Written Answers Nos. 40-63
40. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the way her Department proposes to calculate the capacity to work of persons on disability payments, and to decide on who should be activated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17326/15]
View answerThe Government recognises the importance of increasing participation in employment for persons with a disability and provides a wide range of income and employment-related supports through the Department of Social Protection.
Employment-related supports include the Wage Subsidy Scheme, which is targeted at employers to encourage employment of people with disabilities, and the EmployAbility service, which supports people with disabilities who wish to work through the provision of a job coach.
Moreover, people with a disability in receipt of social welfare income supports who work can retain a portion of their payment. For example, if a person's doctor recommends that the work is of a rehabilitative or therapeutic nature, recipients of disability allowance (DA) can work and earn €120 per week without affecting the rate of DA being paid, while if the weekly earnings are between €120 and €350, fifty per cent of the earnings will be disregarded in the DA means test.
For people who are in receipt of invalidity pension or who have been in receipt of illness benefit for a minimum of six months, the partial capacity benefit scheme which I introduced in 2012 provides an opportunity for persons to take up employment and continue to receive an ongoing portion of their weekly social welfare payment, including any increase being paid in respect of a qualified adult or qualified children.
It is important to point out that the supports and measures outlined above are available to people with disabilities who wish to participate in employment. The Department is keeping the area of working age under review in the light of experience and reviews of the existing arrangements.
41. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on changes to the community employment scheme; her assessment of the impact this will have on community child care service providers from September 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17247/15]
View answerThe Community Employment (CE) programme is a valuable resource in the provision of a range of services to communities, including childcare services. The Department introduced a new CE Childcare Strand at the beginning of 2013 under which there is a dedicated childcare educational programme at FETAC Level 5 for CE participants who work directly with children. This programme has led to the re-structuring of CE childcare provision which will improve the career path for participants who wish to pursue a career in childcare. These improvements provide a more tailored and valuable support to the provision of community childcare. The FETAC Major 5 Award is the entry level requirement to work as a basic practitioner in childcare.
Due to legislative changes regarding childcare provision, due to come into effect from September 2015, the Department is currently seeking clarification from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs on the status of CE participants in these settings. From the Department's perspective, the status of a CE participant attached to a community childcare centre is, in the first instance, that of a jobseeker seeking a qualification in early childhood education. CE participants are not deemed to be qualified staff but learners in childcare settings. When clarification is received on this matter, the Department will inform all relevant CE sponsors.
42. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her views on the criticisms in the IMPACT report, JobBridge - Time to Start Again?, and her plans to deal with its recommendations. [17317/15]
View answerThe Department welcomes the report and its contribution to the wider debate around labour market and activation policy in a changing economic environment. I am also happy that the report, while making a number of recommendations for change, acknowledges that JobBridge “has been of benefit to many”.
As the report acknowledges, the scheme was introduced in 2011 when the country was in the middle of the worst recession in living memory: a Live Register of nearly 460,000 and trending towards 500,000; unacceptably high levels of emigration; and negative economic growth.
In this context the purpose of JobBridge was twofold – to help jobseekers break the vicious cycle where they cannot get a job without experience but they cannot get experience without a job, and to encourage and support employers to take on staff from the live register in a situation where access to working capital was very constrained.
Since its launch JobBridge has provided over 38,500 unemployed people with the opportunity to gain valuable work experience and over 16,000 host organisations – mainly SMEs to expand capacity. It is not surprising therefore that Dr Murphy's report acknowledges that “the programme has been of benefit to many” and that the largest independent evaluation of the scheme (by Indecon) indicated that 6 out of 10 participants progressed into employment.
The Impact report, which is based on a small number of interviews with interested parties together with a review of relevant literature, makes a number of recommendations with regard to the future development of State supported internships. Many of these recommendations are already incorporated into the terms of the existing scheme (e.g. relating to written agreements, duration of internships, non-compulsion, monitoring). Other recommendations relate to the introduction of different versions of state-supported internships to cater for different types of Jobseekers, payment rates for internships, social insurance status of interns and evaluation/value for money assessment of the scheme.
With regard to this latter recommendation the Department will during 2015 commission a second independent evaluation of JobBridge using econometric techniques to provide evidence based insights into the effectiveness or otherwise of the scheme. The other observations and recommendations of the Impact report will be considered in the context of the findings of this evaluation.
43. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of recipients of one-parent family payments who are subjected to low-hour contracts and are therefore not in a position to increase their hours to avail of family income supplement; the average income loss to workers in this category from transferring to the jobseeker's allowance transitional payment; the number of lone parents who will be forced to give up employment to get a full jobseeker's allowance payment, as they will not be able to work on low-hour contracts; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17335/15]
View answerMy Department does not capture details of the employment contracts for recipients of social welfare payments, including one-parent family payment (OFP) recipients, and as such I am unable to provide the Deputy with the data requested for OFP recipients who are in low hour contracts.
For customers working less than 19 hours per week who are affected by the OFP reforms, the best option available financially is to increase their working hours to 19 per week and apply for the family income supplement (FIS). The additional hours worked can be from more than one employer. These customers will then also be eligible for the back to work family dividend (BTWFD) which is worth €1,550 per child in the first year and €775 per child in the second year.
While it is not possible to anticipate the numbers of OFP recipients who will be unable to increase their hours to avail of FIS, there has been an increase in new applicants for FIS since 2013 when the OFP reforms commenced. This indicates that lone parents currently working less than 19 hours per week are increasing their hours and becoming new FIS recipients.
Where a customer cannot increase their hours to claim FIS, they have access to the jobseeker's allowance transitional arrangement until their youngest child reaches 14 years of age. This arrangement allows these customers to work part-time without restriction and receive an income support payment – subject to the means test. If the customer's youngest child is 14 or over they may still qualify for a jobseeker's allowance payment.
44. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the amount of her Department's budget in 2015, 2016 and 2017 that it is planned to move to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government in respect of the housing assistance payment scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17337/15]
View answerUnder the new Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), responsibility for the provision of rental assistance to those with a long-term housing need will transfer from this Department to housing authorities. The Government has provided over €298 million for rent supplement in 2015 which reflects a transfer of funding in excess of €20 million to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government to support HAP.
HAP is currently being rolled out in seven local authority areas in which there are over 1,600 HAP tenancies in place. There is a target to achieve 8,400 HAP cases in 2015 as set out in the 'Social Housing Strategy 2020: Support, Supply and Reform'. Funding arrangements from this Department to facilitate HAP over the next 2 year period will be kept under close review in line with the numbers of customers in receipt of rent supplement and the progress of the roll out of HAP.
Officials in the Department continue to work closely with those in the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and housing authorities to ensure the success of the HAP scheme.
45. Deputy Michelle Mulherin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will consider addressing the unfairness of the situation where a woman worked in the 1960s, before she had a family, left to raise her family, subsequently returned to work and now, when she comes to pension age, her reckonable contributions are taken as from the 1960s up to the present, which means her average contributions work out at very little per year, when spread over that period, and this results in her getting less of a State pension - contributory; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17241/15]
View answerThe State pension contributory is a very valuable benefit and is the bedrock of the Irish pension system. Therefore, it is important to ensure that those qualifying have made a sustained contribution to the Social Insurance Fund over their working lives. To ensure that the individual can maximise their entitlement to a State pension, all contributions paid over their working life from when they first enter insurable employment until pension age are taken into account when assessing their entitlement and the level of that entitlement.
Since 1961, when contributory pensions were first introduced, the average contributions test has been used in calculating pension entitlement. Once over 16 years of age, the date a person enters into insurable employment is the date used for averaging purposes.
To qualify for a state pension (contributory) a person must -
- have at least 520 paid contributions, and
- satisfy a yearly average condition (a yearly average of 48 contributions paid or credited is required for a full rate State pension (contributory), and reduced rates of payment may be payable for pensioners with lower averages).
The homemaker's scheme was introduced in 1994 to make qualification for State pension contributory (SPC) easier for those who take time out of the workforce for caring duties. The scheme allows up to 20 years spent caring for children under 12 years of age, or incapacitated people, to be disregarded when a person's social insurance record is being calculated for pension purposes. The effect of this is to reduce the number of years by which the person's contributions are divided, thereby increasing their yearly average, making it easier for them to qualify for a maximum rate SPC. However, it is important to note that the homemaker's scheme will not, of itself, qualify a person for a SPC. The standard qualifying conditions for the SPC must also be satisfied. These require a person to enter insurable employment at least ten years before pension age, pay a minimum of 520 contributions at the correct rate (credited contributions do not satisfy this condition) and achieve a yearly average of at least 10 contributions paid or credited on their record.
