Written Answers Nos. 140-146
140. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if a recipient under the family income supplement scheme who is off work due to illness can qualify under the carer's allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11113/16]
View answerCarer's Allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment, made to persons who are providing full-time care and attention to a person who has a disability such that they require that level of care.
A person can be considered to be providing full-time care and attention where they are engaged in employment, self-employment or on training courses outside the home for a maximum of 15 hours per week, provided that they can show to the satisfaction of a deciding officer that adequate care has been provided for the care recipient in their absence.
It is a condition for receipt of Family Income Supplement (FIS) that the applicant must be engaged in full-time paid employment as an employee for not less than 38 hours per fortnight.
A person off work due to illness may qualify for CA as long as they are able to provide full-time care and attention.
However, if they return to work having proven that adequate care is provided for the care recipient, entitlement to CA would cease if they were employed for more than 15 hours per week outside the home. FIS would cease if they were working less than 38 hours per fortnight.
141. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans for the future of a social protection office (details supplied) in County Mayo; if the present service will be retained; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11117/16]
View answerThe current manager of the Social Welfare Branch Office in Swinford, County Mayo has tendered his resignation with effect from 30 July 2016. The Department is examining the provision of services in the area and no decision has been made on the future of this office at this time. The Deputy will be kept informed of any future decision.
142. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Social Protection how he deals with the assessment of awards which are made in compensation cases in respect of children who might be in receipt of domiciliary care allowance where the parent may well be in receipt of carer’s allowance, particularly where such awards arise from injuries sustained at birth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11118/16]
View answerDomiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is a monthly payment for a child aged under 16 with a severe disability, who requires ongoing care and attention, substantially over and above the care and attention usually required by a child of the same age. As DCA is not a means tested, payment, entitlement is not affected in any way affected by the receipt of a compensation award.
Social welfare legislation provides for the disregard of certain compensation awards when assessing the means of a person for social assistance schemes, including Carer's Allowance.
The disregards for social welfare means assessment purposes include all income derived from compensation awarded by the Hepatitis C and HIV Compensation Tribunal, by the Residential Institutions Redress Board and in relation to disability caused by Thalidomide. Any payment made by the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board is similarly disregarded. In addition, ex gratia payments made to women who were admitted to and worked in the Magdalen Laundries or through the Symphysiotomy Payment Scheme are also not taken into account in social welfare means assessments. All other compensation or court awards which are not provided for in social welfare legislation are assessed in the normal manner.
It should be noted that the means assessment for the Carer’s Allowance scheme applies to means of the carer and his or her spouse/partner, not the person being cared for. In this regard, if the compensation award is in the name of the person being cared for, its capital value would not be assessed against the claimant.
Furthermore, payment of DCA is also disregarded in the Carer’s Allowance means assessment.
143. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the carers' allowance scheme; if same will be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11119/16]
View answerI confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 22 January 2016. Unfortunately, there are some delays with new applications currently. 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.
144. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection the legislation and regulations relative to the payment of humanitarian aid arising from the recent floods; if the findings and figures relative to the inspection by loss adjusters appointed by his Department will be made available to those who make a claim and request such information; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11156/16]
View answerThe purpose of the humanitarian assistance scheme is to prevent hardship by providing income tested financial support to people whose homes were damaged by flooding and other severe weather events and who are not in a position to meet costs for essential needs, household items and in some instances structural repair.
In early December 2015, the Department activated the humanitarian assistance scheme, administered by the local Community Welfare Service (CWS), to assist householders affected by the severe weather conditions. Since then, support has been provided to some 540 households with expenditure of €1.17 million.
The scheme is operated on an administrative basis under guidelines that have been issued to staff. The guidelines outline the supports that come within the scope of the scheme, the income assessment to be applied and the approach to be taken by officers when determining the level of payment to be made.
The Department has awarded a contract for the provision of loss adjusting services in respect of the humanitarian assistance scheme to support the assessment of damage to individual households in cases where structural repairs are necessary and the cost is estimated in excess of €5,000. Guidelines, issued in February 2016, provide guidance to officers in respect of claims involving repair of structural damage and detail the arrangements for referring cases to the Department’s loss adjusters for assessment and report.
The role of the loss adjuster is to provide an assessment of the reasonableness of builder’s estimates of damage caused to a person’s home by means of a site visit to the property. The loss adjuster provides an individual report per dwelling, including a costed itemised inventory of the works required to replace essential losses, to make any essential repairs and to return the person’s house to a habitable condition. The loss adjuster’s report in relation to a specific property can be made available to that householder on request.
145. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to Parliamentary Question No. 128 of 28 April 2016, under what circumstances he will not make a recommendation against the carriage of certain weapons through Irish airspace, given his statement, "my Department will generally recommend against granting an exemption for the carriage of grenades, bombs, missiles or rockets." [11017/16]
View answerMy Department would not recommend against the granting of an exemption for the carriage of such items through Irish airspace on civil aircraft in circumstances where they are being transported for Irish Defence Forces or An Garda Síochána purposes.
As stated in my reply to question 128, the final decision on all applications is taken by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport.
146. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the processing time for passport renewals; why it appears that the tracking is not updated regularly; if passports are processed within the ten working days; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11073/16]
View answerThere are a number of ways of submitting your passport application and each of these services have different turnaround times. Passport Express through the An Post office network is most convenient and cost effective method for applicants who wish to renew a passport and whose departure date is more than 15 working days away.
It should be noted that the turnaround time of 15 working days for the An Post Passport Express service is a target issue date, and not a stated guarantee and it is considered best practice to allow at least six weeks for passport applications.
As of 19 May, the turnaround time for applications through Passport Express is 14/15 working days.
Applicants travelling in less than 15 workings days should use the Passport Office website to make an appointment online to submit their application in person through the Passport Office in Dublin or Cork (https://www.passportappointments.ie/).
The Online Passport tracking service is updated 3 times a day. Once an application has moved along the production line, it will show an updated status.
I strongly recommend that citizens check their passport validity before booking holidays or business travel and apply for the service which will ensure passports arrive in good time. The key points for citizens, are to:
- check the validity of passports before booking a holiday
- to remind that children’s passports vary in length of validity
- follow best practice and apply at least six weeks before the intended date of travel choose the most appropriate application channel depending on the date of travel
- if travelling in three weeks or more (15 working days) the Passport Express channel is the cheapest and most convenient option.
- if travelling in three weeks or less an appointment for the Passport Office in Dublin or Cork should be made online at www.passportappointments.ie.
The Passport Service has experienced a 15% increase approximately in applications so far this year over 2015 and demand is expected to remain very high in the coming months.
