Written Answers Nos. 33-48
33. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if a person participating in an apprenticeship who has a partner and two children, is eligible to apply under the family income supplement scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3522/16]
View answerFamily income supplement (FIS) is an in-work support, which provides an income top-up for employees on low earnings with children. The Revised Estimates for 2016 state that in excess of €410 million will be spent on FIS this year. FIS is currently supporting approximately 56,000 recipients.
To qualify for payment of FIS, a person must be engaged in full-time insurable employment, which is expected to last for at least 3 months and be working for a minimum of 38 hours per fortnight or 19 hours per week. A couple may combine their hours of employment to meet the qualification criteria. The applicant must also have at least one qualified child who normally resides with him/her or is supported by him/her. Furthermore, the average family income must be below a specified amount, which varies according to the number of qualified children in the family.
The “full-time” employment condition has been a fundamental part of the FIS payment since its introduction in 1984, although the number of hours worked in order to satisfy this condition has been reduced considerably. The requirement was initially set at 30 hours per week but was progressively lowered to 38 hours per fortnight or 19 hours per week in 1996.
Apprentices during the course of their apprenticeship typically undertake three off-the-job full time education phases. Attendance on a full-time education course is not considered full-time employment and consequently apprentices cannot qualify for FIS during these periods.
However, apprentices can qualify for FIS for the four on-the job apprenticeship phases when they are working for their employer.
34. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when she will issue a decision on an application by a person (details supplied) in County Cork under the invalidity pension scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3551/16]
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.
The department received a claim for IP for the person concerned on the 28 July 2015. A deciding officer (DO) refused IP to the person concerned on the grounds that the medical conditions for the scheme were not satisfied. She was notified on the 18 September 2015 of this decision, the reasons for it and of her right of review and appeal.
The person concerned requested a review of this decision and submitted further medical evidence in support of her request. Following a review of all the information available the DO is now satisfied that the medical conditions for the scheme are satisfied.
On the 26 January 2016, a DO requested that the person concerned provide details of the preferred payment method which was omitted from the claim form. Upon receipt of same, the IP claim will be finalised and the person in question will be notified directly of the outcome.
35. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the funding she allocated and the funding spent on capital projects and other initiatives in the constituency of Louth-East Meath, by project and initiative, by completion date and by cost, for the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3567/16]
View answerThe details requested are currently being compiled and a response will issue directly to the Deputy early next week.
36. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the supports available to returned emigrants; if she will waive the habitual residence requirement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3574/16]
View answerSocial welfare payments can be broadly divided into two main categories – contributory social insurance payments, which are based on the social insurance contributions paid by the claimant and non-contributory social assistance payments, which are subject to a means test.
The social welfare supports available to returned emigrants will therefore, depend on the person’s particular circumstances, including whether the person has previously paid social insurance contributions in Ireland, the length of time spent working in Ireland before emigrating, the length of time spent abroad, whether the person worked in the EU or elsewhere, etc.
For instance, a person who returns to Ireland after having spent a period working in another EU Member State may qualify for certain social insurance benefits from Ireland or from that other Member State, depending on the circumstances. Where a returned emigrant does not qualify for a social insurance payment, he or she may apply for a social assistance payment, such as jobseeker’s allowance.
In addition to having to satisfy a means test and other eligibility criteria directly relevant to the specific payment being claimed, applicants for most social assistance payments must also be determined as being habitually resident in the State in order to qualify. The general principles underpinning the application of the habitual residence condition centre on the overall assessment of a person’s situation, including consideration of the following factors -
- the length and continuity of residence in Ireland or in any other particular country,
- the length and purpose of any absence from Ireland,
- the nature and pattern of employment,
- the person’s main centre of interest, and
- the future intentions of the person as they appear from all of the circumstances.
Returning emigrants who had previously been habitually resident in the State and who moved to live and work in another country and then resume their long-term residence in the State may be determined as habitually resident in the State immediately on their return to the State. In addition, arrangements are in place with Safe-Home Ltd, a registered charity, to assist with the difficulty experienced by a minority of returning emigrants in demonstrating their intention to live in the State permanently for the purposes of satisfying the habitual residence condition.
It is open to anyone who is dissatisfied with a decision on the application of the habitual residence condition in relation to entitlement to a social welfare payment to appeal that decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office.
While I have no plans to change its operation at this stage, the operation of the habitual residence condition is kept under continual review.
37. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection how many persons have participated in the JobBridge scheme in counties Galway and Mayo, in each year since the scheme was introduced; how many of the participants have been kept on at the same workplace or are in full-time employment elsewhere, since completing the JobBridge placement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3595/16]
View answerTables giving the details requested by the Deputy are set out in this reply.
JobBridge, the National Internship Scheme, was introduced in July 2011 in response to the unprecedented collapse in the economy – particularly the sharp increase in unemployment.
The primary aim of the scheme is to give unemployed people the opportunity to secure work experience and prove their competence to prospective employers. To date, JobBridge has attracted the voluntary participation of over 45,300 interns and encouraged over 18,000 Host Organisations to offer them a wide range of work experience opportunities. There are currently almost 4,400 people on internships.