The Government has no plans to backdate this scheme prior to 1994 as it was previously estimated that this could cost up to approximately €160 million annually. In any event, under the current rules, the costs of the scheme are expected to increase in the coming years due to the increase in female employment rates since 1994.
For those with insufficient contributions to meet the requirements for a State pension (contributory), the State pension system provides alternative methods of support. If someone has been a carer for nearly all of their adult life and has paid little or no PRSI, they may qualify for a means tested State pension (non-contributory), the maximum personal rate for which is €219, which amounts to just over 95% of the maximum rate of the State pension (contributory). Alternatively, if their spouse or civil partner is in receipt of a State pension (contributory) they may instead qualify for an Increase for a Qualified Adult of up to €206.30, which is just under 90% of the maximum personal rate of the State pension (contributory).
46. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection in view of stark evidence from the European Union's Survey on Income and Living Conditions 2013, which showed that consistent poverty rates for one-parent family households increased by 32%, from 17.7% to 23%, while there was no statistically significant increase in the general population, if she will suspend any further reform, until a proper impact assessment is undertaken; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17336/15]
View answerWhile Government policies are restoring economic growth, this recovery is not yet reflected in the 2013 SILC data on household living standards. The Government is committed to delivering improved living standards to ensure that this recovery is felt by all families. These recent measures taken should be reflected in future poverty statistics.
Social transfers have provided a hugely important buffer in reducing poverty. Expenditure on the scheme is estimated at €607million in 2015 with almost 70,000 recipients. However, despite significant investment in the past, lone parents remain particularly at risk of poverty.
The one parent family payment (OFP) was a passive scheme with limited engagement by the State with recipients. For many lone parents this has meant long-term social welfare dependency and associated poverty for them and their families.
In 2004, OFP was payable until the youngest child turned 18 or 22 if they were in full time education. Yet despite this support lone parents were over four-and-a-half times more at risk of consistent poverty than the general population. This is why we need to reform the scheme.
The reforms provide lone parents with improved access to the Department's range of Intreo services, which will allow them to create a personal development plan. Access to these supports is imperative for lone parents, to ensure that their prospects of securing employment and financial independence are improved. Any reversal of these reforms would delay this critical interaction and would potentially increase lone parent's distance from the labour market.
I therefore have no plans to reverse the OFP reforms.
47. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of schools availing of funding from her Department for the provision of school lunches which have run out of funding for this academic year and have had to stop providing school lunches to children as a result; if her Department will provide these schools with funding in order that school lunches can be provided to the children for the remainder of this school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17339/15]
View answerThe school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food services to some 1,600 schools and organisations which benefits over 205,000 children. The programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement by children especially those from the most disadvantaged background. Government has provided €39 million for the scheme in 2015 which includes an additional €2 million over that provided last year.
The Department is aware of a primary school in Donegal that has a shortfall in funding for this school year. Officials have engaged with the school principal and arrangements are being made to provide additional funding of some €7,500 to the school to provide school lunches for the remainder of this school year.
48. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 244 of 31 March 2015, the name of the school to which she refers; the engagements her Department has had with this school to resolve the issue; the level of funding her Department will provide to this school in order that it can resume the provision of school lunches for its pupils for the remainder of this school year; if sufficient funding will be made available to this school for the next school year in order that this issue does not arise again; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17340/15]
View answerThe school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food services to some 1,600 schools and organisations which benefits over 205,000 children. The programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement by children especially those from the most disadvantaged background. Government has provided €39 million for the scheme in 2015 which includes an additional €2 million over that provided last year.
The school referred to by the Deputy is a primary school in County Donegal. I can confirm that officials have engaged with the school principal both in writing and by telephone in recent weeks. Having reviewed the matter, arrangements are being made to provide additional funding of some €7,500 to the school to provide school lunches for the remainder of this school year. Applications for funding for the 2015-16 academic year will be considered when the school make their application which is generally made at the end of the school year in June.
