Written Answers Nos. 374-390
374. Deputy Margaret Murphy O'Mahony asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of advocates employed in the National Advocacy Service for People with Disabilities; the full year cost of running the service; the estimated full year cost in 2017 of increasing the number of advocates by 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20729/16]
View answerThe National Advocacy Service for People with Disabilities (NAS) provides a free, independent, confidential, issues-based representative advocacy service that works exclusively for the person using the service and adheres to the highest professional standards. The service has a particular remit for people who are isolated from their community and services, have communication differences, are inappropriately accommodated, live in residential services, attend day services and have limited informal or natural supports.
NAS is fully funded and supported by the Citizens Information Board which has a mandate under the Citizens Information Act 2007 to provide advocacy for people with disabilities.
The National Advocacy Service for people with Disabilities operates with the following staff:-
- National Manager
- 4 Regional Managers
- 5 Administrators
- 28 Advocates
- 7 Senior Advocates
The NAS operational grant from the Citizens Information Board for 2016 is €3,103,045.
The following table shows the estimated budget requirement for 2017, if the number of advocates (including senior advocates), were to be increased by the percentages indicated. These figures include estimated overheads (rent, heating, lighting) based on current costs, together with salaries based on an average of the salary points for both roles (advocate and senior advocates). However, the figures do not include any increase that may be necessary in administration or managerial staffing costs.
|
Increases |
Amounts |
|
5% Increase |
€3,209,817.40 |
|
10% Increase |
€3,316,589.80 |
|
15% Increase |
€3,423,362.20 |
|
20% Increase |
€3,530,134.60 |
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
375. Deputy Margaret Murphy O'Mahony asked the Minister for Social Protection if all Intreo offices are accessible to persons with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20731/16]
View answerAll Intreo Centres are accessible to persons with disabilities and are in compliance with the requirements 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. 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. All are in compliance with the requirements of the Disability Act 2005. In most locations, the buildings would have already complied with these requirements.
376. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the means test for disability allowance to bring it into line with the means test for the medical card which allows for outgoings in respect of rent or mortgage payments (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20740/16]
View answerThe Department operates a range of means tested social assistance payments. Social welfare legislation provides that the means test takes account of the income and assets of the person (and spouse/partner, if applicable) applying for the relevant scheme. Income and assets include income from employment, self-employment, occupational pensions, maintenance payments as well as property owned (other than the family home) and capital such as savings, shares and other investments.
It is in the nature of means tested schemes that there is no entitlement to a payment once means exceed a given amount. The weekly entitlement of the person is the maximum weekly rate of payment for the relevant family less the means calculated. In calculating the means of a person, no account is taken of any outgoings such as rent or mortgage payments.
To do so would, for example, be of no benefit to a person who had no income or assets as the entitlement would be the maximum weekly rate of payment applicable to the family concerned. If the relevant outgoings were taken into account, the persons who would benefit would be those who had income or assets of varying levels and, accordingly, such persons would be treated more favourably than persons who had fewer or no personal resources.
It should be noted that eligibility for income support (such as Disability Allowance) is quite distinct from eligibility for a medical card, and that any proposal to change the means assessment for Disability Allowance (and similar means tested schemes) would have to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context.
The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) may be of assistance to persons under financial pressure as a result of their mortgage repayments. The MABS office in Sligo is based in Carbury House, Fish Quay in Sligo town and can be reached on telephone at 0761 07 2730.
377. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Social Protection the year in which it became possible for farmers to pay a class S PRSI contribution for pension purposes; the scheme which was in place for farmers to pay PRSI before that time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20748/16]
View answerSelf-employed farmers, as with other self-employed individuals, became liable for PRSI with effect from 6 April 1988. Prior to this, self-employed individuals, including self-employed farmers, were not liable to pay PRSI and, therefore, were not covered for social insurance based benefits and pensions.
Self-employed farmers currently 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 they will gain access to the new paternity benefit this September and legislation is before the House at the moment on the matter.
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).
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).
378. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Social Protection when he will reach a decision on an application for disability allowance by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20768/16]
View answerThe person concerned has been awarded disability allowance with effect from 13 January 2016. The first weekly payment shall issue on 20 July 2016 by their chosen payment method. Disability allowance arrears have issued by cheque on 11 July 2016.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
379. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an appeal on partial capacity for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20802/16]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned has been registered in that office. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When these papers have been received from the Department, the case in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral appeal 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.
380. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application for the partial capacity grant by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20805/16]
View answerPartial Capacity Benefit (PCB) is a social welfare scheme which allows a person return to employment if they have reduced capacity for work, and to continue to receive a payment from my department. A person who applies for PCB will, in the first instance, be assessed by a Medical Assessor who expresses an opinion on the degree of partial capacity. A person assessed with a moderate restriction on capacity for work gets 50% of their personal rate of payment plus any increases due in respect of an adult dependant and children; a person assessed with a severe work restriction gets 75% and a person assessed with a profound level gets 100%.
The case was examined by a medical assessor who is of the opinion that the person concerned has a moderately reduced capacity for work. The opinion was upheld by a Deciding Officer who has therefore awarded PCB from 21 June 2016 at the rate of 50% of the personal rate of Illness Benefit which the person concerned was receiving.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
381. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will expedite a disability allowance appeal in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20807/16]
View answerThe person in question appealed to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO) a decision by a deciding officer to disallow her application for disability allowance (DA).
Following due consideration of all the available evidence, the appeal of the person in question was disallowed by an appeals officer (AO) on 14 June 2016. She was notified of this decision in writing by the SWAO on the same date.
An AO’s decision is final and conclusive in the absence of any fresh facts or evidence.
382. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to review the abolition of income and child disregards for the farm assist scheme introduced by his predecessor; and his further plans to review the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20816/16]
View answerThe farm assist scheme provides support for farmers on low incomes and is similar to jobseeker’s allowance. Farm assist recipients retain the advantages of the jobseeker’s allowance scheme such as the retention of secondary benefits and access to activation programmes. The 2016 Revised Estimates for my Department provide for expenditure of €85 million on the farm assist scheme.
Changes introduced in Budgets 2012 and 2013 brought farm assist into closer alignment with the jobseeker’s allowance scheme’s treatment of self-employed people. Farm families with the lowest income were least impacted by these changes as the headline rates of farm assist were maintained.
The Programme for Government contains the commitment to undertake a "Review of the Farm Assist Scheme, recognising the challenges facing farmers on low incomes". I have asked my officials to review the farm assist scheme from a policy and an administrative point of view. This review has commenced and its conclusions may be considered in the context of Budget 2017, subject to the overall budgetary context.
383. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of recipients of farm assist and the total amount paid in each county, in each of the years from 2012 to 2015 in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20817/16]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy in respect of recipients of Farm Assist in each county is detailed in the following table.
The breakdown of the monies paid to recipients is not collated on a county basis by my Department. I am however informed that the total expenditure on Farm Assist in each of the years 2012 to 2015 was approximately €108.2m, €99.2m, €93.6m and €88.4m respectively.
