in place under Benchmarking, Sustaining Progress and T16 awards for CE Supervisors. These conditions were agreed in consultation with the representative bodies at the time and were widely circulated to schemes.
55. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding community employment schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43594/14]
View answerThe number of places on Community Employment (CE) has increased in the last two years by 2,000 to 25,300, with an increase in the CE annual budget from €352m in 2013 to €357m in 2014. Funding in 2015 will increase to €379m to accommodate the full complement of places.
Also an additional €1.3m was allocated to the CE training budget in 2013 in order to support the provision of training to participants. This additional funding has been retained for 2014 and 2015.
The nominal training grant per CE participant place is €250 per year but this can extend up to €500 depending on an individual participant’s training needs. The training grant is paid to the CE sponsor and is used according to participant needs (some may use more than this, as above, some use less, as certain training is provided free of charge by the Local Education and Training Boards). It is up to the sponsor to maximise the utilisation of the training grant for all its participants.
With regards to CE duration, the current rules regarding maximum durations have not changed. With effect from 3rd April 2000, lifetime cumulative participation on CE by an individual is limited to:
- 3 years (156 weeks) for persons under 55 years of age.
- 6 years (312 weeks) for persons of 55 years of age up to and including 65 years of age.
- Eligible persons in receipt of a qualifying disability-linked Social Welfare payment will be eligible for one additional year on CE over the standard maximum participation caps, i.e. 4 years cumulative maximum time on CE for those under 55 years of age (Part-Time Job Option only), and 7 years cumulative maximum time for those between 55 and 65 (Part-Time Job Option only ).
Participation on CE prior to 3rd April 2000 is not counted. Offshore island residents are exempt from this participation cap, subject to the availability of places on island-based CE schemes.
