Willie O'Dea
Question:31. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the measures she is putting in place to tackle food poverty; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9126/15]
View answerAnti-Poverty Strategy
Questions (31)
Written answers
The Department of Social Protection’s primary role is to provide income supports to sustain an adequate standard of living and to prevent poverty. The Department spends in the region of €20 billion in providing income supports every year. These and other social transfers are very effective in reducing the at-risk-of-poverty rate: in 2013, social transfers (including pensions) reduced the at-risk-of-poverty rate from 49.8 per cent (before social transfers) to 15.2 per cent (after social transfers), thereby lifting a third of the population out of relative income poverty. This represents a poverty reduction effect of 69.5 per cent, up from 67.2 per cent in 2012. Ireland is among the best performing EU member states in this regard.
The Department of Social Protection administers the school meals programme as a targeted intervention for children at risk of food poverty and educational disadvantage. The Department provided €37 million for the programme in 2014, benefiting almost 207,000 children across some 1,600 schools and related organisations. An additional €2 million was allocated to the school meals scheme in Budget 2015.
Specific responsibility for food and nutrition policy lies with the Department of Health. Food poverty is one aspect of the experience of poverty and deprivation, as captured by the official indicator of consistent poverty. In 2013, 8.2 per cent of the population were in consistent poverty. The national social target is to reduce consistent poverty to 4 per cent by 2016 and to 2 per cent or less by 2020.
The economy is growing, unemployment is falling, and confidence is slowly returning. The Government has completed the first phase of the recovery and we are now starting the second: the process of restoring living standards to ensure that everyone - every family, every community, will benefit from the recovery. Through this, I am confident that we will achieve the national social target for poverty reduction by 2020.
Labour Activation Measures
Questions (32)
Clare Daly
Question:32. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will justify the way those who are required to take up a Gateway position end up financially worse off, through paying pay related social insurance and incurring costs in attending work, ensuring a substantial reduction in their family income; and her plans regarding same. [9211/15]
View answerWritten answers
Gateway is a Government initiative in the Local Authorities which aims to provide short-term quality and suitable work opportunities to improve the employability and maintain the work readiness of those who have been unemployed for 24 months or more. To date there are some 1,800 participants.
Employees on Gateway with income over €352 per week are liable for Class A PRSI contribution at a rate of 4% on the total earnings. These employees are also subject to normal income tax and payroll deductions if their level of earnings brings them into the tax net. As the Deputy is aware, this also applies to employees in the private and public sector and those engaged in other work placements initiatives such as Tús, Community Employment and the Rural Social Scheme.
Participants on employment schemes, who pay Class A, can establish entitlement to the full range of short-term benefits, including jobseeker’s benefit, illness benefit, and maternity benefit and to long term benefits including state pension (contributory).
I should also mention the additional benefits that must be considered such as the provision of paid annual leave, the opportunity to engage in paid work outside of their working hours and the experience gained on work placements which can significantly enhance a person’s ability to identify other work and development opportunities to access the jobs market.
While the majority of people who are referred to Gateway are selected on a random basis by the Department, the opportunity for voluntary or self-selection is also available.
Overall, I want to make it very clear that if a placement is putting a negative financial impact on a participant, then it is open to them to inform their Intreo Office and to seek to be excused from participation on financial grounds. In such cases, the Department will work with the person to identify other activation and/or educational opportunities, which may be more appropriate to their circumstances.
One-Parent Family Payment Payments
Questions (33)
Bernard Durkan
Question:33. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the extent to which she expects one-parent families to be in a position to access family income supplement, or other support payments, in the wake of reductions in the one-parent family allowance, with particular reference to the need to ensure that the incomes of such families are adequately protected; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9291/15]
View answerWritten answers
As of the end of January there were approximately 69,700 recipients of the One Parent Family Payment (OFP) scheme at an expected cost of €607 million in 2015. The final phase of the one-parent family payment (OFP) scheme age change reforms will be taking place on 2 July, 2015, when the maximum age limit of the youngest child at which an OFP recipient’s payment ceases will be reduced to 7 years for all recipients.
