Written Answers Nos. 24 - 35
24. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the efficiencies being achieved in the public sector regarding the use of shared services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33079/15]
View answerShared Services is a key element of the Public Service Reform Plan and a core priority for my Department. The National Shared Services Office (NSSO) within the Department is leading on shared service strategy and implementation within the overall Reform and Renewal context. It is responsible for delivering Shared Services projects in the Civil Service and for the operation of Civil Service Shared Service Centres. As part of its wider leadership role, the NSSO provides support to other Public Service sectors in progressing their Shared Service commitments but is not directly responsible for their implementation.
My Department is advancing 3 key Shared Services projects across the Civil Service. These are:
PeoplePoint, the HR and Pensions Administration Shared Service Centre; PeoplePoint operates the Civil and Public Service HR and pensions administration service on behalf of 31 Public Service Bodies, serving approximately 26,500 employees currently. This will rise to more than 33,000 employees across 40 Public Service Bodies.
Payroll Shared Service Centre The Payroll Shared Service Centre (PSSC) provides payroll and travel and subsistence services to 31,000 payees across 34 Public Service Bodies. This will rise to 120,000 payees (including pension payees) across 53 Public Service Bodies.
Financial Management Shared Service Project The Financial Management Shared Service Project is at an earlier stage. A procurement exercise is nearing completion for a single solution to deliver Financial Management Shared Services to approximately 47 Public Service Bodies. Once the business case is fully evaluated, I expect to seek the approval of Government to progress to implementation. Shared Services improves management insights to support more informed decision making at PSBs and across Central Government through standardising data sets and common information requirements and sharing of cost effective standard technology solutions.
- Shared Services allows Public Service Bodies have the right balance of retained knowledge and more strategic expertise to focus on the core business of their Department.
- Shared Services frees up resources to support core Government services and priorities for front-line services, and creates harmonisation opportunities increasing policy compliance across Departments and drives processing excellence, efficiency and scalability.
- Shared Services is not a short-term efficiency measure. Both public and private sector best practice indicates that benefits are generally realised over three to five years following the transitioning of all customers into the new service.
- Over the medium term, Shared Services delivers effective and efficient corporate services through the adoption of standardised processes for repeatable transactions, thereby improving performance and reducing duplication of effort and avoidance of procuring expensive highly customised individual solutions in response to new and emerging requirements.
In September, I announced that the Government had approved the drafting of the National Shared Services Office Bill 2015 to establish the NSSO as a separate Civil Service Office, under the aegis of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
25. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of lobbyists who have registered on lobbying.ie during the first month of the operation of the new legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33080/15]
View answerThere are currently just over 340 organisations or individuals registered on the Register of Lobbying. The Deputy can get the up to date numbers by logging on to www.lobbying.ie and clicking either the 'Directory of Registrants' button at the top right hand corner or the 'Search the Directory' button at the bottom right hand corner of the home page. For each organisation or individual registered you can view their contact details and the main activities of the organisation or individual by clicking on the organisation or individual in question.
Registered lobbyists will be required to provide their first set of returns by 21st January 2016 in respect of the period 1st September to 31 December 2015.
I am satisfied with this initial response level and I expect the numbers registering to continue to increase in light of the public information campaign now underway on the Register of Lobbying and also as we get closer to the 21st January 2016 deadline.
26. Deputy Michael Colreavy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the consideration he has given to reducing the size of public procurement tenders to make them accessible to micro-business; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33413/15]
View answerThe reform of the procurement system across the public service is a key element of the reform programme for the public service. Reform of Public Procurement is being carried out in a manner that recognises the importance of SMEs including micro business.
In its report "Public Service Spend and Tendering Analysis for 2013", the Office of Government Procurement (OGP), which comes under the remit of my Department, found, as part of its Key Findings, that 74% of tender notices were of small value (i.e. below EU threshold), with the median contract values by spend categories ranging from €500,000 (Utilities) to €50,000 (Veterinary, Marketing, Print, Stationery, Defence). Of the €2.742 billion spend data analysed, just over 66% of the value (€1.82 billion) was spent with suppliers whose business was classified as SMEs.
The Government acknowledges the significant role that SMEs play in the Irish economy and is committed to ensuring that SMEs are fully engaged with public sector procurement and the opportunities presenting. As the Deputy is aware, in April 2014 my Department issued Circular 10/14 aimed at opening up opportunities for small businesses, including micro business, that want to tender for public contracts by, for example, encouraging more on-line open tendering, reducing bidders' turnover requirements, promoting the use of proportional and reasonable insurance requirements, and breaking larger contracts into lots.
