Written Answers Nos. 265-82
265. Deputy James Bannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will expedite an appeal for an invalidity pension by a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38293/15]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 6 October 2015. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When these papers have been received from the Department, the case in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral appeal hearing.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.
266. Deputy James Bannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the reason payment of a carer's allowance is proposed to be suspended with effect from 5 November 2015, without an explanation to a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38294/15]
View answerIt is a condition for receipt of a Carer’s Allowance (CA) that the carer must be providing full-time care and attention to the care recipient. The evidence available to the department indicated that full-time care and attention was not being provided.
However, on foot of a response from the person concerned, their payment has been reinstated from 5 November 2015 and will be available from their nominated post office on that date.
267. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the up-to-date status of a social welfare appeal by a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38297/15]
View answerThe application for disability allowance (DA), based upon the evidence submitted, was refused on medical grounds and the person in question was notified in writing of this decision on 16 September 2015. On foot of further medical evidence submitted by the applicant, a deciding officer (DO) reviewed this decision. After giving due consideration to all the evidence in the case, the DO upheld the original decision and the person concerned was notified of this on 30 October 2015.
The person in question was given the option of appealing this decision directly to the Social Welfare Appeals Office within 21 days.
268. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection why the system of acquiring personal public service numbers for non-Irish citizens was changed recently, whereby such persons now have to pre-arrange an interview online; and the reason this change was not indicated beforehand on her Department's website. [38300/15]
View answerThe Personal Public Service (PPS) Number is an individual's unique reference number for all dealings with Government Departments and public bodies. Where a person is born in the State, a PPS Number is allocated at the time of birth registration. Where a person comes to the State and requires a PPS Number, they must attend at a PPS Number allocation centre. Before a PPS Number can be allocated, the person making the application must provide evidence of identity and demonstrate a valid reason for the application. PPS Numbers are issued by the Department following checks on an individual's identity. In addition, acceptable evidence of address must be provided. The process of allocating a PPS Number includes the capture of a photograph and signature. Photographs captured are compared with other photographs previously captured in order to detect any possible duplicates.
A booking service for appointments for PPS Number allocations is being gradually introduced across all PPS Number allocation centres. The PPS Number allocation centre for Dublin has moved to online bookings only because the number of persons turning up for allocations was resulting in long queues and delays, and some people being asked to return on an alternative date. Details of these operational changes at the Dublin PPS Number allocation centre were displayed in the centre for 10 days prior to the changes being implemented and were detailed on the Department’s website shortly afterwards.
Other PPS Number allocation centres which are operating a booking service may also deal with people who drop in without making an appointment where time slots are available.
269. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of persons under 66 years of age who are in receipt of the carer's allowance in 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38306/15]
View answerAt the end of September 2015 there were 61,976 carers in receipt of a carer's allowance.
Of these, 50,686 carers were aged under 66 years of age.
270. Deputy James Bannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection why a person (details supplied) in County Longford has been informed by a sector employer adviser that the person is unable to take up a position with a community employment scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38316/15]
View answerI have been advised that a letter was sent to the person concerned on 13 October inviting her to attend a JobPath group information session on 20 October. JobPath is a new approach to employment activation aimed primarily at the long-term unemployed (over 12 months).
The person concerned received a follow up phone call on 14 October to confirm the appointment but she said that was unable to attend the scheduled group information session. She was offered an alternative appointment on 27 October but again she said she was unable to attend. Arrangements were then made for her to attend an individual information session on 28 October which she duly attended.
In the meantime, the person concerned was interviewed on 19 October for a place on a local Community Employment (CE) Scheme following which she was provisionally offered a position for 19 ½ hours a week for one year.
While CE schemes are intended to help long-term unemployed people to re-enter the active workforce, by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to work routine for a limited duration, they are not full-time sustainable jobs.
A key objective of JobPath is to assist jobseekers to secure full-time sustainable employment. Contracts to deliver JobPath have been signed with two companies – Seetec Limited and Turas Nua Limited. These companies are providing JobPath services in two contract areas that are based on the Department’s divisional structure. Seetec operate in the northern half of the country (including Dublin) and Turas Nua operate in the southern half.
Participants on JobPath receive intensive individual support to help them address barriers to employment and to assist them in finding jobs. They will spend a year on the programme and if they are placed into a job they may continue to receive support for the first year of employment. During their time on JobPath they may also be referred for further education and training opportunities. Jobseekers retain their existing social welfare payment while on JobPath.
Given the circumstances of this case I have asked a senior official of the Department to review the person’s case with a view to determining the best outcome for the person concerned. I have asked that an official meet with the person concerned and review the case as quickly as possible.
271. Deputy James Bannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection If she will expedite an application for a carer's allowance by a person (details supplied) in County Longford; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38318/15]
View answerI confirm that the Department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person concerned on 1 September 2015.
The application was referred to a social welfare inspector (SWI) on 8 October 2015 to assess the level of care being provided, assess means and confirm that all the conditions for receipt of carer’s allowance are satisfied.
