Written Answers Nos. 92-101
92. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if and when a one-parent family payment will be restored to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28115/15]
View answerAccording to the records of this Department the person concerned was refused a one parent family payment (OPF) as she failed to supply the requested documentation in relation to the investigation of her means. An inspector of this Department called to the address in question on the 23/06/2015 and it was confirmed by the occupant of that house that the person concerned did not reside there. The current whereabouts and circumstances of the person concerned are not known, however it is open to her to contact the local Community Welfare Service for the area in which she currently resides to seek assistance if it is required. I understand that the person concerned has already appealed against the decision to disallow her OPF application to the Social Welfare Appeals Office.
93. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if and when a jobseeker's allowance will be restored to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28118/15]
View answerI refer the Deputy to reply to parliamentary question No. 76 on 7 July 2015.
94. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 126 of 12 June 2015, if she will have the subsequent application of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare urgently examined, given that due to no fault of the person, relevant documents were not supplied, but are now; if the matter will be urgently examined given the serious lack of resources and the fact that this person is a carer for two dependants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28119/15]
View answerI confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 13th April 2015. The application is currently being processed and once completed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
95. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the reason maternity benefit has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28123/15]
View answerAn application from the person concerned for maternity benefit was refused on the grounds that she was not in insurable employment at the time of her application and did not satisfy the PRSI contribution conditions in the tax years relevant to her application. She was notified of this decision on 17 July 2014.
The person concerned appealed the decision to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office on 11 January 2015, who carried out a full review of the decision. The appeal was disallowed and she was informed of this decision by letter on 17 June 2015.
96. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the reason child benefit has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28124/15]
View answerChild benefit is payable in respect of children who are ordinarily resident in the state.
Child benefit was in payment in respect of the person concerned up to May 2015, when payment was suspended as she failed to return a continuing eligibility certificate. The continuing eligibility certificate issued to her on 24 March 2015 and a reminder certificate was issued on 5 May 2015. She has not been returned either form to the section to date.
A further certificate was sent to her on 7 July 2015. On receipt of the completed form her claim will be reviewed and she will be notified of the outcome.
97. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will confirm that her Department has received an application for an invalidity pension from a person (details supplied) in County Longford; if it will be expedited; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28136/15]
View answerInvalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions.
A claim for IP was received from the person concerned on the 25 June 2015. In order to establish medical suitability two forms for completion issued to the person concerned on the 01 July 2015. On receipt of the completed medical report forms, the IP claim will be processed as quickly as possible and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
98. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will report on the pre-budget forum hosted by her on 3 July 2015. [28147/15]
View answerI was pleased to host the Department’s annual Pre-Budget Forum in Dublin Castle last Friday. Thirty-seven community and voluntary groups participated in the Forum, which gives organisations representing the community and voluntary sector an opportunity to voice their views and priorities in relation to social welfare expenditure in the context of the forthcoming Budget.
The main business of the Forum was undertaken at six workshops facilitated by Departmental officials. The discussions were centred on the main themes that emerged from the Pre-Budget submissions from the groups. Each of the workshops was based around a theme: Poverty and Social Inclusion; Retired and Older People; Working Age; Illness, Disability and Caring; Housing Supports; and Children and Families.
An independent Moderator was engaged for the event and she provided an oral summary of the key priorities raised by each of the workshops to a plenary session of the Forum. My officials have taken note of all of the issues raised at the various workshops and these will be feed into in our consideration of the forthcoming Budget. I would like to thank all of the groups who attended on the day for their contributions.
99. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her views on the need to extend breakfast clubs for school children during the summer break. [28148/15]
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.
Despite pressure on the social protection budget, the Government allocated an additional €2 million for the school meals programme in 2015, providing a total allocation of €39 million. The Department is currently receiving applications for the scheme for the forthcoming school year and is examining options for the allocation of the additional funding with an emphasis on the promotion of breakfast clubs.
