Written Answers Nos. 38-43
38. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will give a commitment to engaging with the web summit with a view to retaining the event here in 2016 and in future years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39244/15]
View answerI refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Question 1 earlier today.
39. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will accept a late application for the water conservation grant from a person (details supplied) in County Louth who has registered with Irish Water and paid all Irish Water bills to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39639/15]
View answerThe Department is administering the Water Conservation Grant on behalf of the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government. The regulations governing the Water Conservation Grant are set out in the Water Services Act 2014 (Water Conservation Grant) Regulations 2015. Statutory Instrument 434 of 2015 provided for the extension of the deadline for the submission of a completed application for the Water Conservation Grant to the Department of Social Protection from 8 October 2015 to 22 October 2015. Therefore the extended deadline has now passed.
I understand that an officer of this Department will be in contact with your office to establish the circumstances of this particular case.
40. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the value of capital investment projects and grants under way or approved for funding by her Department, by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39662/15]
View answerExpenditure on capital investment in my Department is divided into two areas, Facilities and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure.
The following table outlines the total cost of ongoing and approved Facilities projects by county together with their status as of 10 November 2015 -
|
Description |
Properties |
County |
€ |
Status |
|
Thurles |
Thurles |
Tipperary |
1,276,000 |
In-Progress |
|
Navan |
Kennedy Road/Abbey Mall |
Meath |
1,537,929 |
In-Progress |
|
Letterkenny |
Oliver Plunkett Road |
Donegal |
1,516,000 |
In-Progress |
|
Kilmainham |
Con Colbert House |
Dublin |
1,923,514 |
Approved |
|
- |
- |
Total Spent and approved: |
6,253,443 |
- |
ICT infrastructure is not split on a county by county basis but refers to expenditure incurred by the Department and covers such items as computer hardware, photocopiers and other Information Technology related equipment.
In addition to the projects undertaken and approved, my Department has completed a number of other Facility projects in 2015. These relate to the ongoing roll-out of interview centres across the country.
41. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when an application for a disability allowance will be re-instated for a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39677/15]
View answerNotification from the person concerned was received by the department on 5th November 2015 with regard to the cessation of their community employment scheme.
Disability allowance payment has been re-instated with effect from 21 October 2015. First payment by her chosen payment method will be on 18 November 2015. Arrears due to the person in question have issued by cheque on 10 November 2015.
42. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will examine and expedite a farm assist appeal for a person (details supplied) in County Kerry, as all relevant information has been submitted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39697/15]
View answerI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to disallow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision.
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.
43. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if there are groups which no longer qualify for the fuel allowance and the Christmas bonus in budget 2016. [39699/15]
View answerThe Fuel Allowance scheme assists householders on long-term welfare with meeting the costs of their heating needs during the winter season. In order to qualify for the scheme a person must be in receipt of a qualifying payment from the Department, live alone or only with one of a list of exempted persons and satisfy a means test. The criteria for Fuel Allowance are framed in order to direct the limited resources available to the Department in as targeted a manner as possible.
In budget 2016, I announced an increase of €2.50 per week on the Fuel Allowance, increasing the payment to €22.50 per week from January 2016. This increase is expected to benefit 381,000 households including pensioners, people with disabilities, lone parents and jobseekers. There have been no changes to the qualifying criteria for fuel allowance as a result of the Budget.
A 75% Christmas Bonus will be paid this December to recipients of a long-term Social Welfare payment. It is expected that 1.23 million people will benefit from the Christmas bonus at a cost of €197 million. The Bonus this year will be paid to the beneficiaries of the same schemes to which the bonus previously applied, and on the same basis.
If a person who previously qualified for Fuel Allowance and/or a Christmas Bonus does not qualify for one this year, it is most likely a result of a change in their circumstances. If there has been no such change, they should contact my Department for clarification.