49. Deputy David Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 71 of 14 January 2015 and 15 of 5 February 2015, the number of new applications for the community services programme which have been processed each year since 2008, when the last new open calls for proposals occurred; the number of new participants who have been added to the scheme as a result; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17342/15]
View answerThe community services programme (CSP) is designed to address gaps in the delivery of key local services, to tackle disadvantage and to ensure that community facilities are utilised. Approximately 400 not-for-profit companies and co-operatives are being supported under the programme with some 2,800 workers being supported in these organisations. Funding of €46m has been provided for the programme in 2015 which will maintain the current level of activity but does not allow the Department to make an open call for new applications.
The last call for proposals was made in 2008 under each of the three strands of the programme. Only proposals under Strand 1 – Community Facilities - were considered due to reductions in the level of funding made available from 2009 and 60 were recommended for funding. Proposals received under the other strands were not processed due to funding constraints. Additionally, two contracts were concluded with Vocational Education Committees in Dublin for the community use of further education centres and four contracts transferred from the Community Employment programme.
Based on expressions of interest received and considered eligible, the Department processed nine applications in 2014. Only six of these applications were approved to join the programme from 2015. In addition, one project transferred to the programme in 2015 following termination of its contract with the Local and Community Development Programme, operated under the aegis of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government.
As indicated in my earlier reply, any not-for-profit company wishing to express an interest to be considered for the programme can send an expression of interest to the Department by email to cspinfo @welfare.ie.
50. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her views on the anomaly whereby the spouse of a person who dies while on a community employment scheme does not receive six weeks' payment, but the spouse of someone who dies while on other payments does. [17343/15]
View answerWhen a person in receipt of certain social welfare payments dies, their spouse, civil partner or cohabitant may get 6 weeks of this payment after their death. This will be paid at the same rate that the late spouse, civil partner or cohabitant was receiving.
The person may get the 6-week payment if their spouse, civil partner or cohabitant was receiving one of the following payments and it included a payment for them (i.e. an increase for a qualified adult):
- State Pension (Transition);
- State Pension (Non-Contributory) or State Pension (Contributory);
- Pre-Retirement Allowance;
- Jobseeker's Benefit or Jobseeker's Allowance;
- Supplementary Welfare Allowance;
- Illness Benefit;
- Disability Allowance;
- Invalidity Pension;
- Blind Pension;
- Farm Assist;
- Injury Benefit or Incapacity Supplement.
Participants on the Community Employment scheme are in insurable employment and are not considered to be in receipt of a social welfare payment. Accordingly, the 6 weeks payment is not payable.
51. Deputy Gabrielle McFadden asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her views on resolving an anomaly where parents of certain children with disabilities may qualify for free travel if they are in receipt of the domiciliary care allowance and qualify for carer's allowance, but the child for whom the allowance is granted is not eligible for free travel. [17249/15]
View answerThere 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. The qualifying payments for those aged under 66 are invalidity pension, blind pension, disability allowance, carer's allowance or an equivalent social security payment from a country covered by EC Regulations or one with which Ireland has a Bilateral Social Security Agreement.
Free travel is provided for people in receipt of carer's allowance to facilitate their caring role and support their social inclusion.
Children with 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.
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.
52. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she is aware of the difficulties cohabiting couples face when their claims are up for review and are suspended until a decision is made by the social welfare office; if she is aware that under these circumstances, if one person in the cohabiting couple is working, even only a small number of hours a week, then the couple are not entitled to the supplementary welfare assistance payment, leaving families waiting for a decision and unable to pay their bills, expenses and so on; if she views a partial suspension as more appropriate during a claim review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17346/15]
View answerI understand that this question relates to cases of seasonal workers where entitlement to jobseeker's benefit ceases and the person then makes a claim for jobseeker's allowance. I wish to advise the Deputy that jobseekers claims are on average awarded within two weeks of the date of application, however, delays can arise where there is a difficulty in obtaining information in relation to specific claims.
In order to minimise any delays in the case of individuals transferring from jobseeker's benefit to jobseeker's allowance it is the practice that the customer is issued with an application form for jobseeker's allowance six weeks before their claim to jobseeker's benefit expires.
