Written Answers Nos.50-59
50. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if an increase in rent supplement will be facilitated in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12376/15]
View answerThe Department has not been informed of any change of circumstance for the client concerned. The client should provide the department with an up to date lease agreement and Rent Supplement application form. On receipt of same the client's entitlement can be assessed.
51. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her plans to have severe epilepsy designated as a disability for the purposes of the social protection system. [12391/15]
View answerSevere epilepsy is accepted as a certifiable medical condition. Each case is individually assessed on its own merits after careful review of medical evidence in accordance with the Department's evidence based medical protocols and guidelines.
52. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of pieces of legislation that were submitted for pre-legislative scrutiny by her Department since 2011; her plans to allow pre-legislative scrutiny for any upcoming pieces of legislation from her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12419/15]
View answerThe Government approved an expansion and reinforcement of the arrangements for pre-legislative scrutiny in September 2013. A number of new Standing Orders were adopted by the Dáil on 17 October 2013 in order to underpin these new arrangements and these Standing Orders came into effect on 5 November 2013.
In order to clarify the operation of these new Standing Orders, an Agreed Protocol for Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of the Heads of Bills by Oireachtas Committees was published in September 2014. This Agreed Protocol provides that certain Bills are exempted from the requirements for pre-legislative scrutiny, including Bills which are required to implement Budget changes such as the Finance Bill and the Social Welfare Bill, “emergency” Bills and Bills that were at an advanced stage of drafting at the time the Standing Orders were adopted.
The Heads of the Gender Recognition Bill were referred to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection for pre-legislative scrutiny in July 2013. Following consideration of the Heads the Joint Oireachtas Committee issued its report in January 2014. The Bill passed all stages in the Seanad in February 2015 and passed Second Stage in the Dáil in March 2015. The Dáil Committee Stage of the Bill has been deferred until later in the year.
The other Bills which I have initiated since September 2013 fall into the categories of Bills exempted under the Agreed Protocol from the requirements for pre-legislative scrutiny. These include the Social Welfare Bills enacting provisions arising from Budgets 2014 and 2015 and the Civil Registration (Amendment) Bill 2014 which was at an advanced stage of drafting at the time the Standing Orders came into effect.
Future Bills initiated by my Department will be subject to the agreed Protocol for Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of Heads of Bills by Oireachtas Committees.
55. Deputy Noel Coonan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when an appeal relating to carer's allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary will be finalised. [12466/15]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 25th February 2015, 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.
56. Deputy Noel Coonan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when an appeal in respect of carer's allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary will be finalised. [12467/15]
View answerI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, decided to disallow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision on 30th January 2015. Under Social Welfare legislation, the decision of an Appeals Officer is final and conclusive and may only be revised in the light of new evidence or new facts which would make the original decision incorrect, or in cases where the decision of the Appeals Officer was to allow the appeal, there has been a change of circumstances which has come to notice since the date of the Appeals Officer's original decision.
I understand that the appeal of the person concerned was disallowed following a summary decision on the basis of a means assessment of income from her spouse's insurable employment and capital, neither of which has been disputed. I am advised that in making her appeal, the person concerned questioned the fact that certain living expenses and household costs had not been considered in assessing the means in her case.
In making the decision to disallow the appeal, the Appeals Officer advised the person concerned that the expenses referred to are not allowable under the social welfare legislation in assessing means for the purposes of Carer's Allowance.
I am advised that following receipt of the Appeals Officer's summary decision the person concerned requested an oral hearing but did not offer any new facts or evidence which could render the Appeals Officer's decision incorrect. In the circumstances, as there is no prospect that additional information could be provided which would affect the outcome of the appeal, the Appeals Officer does not consider that an oral hearing is warranted or that his decision should be changed. This decision is fully in accordance with the policy of the Social Welfare Appeals Office with regard to the granting of an oral hearing if requested.
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.
57. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her plans to provide extra staff to alleviate queuing times on signing days for payment of jobseeker's allowance; if she is aware that recipients on these days are being exposed to the elements while waiting in the lengthy queues outside the social welfare offices; her further plans to provide adequate shelter for recipients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12492/15]
View answerI am not aware of any particular problems in relation to queuing at the Department's offices. Should the Deputy have specific instances in mind, I would be very happy to have them investigated.
Intreo is the new integrated income support, employment and support service which is now provided by the Department. Intreo, which was launched in 2012, has delivered significant office accommodation improvements with the conversion of 'Social Welfare Local Offices' into 'Intreo Centres'. There are currently 47 fully functional Intreo centres across the country with three further offices nearing completion. Work is proceeding on the remaining 15 offices.
The Intreo Centre is a one-stop shop for all income and employment support services where customers can access job-seeking advice, information on vacancies and income support services all in the one place.
Long queues outside offices were unfortunately a feature when the live register was at its height but customer service has generally improved with the development of Intreo, and the streamlining of claims-taking processes with quicker payment times but also direct referral of jobseekers to a range of activation supports.
Overall, the response to the Department's Intreo project has been very positive as evidenced by an October 2014 report from the INOU which highlighted the steps being taken by the Department's Intreo process to reduce both queueing within offices and overall claims processing times.
During 2014, the Intreo/local office network processed some 500,000 claims, hosted over 186,000 at group information sessions (an increase of 50% on the previous year) and conducted more than 330,000 one-to-one interviews.
In parallel with office accommodation improvements, the Department has also embarked on a significant system modernisation programme and has been rolling out improved systems to Intreo Centres which maximise the use of technology for greater efficiency and improved customer service.
In relation to signing, the most important business improvement has been a switch to 'electronic signing'. This system functionality now provides offices with the capacity to capture a signature on an electronic signature pad as part of the certification process for fully unemployed clients. This improvement has eliminated a paper-based system and has introduced greater flexibility to the signing process. In effect it means that jobseekers can now sign at multiple customer service points in the Intreo Centre with consequential reduction in waiting times and long queues.
Intreo Centres now have the facility to respond immediately to emerging queues by opening and closing counters, as required, to deal with peaks which might arise at any particular time rather than being limited to having a set fixed number of counter points open. This enables offices to reduce queuing times and provide a higher quality of customer service.
In addition, it would be normal for Intreo Centres to stagger the signing times for jobseekers so as to spread out the numbers attending in an office at any particular time but also to reduce queues and waiting times. Where customers adhere to their allotted 'signing time', queueing is further reduced.
58. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if domiciliary care allowance is payable in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 15; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12579/15]
View answerThe person concerned was notified on the 25th March 2015 that her domiciliary care allowance application was successful and that the allowance has been awarded from 1st January 2015.
59. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if carer’s allowance is payable in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 15; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12580/15]
View answerI confirm that the department received an application for carer's allowance (CA) from the person in question on the 23rd December 2014. To be entitled to CA, where the care recipient is aged under 16 there must be a domiciliary care allowance (DCA) in payment in respect of that child. The CA application is with a deciding officer (DO) for decision, however, as the only alternative is to refuse the application out of hand as DCA is not in payment, the DO wishes to wait until the DCA case has been determined before making a decision.
