Written Answers Nos. 471-501
471. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will allow a person (details supplied) to continue involvement in a community employment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9584/16]
View answerA person with less than 3 years on the live register immediately prior to commencing on CE, regardless of age, is only eligible to participate on CE under the Part Time Integration option. A person, who is over 35 years of age, with three years or more on the live register immediately prior to commencing on CE, is eligible to participate on CE under the Part Time Job option.
The Community Employment Procedures Manual, Section 1.1. (a) defines the Part Time Integration option as “a 12-month work programme with training and development opportunities. This option offers eligible participants part-time work and training for one year. Specific progression placement targets are set for participants on this option. In certain circumstances some participants may be re-engaged for a consecutive 12 months, with DSP approval, where this is deemed to further their employment prospects”. This extension is subject to the criteria set out in Section 3.1.1.3 of the CE Procedures Manual.
Under the Part Time Integration option a person may be eligible to participate on a CE Programme for a maximum continuous period of 2 years, their continued participation being subject to annual approval by the Department. After this two year period has elapsed, they must spend at least another 12 months on the live register before they are again eligible to participate on Community Employment.
The person concerned started on the Community Support Services Blanchardstown CE Scheme on 21 July 2014. Their participation has been extended on one occasion since then, their due finish date on the scheme is 15 July 2016, at which point they will have completed two years on the scheme. The person concerned is not eligible to participate further on the scheme beyond this date. Under the rules governing participation on CE, should they spend a further 12 months on the live register before they may again become eligible to participate on CE.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
473. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the domiciliary care allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9568/16]
View answerThe person concerned was notified on the 22nd April 2016 that her domiciliary care allowance application was successful and that the allowance has been awarded from 1st February 2016. The first payment of the allowance, along with arrears due, will issue on 17th May 2016.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
474. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the disability allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9562/16]
View answerI can confirm that the department is in receipt of an application for disability allowance from the above named person on 28 January 2016.
On 4 May 2016 the person concerned was requested to supply supporting documentation required by the deciding officer in order to make a decision on her eligibility. On receipt of this information a decision will be made and the person concerned will be notified of the outcome.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
475. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the disability allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9563/16]
View answerThe application for disability allowance (DA) from the person in question, based upon the evidence submitted, was refused on medical grounds in September 2015. On 21 April 2016, the person in question requested a review of the decision by a deciding officer (DO) and submitted additional evidence for consideration. This review is currently with a DO.
The person in question can expect a decision shortly. If the decision to refuse the allowance is confirmed following review, the person concerned will have the right to appeal to the Social Welfare Appeals Office.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
476. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the disability allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9564/16]
View answerI confirm that an application from the person concerned for disability allowance (DA) was received by the Department on 21 January 2016. The application has been referred to a Social Welfare Inspector (SWI) for a report on the person’s means and circumstances. Once the SWI has submitted his/her report to DA section, a decision will be made on the application and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
477. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the disability allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9565/16]
View answerThe person concerned submitted an application for disability allowance on 25 February 2016.
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 6 May 2016 and of her rights of review and appeal.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
478. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the disability allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9566/16]
View answerI confirm that the department is in receipt of an application for disability allowance from the above named person on 31 March 2016. On completion of the necessary investigations on all aspects of the claim a decision will be made and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
The processing time for individual disability allowance claims may vary in accordance with their relative complexity in terms of the three main qualifying criteria, the person’s circumstances and the information they provide in support of their claim.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
479. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the disability allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9567/16]
View answerI confirm that the department is in receipt of an application for disability allowance from the above named person on 13 April 2016. On completion of the necessary investigations on all aspects of the claim a decision will be made and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
The processing time for individual disability allowance claims may vary in accordance with their relative complexity in terms of the three main qualifying criteria, the person’s circumstances and the information they provide in support of their claim.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
480. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Social Protection when he will issue a decision to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9557/16]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 3rd May 2016, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral 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.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
481. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the disability allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9582/16]
View answerI confirm that the department is in receipt of an application for disability allowance from the above named person on 4 March 2016. On completion of the necessary investigations on all aspects of the claim a decision will be made and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
The processing time for individual disability allowance claims may vary in accordance with their relative complexity in terms of the three main qualifying criteria, the person’s circumstances and the information they provide in support of their claim.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
482. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Social Protection why young persons on a disability payment from his Department are excluded from the Youth Guarantee and why Ireland is the only country in Europe to exclude persons with disabilities from the Youth Guarantee and other mainstream activation programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9549/16]
View answer497. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to include persons with disabilities under the Youth Guarantee and in other job activation programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9518/16]
View answer523. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection to cancel the decision to exclude persons with disabilities from the Youth Guarantee and the promise of a quality offer of a job placement or training and further education course within four months. [10124/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 482, 497 and 523 together.
