Written Answers Nos. 51-57
51. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the reason for refusal of non-contributory old age pension in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46650/14]
View answerState pension non-contributory (SPNC) is a means tested pension.
The Deputy has already been given full details of this case by the Department. Based on the documentation provided to date by the applicant and a report from the social welfare inspector it was decided that the person concerned had not fully disclosed his means and on that basis the Deciding Officer refused SPNC. The customer was advised of his right to a review of the decision or to appeal the decision to the Appeals Office.
The Deciding Officer can review the decision. If the customer wishes a review to be undertaken he should provide any additional documentation, facts or evidence in relation to income and outgoings that would be relevant when reassessing his means.
The case has also been forwarded to the Appeals Office. If the person concerned wishes to appeal the decision, or if the Deputy wishes to make an appeal on his behalf, a written submission clearly stating the grounds of the appeal should be sent to the Appeals Office, D’Olier House, D’Olier St, Dublin 2.
52. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if an increase in rent support is merited in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46654/14]
View answerAs outlined to the Deputy in reply to Question No. 98 (33724/14) on 17th September 2014, the client concerned is in receipt of their full entitlement to Rent Supplement based on their monthly rent, weekly income and family composition.
53. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will review entitlement to maternity benefit in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46656/14]
View answerAn application for maternity benefit by the person concerned was refused on the grounds that she was not in insurable employment at the time of her application and did not satisfy the PRSI contribution conditions in the tax years relevant to her application. The person concerned was notified in writing of this decision on 17 July 2014.
It is open to her to appeal this decision to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office.
54. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when jobseeker's allowance will be granted in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46657/14]
View answerThe person concerned applied for a jobseeker's allowance on 17/10/2014. As the person concerned resides with her father who is self-employed, supplementary information in relation to parental means was requested in order to complete a means assessment. To date this information has not been received. However upon receipt of the information the application can proceed and a decision will issue to the person concerned.
55. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if provision may be made by way of increased rent support in view of their current situation in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46668/14]
View answerThe client concerned is in receipt of their full entitlement to Rent Supplement based on their monthly rent, weekly income and family composition.
56. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the position regarding eligibility for rent allowance in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46675/14]
View answerThe person in question has not made an application for rent supplement and therefore her eligibility cannot be determined.
57. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Finance if he is satisfied regarding the availability of credit to the hospitality sector with particular reference to the need to ensure that the hotel industry has adequate access to credit as required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46639/14]
View answerThe Government recognises that small businesses, including those in the hospitality sector, play a central role in the sustainable recovery of the Irish economy. To facilitate this, Government policy since 2011 has been focused on ensuring that all viable SMEs have access to an appropriate supply of credit from a diverse range of bank and non-bank sources.
2013, the year of The Gathering, was the best year for inbound tourism since 2008. Tourism delivers income and jobs in every town and city and to every corner of our country. The abolition of the air travel tax last year will result in over one million extra passengers through additional capacity on many existing routes, as well as the introduction of new services. The reduced 9% rate of VAT on tourism related activities has been a great success and there are now an extra twenty three thousand employed in the sector since mid-2011. In addition, as I announced in the Budget 2015 speech, I increased the amount of finance that can be raised by a company under the Employment and Investment Incentive to €5 million annually subject to a lifetime maximum of €15 million and I also increased the required holding period for shares from 3 to 4 years. With specific regard to the hospitality sector, I extended the inclusion of hotels, guest houses and self-catering accommodation in the scheme by a further 3 years.
Some recent joint banking/industry research has revealed that a majority of Irish hoteliers are optimistic about the medium term outlook for the sector with (67%) saying that the tourism sector will improve within the next three years. A total of 71% believe the financial performance of their own properties will improve within the same time-frame. The research also revealed that 54% of hotels saw turnover increase in 2012, with 26% saying it decreased.
Having completed a process of deleveraging, both AIB and Bank of Ireland are now concentrating on growing their balance sheets. In this context, both banks recognise the need to increase business lending in the period up to 2016 and have put on record their commitment to the SME sector.
My Department has been involved in a range of initiatives to encourage access to credit for small and medium sized businesses, and the SME State Bodies Group, which includes representation from Fáilte Ireland, provides a forum for the development and implementation of policy measures to enhance SMEs' access to a stable and appropriate supply of finance.
Some of the main policies introduced by this Government to encourage access to credit for small and medium businesses include:
- The Supporting SMEs Online Tool, a cross-government initiative, was launched in May 2014. On answering 8 simple questions, the small business will receive a list of available Government supports. The Supporting SMEs Online Tool is available at www.localenterprise.ie/smeonlinetool.
- The Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland has been established as a means of ensuring that SMEs are provided with sufficient finance for growth. The SBCI, from available funding of some €800 million initially, will provide a more extensive range of financing than is currently offered in Ireland. A full roll-out will occur from January 2015 with traditional bank lenders and importantly, new credit providers from beyond the traditional bank sector being involved which means SMEs will benefit from greater choice as well as more funding. More information on the SBCI can be found on www.sbci.gov.ie.
- The Credit Guarantee Scheme encourages additional lending to small businesses by offering a partial Government guarantee to banks against losses on qualifying loans to eligible SMEs. My colleague, the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, will shortly bring legislation to the Oireachtas which enable the development of a more flexible Credit Guarantee Scheme with longer duration and more products and providers included.
- The Microenterprise Loan Fund, administered by Microfinance Ireland, provides loans of up to €25,000 to small businesses who have been refused credit by commercial banks. Microfinance Ireland works in partnership with the Local Enterprise Offices nationally to administer this fund. This scheme is currently being reviewed by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation with a view to making proposed changes to enhance its effectiveness.
- The Credit Review Office helps SME or Farm borrowers who have had an application for credit of up to €3 million declined or reduced by either Bank of Ireland or Allied Irish Banks, and who feel that they have a viable business proposition. They also examine cases where borrowers feel that the terms and conditions of their existing loan, or a new loan offer, are unfairly onerous or have been unreasonably changed to their detriment. This is a strictly confidential process between the business, the Credit Review Office and the bank. The Credit Reviewer John Trethowan and his team have overturned 55% of the refusals that have been appealed to the Office. Further details are available at www.creditreview.ie.
The Department of Finance, working with the other relevant Departments and Agencies, will continue to monitor the availability of both bank and non-bank credit on both a macro and sectoral basis in order to ensure that sufficient access to finance is available to facilitate participants in the SME sector to reach their full potential in terms of growth and employment generation. In this context the forthcoming Action Plan for Jobs 2015 will include a dedicated chapter and associated integrated set of actions to support the financing for growth in the SME sector.