Approximately 30,200 OFP recipients will be transitioning out of the OFP scheme on 2 July, 2015. All of these customers who continue to need income support will be transitioned to another welfare income support payment. It is expected that approximately 9,600 lone parents will access the family income supplement and approximately 20,000 will access a jobseeker’s payment including the jobseeker’s allowance transitional arrangement.
Customers caring for a child who is in receipt of domiciliary care allowance will not be affected by the July changes. There are approximately 1,650 of these lone parents. I have also received Government approval to extend of entitlement to OFP for all lone parents who are entitled to OFP and the carer’s allowance payment until their youngest child turns 16 years of age or the lone parent is no longer entitled to the OFP or carer’s allowance payments. As a result the 800 customers who were due to lose entitlement to OFP in July will now retain their OFP and half-rate carer’s allowance payment subject to the necessary legislative amendments being enacted. I intend to bring forward a Committee Stage amendment in the Social Welfare Bill 2015 to give effect to the Government's decision.
Respite Care Grant Administration
Questions (34)
Ruth Coppinger
Question:34. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if her Department has made an analysis of the impact of the cut in the respite care grant payment on its recipients; if she will reverse the cut made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9370/15]
View answerWritten answers
The financial supports available to carers in Ireland, are among the highest rates of income support in Europe. Expenditure on carers has increased significantly in recent years and it is estimated that the overall expenditure for 2015 will be €822 million which is €11 million higher than the expected outturn for 2014. This does not include the value of other welfare payments which over 25,000 recipients of half-rate carer’s allowance also receive.
I fully appreciate the important and difficult role that carers undertake in this country and that carers need our support. The annual respite care payment is a single lump sum with no requirement to satisfy a means test. There is no equivalent payment for carers in any other country in Europe. In excess of €118 million was spent on the respite care grant in 2014.
In framing budgetary adjustments, the primary concern has been to protect primary social welfare rates. In order to protect the core weekly payments which people receive, including disability payments, pensions and carer’s allowance, in 2013, the Government had to look very carefully at other additional payments, including the respite care grant. Any change to the respite care grant can only be considered in the context of the overall economic and budgetary position in the current year.
One of the main findings of the Budget 2013 Social Impact Assessments (SIAs) was that the principal welfare and direct tax measures in that Budget led to no significant change in the at-risk-of-poverty rate. This confirms the continuing strong poverty reduction effect of social transfers during fiscal consolidation. In Budget 2015, I further enhanced the poverty reduction effect of social transfers and I am confident that these measures will be reflected in improved poverty statistics in the future.
Departmental Staff
Questions (35)
Maureen O'Sullivan
Question:35. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the various mechanisms, offices and positions employed by her Department to monitor the quality of decisions of deciding officers and to monitor customer service performance of front-line staff within her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9316/15]
View answerWritten answers
Each year in the Department decisions are made on over two million claims across a range of schemes. The deciding officers (DOs) and Designated Persons (DPs) who make these decisions are very conscious of their obligations to customers. Every effort is made to ensure that people receive any entitlements due to them and that information and services are provided in a timely and customer-friendly manner.
Customers who are not satisfied with the initial decision on their claim are entitled to seek either an internal review or to appeal to the Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO) and are advised of this.
Measures to minimise incorrect decisions include management checks at local level and ongoing improvement to guidelines and advice. The Decisions Advisory Office within the Department has begun a process of examining decision files, identifying common errors, and issuing staff bulletins to advise staff of best practice. A major new training programme for DOs, DPs and others is also leading to ongoing improvements in decision making.
The Department also conducts surveys to establish baseline fraud and error levels for social welfare schemes. Recent surveys have found low levels of departmental error, such as 0.04% on widow/er’s and surviving civil partner’s contributory pensions; 0.01% on jobseeker's allowance; and none on child benefit.
