Written Answers Nos. 49-66
49. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the amount of funding under the school meals programme that will be paid to a school (details supplied) in County Laois for the school year 2015-2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29597/15]
View answerThe school meals programme operated by the Department provides funding towards the provision of food services to some 1,600 schools and organisations and benefits over 207,000 children.
The school referred to by the Deputy was allocated over €15,000 in respect of food costs for the school year 2014/2015, including an allocation for a breakfast club. The Department is currently receiving applications for the forthcoming academic year and is considering options regarding the allocation of funding. In relation to this particular school, an application has been received and the Department has corresponded with the school seeking additional information.
50. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the total yield from employer pay related social insurance in each year from 2010 to 2014; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29798/15]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table:
Social Insurance Fund (SIF) Employers PRSI Income from 2010 to 2014* (€,000)
|
Year |
Total Yield |
|
2010 |
€5,000,275 |
|
2011 |
€5,460,786 |
|
2012 |
€4,995,971 |
|
2013 |
€5,331,152 |
|
2014** |
€5,748,207 |
*The total represents PRSI receipts only and is exclusive of Health and Training Levies.
**Please note that 2014 is provisional pending completion of SIF Account and statutory audit.
51. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the total yield from employee pay related social insurance in each year from 2010 to 2014; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29799/15]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table:
Social Insurance Fund (SIF) Employees PRSI Income from 2010 to 2014* (€,000
|
Year |
Total Yield |
|
2010 |
€1,377,140 |
|
2011 |
€1,617,352 |
|
2012 |
€1,479,983 |
|
2013 |
€1,579,545 |
|
2014* |
€1,703,657 |
*Please note that 2014 is provisional pending completion of SIF Account and statutory audit.
52. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her Department's priorities for the remainder of this Dáil; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29591/15]
View answerThe Government published a Statement of Government Priorities for the period 2014 to 2016 last July. The statement sets out how we will build a social recovery to accompany the economic recovery that is now under way. The key priorities in that statement are:
1. Strengthening the Domestic Economy & Prioritising New Jobs for the Unemployed
2. Delivering Better Living and Working Standards
3. Improving Housing Availability & Affordability
4. Responsible and Sustainable Management of the Public Finances
5. Rebuilding Trust in Politics & Public Institutions
6. Protecting & Enhancing Peace in Northern Ireland
I am determined that the Department of Social Protection will play a full role in ensuring that the benefits of recovery are felt evenly across the country.
Key priorities for the Department of Social Protection are:
- To ensure that labour market activation services are provided to jobseekers and other clients using: the Department’s Intreo service; its Pathways to Work strategy; the new JobPath contract; the Youth Guarantee and employer engagement including the Employment and Youth Activation Charter; and other employment schemes and supports.
- Implementation of the Comprehensive Employment Strategy for people with disabilities.
- To contribute to the framing of Budget 2016 and the implementation of Budget changes.
- The establishment of a Universal Retirement Savings Group (URSG), chaired by the Department to develop the roadmap and timeline for the introduction of a universal supplementary workplace pension scheme which will be brought to Government for consideration.
- Tenancy sustainment and the transfer of responsibility for those with a long-term housing need from Rent Supplement to the Housing Assistance Payment, where appropriate.
- Continued implementation of the Compliance and Anti-Fraud Initiative 2014-2018.
- Continued roll-out of the Public Services Card
Tackling poverty among children and families is a Government priority. The Department of Social Protection is working with other Departments to implement a whole-of-government, multi-dimensional approach to tackling the issue of child poverty. Furthermore, the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion 2007-2016, which is the over-arching approach for tackling poverty and social exclusion, is currently being updated for the extended period 2015-2017.
I will, as I have done so far in my tenure as Minister for Social Protection, continue to drive forward the agenda of social welfare reform to ensure that the social welfare system continues to be sustainable and fit-for-purpose into the future.
53. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if the Government will commit to protecting and maintaining the current fuel subsidy rates in the upcoming budget for 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29612/15]
View answerThe fuel allowance is a payment of €20 per week for 26 weeks from October to April, to approx. 415,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €208 million in 2015. It is a means tested payment, targeted at those who are more vulnerable to energy poverty, including those reliant on social protection payments for longer periods and who are unlikely to have additional resources of their own. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with a contribution towards their energy costs. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. Only one allowance is paid per household.