The OGP is also continuing to work with industry representative bodies to promote the engagement of Irish business in public procurement (including ISME, IBEC, SFA, Chambers Ireland, and CIF) as well as the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, InterTrade Ireland, and Enterprise Ireland. For example, in 2015, the OGP supported the "Meet the Buyer" event which took place on 17 June in Belfast and drew over 600 delegates and the OGP is supporting another "Meet the Buyer" event on 21 October in Dublin.
The OGP will continue to work with suppliers to ensure that winning government business is done in a fair, transparent and accessible way and to ensure that Government procurement policies are business friendly.
27. Deputy Michael Colreavy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the outcome of the Lansdowne Road Agreement financially for those persons earning less than €65,000; the outcome at the conclusion of the Haddington Road Agreement financially in respect of those earning over €65,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33410/15]
View answerAs part of the measures required to repair the Government finances and meet our international commitments to reach the GDP Deficit target of 3% by end 2015, it was necessary in 2013 for the Government to secure agreement (the Haddington Road Agreement) with Unions and Associations representing public servants for the introduction of significant productivity measures and also additional pay cuts for public servants earning over €65,000. There was a commitment given in that Agreement, for the restoration of the 2013 pay cuts in two equal phases in April 2017 and 1 January 2018. For those on annualised remuneration in excess of €110,000, the Government has decided that restoration will be in three equal phases with the first phase due to take place in April 2017 and the two remaining phases in April 2018 and 2019.
The provisions of the Lansdowne Road Agreement, which are significantly weighted in favour of the lower paid, also make provision for increases in gross pay in 2016 for those on pay up to €31,000 and in 2017 for lower and middle income public servants, namely those on pay up to €65,000. For any public servant whose annualised salary is below €24,001 there will be an increase in gross pay of 2.5% from 1 January 2016. For those on annualised salaries between €24,001 and €31,000 there will be an increase in gross pay of 1% from 1 January 2016. For all those on annualised salaries up to €65,000 there will be an increase in gross pay of €1,000 from 1 September 2017.
Additionally, all public servants will benefit from the Pension Related Deduction (PRD) measures contained in the Lansdowne Road Agreement. On 1 January 2016 the exemption threshold for payment of Pension Related Deduction (PRD) will increase from €15,000 per annum to €24,750 per annum and on 1 September the exemption threshold for payment of Pension Related Deduction (PRD) will increase further from €24,750 per annum to €28,750 per annum. The value of the PRD measures to individual public servants is €733 per annum in 2016 increasing to €1,000 in 2017 with lower paid public servants benefiting to a greater extent through the tax code.
Following acceptance of the Lansdowne Road Agreement by the Public Services Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, my intention is to bring forward the necessary legislation to give effect to the provisions of the Agreement shortly.
28. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when micro-loans will be made available for families currently under financial strain; the office that will administer the loans; the location and time when applications for such loans can be submitted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33681/15]
View answerA proposal for a Personal Micro Credit scheme in Ireland is currently being developed under the auspices of Citizens Information Board and the Social Finance Foundation.
A preliminary outline of the scheme envisages a microloan facility, operated by Credit Unions, providing small loan amounts (circa €500), over an average term of 12 months, at an interest rate of approximately 12%, with an estimated annual value of €20 million.
There has been extensive engagement in recent months with a number of stakeholders including my Department, Department of Finance, Central Bank of Ireland, Irish League of Credit Unions, Credit Unions Development Association, Credit Union Managers Association, An Post, Money Advice and Budgeting Service and charity organisations, to progress the development of a Personal Micro Credit Scheme.
An Implementation Group, comprising key stakeholders has been established (chaired by Department of Social Protection) to oversee the implementation of the Personal Micro Credit Scheme in a number of pilot sites initially, and, if successful, to national rollout.
To date, 33 Credit Unions throughout the country have indicated agreement to participate in the pilot scheme which is intended to be in place towards the end of this year. The outcomes and learning from the pilot will inform the development of any final model prior to full roll-out.
29. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her plans to increase disability allowance, given the major additional living costs of citizens with disabilities, and given that this proposal was a long-term objective of her own political party while in opposition; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33650/15]
View answerIn line with its commitments when it took office, the Government has protected core weekly social welfare rates. Any increases in social welfare rates can only be considered by the Government in the context of its overall deliberations on Budget 2016.
30. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will expedite a decision on an application for a disability allowance by a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33655/15]
View answerI confirm the Department received an application for disability allowance (DA) on 14 August 2015. In order to determine the circumstances of the person concerned, her file was forwarded to her local Social Welfare Inspector (SWI). The SWI will arrange to meet with the person in question as soon as possible.