The Government recognises the importance of increasing participation in employment for persons with a disability. To this end, the Department of Social Protection provides a wide range of work related supports, which in 2015 cost an estimated €37 million solely for persons with a disability.
Any young person with a disability is at all times free to avail of the INTREO service on a voluntary basis and a complete range of activation supports for people with disabilities is available at Intreo Centres.
Under the Youth Guarantee the main innovation in dealing with young people on jobseekers’ payments relates to earlier engagement with this group than is normal under the general activation arrangements for unemployed people through INTREO. This means that young people on jobseekers’ payments are referred to a caseworker, and are engaged with more systematically in terms of their rights and responsibilities, at an earlier date than older unemployed people. For such young jobseekers, engagement with activation measures through the Intreo service is a mandatory condition for continued receipt of welfare payments.
It was already the situation in respect of young people with disabilities who present at a DSP office needing activation/intervention type supports that they were referred immediately to a caseworker within Intreo or at the Local Employment Service (LES). There was thus no need to apply the new engagement arrangements to young people with disabilities as they were already in place. For such young persons in receipt of disability/illness support payments, engagement with the Intreo service is, however, on a voluntary basis, and is not a condition of receipt of such payments.
A caseworker working with a young person with a disability can arrange access for that young client to the full range of services and programmes that are available to young people on jobseekers’ payments. This includes access to programmes such as JobBridge, the Back to Education Allowance, and Solas training for unemployed people. The Department is also currently considering how people with disabilities might best be included in any future iteration of the Momentum programme.
Over and above these general programmes, a caseworker dealing with a young person with a disability can arrange access to a range of additional services and supports that are specific to people with disabilities and are not available to other young jobseekers. These are described in detail below.
In the light of the enhanced existing arrangements already in place, I am satisfied that young people with disabilities already have access to a full range of supports and services.
Specific employability supports for people with disabilities
EmployAbility
EmployAbility is an open labour market initiative providing disabled people with supports to help them access the open labour market. It is implemented by sponsor organisations (EmployAbility) on behalf of DSP who employ Job Coaches to provide a range of supports tailored to the individual needs of a jobseeker. The ultimate objective is that the employee becomes independent of Job Coach support.
The Supported Employment Service under EmployAbility is an employment and recruitment service to assist people with a disability to secure and maintain a job in the open labour market. This Supported Employment Service provides a range of supports to employers and people with a disability, through Job Coaches. The range of supports includes:
- Individual Needs Assessment
- Vocational Profiling and Career Planning
- Individual Employment Plan
- Job Sourcing and Job Matching
- On-the-Job Support and Coaching
- Advice and Support to Employers
- Follow-up Support and Mentoring to both Employers & Employees.
The Wage Subsidy Scheme (WSS)
The purpose of this demand - led programme is to increase the numbers of people with disabilities participating in the open labour market. WSS provides financial incentives to employers, outside the public sector, to employ disabled people who work more than 20 hours per week. The Scheme is structured in three strands. The employer can benefit from one or all, simultaneously.
Strand I subsidy - is a general subsidy for any perceived productivity shortfall in excess of 20% for a disabled person, in comparison to a non-disabled peer. An employee must work a minimum of 21 hours per week up to a maximum of 39 hours per week. The rate of subsidy is €5.30 per hour and is based on the number of hours worked, giving a total annual subsidy available of €10,748 per annum based on 39 hour week.
Strand II - is based on the total number of disabled employees in a company, an employer can apply for a grant to cover additional costs ranging from an additional 10% for 3-6 employees to a maximum of 50% of the wage subsidy for 23+ disabled employees.
Strand III - is where 30 or more disabled people are employed, employers can avail of a grant of €30,000 per annum to assist with the cost of employing an Employment Assistance Officer.
Unlike other recruitment subsidies such as JobsPlus, WSS is payable indefinitely as long as the disabled person remains in the employment concerned. New Applicants for WSS who are currently on Disability Allowance may apply for DA Disregard in conjunction with the WSS provided the minimum 21 working hours per week WSS threshold is maintained.