Separate to this fuel allowance, my Department also provides an allowance for electricity or gas as part of the household benefits package to approx. 415,000 customers, at an estimated cost of €227 million in 2015.
The 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.
54. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) in County Carlow will receive a back payment under the disability allowance scheme; and if she will expedite a reply. [29629/15]
View answerDisability allowance arrears will issue to the person in question in the next few days.
55. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide in tabular form the annual cost of payments in County Meath between 2011 and 2015 under the rent allowance and rent supplement schemes; and the number of landlords in receipt of each payment in the county. [29679/15]
View answer56. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of applications that have been approved under article 38 to raise the rent supplement cap for constituents in County Meath since January 2015; and if she will provide in tabular form the number by month and area in the county. [29680/15]
View answer64. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the approximate cost of increasing the maximum rent limits in the rent supplement scheme by 5% in the four Dublin local authority areas, Cork city and Galway city; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29771/15]
View answer104. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide in tabular form the amount spent on rent supplement by local authority in each year from 2013 to 2014 and in 2015 to date; and if she will provide estimates on the expected savings to the departmental budget by transferring recipients from the rent supplement scheme to the housing assistant payment scheme. [30195/15]
View answer120. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an annual breakdown by scheme of all payments made by her Department to private landlords in the years 2008 to 2014 and in 2015 to date. [30406/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 55, 56, 64, 104 and 120 together.
Rent supplement plays a vital role in supporting approximately 67,000 families and individuals at a cost of €298 million. Details of rent supplement recipients and expenditure each year since 2008 is provided in the attached tabular statement. Information on rent supplement expenditure by county is not available. A county breakdown by recipients is also provided, however a breakdown by local authority is not maintained.
An overall 5% increase to rent supplement would cost approximately €15 million in a full year. A breakdown of this cost on a county basis is not available, however the costs to apply such an increase in the Dublin, Cork and Galway regions, which accounts for over half of the customer base, would account for a significant proportion of this additional cost.
Under the legislative provisions governing rent supplement, the Department’s relationship is with the tenant, there is no direct relationship between the landlord and the Department in the administration of the scheme. Payments are generally made directly to the landlord by the tenant. At the end of December 2014, there were over 49,000 landlords providing tenancies to rent supplement recipients.
In response to the current housing difficulties, DSP has implemented preventative measures under rent supplement to provide for flexibility in assessing customers’ individual accommodation needs through the National Tenancy Sustainment Framework. Under this approach, tenant’s circumstances are considered on a case-by-case basis, and rents are being increased above prescribed limits throughout the country as appropriate. This flexible approach has already assisted over 2,660 rent supplement households nationwide, of which 63 cases are in place in Meath, to retain their rented accommodation through the payment of increased rent supplement. A breakdown of these awards by month and locality is not readily available.
The Department’s strategic policy direction is to return rent supplement to its original purpose of being a short term income support by transferring responsibility for persons with long term housing needs to the local authorities under the new Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). HAP is currently in operation in 13 local authority areas in which there are approximately 2,700 HAP tenancies already in place. The financial provision for rent supplement for 2015 represents a transfer of funding in excess of €20 million to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government to support HAP. Estimates on savings to this Department in future years would be based on the numbers of customers in receipt of rent supplement and the progress of the roll out of HAP.