The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme is the “safety net” within the overall welfare system and provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependants. SWA may be payable to customers awaiting the outcome of a claim or an appeal for a primary social welfare payment subject to satisfying the conditions of the scheme including a means test. Income received by a spouse or partner from employment is taken into account when assessing entitlement to SWA.
If the Deputy has concerns regarding a particular case, he should bring the details to the attention of the Department.
53. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her plans to assess the long-term benefits to the participants of the Ballymun Youth Guarantee pilot scheme; and, in view of the dearth of private sector jobs arising from the scheme, if she will ensure that these will be long-term jobs, and not just a temporary strategy to massage live register figures. [17318/15]
View answerThe Government's primary strategy to tackle youth unemployment is through policies to create the environment for a strong economic recovery by promoting competitiveness and productivity. However, the Government recognises that as the recovery takes hold, there is a need for additional measures to ensure that as many as possible of the jobs created are taken up by jobseekers and young jobseekers in particular. This is the rationale behind the Government's Pathways to Work strategy and the Youth Guarantee.
The purpose of the Ballymun Youth Guarantee (BYG) pilot project was to test key elements to inform the national roll-out of the Youth Guarantee. It built upon recent broader reforms, such as enhanced employer engagement and earlier and more intensive engagement with young jobseekers through Intreo.
The project officially finished on the 31st December 2014. It will take time to see whether the opportunities taken up by young people through the BYG project have had a positive impact in terms of improved employment and other outcomes. The local Intreo office continues to work with participants (through the Ballymun Job Centre Guidance Counsellors) to progress them towards employment opportunities that continue to emerge as the economy recovers. It is recognised that the shortage of private sector job opportunities for young people (and older people) in Ballymun was a significant issue during the course of the project.
It is clear that the project has been highly successful in building the participants' confidence and ability to move towards employment. From the perspectives of both the participants and the staff involved in the delivery of the service, the BYG approach has contributed towards the development of career identities, improved self-esteem and human and social capital.
54. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the reason those on the widow's, widower's or surviving civil partner's pensions are not entitled to illness benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17323/15]
View answerThe social welfare system is primarily a contingency-based system, with entitlement based on a number of defined contingencies such as sickness, unemployment, old age or widowhood.
There are two basic principles which underpin the Irish social insurance system. Firstly there is the contributory principle. Under this principle there is a direct link between the PRSI contributions that a person has paid and entitlement to a varying range of benefits and pensions. Where a person has sufficient PRSI contributions, then benefits and pensions may be paid as of right, where a particular contingency arises and without a means test.
Secondly there is the solidarity principle. Under this principle the benefits and pensions that are paid are not directly related to the amount of PRSI contributions paid by insured persons. PRSI contribution income is instead redistributed to support contributors who are more vulnerable. In this regard, it should be noted that some PRSI contributors do not experience all of the contingencies during their life, or may not be in a position to benefit from one or more such payment. For example, one contributor may never require access to Invalidity Pension whereas it may be a crucial support for another. Similarly, there will be many contributors who would not require coverage for Maternity Benefit, but who nevertheless continue to be levied PRSI at the full rate during their working years.
In addition, there is a general principle of one person, one payment, which applies across the whole of the social welfare system. Given the contingency-based nature of this system, it can happen that a person may experience more than one contingency at the same time. For example, an unemployed person may become sick. As a consequence, if a person experiences more than one of these contingencies at the same time, he or she can receive only one of those payments. This principle is common to social security systems across the world.
There were a limited number of exceptions in the social insurance system to the general principle of one person, one payment. These exceptions usually applied in the context of short-term benefits. For instance, recipients of One-Parent Family Payment, Widows and Widowers Pensioners etc. could, until recent years, also receive short-term social insurance benefits, such as Illness Benefit and Jobseeker's Benefit at half-rate at the same time.
These overlapping payment arrangements were introduced in the early 1950s when the social insurance system was first established, at a time when there were only 10 individual social welfare payments and when rates were significantly lower in real terms than they are now.
The social welfare system has been significantly developed over the intervening period, with the result that the number of possible combinations of concurrent contingencies has increased greatly.
