Written Answers Nos. 135-142
135. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to amend and extend the community employment pilot scheme in order to permit participants who are 60 years of age and older to continue their participation beyond the present maximum standard participation limits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18806/16]
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 both their technical and personal skills which can then be used in the workplace.
CE is open to participants aged up to 65 years of age who meet the current eligibility criteria. 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 (currently set at 6 years cumulative lifetime participation) 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 these participants within each individual CE scheme are limited to 7% of each scheme’s overall budgeted places.
With the welcome reductions in the live register, the eligibility criteria for work programmes including CE will be kept under review to ensure that the schemes remains fit for purpose and that the eligibility conditions continue to be appropriate.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
136. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of the proceedings of the interdepartmental working group between his Department and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport to examine and report on the current and future operation of the free travel scheme, including the removal of the cap; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15828/16]
View answerThe free travel scheme provides free travel for those with eligibility on the main public and private transport services which includes road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann, Iarnród Éireann, Luas and services provided by over 80 private transport operators. There are currently approximately 853,000 customers with direct eligibility with an annual allocation of €80 million.
In 2012, during a period of economic uncertainty, my Department along with the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, set up an interdepartmental working group to review the free travel scheme. The purpose of the review was to examine and report on the current operation and future development of the free travel scheme. Owing to the range of policy changes implemented since its establishment, the scheme is now universally available to all persons permanently living in the State aged 66 and over as well as carers in receipt of carers allowance and certain others such as persons in receipt of disability allowance and invalidity pension.
The group’s report was drafted by October 2014, and it considered a number of potential changes to the free travel scheme, notably options which would reduce its cost by limiting its scope or by the introduction of charges. However, Government policy is strongly supportive of the scheme, and by late 2014 the economy had started to recover and the need to make cost saving changes in respect of this scheme abated. The subsequent publication of the report might have been seen to signal the intention to actively pursue some of the options identified, and would have caused anxiety among vulnerable users of the service. The report drafted was not, therefore, submitted for Government approval and publication.
I am aware that the free travel pass is a valuable support for older people and people with disabilities, and I am committed to its full retention.
With respect to the cap on funding imposed by a previous Government under the National Recovery Plan, 2011-2014, the cap on funding was not extended beyond 2014 and in Budget 2016 an additional €3 million in funding was allocated to the free travel scheme.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
137. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will carry out an impact assessment on the cuts to the one-parent family payment to analyse the impact of these cuts on child poverty and to ascertain if this has directly added to the high poverty levels of children living in one-parent households; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15214/16]
View answerMy Department monitors on an ongoing basis all social welfare income support schemes including the one-parent family payment scheme (OFP).
The majority of customers affected by the reforms to the OFP scheme transitioned to the jobseeker’s transitional payment (JST). My Department, at the request of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, intend to carry out a Value for Money review of the JST scheme and this is due to be completed during 2017.
It is important to highlight that in Budget 2016 OFP recipients gained a 75% Christmas bonus, a €5 increase in Child Benefit and an increase of €2.50 per week in fuel allowance. Those in receipt of that family income supplement (FIS) also benefitted from the increases to the FIS thresholds. Lone parents on JST also gained as a result of the closer alignment of the JST means test with the more generous OFP means test.
My Department published a social impact assessment of the main social welfare and tax measures of Budget 2015 and 2016. The assessment found that the cumulative impact of these budgets on lone parent households fared above that of the average household. The assessment indicated that average income in households where the lone parent is employed will rise by 2.8 per cent, while that of unemployed lone parents will rise by 2.4 per cent.
138. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of children living in relative and consistent poverty here; how this compares to the European Union and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development figures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14722/16]
View answerThe CSO Survey on Income and Living Conditions shows that 134,000 children were living in consistent poverty in 2014 and 222,000 children were at-risk-of-poverty (relative poverty).
Neither Eurostat nor the OECD produces a measure equivalent to the Irish measure of consistent poverty.