There are regular meetings between the SWAO and officials of the Department to identify and resolve issues that give rise to appeals, in order to have more consistent application of the legislation and guidelines between the SWAO and the Department.
The Department demonstrates its ongoing commitment to a strong customer service ethos through the implementation of the Customer Charter and Action Plan 2013-2015 which sets out a range of mechanisms, such as customer surveys, aimed at ensuring that the Department delivers the highest levels of service to its customers. The Plan also commits all of the Department’s public offices to displaying the Customer Charter and the Customer Code of Conduct and compliance with this commitment is actively monitored.
The Department greatly values customer comments and suggestions on all aspects of its service delivery to ensure that its services consistently meet the needs of its customers.
Social Welfare Code
Questions (36)
Denis Naughten
Question:36. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her plans to review the current schemes to ensure that they support the self-employed, in view of the fact that they are the main driving force for sustainable job creation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9176/15]
View answerWritten answers
Self-employed persons are liable for PRSI at the class S rate of 4% which entitles them to access long-term benefits such as State pension (contributory) and widow's, widower's or surviving civil partner's pension (contributory) as well as guardians payment (contributory), maternity benefit and adoptive benefit. Ordinary employees who have access to the full range of social insurance benefits pay class A PRSI at the rate of 4%. In addition, their employers make a PRSI contribution of 10.75% in respect of their employees, resulting in the payment of a combined 14.75% rate per employee under full-rate PRSI Class A. (For employees earning less than €356 per week, the rate of employer’s PRSI is 8.5%).
Self-employed workers who have lost their business and become unemployed may access social welfare supports by establishing eligibility to assistance-based payments such as jobseeker’s allowance. In the case of jobseeker’s allowance they can apply for the means-tested jobseeker’s allowance if their business ceases or if they are on low income as a result of a downturn in demand for their services. As in the case of a non-self-employed claimant for jobseeker’s allowance, the means of husband/wife, civil partner or co-habitant will be taken into account in deciding on entitlement to a payment.
In September 2013, I published the report of the Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare on Extending Social Insurance Coverage for the self-employed. The Group was asked to examine and report on issues involved in extending social insurance coverage for self-employed people in order to establish whether or not such cover is technically feasible and financially sustainable, with the requirement that any proposals for change must be cost neutral.
The Group found that the current system of means tested jobseeker’s allowance payments adequately provides cover to self-employed people for the risks associated with unemployment. In this context, the Group noted that almost 9 out of every 10 self-employed people who claimed the means tested jobseeker’s allowance during the three-year period from 2009 to 2011 received payment. Consequently, the Group was not convinced that there was a need for the extension of social insurance for the self-employed to provide cover for jobseeker’s benefit.
The Group also found that extending social insurance for the self-employed was warranted in cases related to long term sickness or injuries. To this end, the Group recommended that Class S benefits should be extended to provide cover for people who are permanently incapable of work, because of a long-term illness or incapacity, through the invalidity pension and the partial capacity benefit schemes. The Group further recommended that the extension of social insurance in this regard should be on a compulsory basis and that the rate of contribution for Class S should be increased by at least 1.5 percentage points.
This recommendation will require further consideration in conjunction with the findings of the most recent Actuarial Review of the Social Insurance Fund which indicated that the self-employed achieve better value for money compared to the employed when the comparison includes both employer and employee contributions in respect of the employed person. The Actuarial Review found that the effective annual rate of contributions needed to provide the core full-rate State pension (contributory), currently available to self-employed contributors, is approximately 15%.
My colleagues in Government and I will continue to reflect on the findings of the Advisory Group on this issue and will consider the recommendations contained in the report taking into account future developments in terms of the budgetary and fiscal situation.
Social Welfare Overpayments
Questions (37)
Aengus Ó Snodaigh
Question:37. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will introduce a statute of limitations to govern the recovery of overpayments. [9314/15]
View answerWritten answers
Effective debt recovery is a key aspect of the Department’s control policy and it is seen as an integral part of the deterrent approach to social welfare fraud. It creates a climate where people who have been overpaid know that they have a responsibility to repay their debt and that the Department will take appropriate steps to obtain recovery.