In the context of the difficult fiscal environment in recent years and the Government's commitment to maintain existing core rates of primary payments for social welfare recipients, the concurrent payment of half-rate Illness Benefit and Jobseeker's Benefit in addition to One-Parent Family Payment, Widows and Widowers Pensions etc. was discontinued from January 2012.
It is realistic and prudent to maintain the underlying principle of entitlement to only one payment at any one time, that is, one person, one payment. To do otherwise could potentially involve very significant and unsustainable additional expenditure in the long-term.
Finally, it should be noted that the Actuarial Review of the Social Insurance Fund, published in 2012 found that Fund has a strong redistributive nature. This is demonstrated by the fact that those on lower incomes fare considerably better than those on higher incomes and the Fund provides better value to female rather than male contributors.
55. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her plans to allow for the full payment of carer's allowance, along with the full widow's, widower's or surviving civil partner's pensions in cases where a spouse dies while their partner is already in receipt of a carer's allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17282/15]
View answerCurrently, where a person in receipt of widow(er)'s pension is providing full-time care and attention to a care recipient, s/he can also receive a half-rate carer's allowance. However, when the care recipient dies, title to carer's allowance ceases.
I have no plans to change the current provisions to allow for a full-rate carer's allowance payment to be made in addition to another social welfare payment.
56. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her views regarding the falling number of farmers receiving farm assist payments; and if she is aware that the cutting of that payment is resulting in hardship to the most disadvantaged members of the farming community. [12811/15]
View answerThe 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 almost €89 million in respect of an estimated 9,440 recipients, down from 9,809 for 2014.
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 Budget 2015.
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. Also any farmer experiencing lower levels of income can ask for a review of the means applying to their claim.
57. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the proposals she will bring forward to ensure that persons with disabilities will not be worse off if they take up employment opportunities; the way she proposes to make work pay for persons with disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17245/15]
View answerThe Government recognises the importance of increasing participation in employment for persons with a disability and is committed to removing barriers which prevent those persons from availing of employment opportunities.
To this end, the department manages a number of specific supports and measures to support people with disabilities in moving into employment.
Employment-related supports include the Wage Subsidy Scheme, which is targeted at employers to encourage employment of people with disabilities and the EmployAbility service, which supports people with disabilities who wish to work through the provision of a job coach.
Moreover, people with a disability in receipt of social welfare income supports who work can retain a portion of their payment. For example, if a person's doctor recommends that the work is of a rehabilitative or therapeutic nature, recipients of disability allowance (DA) can work and earn €120 per week without affecting the rate of DA being paid, while if the weekly earnings are between €120 and €350, fifty per cent of the earnings will be disregarded in the DA means test.
For people who are in receipt of invalidity pension or who have been in receipt of illness benefit for a minimum of six months, the partial capacity benefit scheme,which I introduced in 2012, provides an opportunity for persons to take up employment and continue to receive an ongoing portion of their weekly social welfare payment, including any increase being paid in respect of a qualified adult or qualified children.
58. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection in view of the fact that the latest Health Service Executive performance report shows that the number of respite overnights for persons with a disability is well below the expected target, if she will reinstate the respite care grant to family carers. [17316/15]
View answerThe respite care grant (RCG) is available and paid automatically to people in receipt of carer's allowance, carer's benefit, domiciliary care allowance or prescribed relative's allowance. Other people who are not in receipt of a social welfare payment but who are providing full time care and attentions are also eligible and can apply for the grant. In 2014 RCG was paid to some 86,000 people at a cost of some €119 million.
Any change to the rate of RCG can only be considered in the context of Budget preparations.
59. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will report on measures she is taking to address the cuts to deferred Irish aviation superannuation scheme pensions; if she will meet with the group representing affected persons; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17246/15]
View answerI am very aware of the issues and negative consequences arising from the funding difficulties in this scheme. Indeed, many defined benefit pension schemes have encountered funding difficulties in recent years and are working with the Pensions Authority to respond to the difficulties in a manner which will secure the sustainability of pension provision for scheme members.
A number of legislative changes have been put in place in recent years to assist employers and the trustees of pension scheme respond to the funding difficulties encountered by some schemes. You will appreciate that it is not appropriate for me to comment on matters arising in a particular scheme as these are primarily a matter for the Trustees of the scheme, the companies participating in the scheme, the scheme members and the Pensions Authority.