Disability Support/Awareness
A number of different employment supports for people with disabilities are provided for under this heading.
A. Workplace Equipment Adaptation Grant
B. Job Interview\Personal Reader Grant
C. Employee Retention Grant Scheme.
D. Disability Awareness Support Scheme
Community Employment
The CE eligibility requirements for people with disabilities are not as demanding as for other Job seeker groups so as to encourage participation. Those on job-seekers’ payments generally must be aged over 25 and on a payment for a year or more. Effectively a person in receipt of DA who is aged 18 or over can be in receipt of their payment for 1 week and be eligible for CE.
Specialist Training Providers
Apart from having access to the full range of training programmes for unemployed people provided through Solas, people with disabilities also have access to Specialist Training Programme provision specific to their needs. Key additional features of specialist vocational training, as compared with programmes for the generality of unemployed job-seekers, include:
- additional training duration
- adapted equipment
- transport arrangements
- enhanced programme content
- trainer-learner ratio
- qualifications of staff
- additional opportunities for assessment
- individualised approach.
483. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an appeal by a person (details supplied) under the disability allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9560/16]
View answerFollowing a successful appeal, the person concerned has been awarded disability allowance with effect from 9 September 2015. The first payment will be made by his chosen payment method on 25 May 2016.
Arrears of payment due will issue as soon as possible once any necessary adjustment is calculated and applied in respect of any overlapping payments or in respect of outstanding overpayments (if applicable).
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
484. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the disability allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9559/16]
View answerI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence including that adduced at the oral hearing, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned. 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.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
485. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Social Protection when he will issue a decision to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9561/16]
View answerI confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 14 April 2016. Unfortunately, the average time taken at present to decide a new application is running at 19 weeks. Additional resources have been provided to the CA section in order to improve the waiting times for new applications and they are working hard to make this happen.
Frequently, delays are outside the control of the Department and are caused by the customer failing to fully complete the claim form or failing to attach the supporting documentation that is requested on the application form.
This application will be processed as quickly as possible and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
In the meantime, if the means of the person concerned are insufficient to meet her needs she should apply for a means-tested supplementary welfare allowance from her local community welfare service.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
486. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of the entitlement of self-employed farmers who are put on an S stamp under the State pension (contributory) scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9603/16]
View answerSelf-employed farmers pay PRSI at the class S rate of 4% and are covered for long term social insurance benefits and pensions, including the State pension (contributory), widow’s, widower’s or surviving civil partner’s (contributory) pension, guardian’s payment (contributory), maternity benefit and adoptive benefit. In addition cover for paternity benefit will be extended to this group (and employees generally) later this year.
To establish entitlement to State pension (contributory), a contributor must, in the first instance, have paid at least 520 qualifying contributions by the time they reach pensionable age, currently 66 years. Once this condition is satisfied, a full or reduced weekly rate of pension is payable depending on the yearly average number of contributions paid over the period from commencement of employment/self-employment up to pension age (66).
The qualifying conditions for entitlement to State pension (contributory) apply to all classes of contributors and there is no differentiation in treatment for State pension (contributory) purposes between the self-employed and employees. In addition, it should be noted that the self-employed are awarded 52 contributions each year regardless of the number of weeks in which the self-employment was carried out in that year while employees are awarded contributions only in respect of the number of weeks worked.
Employees and the self-employed who reach 66 years and who do not satisfy the conditions for entitlement to the State pension (contributory) are eligible to apply for the means-tested State pension (non-contributory).
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
487. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the disability allowance scheme; if there will be any obstacles with the application; if he will encourage discretion in granting this payment, considering the severity and complexity of the medical condition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9691/16]
View answerI confirm that the department is in receipt of an application for disability allowance from the above named person on 19 April 2016. On completion of the necessary investigations on all aspects of the claim a decision will be made and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
The processing time for individual disability allowance claims may vary in accordance with their relative complexity in terms of the three main qualifying criteria, the person’s circumstances and the information they provide in support of their claim.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
488. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Social Protection when he will issue a decision on an application by a person (details supplied) under the carer's allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9641/16]
View answerI confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 13 January 2016. The application was referred to a local social welfare inspector (SWI) on 23 April 2016 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 as quickly as possible. The person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
489. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Social Protection the person responsible for providing insurance cover for employees on job activation schemes to carry out their duties and for the use and movement of machinery as may be required by a scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9648/16]
View answerThe responsibility for insurance for Community Employment (CE) schemes rests with the CE sponsoring organisation (the legal employer). The CE Sponsor is responsible for ensuring that all relevant health and safety requirements are adhered to.