Eurostat data find that 209,000 children were living in relative poverty in Ireland in 2014. This is a lower number than the national figure, reflecting minor differences in the income concept and the equivalence scale between the measures. The total number of children in relative poverty in the EU overall in 2014 was estimated by Eurostat at 19.9 million. A comparable OECD figure for 2014 is not available.
Social transfers are a key driver in preventing poverty among children. In 2014, social transfers (excluding pensions) reduced the relative poverty rate for children in Ireland from 44.3% to 17% lifting more than a quarter of all children out of income poverty. Ireland was the second best performing EU-28 member state in 2014 in this regard, with a rate 1.6 times the EU average.
The Government set a child poverty target in 2014 in Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures: the national policy framework for children and young people 2014-2020. The target is to lift over 70,000 children out of consistent poverty by 2020. Meeting this target means lifting over 97,000 children out of consistent poverty by 2020.
In support of the target, the Government is implementing a whole-of-government approach to tackling child poverty, building on the life-cycle approach in the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion, 2007-2016 and informed by the European Commission Recommendation on ‘Investing in children: Breaking the cycle of disadvantage ’. A range of government departments and other stakeholders are involved in implementing this approach.
139. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection the nature and duration of the contracts and the financial arrangements made with two companies to deliver JobPath; if persons in receipt of disability payments are included; the status of the implementation of JobPath; how he is overseeing the effectiveness of the contracts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15841/16]
View answerIreland’s Public Employment Service (PES) is managed by the Department of Social Protection (DSP) and delivered directly by its own Intreo service as well as by contracted private companies under the JobPath service; the Local Employment Service (LES) and Job Clubs. The JobPath element of the service is a new approach to employment activation designed to support long-term unemployed people and those most at risk of becoming long-term unemployed to secure and sustain paid employment. My Department has contracted two companies, Turas Nua Limited and Seetec Limited, to deliver JobPath services.
The roll-out of the service commenced on the 20th of July 2015 on a phased basis and the service is now fully rolled out to all 121 Departmental offices. To date c. 38,000 jobseekers have been referred to the JobPath service. Only clients in receipt of a jobseeker payment are referred to JobPath. Clients in receipt of a disability payment are not referred to JobPath.
JobPath is a payment by results model and all set-up and day-to-day operational costs are borne by the companies. Payments are made on a phased basis over a 12 month period in respect of each jobseeker placed into sustained employment. Accordingly the contractors will not be able to fully recover their costs unless they help a sufficient number of jobseekers to secure employment and then support them to sustain that employment over a 12 month period.
The contracts are for six years comprising two consecutive phases, (phase one entails four years of client referrals while phase two entails a ‘run off’ period during which time no additional clients will be referred). The contracts include options to extend phase one for further periods (up to a maximum of 24 months) at the department’s discretion.
The contracts stipulate a significant number of obligations that both companies are required to meet, for example, in terms of the service elements to be delivered and the performance to be achieved. The delivery of these obligations is subject to on-going review and monitoring by the department, including on-site checks and inspections and a customer satisfaction survey to be undertaken by a third party research firm commissioned by the Department. Payments to contractors can be reduced if these inspections and surveys do not yield satisfactory results. Payments can also be reduced if the contractors do not meet their contracted targets with regard to employment outcomes, and if employment growth in the economy exceeds the medium term forecasts of the Department of Finance. Failure by the contractors to improve performance (if they are not meeting contracted target levels for employment outcomes) or to address any service deficiencies identified in the inspections and surveys mentioned above can lead to termination of the contracts.
It is not intended to publish the individual fees agreed with the JobPath contractors as these are commercially sensitive and to do so would place the State at a disadvantage both in terms of the contracts now in place and any future procurement that may be undertaken.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
140. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the implications for the working of the European Court of Human Rights and the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement arising from the British decision to leave the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18765/16]
View answerThere is no change to the status of the Good Friday Agreement or the workings of the European Court of Human Rights arising from the result of the UK referendum of the EU last week.
