Written Answers Nos. 164 - 171
164. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the carer's allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20093/16]
View answerI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an oral hearing of the appeal of the person concerned took place on 14 June 2016 and that the Appeals Officer is now considering the appeal in the light of all of the evidence submitted, including that adduced at the oral hearing. The person concerned will be notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision when the appeal has been determined.
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.
165. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the carer's allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20094/16]
View answerI confirm that my department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 7 March 2016.
The application was referred to a local social welfare inspector (SWI) to assess the level of care being provided, assess means and confirm that all the conditions for receipt of carer’s allowance are satisfied.
The person concerned was invited for interview with the SWI on 23 June 2016 but she did not attend for interview. The SWI has arranged a further appointment for 14 July 2016. If the person in question wishes to proceed with the application, she is obliged to cooperate with the investigation of her entitlement. Once the SWI has reported, a deciding officer will make a full decision and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
166. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the carer's allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20095/16]
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.
167. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the carer's allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20096/16]
View answerThe application for carer’s allowance in respect of the person concerned was awarded on 4 July 2016 and the first payment is due to issue to the person’s nominated bank account on 7 July 2016.
Arrears of allowance due from 25 February 2016 have issued to the bank for payment on 7 July 2016.
The person concerned was notified of these details on 4 July 2016.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
168. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the carer's allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20097/16]
View answerI confirm that my department received an application for Carer’s Allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 27 April 2016 in respect of two care recipients.
It is a qualifying condition for receipt of a CA that the person being cared for must have a disability whose effect is that they require full-time care and attention.
This is defined as requiring from another person, continual supervision and frequent assistance throughout the day in connection with normal bodily functions or continuous supervision in order to avoid danger to him or herself and likely to require that level of care for at least twelve months.
The evidence submitted in support of this application was examined and the deciding officer decided that this evidence did not indicate that the requirement for full-time care was satisfied in respect of either care recipient.
The person concerned was notified on 24 June 2016 of this decision, the reason for it and of her right of review and appeal.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
169. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the carer's allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20098/16]
View answerThe person concerned succeeded in an appeal against the refusal of her application for carer’s allowance (CA). Therefore CA was awarded on 4 July 2016. The first payment is due to issue to the person’s nominated bank account on 7 July 2016.
Arrears of allowance due from 6 August 2015 have also issued to the bank for payment on 7 July 2016.
The person concerned was notified of these details on the 4 July 2016.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
170. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the outcome of his recent meeting with the British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Ms Theresa Villiers, the First Minister, Ms Arlene Foster, and the Deputy First Minister, Mr. Martin Mc Guinness; if he has made specific arrangements with the Northern Ireland Executive to work together following the UK referendum on membership of the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19970/16]
View answerI have been actively engaged with both the Northern Ireland Executive and the British Government since the results of the recent UK-EU referendum became known. On the Friday when the result was announced I spoke with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the First and deputy First Ministers and the leaders of the Northern Irish political parties.
Last Wednesday, the Secretary of State and I convened the Quarterly Review Meeting of the Fresh Start and Stormont House Agreements, which was attended by the First and deputy First Ministers and the Northern Ireland Justice Minister and at which the referendum result was discussed. In addition to the Review Meeting, I also held a separate bilateral meeting with Secretary of State Villiers during which we discussed the issue, as well as with the leaders of the SDLP and Alliance Parties.
The referendum outcome was also on the agenda at Monday’s NSMC Plenary hosted by the Taoiseach at Dublin Castle. My Cabinet colleagues and I participated together with the Ministers of the Northern Ireland Executive led by the First and deputy First Ministers.
During the NSMC Plenary there was a detailed discussion on the potential impact of the UK referendum result to leave the EU. At the meeting, the NSMC agreed on ten specific areas where there would be joint planning and engagement. Furthermore, the economy and trade; Northern Ireland and British Irish relations; the Common Travel Area; and the EU were highlighted as the four priority areas where implications arise as result of the referendum vote.
The NSMC Plenary followed on from last week’s Quarterly Review Meeting of the Fresh Start and Stormont House Agreements and my separate bilateral meeting with Secretary of State Villiers. Naturally the outcome of the UK referendum on the EU was a key element of these meetings and I took the opportunity to assure all those present of the priority the Government attaches to the best interests of the people of Northern Ireland in the aftermath of the referendum.
I emphasised the necessity and importance of working together in the best interests of the people on this island. I reiterated the Government’s commitment to work in support of stability, reconciliation and prosperity in Northern Ireland. In this regard the Government will use its influence with our EU partners to seek to persuade them of the need for specific arrangements which protect the key gains of the peace process on this island – a process to which the EU has already made a key contribution. In addition I outlined that the Common Travel Area and cross-border EU funding, are key priorities for the Government in the period ahead.