The Rural Social Scheme (RSS) and Tús are community work placement initiatives which are delivered through the network of local development companies and by Údarás na Gaeltachta in Gaeltacht areas - collectively referred to as the Implementing Bodies. It is a requirement of the operation of the RSS and Tús that each of the Implementing Bodies have proper and adequate insurance arrangements in place. Work placement providers that have Tús or RSS workers are responsible for their own insurance.
Participants on the Gateway scheme, which is operated by the Local Authorities, have a contract of employment with the relevant city or county councils. Gateway participants are covered by the public/employers liability insurance of the relevant authority with which they undertake the work placement.
490. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Social Protection if supplementary welfare is a qualifying payment for eligibility under the JobBridge scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9660/16]
View answerJobBridge, 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 aim of the scheme is to provide unemployed people with the opportunity to secure work experience and to prove their competence to prospective employers, thereby breaking the vicious cycle of “no work, no experience; no experience, no work”.
To be eligible to participate, candidates must be in receipt of one of a number of specified social welfare payments immediately prior to commencement; and for at least 3 of the preceding 6 months. In order to allocate scarce Exchequer resources at those most in need, eligibility was initially confined to unemployed people on the Live Register, but has been gradually expanded over the past years to include persons in receipt of Jobseekers Allowance, Jobseekers Benefit, One Parent Family Payment, Disability Allowance, Jobseekers Transitional Payment, Widow’s, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s Contributory/Non-Contributory Pension, Deserted Wives Benefit, Deserted Wives Allowance, Blind Persons Pension or signing for credits, for at least 3 of the last 6 months (78 Days).
Time spent on Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) whilst awaiting payment of a primary qualifying social welfare payment is counted towards eligibility for the JobBridge scheme.
Further information on eligibility criteria is available on the JobBridge website at www.jobbridge.ie.
491. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) will receive a decision on an application under the disability allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9649/16]
View answerThe application for disability allowance (DA) from the person in question, based upon the evidence submitted, was refused on medical grounds and the person concerned was notified in writing of this decision on 12 February 2016.
Further evidence was received and this is currently being reviewed by a deciding officer. The person in question can expect a decision on the review of his DA application shortly. If the decision to refuse the allowance is confirmed following review, the person concerned will have the right to appeal to the Social Welfare Appeals Office.
I hope this clarifies the matter.
492. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the disability allowance scheme including when he will issue a decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9671/16]
View answerI can confirm that the department is in receipt of an application for disability allowance from the above named person on 16 March 2016.
On 6 May 2016 the person concerned was requested to supply supporting documentation required by the deciding officer in order to make a decision on his eligibility. On receipt of this information a decision will be made and the person concerned will be notified of the outcome.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
493. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection to approve an application for persons (details supplied) under the carer's allowance scheme and the household package scheme. [9750/16]
View answerThe application for carer’s allowance in respect of the person concerned was awarded on 8 April 2016 and the first payment issued to the person’s bank nominated post office on 14 April 2016.
Arrears of allowance due from 26 November 2015 were issued by cheque on 12 April 2016. The person concerned was notified of these details on 8 April 2016.
The person concerned was awarded the Free Cash Electricity Allowance effective from 26 November 2015 and payment issued to his nominated post office account on 16 April 2016. He was notified of this decision on 16 April 2016.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
494. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection the result of a means test for a person (details supplied). [9749/16]
View answerFollowing a review of the ongoing entitlement of the person concerned, I confirm that the rate of disability allowance remains unchanged. The person in question was notified of this decision on 6 May 2016.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
495. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection to expedite an application by a person (details supplied) under the carer's allowance scheme. [9772/16]
View answerI confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 3 March 2016. Unfortunately, the average time taken at present to decide a new application is running at 19 weeks. Additional resources have been provided to the CA section in order to improve the waiting times for new applications and they are working hard to make this happen.
Frequently, delays are outside the control of the Department and are caused by the customer failing to fully complete the claim form or failing to attach the supporting documentation that is requested on the application form.