Once the SWI has reported, a deciding officer will make a decision without delay. The person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
272. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of recipients of family income supplement, by the number of children, by single parent households and by two-parent households, at 1 October 2015, in tabular form. [38329/15]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is not routinely collated by my Department and could not reasonably be expected to be provided within the time available to submit a reply to a Parliamentary Question.
My Department will conduct a special exercise to generate the data for the Deputy and provide it to her directly, as soon as is possible and no later than 21 November.
273. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for family income supplement currently being processed, and awaiting a decision, by her Department. [38330/15]
View answerDuring September 2015 there were 2,287 new applications and 3,649 renewals for Family Income Supplement processed.
As at end-September 2015 there were 3,196 new claims and 1,197 renewals pending decision.
274. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if her Department has plans to run an advertising campaign to promote the uptake of the family income supplement in 2016; the expected cost; have any similar campaigns been initiated in the past four years; and if she will provide details of same. [38331/15]
View answerThe Family income supplement (FIS) is designed to provide support for employees on low earnings with families.
The Department avails of every opportunity in its engagement with employers and jobseekers to build awareness of the availability of FIS and how this payment may benefit potential employees with children. The increasing numbers of families in receipt of FIS is testament to the effectiveness of the Department’s information strategy for the scheme and the significant improvements in customer service and processing times for FIS customers.
The Department's web site www.welfare.ie has full information on the FIS scheme and provides typical family scenarios to aid understanding and provide comparisons. This information is also available in all the Department local offices, CICs and information offices.
In addition a series of road-shows have also been held around the country designed to inform employers about the wide range of employment support services provided by the Department, including FIS. Case Officers in each locality will specifically use FIS as an incentive to move people from the long-term Live Register to employment.
The Department’s Benefit of Work ready reckoner gives an indication of the difference between a person’s potential in-work payment, including FIS, and current out-of-work payments.
The Department also launched a poster advertisement campaign in its Intreo centres and local offices nationwide during 2014 and 2015. The cost of this campaign was €2,530 in 2014 and €2,000 in 2015.
The Department has also recently been in touch with Trade Unions representing in excess of 260,000 employees (in both the Public and Private Sector) and provided them with an article on FIS for inclusion in their publications for members. This article explains in detail the qualification conditions for the scheme and gives relevant supporting examples of families that could qualify.
FIS was also publicised as part of jobs week which ran from the 28 September 2015 to 2 October 2015.
The Department will continue to promote FIS in targeted and cost-effective ways in 2016.
275. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the status of an application for an invalidity pension by a person (details supplied) in County Limerick. [38337/15]
View answerThe person concerned has been awarded invalidity pension with effect from the 17 September 2015. Payment will issue to his nominated bank account on the 19 November 2015. Any arrears due from the 17 September 2015 to 18 November 2015 (less any overlapping social welfare payment and/or outstanding overpayment) will issue in due course. The person in question was notified of this decision on the 30 October 2015.
276. Deputy James Bannon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide a person (details supplied) in County Longford with a disability allowance, as a matter of urgency, in view of the person's deteriorating health; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38351/15]
View answerThe person concerned submitted an application for disability allowance (DA) on 26 June 2015. The application, based upon the evidence submitted, was refused on medical grounds and the person in question was notified in writing of this decision on 10 September 2015.
The Department received notification from the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office on 13 October 2015 that an appeal had been opened in this case. The file for the person in question was sent to the Social Welfare Appeals Office together with the required deciding officer submission on 30 October 2015.
277. Deputy Noel Coonan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when an application for an invalidity pension by a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary will be finalised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38358/15]
View answerThe person concerned has been awarded invalidity pension with effect from the 20 August 2015. Payment will issue to her nominated Post Office on the 19 November 2015. Any arrears due from the 20 August 2015 to 18 November 2015 (less any overlapping social welfare payment and/or outstanding overpayment) will issue in due course. The person in question was notified of this decision on the 2 November 2015.
278. Deputy David Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if the provisions of the Civil Registration (Amendment) Act 2014 apply to US citizens residing here on a Stamp 4 basis, who wish to marry a non-EEA national who is not residing here; the procedure through which such persons can make an appointment to attend a marriage registrar's office to give the three month notification of intention to marry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38370/15]
View answerAll persons, including foreign nationals, who propose to marry in the State, are subject to the provisions of Part 6 of the Civil Registration Acts 2004 to 2014.
Persons seeking a meeting with a registrar for the purposes of giving notification of intention to marry are advised to contact their local registrar. Details of the location and opening times of registrars' offices can be found at www.civilregistrationservice.ie. Details of documentation required can also be found on this website.
Foreign nationals who are unsure as to their immigration status should contact the Garda National Immigration Bureau at 13/14 Burgh Quay, Dublin 2, D02 XK70 (Telephone 01 6669100/1).
279. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection to disregard maintenance as means for rent allowance for lone parents, given that the purpose of maintenance is to make provision towards the essential needs of the child, and not to pay towards rent; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38383/15]
View answerRent supplement plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme currently supporting approximately 63,000 people at a cost of over €298 million in 2015.