I am very conscious of the deep concerns and anxiety that have arisen for many people across the community in Northern Ireland about the referendum outcome. The fact that the majority within Northern Ireland who voted to remain now face their preference being set aside as a result of the overall result across the UK raises profound issues.
In this regard, in my bilateral meeting with Secretary of State Villiers we agreed that the Good Friday Agreement remains the foundation for the two Governments’ approach to Northern Ireland. The EU referendum result does not in any way diminish the centrality of the Good Friday Agreement or the requirement of both the British and Irish Governments to uphold it. As a co-guarantor of the Good Friday and succeeding Agreements, the Irish Government is determined that its institutions, values and principles – including the right to be British or Irish or both - will be fully protected.
I also spoke with Secretary of State Villiers bilaterally on legacy issues; both in terms of the urgent need to make progress on the establishment of the Stormont House Legacy institutions as well as a number of specific historic cases. I raised the recent all-Party Dáil Motion on the Dublin-Monaghan bombings, the third such motion passed by this House, and underlined the expectation of the Government and the Dáil that progress on this long-standing request would be made. We also discussed the findings of the Police Ombudsman’s report into the killings at Loughinisland which was published earlier this month.
At the Review Meeting on 29 June, in addition to the outcome of the referendum, the participants considered the progress made on the implementation of the Fresh Start and Stormont House Agreements. I emphasised the importance of seeking full implementation of these Agreements and noted the continued delivery on the Government’s commitments under the Agreements, as reflected in the Programme for Government. This includes, a contribution of €25 million from the Irish Government in 2019 for the upgrading of the A5, which is in addition to the €50 million already committed, and €2.5 million provided by the Government for the North West Development Fund.
The review meeting also welcomed the publication of the Panel report on the Disbandment of Paramilitary Groups in Northern Ireland as required under the Fresh Start Agreement, and welcomed that the Executive’s Action Plan building on its recommendations will be finalised soon. The meeting also noted the work between the two Governments on an international treaty to provide for the establishment of the Independent Reporting Commission which will monitor progress on ending paramilitary activity in Northern Ireland.
171. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the average waiting time for a passport application or renewal to be processed and finalised; the extent to which the new demand for passports following the UK vote to exit the European Union has affected the processing time; the number of additional applications for passports estimated to be applied for as a result of the referendum; if he has allocated additional resources to the Passport Office to enable it cope with the extra demand; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19994/16]
View answerAs of 4 July, there were a total of 50,055 applications in the passport system. This is down from 68,000 applications in hand approximately at the end of May and the turnaround times for passport renewals and first-time applications have improved. The level of demand remains very high this year with an 11% rise in the number of applications year-to-date compared to the same period last year. In this context I would point to the notable increase in outbound travel from Ireland this year which is another factor driving demand.
In the case of Passport Express renewal applications, which account for around 90% of all applications in the state, applicants are advised to allow 15 working days. Correctly completed applications currently have a turnaround time of 12/13 working days. First time applications take longer due to additional measures to verify identity and citizenship entitlement and applicants are advised to allow 20 working days. The current turnaround time for first time passport applications is 18/19 days.
To respond to the seasonal spike in demand and the more general increase in applications, a total of 233 Temporary Clerical Officers have been recruited so far this year. This is an increase of 62 officers on last year. The officers are assisting permanent staff with passport entitlement checking and customer care, including the response to queries received via phone calls, emails and social media.
Since the UK referendum result there has been a notable increase in queries concerning Irish passports and citizenship from Northern Ireland, Great Britain and elsewhere. Statistics relating to passport applications are released on a monthly basis. In the month of June this year there were 7,045 applications in total from Northern Ireland and 5,719 applications from Great Britain. These represent increases of 9.5% and 20.5% respectively over the same month in 2015. However, the absolute numbers need to be taken in context as the Passport Service issued over 670,000 passports last year. It is too early as yet to identify the precise impact of the outcome of the referendum in terms of the volume of passport applications from the United Kingdom and the extent to which any initial increase will be sustained.
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 Treaty on European Union 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 British nationals 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. Detailed information on passport entitlements and procedures is available on the website of the Department at www.dfa.ie.
While there has not been a significant impact on passport services so far from the UK referendum outcome, at least in terms of the overall number of passport applications, my Department will continue to closely monitor the situation. Passport Service staff and other resources will be re-deployed as needed to deal with an increase in applications, if sustained. The need for additional resources will be kept under active review.