Once assessed with an overpayment, a person is liable to pay back the full amount owed as they have been in receipt of money to which they were not entitled. While it is the Department’s aim to prevent overpayments in the first place, if they occur, they are a debt to the Exchequer, and every effort must be made to recover the amounts due. In this regard, it should be noted that the Department does not apply interest or penalties on the amount owed.
Overall, it is important that the Department maintains the capacity to recover debts and is not limited by time in this regard. Therefore, I do not intend to introduce a statute of limitations to govern the recovery of social welfare debts.
Free Travel Scheme Eligibility
Questions (38)
Gabrielle McFadden
Question:38. Deputy Gabrielle McFadden asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if the free travel companion pass for visually impaired children will be widened to include children with other physical or intellectual disabilities; if she will provide some form of concessionary travel scheme for children with other physical or intellectual disabilities who are under 16 years of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9348/15]
View answerWritten answers
There are currently approximately 800,000 people in Ireland in receipt of free travel at an annual cost of €77 million per annum.
The free travel scheme is available to all people aged over 66 living permanently in the State. Applicants who are under age 66 must be in receipt of a qualifying payment in order to qualify for the scheme.
There is a provision for free travel passes for visually impaired children who satisfy the medical conditions for the blind pension. The provision is a long standing one based on supports for the blind, including the blind pension, that predated other supports for the disabled.
Children with other disabilities may qualify for the domiciliary care allowance. This is a monthly payment of €309.50 to the carer of a child with a disability. The allowance may be used for the additional costs involved in caring for the child and this may include additional transport costs. On most transport services children under sixteen years of age are charged fares at special concessionary child rates.
Any decision to extend the free travel scheme to persons who are not in receipt of a primary qualifying payment would have budgetary consequences and would have to be considered in the context of budget negotiations.
Rent Supplement Scheme Administration
Questions (39)
Ruth Coppinger
Question:39. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will report on the extension of the Threshold tenancy protection service to County Cork; her plans to extend this service to other areas in the State; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9369/15]
View answerWritten answers
There are currently approximately 70,700 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €298 million for 2015.
I am acutely aware of the difficulties people are experiencing in maintaining affordable rented accommodation in areas of high demand in the current market. The Department has put measures in place to ensure that the housing needs of rent supplement customers who are at risk of homelessness are addressed by providing for increased flexibility within the administration of the rent supplement scheme. Notices were circulated to all Community Welfare Service staff reminding them of their discretionary power to award, on a case by case basis, a supplement for rental purposes in such circumstances in July and December 2014. A National Framework has also been developed to ensure that appropriate supports continue to be provided throughout the country in a consistent manner.
The Interim Tenancy Sustainment Protocol, introduced in the Dublin region during 2014, has assisted approximately 380 families to date through increased rental payments. The protocol was extended to Cork city effective from 26 January 2015 and a small number of cases in this area are being considered for increased payments in excess of the maximum rent limits.
The Department continues to monitor the measures in place to ensure that the appropriate supports are in place for rent supplement recipients and the Dublin protocol has recently being extended to include single persons and couples. The Department’s response to the current difficulties in the private rented market remains under close review.
National Internship Scheme Administration
Questions (40)
Willie O'Dea
Question:40. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her response to the proposal by the National Youth Council to double JobBridge payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9122/15]
View answerWritten answers
JobBridge has made significant progress since its introduction in July 2011. To date, over 37,700 internship placements having commenced, there are currently 6,140 interns on the programme and a further 1,129 positions are advertised on the JobBridge website.
I have noted the contents of the National Youth Council’s recommendations relating to JobBridge.
Given the high level of voluntary participation in JobBridge and given the costs that would arise for the Exchequer, I see no merit in increasing the ‘top-up’ payment to the level proposed in the report and I have no plans to do this at present.