Schools are generally closed during the summer break and do not operate food clubs during this period. Any change in social welfare supports generally would have to be considered in a budgetary context.
100. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection following the pre-budget forum held on 3 July 2015 if she will reverse the recent changes made to the one-parent family payment. [28149/15]
View answerI was pleased to host the Department’s annual pre-Budget forum in Dublin Castle last Friday. Thirty-seven community and voluntary groups participated in the forum. The forum gave organisations that represent the community and voluntary sector, including lone parent representative groups, an opportunity to voice their views and priorities in relation to social welfare expenditure in the context of the forthcoming Budget. In light of these views and priorities, which I openly welcomed, I look forward to examining the various supports that are available to all families, including lone parent families, in the next Budget.
This year the Department will be spending approximately €607 million on the one-parent family payment scheme.
However, despite extensive funding being committed to lone parent payments since the 1970s, lone parents remain the most at-risk-of-poverty, and their children are at a high risk of poverty. For too long, significant numbers of lone parents have been typecast and, also, confined to long-term social welfare dependency. The best route out of poverty and dependency is through paid employment. The purpose of the recently implemented changes to the one-parent family payment scheme is to maximise the opportunities for lone parents to enter into and increase employment.
The changes to the scheme, which culminated in the reduction of the maximum child age threshold to 7 years for all recipients on 2 July, 2015, address the poverty and dependency experienced by many lone parents by providing them with improved access to the Department’s range of education, training, and employment supports. In addition, I was pleased to introduce the back to work family dividend in the last Budget. This provides a significant incentive for families with children to move into employment – as recently reported by the ESRI.
Access to these supports is imperative for lone parents in order to ensure that their prospects of securing employment and financial independence are improved.
Any reversal of the changes to the scheme would delay this critical interaction between lone parents and the Department’s Intreo services and would potentially increase the barriers that they face to entering employment in the future.
I therefore have no plans to reverse the recent changes to the one-parent family payment scheme.
101. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection following the pre-budget forum held on 3 July 2015 if she will increase rent supplement levels to address homelessness. [28150/15]
View answerRent supplement continues to plays a vital role in supporting approximately 67,000 families and individuals at a cost of €298 million. Over 10,000 new tenancies have been processed since the start of the year, indicating that significant numbers of people are being accommodated under the scheme.
I welcome the valuable inputs and proposals provided by the various groups which attended the pre-budget forum on 3 July 2015, and note the views to increase maximum limits under the rent supplement scheme.
The Department carried out a review of the maximum rent limits which found that increasing rent limits could potentially add to further rental inflation in an already distressed market, affecting not alone rent supplement recipients, but lower-income workers and students. Between rent supplement and the Rental Accommodation Scheme administered by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, the State accounts for a third of the private rented market and is, therefore, a very significant player in the sector. The Department’s review of rent limits points out that the main cause of difficulty for persons renting and seeking to rent is the reduced availability of affordable private rented accommodation. In this regard, the Government will deliver significantly increased supply of social and affordable housing through the Construction 2020 Strategy and the Social Housing Strategy.
Rather than a blanket increase in rent limits which at this time will not address the fundamental issue, the Department has implemented preventative measures to provide for flexibility in assessing customers’ accommodation needs through the National Tenancy Sustainment Framework. Under this approach, the circumstances of tenants are considered on a case-by-case basis and rents are being increased above prescribed limits. The Department also works with Threshold’s Tenancy Sustainment service in Dublin and Cork city where supply is most acute, with plans under way to extend this service to Galway City. This flexible approach has already assisted over 2,500 rent supplement households nationwide through increased rent payments.
Where Departmental staff are notified of a threat of tenancy loss, the preventative measures are implemented as appropriate. The Department has also undertaken a communications campaign to encourage people at risk to avail of these measures. I am continuing to keep this matter under review to ensure that the appropriate supports continue to be provided in the light of vital feedback which we receive from the community and voluntary sector.