See Tabular statement below:
|
Recipients of Farm Assist by county at 31 December in each of the years 2012 to 2015 |
||||
|
County |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
|
Carlow |
84 |
75 |
76 |
69 |
|
Cavan |
404 |
344 |
326 |
300 |
|
Clare |
609 |
566 |
521 |
455 |
|
Cork |
922 |
840 |
788 |
689 |
|
Dublin |
37 |
28 |
32 |
30 |
|
Galway |
1,112 |
1,035 |
1,000 |
858 |
|
Kerry |
818 |
766 |
721 |
717 |
|
Kildare |
53 |
39 |
37 |
28 |
|
Kilkenny |
146 |
128 |
120 |
108 |
|
Laois |
158 |
128 |
116 |
104 |
|
Leitrim |
394 |
396 |
377 |
366 |
|
Limerick |
250 |
231 |
216 |
180 |
|
Longford |
260 |
232 |
205 |
177 |
|
Louth |
87 |
79 |
82 |
72 |
|
Mayo |
1,813 |
1,691 |
1,614 |
1,471 |
|
Meath |
93 |
81 |
81 |
67 |
|
Monaghan |
504 |
468 |
446 |
386 |
|
Offaly |
130 |
107 |
97 |
89 |
|
Roscommon |
424 |
384 |
356 |
319 |
|
Sligo |
310 |
283 |
283 |
251 |
|
Tipperary |
404 |
363 |
336 |
300 |
|
Waterford |
92 |
85 |
78 |
70 |
|
Westmeath |
197 |
166 |
153 |
131 |
|
Wexford |
248 |
224 |
223 |
195 |
|
Wicklow |
79 |
72 |
67 |
59 |
|
Totals |
11,162 |
10,303 |
9,809 |
8,790 |
385. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Social Protection if will consider increasing the allocation under the school meals programme for 2016 to a primary school (details supplied) in County Sligo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20832/16]
View answerThe school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food services to schools and organisations benefitting over 200,000 children at a total cost of €42 million in 2016. The objective of the scheme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, due to lack of good quality food, to take full advantage of the education provided to them.
In recent years priority for new applications for funding has been given to schools which are part of the Department of Education and Skills initiative for disadvantaged schools “Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools” (DEIS) in line with the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People, Better Outcomes Brighter Futures. Following the provision of additional funding in recent budgets, my Department has been in a position to grant some increases to DEIS schools for the current academic year. There has been a particular focus on the promotion of breakfast clubs within the programme, which provide very positive outcomes for vulnerable children in terms of their school attendance, punctuality and energy levels.
The school referred to by the Deputy is not designated DEIS status and I regret that no increase in funding can be provided at this time. Any increased payments can only be considered in a budgetary context.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
386. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of participants on the community employment scheme in Borris St. Mullins, County Carlow; if persons on the scheme are offered courses to improve their skills; if courses are planned in such a way as not to clash with other courses being organised; if persons on the scheme get a reasonable opportunity to attend the course of their choice; the reason some courses were held in Ballon Community Centre, Carlow, a 70km round trip from the location of the scheme; and if all scheme participants were issued with the appropriate work gear and were up skilled with such courses as Safepass and so on. [20833/16]
View answerThe Borris St. Mullins Community Employment scheme is approved for 25 participants. There is a turnover in participants each year.
The availability of course and training options for Community Employment (CE) participants is contingent on the local availability of suitably qualified trainers and suitable facilities to ensure the provision of quality assured training. Participants on the current Borris St. Mullins CE scheme are expected to achieve 6 Major and 73 Minor QQI certified awards.
Relevant courses may only be available at a particular location and invariably, for rural schemes, this may necessitate travel. Alternative training locations such as Carlow and Kilkenny would all entail longer distances than the round trip from Borris/St. Mullins to Ballon. Travel expenses incurred by the participants attending such courses are reimbursed. The Department provides a national budget of up to €6M per annum specifically to facilitate CE participants pursue training opportunities that will enhance their career prospects.
Safepass is only one of a number of certification/training options that may be pursued and is one of relevance to those considering employment in the construction or related sectors. CE participation is for a minimum of one year and this allows participants sufficient time to undertake a number of courses.
Where CE participants work roles require them to wear personal protective equipment, this is provided in line with Health and Safety regulations. This cost is claimable by the CE Sponsor/Employer under the projects materials grant up to a maximum level allowable for that scheme.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
387. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons currently in receipt of carer's allowance and carer's benefit and the associated cost of this; the total savings to the Exchequer through the work of recipients of carer's allowance and carer's benefit as against the cost of similar full-time care in residential settings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20839/16]
View answerIt is important to acknowledge that carers play a key role in our society. The importance of their contribution is reflected in the range of significant supports provided by my Department to support carers in their caring role and ameliorate the financial burden of caring – indeed it is worth pointing out that the income supports that carers receive from my Department are among the highest rates in Europe.