As reflected in the Programme for a Partnership Government, the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and the subsequent agreements, including the 2014 Stormont House and the 2015 Fresh Start Agreement, is a priority for the Government.
Following the referendum result on Friday, I spoke with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and we both agreed that the Good Friday Agreement and its institutions remain central to both Governments’ approach to Northern Ireland.
The Government will seek to ensure that future EU-UK and Ireland-UK negotiations give priority attention to the Northern Ireland dimension. This includes issues relating to the border and EU funding. During such negotiations we would actively seek to avoid the introduction of any new measures that could negatively impact on the Border region, either North or South.
It is important to underline that we do not envisage any immediate changes to EU funded Cooperation Programmes involving Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. These include the current round of PEACE and INTERREG Programmes under the European Regional Development Fund which are managed on a North-South basis by the Special EU Programmes Body, which reports to the North-South Ministerial Council.
On the specific issue of the operation of the European Court of Human Rights, the UK remains a party to the European Convention of Human Rights under which the European Court of Human Rights and the Council of Europe are established. This Convention system is separate and distinct to the European Union, and the referendum result has no impact on the UK’s participation in that system.
The protection of human rights in Northern Ireland law, incorporating the European Convention on Human Rights, is one of the key principles underpinning the Good Friday Agreement. The Good Friday Agreement is clear that there is an obligation to incorporate the European Convention on Human Rights into Northern Ireland law and this is an ongoing obligation.
The Government has underlined this obligation in the context of British Government proposals to repeal the UK Human Rights Act, which incorporates the ECHR into domestic law and will continue to monitor the situation closely.
As co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, the Government takes very seriously its responsibility to safeguard its institutions and principles including in the area of human rights. We will continue to work closely with the UK Government and with the Northern Ireland Executive to ensure that the protection of human rights remains at the heart of civic life, politics and ongoing societal change in Northern Ireland.
141. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade when he expects an increase in applications for Irish passports from British citizens as a result of the British intention to leave the European Union; his plans to ensure the Passport Office is adequately resourced for an increase in applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18807/16]
View answerSince the referendum result there has been a notable increase in queries concerning Irish passports from Northern Ireland, Great Britain and elsewhere. However, it is too early as yet to identify the precise impact of the outcome in terms of the volume of passport applications. Statistics relating to applications are usually compiled on a monthly basis.
I would like to underline that there is no need for concern in terms of freedom of movement or entitlement to an Irish passport. The process of negotiation to enable the United Kingdom to leave the European Union is likely to take two years as envisaged under Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty and once the article is triggered. During this period, the United Kingdom remains a member of the European Union, and its citizens continue to enjoy full rights including freedom of movement within the EU. At the same time, the referendum has not in any way changed the entitlement to an Irish passport including as it extends to those people born on the island of Ireland and those with Irish citizenship through parents or grandparents born in Ireland.
I would urge people who have concerns about freedom of movement within the European Union and those who are interested in applying for an Irish passport for the first time to get the full facts and research their particular situation before contacting the Passport Service. Full information on passport entitlements and procedures is available on the website of the Department at www.dfa.ie.
First-time applicants might also keep in mind that this is peak season and unless a passport is needed for urgent travel reasons the timing of an application should be considered.
My Department will closely monitor the situation with respect to the impact of the referendum outcome on the level of applications for Irish passports. Passport Service staff and other resources will be re-deployed as needed to deal with an increase in applications, if sustained.
142. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount of rent he is paying for the Intreo centre at Fairgreen in County Galway; the terms of the lease; the nature of the contract; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18679/16]
View answerThe Commissioners of Public Works hold a 10-year lease at the Sean Duggan Building, Fairgreen Galway at an annual rent of €583,065.35 + VAT. The building is occupied by the Department of Social Protection lntreo Office.