Data Protection
Questions (41)
Denis Naughten
Question:41. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her plans for data sharing between her Department and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9175/15]
View answerWritten answers
The Department has data sharing in place with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs for the provision of parent and child details to confirm eligibility for, and to support that Department in the financial management of the Afterschool Childcare Scheme and to monitor the take-up of available places. The Department also provides summary information to the Department of Children and Youth Affairs on the national and divisional take-up of Community Employment Childcare places.
The Department has currently no other plans to share data with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.
Labour Activation Measures
Questions (42)
Ruth Coppinger
Question:42. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will remove any penalties to social welfare recipients due to non-participation in labour activation schemes, in view of the National Youth Council of Ireland's report (details supplied), which found that of the 13.3% of respondents who felt compelled to participate in JobBridge 100% were dissatisfied with their experience; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9368/15]
View answerWritten answers
The NYCI report recommended that penalties should not apply in the case of jobseekers who refuse to participate in the new First Steps employment programme. I note that this recommendation was derived from a small study of eighty self-selected respondents of whom just seven participated in a follow up structured interview.
Given its limitations this study cannot form the basis for any policy decisions.
The current arrangements are fair in my view and represent a good balance of rights and responsibilities. Therefore I do not propose to alter the conditions relating to the application of penalty payments.
Social Welfare Benefits Data
Questions (43)
Thomas P. Broughan
Question:43. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will report, in tabular form, the number of persons in receipt of the one-parent family payment who were in community employment schemes in 2012 to 2014, inclusive, and to date in 2015. [9210/15]
View answerWritten answers
The number of persons with eligibility under one parent family payment (OFP), who were employed in community employment (CE) schemes in the years 2012, 2013, 2014 and to date in 2015 are as follows:
|
Year |
Eligibility category - OFP |
|
2012 |
5,048 |
|
2013 |
3,024 |
|
2014 |
2,241 |
|
2015 to date |
980 |
One-Parent Family Payment Payments
Questions (44)
Ruth Coppinger
Question:44. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will reverse her decision to end the one-parent family payment to lone parents when their youngest child reaches seven years of age; if she will report on the work of her Department in preparation for this change; if there are higher payments expected to be paid in family income supplement as a result of the change in the one-parent family payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9371/15]
View answerWritten answers
Before I introduced the reforms, the One Parent Family Payment was a passive scheme with limited engagement by the State with recipients. For many lone parents, most of whom are women, this has meant long-term social welfare dependency, associated poverty and social exclusion for them and their families.
Social transfers have provided a hugely important buffer in reducing poverty. Expenditure on the scheme is estimated at €607 million in 2015 with almost 70,000 recipients. However, lone parents remain particularly at risk of poverty.
This is why I believe that the reforms I have introduced are much needed. The best route out of poverty and social exclusion is through paid employment.
I therefore have no plans to reverse the forthcoming changes to the one parent family payment.
The Department has carried out extensive preparations for the implementation of these reforms. In January 2014 an Implementation Group was established to prepare for the July 2015 changes. This involved significant operational and IT preparations. The Department has also liaised extensively with representative lone parent groups since the reforms where announced in Budget 2012.
All OFP recipients affected will have letters issued to them reminding them that their OFP payment is due to cease and informing them of how this will be managed. Depending on their circumstances some customers will receive a letter inviting them to information sessions, where the age changes and subsequent options will be fully explained to them. The information seminars for customers affected in July 2015 are already underway with the Department of Social Protection. These information sessions are essential as affected lone parents will be advised on the best options available to them based on their individual circumstances.
With regard to increase in the family income supplement (FIS) for affected customers, the FIS thresholds are set and will apply to OFP recipients who transition onto FIS. Lone parents already in receipt of FIS will see their FIS payment re-rated to take account for the loss of their OFP. However, all customers in this scenario will be able to apply for the back to work family dividend (BTWFD). The BTWFD allows these customers to retain the child proportion of their payment, which equals €29.80 per week per child (up to a maximum of €119.20 for four children), for two years, with full entitlement for the first year and 50% entitlement for the second year.