This application will be processed as quickly as possible and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
In the meantime, if the means of the person concerned are insufficient to meet her needs she should apply for a means-tested supplementary welfare allowance from her local community welfare service.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
496. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Social Protection to review the rules applied to the recruitment of community employment workers with a view to allowing ex-community employment workers to reapply after a set period; to apply a two-year minimum contract across the board; to reduce the minimum age for recruitment from 25 years to 21 years; to bring the referrals allowance back to a 50:50 ratio; to change eligibility from 12 months to three months unemployed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9758/16]
View answerCommunity Employment (CE) is a labour market activation programme which helps long-term unemployed people (those 12-months or more in receipt of a jobseeker’s payment) and other disadvantaged groups to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to work routine. It is designed to be a temporary fixed-term activation intervention. The programme assists participants to enhance and develop skills which can then be used in the workplace.
A number of persons who sign on to the Live Register generally exit it again within a short-time frame, without any recourse to employment schemes or intensive activation measures. Accordingly, it is considered appropriate that the CE scheme will remain focused on those who are long-term unemployed. There are other interventions and activation options for those who are short-term unemployed for example advice on job-search activities and the use of online job search tools.
In general participants can avail of 12 months participation on CE. Lifetime cumulative participation on CE by an individual is limited to 3 years (156 weeks) for persons under 55 years of age and 6 years (312 weeks) for persons of 55 years of age up to and including 65 years of age. Eligible persons in receipt of a qualifying disability-linked Social Welfare payment are eligible for one additional year on CE over the standard maximum participation caps. Community Employment participants who have not exhausted their lifetime cumulative participation (as detailed above) can return to CE after a minimum 12-month gap since their last CE participation. They must be in receipt of a CE-qualifying social welfare payment for the requisite period of time to become eligible for further time on the programme. These conditions are in place to allow the maximum utilisation of place among the greatest number of participants.
There are no plans to extend the standard CE participation period up to two years minimum as this would result in a reduction in throughput from the scheme, thereby reducing the overall number of CE beneficiaries per year.
The standard minimum entry age for CE is 25 years of age. It is worth noting that the entry age for dedicated childcare and health and social care positions that involve working directly with service users was lowered to 21 years of age. There are no plans to further reduce the standard minimum entry age for other positions.
The eligibility criteria for CE places are kept under on-going review to ensure they are effective in targeting long-term unemployed jobseekers and other specific disadvantaged groups. The Department is committed to continuing to enhance the effectiveness of the CE Programme and conscious of the valuable contribution it is making in the provision of services to individuals and communities across Ireland.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
499. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to change the verification process for the public services card to facilitate applicants in having their photographs authorised and witnessed at their local Garda station, similar to the authentication process which applies for passport photographs, given that the current registration process which requires applicants to attend in person at a local Intreo centre is very difficult for elderly persons and the infirm; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9831/16]
View answerThe Public Services Card (PSC) is designed to replace other cards within the public sector such as the free travel pass and the social services card of this Department. Registration for a PSC is achieved through a robust process known as “SAFE” where a customer’s identity is verified by the Department of Social Protection to a substantial level of assurance. SAFE Registration is primarily via a face to face process in person at a DSP location. It takes about 15 minutes to complete once all relevant documentation is presented. Some selected lower-risk customers have also been invited to avail of a postal SAFE registration processes which involves either the utilisation, with consent, of information already provided to other Government agencies, for example, a photograph supplied in connection with an application for a recent passport, or, in the case of selected pensioners over 66 who collect their payments at a Post Office, the provision of passport-standard photographs. Over 1.96 million PSCs have issued to date and SAFE registrations are continuing in 100 locations nationwide.
The SAFE registration process is the most robust identity registration process in the State and adheres to strict rules. There are no plans to change the process at present. However, any customer who has challenges in attending in person due to disability, mobility or communications issues should contact the local DSP location to discuss their individual circumstances.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
500. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection to assure those in receipt of a payment under the jobseeker's scheme or any other payment who may be eligible for supported employment due to illness, injury, mental ill health or disability that they will continue to have access to the additional support they need through the EmployAbility programme to return to the labour force regardless of their referral to and whilst working with the Intreo or JobPath programmes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9813/16]
View answerThe EmployAbility programme is a national employment service dedicated to improving employment outcomes for job seekers with a disability. EmployAbility participants are people with a disability, which can range from physical to mental health, who are able to work a minimum of 8 hours per week and who need the support of a job coach to obtain employment in the open labour market. There are a total of 23 EmployAbility services in Ireland, each having a specific geographical remit. All potential EmployAbility clients must be referred through a Department of Social Protection INTREO office, or a Local Employment Service.