A decision on her entitlement to DA will be made on receipt of the Social Welfare Inspector’s report. The person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
31. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will expedite a decision on an application for renewal of a carer's allowance by a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33656/15]
View answerThe person concerned is in receipt of Carer’s Allowance (CA). The continued eligibility of the person in question for CA is currently under review.
To this end, the person concerned was asked to submit up to date evidence in relation to the care recipient and, specifically, in relation to the ongoing requirement for full-time care and attention. In order to assist the Department to carry out the review, it is important that the person concerned provides full and complete information for consideration by the deciding officer. Payment of CA will continue while the review is ongoing.
Once the review is completed the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
32. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her plans to increase the funding for persons in receipt of a diet allowance because of specific medical conditions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33693/15]
View answerDiet supplement, administered under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, is payable to qualifying persons, in receipt of the supplement prior to February 2014, who have been prescribed a special diet as a result of a specified medical condition.
During 2013, the Department commissioned the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute (INDI) to update its previous research published in 2006 and updated in 2007 on the costs of healthy eating and specialised diets. Pricing for a selection of foods based on branded and own label foods was surveyed in a sample of retail outlets for each diet. These outlets included large stores, large low cost stores, medium sized stores and convenience stores.
The research showed that the average costs across all of the retail outlets of the diets supplemented under the scheme can be met from within one third of the minimum personal rate of social welfare payment, i.e. the SWA rate of €186 per week. The scheme was discontinued on the basis of this evidence.
Payment of the supplement will continue to be made to the existing 4,300 recipients for as long as they continue to be entitled to the payment. In cases of particular hardship that may present, officials have the legislative power to award a payment under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme in cases of exceptional need.
Changes to social welfare schemes can only be considered in a budgetary context.
33. Deputy Noel Coonan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her plans to increase the income limit for applicants under the national fuel allowance scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33709/15]
View answerThe fuel allowance is a payment of €20 per week for 26 weeks from October to April, to low income households. 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.
The scheme is means tested and an applicant and members of his/her household may have a combined assessable income of up to €100.00 a week above the appropriate rate of State Pension Contributory (€230.30) and qualify for a payment. The weekly income limits are as follows:
(i) €330.30 for a single person under 80 years (€100 + €230.30);
(ii) €483.80 for a couple where the qualified spouse/civil partner/cohabitant is under 66 years (€100 + €230.30 + €153.30 - value of the increase for a qualified adult aged under 66);
(iii) €536.30 for a couple where the qualified spouse-civil partner-cohabitant is over 66 years (€100 + €230.30 + €206.30 - value of the increase for a qualified adult aged over 66).
In the case of applicants over 80 years of age an extra allowance of €10.00 is applied to the appropriate rate above.
The fuel allowance payment is 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 Guidelines for the Fuel Allowance Scheme are kept under review. However, any change in the qualifying criteria would have cost implications, and would have to be considered in the context of the Budgetary process. The Government will finalise its consideration of the Budget in the coming weeks and the outcome of this process will be announced on Budget Day.
34. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will examine the diversity in the means assessment for the adult dependent payment of disability allowance claims, whereby currently, self-employed adult dependents have all of their income means assessed without any disregards; if she will allow for the same disregards as adult dependents who are in employment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33755/15]
View answerThe Department operates a range of statutory means tested schemes where, in order to qualify for the social assistance payment, the claimant must satisfy a means test. The means test takes account of the income a person or couple has in terms of cash, property (other than the home) and capital.
Where a spouse is in insurable employment, the means test takes the gross weekly earnings less PRSI, superannuation, and trade union contributions. A disregard of €60 per day for each day worked up to a maximum of €60 per week is applied, and 60% of the balance is assessed as means.
Where a spouse is self-employed, account is taken of the income which the spouse may reasonably expect to receive in the next year. All expenses necessarily incurred in carrying out the business are disregarded.
This is the method used in assessing spousal earnings, not only for Disability Allowance, but also for Jobseeker’s Allowance and Farm Assist. Any change to the means testing of these schemes would have to be considered in a budgetary context.
35. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will clarify the estimated cost of increasing the number of community employment scheme places from 23,943 to 26,000; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33785/15]
View answerThe figure mentioned of 23,943 was the total number of participants and Supervisors employed on Community Employment at year-end 2013.
The estimated cost of 2,057 additional places (inclusive of Supervisory costs) is in the order of €28.8 million.
The current number of participants and supervisors as at the end of August 2015 is 24,239 places.
