Written Answers Nos. 36-44
36. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive a decision regarding a review of an application for a disability allowance; the reason for the delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34977/15]
View answerFollowing a review of the entitlement of the person concerned, disability allowance (DA) payment was stopped with effect from 22 July 2015 due to the person in question being deemed to have means in excess of the statutory limit.
I confirm the department received information during July 2015. This information did not change the original decision. However, further information received on 30 September 2015 is currently being reviewed. Clarification on breakdown of payment has been requested. On receipt of this information, a decision on entitlement will be made. The person in question will be notified in writing of this decision.
37. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide this Deputy with a copy of the community employment supervisors' enhanced redundancy agreement. [34981/15]
View answerThe Deputy will be provided with hard copies (by post) of the original agreement (2002) and updated agreement (2005).
38. Deputy Noel Coonan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when an application for a carer's allowance from a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary will be finalised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34983/15]
View answerI confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person concerned on 24 June 2015. The application is currently being processed and once completed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
39. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 822 of 22 September 2015, if she will address a matter (details supplied) regarding death certificates; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35035/15]
View answerThe fee for a copy of an entry (e.g. birth/death/stillbirth certificate) from the registers maintained by An t-Árd Chlaratheoir is prescribed by regulation made by the Minister under section 61 of the Civil Registration Act 2004.
The Health Service Executive has responsibility for the day to day running of the Civil Registration Service and monies generated by the HSE for this service are used to offset the cost of providing the service.
Current fees are set out in the Civil Registration (Births, Deaths, Marriages and Civil Partnership) (Fees) Regulations 2013 (S.I. No. 17 of 2013) which came into force on 23 January 2013. This was the first increase in the cost of this service since 2005.
The fee for a birth/death/stillbirth certificate is currently set at €20.
40. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the average cost of each jobseeker's allowance claim for each of the years from 2011 to date in 2015 ; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35052/15]
View answerThe following table provides the average weekly payment value for claimants receiving a jobseeker’s allowance payment for the years 2011 to 2014 and year to date to end of September 2015.
|
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 YTD end Sept |
|
€202.82 |
€201.74 |
€198.99 |
€196.10 |
€196.55 |
41. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the differing exit rates from the live register in 2015 to date in tabular form for single persons who are over 26 years of age and who are under 26 years of age on reduced rates; for persons with adult dependents and with adult and child dependents; and for single parents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35053/15]
View answerThis is a matter for the Central Statistics Office which falls under the remit of the Department of Taoiseach.
42. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of persons on the live register in September 2011 and September 2015 in tabular form who are single claimants over 26 years of age and who are under 26 years of age on reduced rates; who have adult dependants or adult and child dependants; and who are single parents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35054/15]
View answerThis is a matter for the Central Statistics Office which falls under the remit of the Department of Taoiseach.
43. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the cost of extending jobseeker's benefit to the self-employed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35055/15]
View answerThe cost of extending certain short-term social insurance benefits, including jobseeker's benefit, was considered in the Actuarial Review of the Social Insurance Fund, as at 31 December 2010. The Review covers a 55 year period and builds on the findings of previous Actuarial Reviews, taking account of the policy, economic and demographic changes with particular reference to income and expenditure projections as well as value for money and break-even contribution rates issues.
The Review found that the self-employed achieve better value for money compared to the employed when the comparison includes both employer and employee contributions in respect of the employed person. The report also found that the effective annual rate of contribution, or the required contribution as a percentage of salary, needed to provide the core full-rate State pension (contributory), which is the benefit currently available to self-employed contributors, is approximately 15%. This is compared favourably with the 4% rate currently paid by the self-employed. In relation to the provision of jobseeker's benefit to the self-employed, the report found that an incremental increase in contribution rates from approximately 15% to 16% would be required if jobseeker's benefit in addition to core State pension (contributory) is provided.
The report estimated the full year incremental costs of extending jobseeker's benefit to the self-employed to be €87m, in 2012 terms, where the incidence rate of benefit is the same as that applying to the overall population. This was estimated using a number of assumptions based on the existing population of contributors and beneficiaries.
The extension of jobseeker's benefit to the self-employed was subsequently examined in the Third Report of the Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare, published in September 2013. The Group was asked to examine and report on issues involved in extending social insurance coverage for self-employed people in order to establish whether or not such cover is technically feasible and financially sustainable, with the requirement that any proposals for change must be cost neutral.
The Group found that the current system of means tested jobseeker’s allowance payments adequately provides cover to self-employed people for the risks associated with unemployment. In this context, the Group noted that almost 9 out of every 10 self-employed people who claimed the means tested jobseeker’s allowance during the three-year period from 2009 to 2011 received payment. Consequently, the Group was not convinced that there was a need for the extension of social insurance for the self-employed to provide cover for jobseeker’s benefit.
44. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon will receive a decision on a review; the reason for the delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35059/15]
View answerThe department received a claim for invalidity pension (IP) from the person concerned on the 08 April 2015. The person concerned was refused IP on the grounds that, based upon the evidence supplied, the medical conditions for the scheme were not satisfied. The person in question was notified on the 19 June 2015 of this decision, the reasons for it and of his rights of review and appeal.
The person concerned requested a review of this decision and submitted further medical evidence on 11 August 2015 in support of his request. Following a review of all the information available it has been decided that there is no change to the original decision. The person concerned was notified on 06 October 2015 of the outcome of the review and of his right to appeal the decision to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office within 21 days.
The expected time taken to award a new claim is currently 6 weeks. Where a request is made for a review of a decision on a new claim or where a decision to disallow is appealed, this will take longer.