I did meet with the deferred IASS Committee to discuss the matters raised by the Committee and specifically the proposals that more funding be made available for the longer serving deferred members. I subsequently met with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and I understand that the Minister engaged further with the employers on the matter.
60. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the efforts her Department is making to address fuel poverty; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17240/15]
View answerThe Government will continue to ensure that those on low incomes and those who are more vulnerable to energy poverty are supported through the fuel allowance and the household benefits package.
The fuel allowance is a payment of €20 per week for 26 weeks from October to April, to 415,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €208 million in 2015. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. Only one allowance is paid per household.
My Department also pays an electricity or gas allowance as part of the household benefits package to 415,000 customers, at an estimated cost of €227 million in 2015.
This compares favourably with the winter fuel payment for the elderly in Northern Ireland which ranges from £100 (€126) to £300 (€379) per year depending on age and household composition. There is no equivalent in Northern Ireland to the free electricity allowance.
The Government's affordable energy strategy “Warmer Homes” indicated that the best measure to address energy poverty is to continue to improve the thermal efficiency of people's homes. The “better energy warmer homes” scheme delivers a range of energy efficiency measures to low income households that are vulnerable to energy poverty at no charge to the householder. Since 2000, when the scheme began, over 105,000 homes around the country have received energy efficiency measures under the warmer homes scheme, with a total spend of over €116 million.
61. Deputy David Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 71 of 14 January 2015 and 15 of 5 February 2015, if she envisages being in a position to open a new call for proposals for the community services programme in the coming year, in view of the benefits to participants and communities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17341/15]
View answerThe community services programme (CSP) is designed to address gaps in the delivery of key local services, to tackle disadvantage and to ensure that community facilities are utilised. Approximately 400 not-for-profit companies and co-operatives are being supported under the CSP in the provision of services with some 2,800 workers being supported in these organisations. Funding of €46m has been provided for the programme in 2015 which will maintain the current level of activity but does not allow for the Department to manage an open call for new applications. However, the Department will accept expressions of interest from any organisation that wishes to be considered for the programme, as resources allow. To be eligible, service providers must operate on the basis of a community business or social enterprise, deliver tangible services not otherwise provided and have a record or capacity of generating non-public revenues from their operations.
The Deputy should note that the programme does not provide full funding for any operation and, therefore, is not suitable for all community activity.
Any not-for-profit company wishing to express an interest to be considered for the programme can send an expression of interest and its proposals to the Department by email to cspinfo@welfare.ie.
62. Deputy Seán Conlan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) in County Monaghan has not received a reply to an application for farm assist; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17203/15]
View answerThis Department registered an application for Farm Assist, submitted by the person concerned, from 23 March 2015. The Farm Assist scheme is subject to a means test and in order to assess means in this case, a Social Welfare Inspector will be inviting the person concerned for interview next week. An invitation will issue to the person concerned in the coming days.
If the person concerned is in need of financial assistance while their application is being processed they should contact the Designated Officer (formerly titled Community Welfare Officer) in their area to see if they qualify for a Supplementary Welfare Allowance payment.
63. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her views on the resolution passed by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on transgender rights; if she supports the full implementation of the principles in that resolution into Irish law; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17367/15]
View answerThe resolution passed by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in relation to transgender rights covers a range of policy areas that are the responsibility of a number of different Government Departments. The resolution is grounded in the key principles that transgender people should be protected from discrimination and enabled to have their preferred gender formally recognised under law. The approach being taken in Ireland is, in my view, consistent with those key principles.
The Equality Acts prohibit discrimination in the areas of employment and the provision of goods and services on nine grounds including gender. The Equality Tribunal has found that discrimination on the basis of transgender status amounts to a breach of rights under the legislation as it is encompassed by the ground of gender.
The Gender Recognition Bill 2014, once it is enacted, will provide that transgender people will be enabled to have their preferred gender recognised by the State for all purposes. If the referendum on marriage equality is approved by the electorate, the Government has already stated its intention to remove the requirement from the Gender Recognition Bill that a person seeking a gender recognition certificate be single.
It is my intention and that of the Tánaiste that this important legislation will be passed this year.
