Written Answers Nos. 43-47
43. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her views on the scenario whereby a person (details supplied) in County Clare is outside of the incremental pay scales with respect to working in the Civil Service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36699/15]
View answerThe individual in question is on the standard incremental scale for her grade.
Subject to certain conditions, a person recruited to the Clerical Officer and Executive Officer grades may be awarded incremental credit in respect of previous service. One of the conditions is that the service must have been in the same or analogous grade to the current post.
When the person in question was recruited as a temporary Clerical Officer in my Department, qualifying periods of previous service were taken into account in determining the rate of salary awarded. As the grade of Secretarial Assistant is not deemed to be the same or an analogous grade to that of Clerical Officer, incremental credit does not apply in respect of service in that grade.
44. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if an increase in support may be facilitated for a person (details supplied) in County Kildare. [36669/15]
View answerAny changes in a client’s circumstances that may affect their entitlements should be immediately notified to the Department. The client concerned should submit to the Department current payslips, an up to date Rent Supplement application form and lease agreement confirming any increase in their monthly rent, to allow their Rent Supplement entitlement be re-assessed.
45. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of applications received in 2015 to date by her Department under the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived programme; when she will approve these individual schemes to proceed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36676/15]
View answerThe European Fund for Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD) is designed to support Member States in addressing the basic needs of the most deprived people in our community. The Department of Social Protection has been designated as the managing authority for the delivery of the programme. The EU and the Exchequer have committed some €27 million to the programme over the period to 2020.
The Department advertised the programme in the national, regional and local newspapers during July 2015 and is currently receiving applications and wrote directly to some 550 organisations. The application process remains open until the end of November 2015. To date, 25 applications have been received and are being assessed. Decision on the applications received will be made and communicated in the coming weeks.
46. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the measures she is taking to restore moneys to Irish airlines (general employees) superannuation scheme pensions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36708/15]
View answerI am very aware of the issues and negative consequences arising from the funding difficulties in this scheme.
A number of legislative changes have been put in place in recent years to assist employers and trustees in responding to funding difficulties encountered by pension schemes. As you are aware the Pensions Act was amended in 2009 and again in 2013 to broaden the options available to trustees of pension schemes in the context of a restructuring of scheme benefits. These changes provide for the sharing of the risk of underfunding in a scheme across all scheme members. The manner in which these options are exercised is a matter for the trustees of a scheme who are required by law to act in the best interest of scheme members and beneficiaries.
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 schemes, the scheme members and the Pensions Authority.
47. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection for a breakdown of the funding allocated to the national advocacy service in terms of staffing numbers, etc. in each of the past three years. [36718/15]
View answerThe Citizens Information Board (CIB) is the statutory body responsible for supporting the provision of information, advice (including money and budgeting advice) and advocacy services to all citizens on a wide range of public and social services. One of the functions of the CIB, as defined in the Comhairle Act 2000 and the Citizens Information Act 2007, is to directly provide or support the provision of advocacy services to individuals and in particular to assist those with a disability, to identify and understand their needs and options, in order to secure their entitlement to social services.
One of the main ways in which the Citizens Information Board supports advocacy services to the general public is through its network of 42 Citizens Information Services (CISs), where information providers advocate on behalf of their clients mainly in relation to access to public and social services such as social welfare, housing, health and employment. Information providers support their clients to act on their own behalf wherever possible (self-advocacy). They also advocate directly on behalf of their clients through contacting and negotiating with third parties or attending meetings, hearings or appeals.
In 2011, the National Advocacy Service (NAS) was established under the Citizens Information Board to provide an independent, confidential, and free representative advocacy service to vulnerable people with disabilities who cannot self-advocate, while supporting others to use mainstream services. The budget allocation and the total number of staff in the National Advocacy Service in each of the past three years is set out the following table.
National Advocacy Service (NAS)
|
- |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
|
Funding |
€3,058,958 |
€3,077,266 |
€3,135,748 |
|
Staffing: |
|||
|
National Manager |
- |
1 |
1 |
|
Regional Manager |
5 |
4 |
4 |
|
Senior Advocate |
7 |
7 |
7 |
|
Advocate |
28 |
28 |
28 |
|
Administrator |
5 |
5 |
5 |
|
TOTAL |
45 |
45 |
45 |