Table 1 below gives the details of the number of participants in Counties Galway and Mayo since the scheme was introduced. Table 2 provides details of the number who progressed into employment immediately on cessation of the internship. The Department does not keep a record of the number of participants who progress into employment at some stage thereafter, but the independent evaluation of the programme by Indecon in 2013 indicated that some 61% of participants progress into employment (either with the host organisation or another employer) within 5 months of completion of an internship.
A further robust external evaluation of JobBridge is currently underway with the aim of assessing the suitability, relevance and effectiveness of the programme. It includes:
* a detailed counterfactual impact evaluation,
* a robust assessment of deadweight and displacement,
* a comprehensive qualitative assessment of host organisation and participant perspectives on the quality and future of JobBridge, including one-to-one case studies.
Table 1. JobBridge Internships Started in Galway and Mayo by Year
|
Year |
Galway |
Mayo |
|
2011 |
217 |
73 |
|
2012 |
652 |
218 |
|
2013 |
721 |
328 |
|
2014 |
769 |
356 |
|
2015 |
500 |
258 |
|
2016 |
20 |
7 |
|
Total |
2901 |
2140 |
Table 2. Employment Outcomes for Interns in Galway and Mayo Immediately on finishing Internships
|
Employment Outcomes |
Galway |
Mayo |
|
Went directly into employment with Host Organisation |
598 |
199 |
|
Went directly into employment with another employer |
354 |
126 |
|
Total |
952 |
325 |
38. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of persons who have received the water conservation grant in counties Galway and Mayo, by county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3597/16]
View answerThe Water Conservation Grant is a key element of the Government's drive to promote conservation and more sustainable use of water services in the home. The Department of Social Protection is administering the Water Conservation Grant on behalf of the Department of Environment, Community, and Local Government. A total of 887,973 Water Conservation Grant applications for 2015 have been processed to date. The number of principal private residences in Counties Galway and Mayo for which applications have been processed are given in the following table -
|
County |
Applications Processed |
|
Galway |
43,513 |
|
Mayo |
33,928 |
39. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection to ensure a person (details supplied) receives an allowance which the person applied for, but was refused. [3617/16]
View answerThe back to school clothing and footwear allowance (BSCFA) scheme is a non-statutory scheme which provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the extra costs when children start school each autumn.
In order to qualify for BSCFA, an applicant must satisfy a number of qualifying conditions, one of which requires the applicant’s household income to be within the income limits for that year’s scheme. While employee PRSI is deductible under the guidelines of the scheme, other deductions from earnings such as PAYE, USC, mortgage payments and household bills are not taken into consideration. Following a review on 18 December 2015 of the application by the person concerned, BSCFA has not been awarded in this case due to means in excess of the appropriate household income limit.
40. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection to review an application by a person (details supplied) in County Cork under the carer's allowance scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3618/16]
View answerCarer's Allowance (CA) is a social assistance payment made to persons who are providing full-time care and attention to a relevant person/persons and whose income falls below certain limits.
The person concerned is currently in receipt of CA in respect of care of her aunt. Previously, she was in receipt of CA from 8 November 1990 up to 25 March 2015 in respect of her late father, up until the time he passed away. During part of that period, from 1997 to 2004, she was in receipt of CA for a 2nd care recipient, her late mother until she passed away.
The department received an application for CA from the person concerned in respect of her aunt on 16 March 2015. The application was awarded in line with legislation, from 19 March 2015 which is the first Thursday after receipt of the application.
The person concerned sought to have the award backdated to 21 March 2014 on the grounds that she wasn’t aware that she could claim payment in respect of a 2nd care recipient. This application for backdating was refused by a deciding officer on the grounds that good cause for a delay in claiming was not demonstrated.
The person concerned appealed the date of award of CA in respect of care of her aunt and the case was submitted to the Social Welfare Appeals Office for determination. An appeals officer (AO), having fully considered all of the available evidence, disallowed the appeal on 30 November 2015. She noted that the appellant had not shown good cause for the delay in applying, particularly as she had previous experience of making a claim for a second care recipient.
The person concerned was notified on 11 December 2015 of the AO’s decision and was provided at that time with a detailed explanation of the basis for this decision.
Under Social Welfare legislation, the decision of an AO is final and conclusive and may only be reviewed in the light of relevant additional evidence or new facts.
41. Deputy Paul J. Connaughton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when she will make a decision on an application by a person (details supplied) in County Galway under the domiciliary care allowance scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3627/16]
View answerAn application for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) was received from the person concerned on the 24th November 2015. This application has been forwarded to one of the Department’s Medical Assessors for their medical opinion. Following receipt of this opinion, a decision will be made by a Deciding Officer and notified to the person concerned. It can currently take 12 weeks to process an application for DCA.
42. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if and when Social Protection assistance will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare under the part-time job incentive scheme; if any information remains outstanding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3635/16]
View answerThe Part-Time Job incentive (PTJI) Scheme allows long-term unemployed people to take up part-time work and get a special weekly allowance instead of their jobseeker’s payment. On securing a part time job, they should immediately inform a Social Welfare Intreo office to apply to participate in the PTJI Scheme.
The person concerned commenced part-time work of 20 hours per week over five days from 18 March 2015 onwards and continued to claim Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA) at the full rate.
The client applied for the PTJI scheme on 12 July 2015, at which point she advised the Department of her employment, sixteen weeks after commencement, at which point she was no longer eligible for the scheme. Her JA claim is now closed.
43. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if a requested statement can be forwarded urgently to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3636/16]
View answerI confirm that a statement issued to the person in question on 22 January 2016, as per her request to disability allowance section.
44. Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will review the average contributions currently required to qualify for a State pension; her views that the current system disproportionately impacts women; the way in which the average is determined to take account of periods out of the work force, particularly where such period of time was obligatory or where time out of the workforce was taken to raise a family or return to study; the ways to make the calculation and access to payments more equitable; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3683/16]
View answerThe State pension contributory is a very valuable benefit and is the bedrock of the Irish pension system. Therefore, it is important to ensure that those qualifying have made a sustained contribution to the Social Insurance Fund over their working lives. To ensure that the individual can maximise their entitlement to a State pension, all contributions paid or credited over their working life from when they first enter insurable employment until pension age are taken into account when assessing their entitlement and the level of that entitlement. Since 1961, when contributory pensions were introduced, the average contributions test has been used in calculating pension entitlement. Once over 16 years of age, the date a person enters into insurable employment is the date used for averaging purposes.
The homemaker’s scheme makes qualification for State pension (contributory) easier for those who take time out of the workforce for caring duties. The scheme, which was introduced in and took effect from 1994, allows up to 20 years spent caring for children under 12 years of age (or caring for incapacitated people over that age) to be disregarded when a person’s social insurance record is being averaged for pension purposes, subject to the standard qualifying conditions for SPC also being satisfied.
The most recently published Actuarial Review of the Social Insurance Fund confirms that the Fund provides better value to female rather than male contributors. It further confirms that those with lower earnings and those with shorter contribution histories, mostly women, have and will continue to obtain the best value for money from the Fund due to the distributive nature of the Fund.
For those with insufficient contributions to meet the requirements for a State pension (contributory), the State pension system provides alternative methods of support. If their spouse has a contributory pension, they may qualify for an Increase for a Qualified Adult amounting up to 90% of a full rate pension, which by default is paid directly to them. Alternatively, they may qualify for a means-tested State Pension (non-contributory), amounting to 95% of the maximum contributory pension rate.
Work is underway to replace the ‘yearly average’ system with a ‘total contributions approach’. Under this approach, the number of contributions recorded over a working life will be more closely reflected in the rate of pension payment received. It is expected that the total contributions approach to pension qualification will replace the current average contributions test for State pension (contributory) for new pensioners from 2020, although that date is subject to change, as this is a very significant reform with considerable legal, administrative, and technical challenges to be overcome in its implementation. The position of women who were homemakers will be considered very carefully in developing this reform.
45. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection to expedite an application by a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath under the carer’s allowance scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3688/16]
View answerI confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person concerned on 17 December 2015.
The application was referred by a deciding officer (DO) to a local social welfare inspector (SWI) on 22 January 2016 to assess the level of care being provided, assess means and confirm that all the conditions for receipt of CA are satisfied. Once the SWI has reported, a DO will make a decision and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
46. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of Intreo offices that are accessible, that are inaccessible, to persons with disabilities; the cost of making all Intreo offices accessible; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3696/16]
View answerAll public offices opened under the Intreo Programme are accessible to persons with disabilities, and are in compliance with the requirement of the Disability Act 2005.
The Office of Public Works is charged with ensuring that all Intreo Centres comply with building regulations and disability legislation. With regard to access, and in particular access for persons with disabilities, over the past 4 years the OPW refurbished and remodelled 60 Social Welfare Local Offices into Intreo Centres and/or acquired new premises in some locations. In most locations, the buildings would have already complied with the relevant aspect of the Building Regulations. All costs associated with providing disability access to buildings would have been absorbed in the overall costs of refurbishment of Intreo Centres. There may be some older back office areas that are not entirely accessible for all DSP staff, and such areas are addressed then on a needs basis and in consultation with staff who may have a disability and are being assigned to such offices.
48. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection why the pension of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare to which he had made contributions by working in the Forestry Service, from which the person retired on health grounds, was reduced upon reaching the qualifying age for the State pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3699/16]
View answerThe person concerned applied for state pension (contributory) prior to his 66th birthday in June 2011. He was awarded a reduced rate (98% of maximum rate) pension, based on a yearly average of 28 contributions, assessed from the commencement of his insurable employment in 1961 to the end of the tax year immediately preceding his 66th birthday.
His claim has been rechecked. He is in receipt of the correct weekly pension rate. To qualify for a maximum rate pension, a yearly-average of 48 contributions or higher would be required.