The primary objective of carer’s benefit and carer’s allowance is to recognise the needs of carers through the provision of appropriate income support. There are currently some 64,800 recipients of carer’s allowance and around 2,370 recipients of carer’s benefit. In 2015, expenditure on carer’s allowance amounted to just over €611 million while the figure for carer’s benefit was just over €30 million.
Policy issues relating to care in residential facilities are a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Health. My Department does not have estimates in relation to cost of care in other settings.
I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
388. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will ensure that lifetime carers, those caring in excess of 20 years are recognised for a full entitlement to the State contributory pension; the timeframe for implementation of such a change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20840/16]
View answerThere are a number of criteria which must be satisfied in order to qualify for a State pension contributory, whether at full or reduced level. These include that the person must be aged 66 or over and have at least 520 paid contributions, i.e., a minimum of 10 years. Such PRSI contributions are paid by workers and their employers into the Social Insurance Fund, which funds the State pension (contributory) and other benefits, along with a subvention from the Exchequer when necessary. Provided a person satisfies all the relevant conditions, they may qualify for a State pension (contributory), the minimum personal rate of which is €93.20, and the maximum personal rate of which is €233.30.
There is no fixed amount of paid and/or credited contributions required which will qualify a person for a full-rate State pension (contributory). The total amount of contributions a person will require also depends upon the duration over which they made these contributions, as both of these figures are used to calculate a person’s ‘yearly average’ contributions, upon which their rate of entitlement is based. Since the contributory pension was introduced in 1961, the ‘yearly average’ contributions test has been used in calculating the level of pension entitlement, where the total contributions paid or credited are divided by the number of years of the working life (from their entry into insurable employment up to the year prior to their reaching State pension age).
The State assists those with caring roles to qualify for a State pension (contributory). 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 1994, allows up to 20 years spent caring for children under 12 years of age or incapacitated people to be disregarded when a person’s social insurance record is being averaged for pension purposes. Given the valuable nature of the State pension (contributory), those who qualify under the homemaker’s scheme still need to fulfil the eligibility requirements for that scheme, and have at least 520 paid contributions over the course of their working lives.
I have no plans to expand the eligibility of the State pension (contributory) to include people who have no paid PRSI contributions. However, the Deputy should note that where people cannot qualify for a full rate contributory pension as a result of an intermittent PRSI record, the social protection system provides alternative methods of supporting such people in old age. For example, 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 up to 95% of the maximum contributory pension rate.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
390. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost to the Exchequer of reinstating the household benefits package, including the telephone allowance, to all recipients of carer's allowance and carer's benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20843/16]
View answerThe household benefits package (HHB) comprises the electricity or gas allowance, and the free television licence. The package is generally available to people living in the State, aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment or who satisfy a means test. The package is also available to carers and people with disabilities under the age of 66 who are in receipt of certain welfare type payments. Widows and widowers aged from 60 to 65 whose late spouses had been in receipt of the household benefits package retain that entitlement. My Department will spend approximately €227 million this year on the household benefits package for over 419,000 customers.
The decision to discontinue the telephone allowance was estimated to provide annual savings of €48 million. These savings meant that my Department was able to retain the other valuable elements of the household benefits package such as the electricity and gas allowance and the television licence.
From 1 April 2012, new applicants in receipt of Carers Allowance who are not living with the person for whom they provide care are no longer entitled to the household benefits package. For those who do reside with the person being cared for, the person being cared for is likely to already have an entitlement of their own to household benefits.
My Department does not keep statistics on the number of carers/carees who are living separately/together whose claims were from April 2012 onwards, and this along with the fact that the person being cared for is likely to have an entitlement of their own to household benefits, means that an accurate cost to the exchequer cannot be provided. It should be noted however, that, as this change only affects claims from April 2012, the total cost of reversing it would rise relatively quickly.
Any decision to restore household benefits including the telephone allowance to all recipients of carer’s allowance and carer’s benefit would have to be considered in the context of overall budgetary negotiations.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