Rent supplement is a statutory means tested scheme which is payable at differentiated rates of payment taking into account the applicant’s means and their family's accommodation requirements. Rent supplement is normally calculated to ensure that a person, after the payment of rent, has an income equal to the rate of supplementary welfare allowance appropriate to their family circumstances less a weekly minimum contribution which recipients are required to pay from their own resources. The weekly minimum contribution is €30 for a single adult household and €40 for coupled households. Many recipients pay more than this amount because recipients are also required, subject to income disregards, to contribute any additional assessable means that they have over and above the appropriate supplementary welfare allowance rate towards their accommodation costs.
For rent supplement, maintenance payments of up to €95.23 per week are assessed in determining the appropriate rate payable. Where a person has weekly maintenance payments of more than €95.23, the first €75 a week together with 25% of any additional maintenance above €75 can be disregarded for means assessment purposes. Any changes to the conditions of the rent supplement scheme can only be considered in a budgetary context.
The Department’s overall strategic policy direction is to return rent supplement to its original purpose, short-term income support, by transferring responsibility for persons with long-term housing needs to the local authorities under the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP).
280. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath is entitled to an invalidity pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38392/15]
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.
To qualify for IP claimants must, inter-alia, have at least 260 (5 years) paid PRSI contributions since entering social insurance and 48 contributions paid or credited in the last complete contribution year before the date of their claim. Only PRSI classes A, E or H contributions are reckonable for IP purposes.
According to the Department's records, it appears that the person concerned does not satisfy the PRSI contribution criteria for IP. However entitlement to IP can be definitively determined on receipt of a completed claim.
Disability allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged over 16 and under 66. The disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, a means test and a habitual residency test. Full details of the qualifying criteria for the scheme are available on the Department’s website www.welfare.ie.
Application forms for IP and DA have issued to the person concerned and if she wishes to make an application, she should complete and return an application form as soon as possible.
281. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of civil servants under her remit who have been re-instated in recent years after taking a career break; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38732/15]
View answerThe career break scheme in the civil service is operated in accordance with administrative circulars issued by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, with the latest circular relating to this matter being Circular 4 of 2013.
The following table details the number of staff who have been facilitated with a return to work following the expiry of their career break in the Department in the period from 2010 to date.
|
Year |
No. of staff |
|
2010 |
19 |
|
2011 |
16 |
|
2012 |
54 |
|
2013 |
22 |
|
2014 |
22 |
|
2015 |
8 |
282. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Finance his plans for the delivery of 20,000 units for commercial sale by NAMA; and if any of these units will be made available for social housing or designated for affordable rent. [37633/15]
View answerThere are currently clear distortions in the housing market as it attempts to find an equilibrium between supply and demand following the large value swings of the crisis and as to now a lagging supply response is being dampened by expectations of continued future price increases. In this regard, I announced as part of Budget 2016, plans for NAMA to fund the delivery of 20,000 residential units by 2020 on a commercial basis.
The flexibility afforded by Section 11(2) of the NAMA Act allows NAMA to take account of distortions in the market for development land in achievement of its objectives. However, it is important to point out to the Deputy that this plan is a wholly commercial initiative which will go some way to addressing the current supply shortage, particularly in Dublin. The initiative is fully in line with the Agency's primary objective to achieve maximum recovery on its assets and to maximise the return to Irish taxpayers through its funding for individual development projects.
I am advised that the NAMA Board has carried out a preliminary, high-level analysis of development sites controlled by its debtors and receivers with a view to identifying the scope for residential delivery over the five-year period to the end of 2020. Based on this preliminary analysis, NAMA advise that sites capable of delivering 14,000 units are commercially viable to develop based on current sales prices, current planning and current completion costs. I am further advised that sites capable of delivering at least another 6,000 units are commercially marginal to develop at current sales prices but may become commercially viable through intensive asset management and planning work by NAMA. The provision of requisite infrastructure by the local authorities, Irish Water and Transport Infrastructure Ireland will also contribute to the commercial viability of some sites. NAMA is currently carrying out a detailed, site-by-site, bottom-up review of the residential sites controlled by its debtors and receivers with a view to refining the potential delivery programme.
The delivery of this plan is estimated to require total funding from NAMA of €4.5 billion with a peak funding requirement of €2.5 billion. This funding is expected to be fully recovered and is expected to enhance the overall recovery on NAMA's loans. This funding will be drawn entirely from NAMA's own resources.
It is also very important to understand that NAMA is not building houses itself. NAMA is not becoming a developer or a builder. Rather, NAMA is ensuring the delivery of these units through continued work with its existing debtors to agree development plans, secure/alter planning permission and funding the delivery of these residential units on a commercial basis. All NAMA funding is on a commercial basis.
NAMA have produced a useful infographic which provides an overview of the key details of the proposal. This can be found on the NAMA website via the following link: https://www.nama.ie/fileadmin/user_upload/NAMA_Residential_Funding_Programme_-_Final_13_10_15_1_.pdf
As regards social housing, NAMA funded developments are subject to the same planning and regulatory requirements as all other developments and this includes policy relating to social housing delivery as set out in Local Authority Housing Strategies in line with Part V of the Planning and Development Act (as amended). Therefore residential developments funded by NAMA will include Social Housing where required under said Part V.