Farm Assist Scheme
Questions (45)
Charlie McConalogue
Question:45. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will consider reversing the changes she made to farm assist with respect to income disregards, in view of the fact that it has had a serious negative affect on the income levels of already struggling farming families; the reasons she is refusing to carry out an analysis to assess the impact that the changes have had on those families; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9373/15]
View answerWritten answers
The farm assist scheme provides support for farmers on low incomes and is similar to jobseeker’s allowance. Farm assist recipients retain the advantages of the jobseeker’s allowance scheme such as retention of secondary benefits and access to activation programmes. The 2015 Revised Estimates for the Department provide for expenditure this year on the farm assist scheme of €88.7 million.
All recipients of farm assist have benefitted from the Christmas Bonus in December, 2014 and all recipients with children are benefiting from the increase in child benefit announced in the Budget.
Changes introduced in Budgets 2012 and 2013 have brought farm assist into closer alignment with the jobseeker’s allowance scheme’s treatment of self-employed persons.
The assessment of means for the purpose of qualifying for farm assist is designed to reflect the actual net income from farming. Income and expenditure figures for the preceding year are generally used as an indicator of the expected position in the following year. However, account is taken of any exceptional circumstances so as to ensure that the assessment accurately reflects the current situation.
As part of the normal budget process, all potential budget measures, including any changes to the farm assist scheme, are assessed in terms of the impact they would have if introduced. The scheme is kept under ongoing review by my officials. There are no plans to change the current scheme criteria.
Civil Marriages Data
Questions (46)
Pearse Doherty
Question:46. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection in relation to the notification requirements for marriage and the fee for registering intent of marriage, which was increased from €150 to €200 in 2013, if she will provide details of the number of couples, per county, in tabular form, who have registered their intention to get married with the State since this increase; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9760/15]
View answerWritten answers
Under Part 6 of the Civil Registration Act 2004, where a couple attend a registrar’s office and notify the registrar of their intention to marry they are required to pay a fee of €200. This fee was increased from €150 by way of Statutory Instrument 17/2013 which came into effect on 23 January 2013.
The number of notifications received between 23 January 2013 and 3 March 2015 from couples intending to marry, broken down by county, is outlined in the table.
|
Carlow 776 |
Cavan 1126 |
Clare 650 |
Cork 5289 |
Donegal 2032 |
Dublin 14320 |
|
Galway 2815 |
Kerry 1432 |
Kildare 1982 |
Kilkenny 917 |
Laois 578 |
Leitrim 337 |
|
Limerick 2240 |
Longford 451 |
Louth 2164 |
Mayo 1194 |
Meath 1425 |
Monaghan 720 |
|
Offaly 858 |
Roscommon 468 |
Sligo 951 |
Tipperary 1494 |
Waterford 1133 |
Westmeath 694 |
|
Wexford 1510 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Wicklow 1317 |
Rent Supplement Scheme Administration
Questions (47)
Ruth Coppinger
Question:47. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if her Department has carried out an analysis of the rental market rates; if she will review the cap on rent supplement payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9551/15]
View answerWritten answers
There are approximately 70,700 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €298 million for 2015.
The Department has undertaken a review of the maximum rent limits, involving a comprehensive analysis of information from various sources including the Private Residential Tenancies Board, leading property websites and the Central Statistics Office. Raising rent limits may not be the solution to the problem as it is likely to add to further rental inflation and could impact, not alone on rent supplement recipients, but also on many lower income workers and students. I am keeping the matter under close review.
The Department has put measures in place to ensure that the accommodation needs of rent supplement customers at risk of homelessness are addressed by providing for increased flexibility within the administration of the rent supplement scheme. Notices were circulated to all Community Welfare Service staff reminding them of their discretionary power to award, on a case by case basis, a supplement for rental purposes in July and December 2014.