Table 1: Rent Supplement: Recipient Numbers & Expenditure: 2008 to Present
|
Year |
Recipients |
Cost €000 |
|
2008 |
74,038 |
440,548 |
|
2009 |
93,030 |
510,751 |
|
2010 |
97,260 |
516,538 |
|
2011 |
96,803 |
502,747 |
|
2012 |
87,684 |
422,536 |
|
2013 |
79,788 |
372,909 |
|
2014 |
71,533 |
338,347 |
|
2015 |
67,016 |
298,415 |
Table 2 – Rent Supplement Recipients by County End of 2011-2015
|
County |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
June 2015 |
|
Dublin |
34,423 |
32,584 |
29,541 |
26,453 |
25,169 |
|
Cork |
10,732 |
9,878 |
9,020 |
8,273 |
7,625 |
|
Kildare |
4,447 |
4,338 |
4,135 |
3,698 |
3,569 |
|
Galway |
4,615 |
4,134 |
3,983 |
3,591 |
3,476 |
|
Wexford |
4,102 |
3,700 |
3,179 |
2,700 |
2,495 |
|
Limerick |
3,833 |
3,323 |
2,984 |
2,461 |
1,934 |
|
Louth |
2,734 |
2,549 |
2,422 |
2,211 |
1,854 |
|
Wicklow |
2,719 |
2,495 |
2,381 |
2,130 |
2,049 |
|
Tipperary |
2,609 |
2,199 |
2,094 |
1,961 |
1,914 |
|
Donegal |
2,977 |
2,411 |
2,047 |
1,812 |
1,651 |
|
Meath |
2,723 |
2,143 |
1,941 |
1,726 |
1,619 |
|
Kerry |
2,278 |
2,037 |
1,888 |
1,736 |
1,659 |
|
Mayo |
2,928 |
2,435 |
1,900 |
1,619 |
1,606 |
|
Westmeath |
1,671 |
1,592 |
1,588 |
1,533 |
1,484 |
|
Waterford |
2,098 |
1,773 |
1,556 |
1,443 |
1,238 |
|
Clare |
1,961 |
1,722 |
1,547 |
1,336 |
1,286 |
|
Kilkenny |
1,619 |
1,365 |
1,210 |
1,011 |
745 |
|
Carlow |
1,440 |
1,239 |
1,108 |
1,086 |
1,070 |
|
Offaly |
1,349 |
1,240 |
1,124 |
1,041 |
961 |
|
Laois |
1,178 |
1,097 |
1,085 |
1,008 |
988 |
|
Roscommon |
1,275 |
997 |
802 |
687 |
665 |
|
Longford |
623 |
511 |
507 |
476 |
421 |
|
Sligo |
698 |
591 |
542 |
451 |
486 |
|
Cavan |
843 |
519 |
455 |
414 |
419 |
|
Monaghan |
488 |
438 |
395 |
352 |
306 |
|
Leitrim |
440 |
374 |
354 |
324 |
327 |
|
Total |
96,803 |
87,684 |
79,788 |
71,533 |
67,016 |
57. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her views on extending eligibility for the domiciliary care allowance to persons aged under 18 years of age. [29700/15]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that I commissioned two reports relating to the Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) scheme during 2012. One of these reports dealt specifically with the relationship between DCA and Disability Allowance (DA) for young adults. A recommendation to extend the age limit for receipt of DCA to 18 years of age was included in both of these reports, which were published in April 2013.
The reports found that there was a strong rationale for raising the DCA age threshold to 18 years. The recommendation is that this change should be made from a specific date, with the age threshold for payment of DCA to increase to age 18 for all new and existing claimants aged 16 and under on that date. On this same date the age threshold for payment of DA would change to age 18, to apply to new claimants only.
However, the Deputy will be aware that there are differing views on the best way to proceed so as to provide support to the group of people in question. While the recommendations of the reports will be kept under consideration as part of ongoing review of the wider disability area, there are no plans to change the age limits for receipt of DCA/DA at this time.
58. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she is aware of the gap between eligibility for domiciliary care allowance and eligibility for disability allowance, when a person reaches 16 years of age. [29701/15]
View answer59. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the assistance that is provided to persons who are eligible for domiciliary care allowance but not for the disability allowance, on reaching 16 years of age. [29702/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 58 and 59 together.
Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is paid in respect of children who have a severe disability requiring constant care and attention substantially in excess of that needed by a child of the same age without the disability. The need for the additional care and attention must be likely to last for at least 12 months. DCA, which is not means-tested, is payable in respect of qualified children to age 16 years, after which they may apply for disability allowance (DA) in their own right.
However, the qualifying conditions for DA are very different to DCA. To qualify for a DA payment a person must: be substantially restricted in undertaking suitable employment; be aged between 16 and 65; satisfy a means test; and be habitually resident in the State. Therefore a child is not automatically entitled to DA because a DCA was in payment.
While I have no plans to adjust the age limit for receipt of DCA or DA at this time, the issue of how best to provide income supports, where needed, to children with a disability between 16 and 18 years of age, will be considered in the context of any general reforms to disability support payments.
60. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of persons who receive domiciliary care allowance who are not eligible for disability allowance on reaching 16 years of age. [29703/15]
View answerIn the period from January 2014 to December 2014, 965 persons that previously received domiciliary care allowance (DCA) were awarded disability allowance (DA) and 272 former DCA recipients were found not eligible for DA.
61. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the reason an application for a fuel allowance for a person (details supplied) in County Cork was refused; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29704/15]
View answerThe person concerned is in receipt of Invalidity Pension (IP), including a Living Alone Allowance, at the maximum weekly personal rate. He is also in receipt of a Disablement Pension.
The National Fuel Scheme (FA) may be paid to persons in receipt of certain long term Social Welfare payments, including IP, who satisfy the other qualifying criteria. Full details of the qualifying criteria for the scheme are available on the Department’s website www.welfare.ie. In line with the guidelines for receipt of FA, the allowance is not payable to a person or a household in receipt of Disablement Pension.
Following a review of the entitlement of the person concerned to FA, it has been decided that he is not entitled to that allowance as he is also in receipt of Disablement Pension. He was notified on the 24 June 2015 of the decision and the reason for it. The person in question requested an appeal of the decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office. As FA is an administrative (non-statutory) scheme, there is no statutory right of appeal. However, his entitlement to FA was reviewed and it was decided that there were no grounds to change to the original decision. The person concerned was notified on 10 July 2015 of the outcome of the review.
63. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the cost of restoring the Christmas bonus to 50%, 75% and in full; the number of persons who would benefit if it was re-instated on the basis outlined and previously applied; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29754/15]
View answer65. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the cost of restoring 50% of the 2013 cut to the respite care grant; the cost of reversing the cut in full; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29773/15]
View answer69. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the cost a €1 increase in the living alone allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29782/15]
View answer111. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the cost to the Exchequer of a €5 increase in the State contributory pension and the State non-contributory pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30341/15]
View answer112. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the cost to the Exchequer of a €10 increase in the State contributory pension and the State non-contributory pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30342/15]
View answer113. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the cost to the Exchequer of a €5 increase in the annual Christmas bonus; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30343/15]
View answer114. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the cost to the Exchequer of a €10 increase in the annual Christmas bonus; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30344/15]
View answer115. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the cost of increasing child benefit by €5 per week; €10 per week; €15 per week; and €20 per week; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30345/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 63, 65, 69 and 111 to 115, inclusive, together.
Based on 2014 numbers of 1,232,535 recipients, payment of a Christmas Bonus equivalent to 50%, 75% and 100% of payment levels would cost €130.2 million, €195.3 million and €260.4 million respectively.
Based on these same recipient numbers, the cost of a €5 increase in the annual Christmas bonus is estimated at €6.2 million and the cost of a €10 increase is just over €12.3 million.
The cost of increasing the Respite Care Grant by €162.50 (50% of €325) in 2016 is €14.7 million. The cost of increasing the grant by the full €325 to €1,700 in 2016 is €29.4 million.
The estimated full year cost of increasing the Living Alone Allowance by €1 per week in 2016 is €9.9 million.
The cost of increasing the State Pension Contributory (SPC) and the State Pension Non-Contributory (SPNC) by €5 per week is €102.2 million and €25.4 million respectively in a full year.
The cost of increasing SPC and SPNC by €10 per week is €204.3 million and €50.8 million respectively in a full year.
The cost of increasing all pension rates – SPC, SPNC, Widow/er/Surviving Civil Partner Contributory Pension (aged 66 and over), Death Benefit (aged 66 and over) and Carer’s Allowance (aged 66 and over) – by €5 and €10 per week respectively is circa €151.1 million and €302.2 million respectively in a full year. These costs also include proportionate increases for any qualified adults, where applicable.
Child Benefit is a monthly payment and the cost of increasing Child Benefit by €5 per month, €10 per month, €15 per month and €20 per month is €71.6 million, €143.1 million, €214.7 million and €286.2 million respectively in 2016.
It should be noted that all of these costings are subject to change over the coming months in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients for 2016.
66. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the cost in 2015 of not proceeding with the reduction of the income disregard under the one-parent family payment scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29775/15]
View answerThe one-parent family payment scheme income disregard was last reduced, from €110 per week to €90 per week, in January, 2014.
On foot of the Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Act, 2014, the OFP scheme income disregard is being maintained at €90 per week. This benefitted approximately 28,000 working one-parent family payment recipients in 2015. The further reductions to the income disregard that were scheduled to occur in January, 2015, and in January, 2016, will not be taking place.
The cost of the retention of the one-parent family payment scheme income disregard at €90 per week will be €8 million in 2015 and €10 million per annum thereafter.