Participants should be in receipt of a disability-related social welfare payment, such as disability allowance, illness benefit, or invalidity pension. Where a potential client is not on a disability-related payment but on another payment, such as jobseeker’s payments, a medical certificate or letter from their GP to verify their illness/injury/disability is required for registration on the service.
I can assure the Deputy that there are no plans to change the eligibility criteria in this regard to access this service.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
501. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection to change the rules relating to community employment schemes, given that there are barriers to recruitment; to change the year 2000 rule for a programme to a new starting point of 2015; to give referrals into schemes such as community employment and training and education programmes the same weight as full-time jobs in local employment service contract with his Department, that is, a return to pre-2016, 50% overall progression rates; to reduce the minimum qualifying age to 21 years in its entirety; to change the eligibility from 12 months to three months unemployed; to allow spousal swap; to provide additional financial reward for lone parents; to net the minimum time on community employment schemes at two years in real terms; and to allow persons over 62 years of age to stay on schemes. [9844/16]
View answerCommunity Employment (CE) is a labour market activation programme which helps long-term unemployed people (those 12-months or more in receipt of a jobseeker’s payment) and other disadvantaged groups to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to work routine. It is designed to be a temporary fixed-term activation intervention. The programme assists participants to enhance and develop skills which can then be used in the workplace.
A number of persons who sign on to the Live Register generally exit it again within a short-time frame, without any recourse to employment schemes or intensive activation measures. Accordingly, it is considered appropriate that Community Employment schemes remain focused on those who are long-term unemployed. As eligibility rests with the main claimant only, the adult dependant of a social welfare claimant is not eligible for CE in their own right. There are other interventions and activation options for those who are not eligible for CE, for example, advice on job-search activities and the use of online job search tools. It is also open to adult dependents of a social welfare claimant to make an application for a jobseekers payment in their own right.
In general participants can avail of 12 months participation on CE. Lifetime cumulative participation on CE by an individual is limited to 3 years (156 weeks) for persons under 55 years of age and 6 years (312 weeks) for persons of 55 years of age up to and including 65 years of age. Eligible persons in receipt of a qualifying disability-linked social welfare payment are eligible for one additional year on CE over the standard maximum participation caps. Participation on a CE scheme prior to 3rd April 2000 is not counted when calculating the length of time a person can participate.
A pilot initiative was introduced in December 2015 to enable those aged 62 and over to extend their participation beyond the standard maximum participation limits providing the eligibility conditions are met. Participants aged 62 and over are allowed to participate on a continuous basis up to the state pension age, subject to satisfactory performance on the scheme and to annual approval by the Department. The places allocated for participants over 62 on this pilot within each individual CE scheme are limited to 7% of each schemes overall budgeted places.
The standard minimum entry age for CE is 25 years of age. It is worth noting that the entry age for dedicated childcare and health and social care positions that involve working directly with service users was lowered to 21 years of age.
There are no plans to change the above rules as this would result in a reduction in throughput from the scheme, thereby reducing the overall number of CE beneficiaries per year.
With respect to participation by lone parents on CE as childcare is a crucial element for parents embarking on CE or returning to the workforce, the Community Employment Childcare (CEC) programme ensures that CE participants get the childcare supports they need to support their participation on the scheme.
In the context of the Local Employment Service (LES) it is intended that the LES provides an intensive engagement with customers and there is a target that 30% of LES customers are placed into full -time employment. CE schemes are intended to help long-term unemployed people to re-enter the active workforce, they are not full-time sustainable jobs and therefore cannot be included in this target.
If a particular CE scheme is encountering difficulties in recruiting participants, additional assistance can be provided by the local departmental staff to resolve any local barriers or issues.
The eligibility criteria for CE places is kept under on-going review to ensure they are effective in targeting long-term unemployed jobseekers and other specific disadvantaged groups. The Department is committed to continuing to enhance the effectiveness of the CE Programme and conscious of the valuable contribution it is making in the provision of services to individuals and communities across Ireland.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