A National Framework has been developed to ensure that appropriate supports continue to be provided throughout the country in a consistent manner. The Interim Tenancy Sustainment Protocol, introduced in the Dublin region during 2014 has provided assistance to approximately 380 families to date and has been recently extended to facilitate non-family households. The Protocol was also extended to Cork city from 26 January 2015.
The Department continues to monitor the measures in place to ensure that the appropriate supports are provided for rent supplement recipients.
Social Welfare Overpayments
Questions (48)
Aengus Ó Snodaigh
Question:48. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection in the case of social welfare recipients who have had a decision of recovery-of-overpayment made against them, if the 15% is calculated on the principal sum or on the total sum when other deductions, such as means assessment, have been deducted. [9651/15]
View answerWritten answers
A person who has been assessed with a social welfare overpayment has a liability to repay that money as they have been in receipt of money to which they were not entitled.
I introduced legislation in 2012 which allows for a deduction of an amount up to 15% of the weekly personal rate of social welfare payable to a customer for the purposes of the recovery of an overpayment without the customer’s consent.
The maximum deduction allowable without consent is 15% of the full personal rate normally payable to the person. If a person is receiving less than the full rate as a result of a means assessment, this is because they have another source of income.
When deductions are being considered, the person is provided with the opportunity to put forward any circumstances that they feel may be relevant to the rate of recovery proposed.
The deduction does not affect payment of any adult or child dependent allowances, or any other allowances that are in payment. Overall, it allows the person to retain at least 85% of their personal rate of payment.
In the circumstances where the person has been in receipt of money to which they were not entitled, this is considered to be reasonable.
Humanitarian Assistance Scheme
Questions (49)
Noel Harrington
Question:49. Deputy Noel Harrington asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the total amount paid out for the years 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 from the humanitarian assistance fund; if she will provide a breakdown for each of these years of the types of incidences that resulted in assistance being paid; the amount that was paid following flooding, and with reference to flooding a breakdown of what was paid to local authority housing; the amount paid out to privately owned homes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9676/15]
View answerWritten answers
The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government is the lead Department for severe weather emergencies and the Office of Public Works has responsibility for capital flood relief activities. However, the Department of Social Protection has an important role to play in assisting households in the immediate aftermath of emergency events such as the flooding of November 2009 and the severe weather in early 2014.
A humanitarian aid scheme was approved by Government in response to these events. The humanitarian aid scheme, which is means tested, is available to people whose homes were damaged and who are not in a position to meet costs for essential needs, household items and in some instances structural repair as a result of the flooding and severe weather damage. Payments issued to householders affected by these floods are as follows:
- In 2010 approximately €1 million was paid out to 2,100 householders mainly in Galway and Roscommon who suffered damage to their homes following the flooding in November 2009.
- In 2011 a total of €359,000 was paid out to householders mainly in Dublin and Monaghan who suffered damage to their homes following the flooding in Autumn 2011.
- In 2012 a total of €714,000 was paid out to householders mainly in Dublin, Monaghan and Cork who suffered damage to their homes following the flooding in Autumn 2011 and June 2012.
- In 2013, a total of €152,000 was paid under the scheme in respect of 166 claims, of which the majority was paid in Dublin €51,000 and in Galway €66,700 in respect of flooding.
- In 2014, €1.2 million was paid under the scheme in respect of 936 claims, of which the majority was paid in Limerick €676,000, Clare €119,000 and Waterford €105,000 in response to severe weather conditions and the flooding in early 2014.
It is not possible to breakdown the expenditure between residents of local authority housing and privately owned homes.
The Government decided in December 2010 that this Department could hold a provision of up to €4 million to assist a number of households in Galway, Roscommon and Offaly who experienced severe flooding in November 2009 toward relocation costs. To date payments totalling €2.16 million have been paid to a small number of persons who are eligible for relocation costs who have fully complied with the conditions of the scheme.