Written Answers Nos. 448-459
448. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kildare has had their disability allowance reduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22557/16]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 15 July 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.
449. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Social Protection the number and locations of Intreo centres across the State; the counties which do not currently have an Intreo centre; his plans to establish new Intreo centres and their locations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22558/16]
View answerThere are currently 59 Intro Centres in operation. 2 further offices will be opened during July. The locations of each of the 61 Intreo Centres is outlined in the table below.
While counties Monaghan, Roscommon and Laois do not have an Intreo Centre, the full range of DSP services including Activation, Community Welfare and Inspectorate services are provided to DSP customers in these counties.
The Department constantly reviews how it provides its services locally and is currently considering how the Intreo service can be applied in the situation where a location is serviced by a Branch Office.
I hope that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
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Complete |
Co Louth |
Dundalk |
Government Buildings, St Alphonsus Road |
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Co Westmeath |
Belview / Blackhall |
Blackhall Place |
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Co. Carlow |
Carlow |
Kennedy Avenue |
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Co. Cavan |
Cavan |
Dublin Road |
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Co. Clare |
Ennis |
Block 1,Government Buildings, Kilrush Road |
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Co. Cork |
Cobh |
1 Lynch's Quay |
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Cork - Abbey court House |
Abbeycourt House, 6 George's Street |
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Cork - Hanover Quay |
Hanover Street |
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Co. Donegal |
Buncrana |
McCarter's Road, Ardarvan |
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Dunfanaghy |
Main Street |
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Dungloe |
Public Service Centre, Gweedore Road |
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High Road / Oliver Plunkett Road |
St. Oliver Plunkett Road |
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Co. Dublin |
Ardee Street. D9 |
The Guild Building, Cork Street |
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Balbriggan |
Linen Hall, Mill Street |
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Ballyfermot |
Rossmore Avenue, Ballyfermot |
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Ballymun |
Main Street, Ballymun |
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Bishop Square |
Bishop's Square, Redmonds's Hill |
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Blanchardstown |
Westend House, Snugborough Road, Blanchardstown |
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Clondalkin |
Ninth Locke Road, Clondalkin |
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Coolock |
Northside Civic Centre, Bunratty Road, Coolock |
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Dún Laoghaire |
18-21 Cumberland Street, |
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Finglas |
Mellowes Road, Finglas |
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Kilbarrack |
Greendale Shopping Centre, Greendale Road, Kilbarrack |
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Kings Inn |
Parnell Street Intreo, 20 King's Inn Street, or 197-199 Parnell Street |
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Navan Road |
Navan Road, Cabra |
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Nutgrove |
Nutgrove Shopping Centre, Rathfarnham |
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Swords |
Mainscourt |
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Tallaght |
Social Services Centre, The Square, Tallaght |
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Co. Galway |
Cliften |
Clifden, Galway Road |
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Hynes Building |
Hynes Building, St. Augustine Street |
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Loughrea |
Railway House, Station Road |
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Co. Kerry |
Cahirciveen |
St. Brendan's Terrace |
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Kenmare |
Bridge Street |
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Killarney |
Unit 3,Park Court beech Road,Killarney; 1st\2nd floor |
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Listowel |
The Square |
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Tralee |
Government Buildings, Godfrey Place |
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Co. Kildare |
Newbridge |
Moorefield Road |
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Co. Kilkenny |
Kilkenny |
Government Buildings, Hebron Road |
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Co. Leitrim |
Carrick on Shannon |
Leitrim House, Leitrim Road |
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Manorhamilton |
Sligo Road |
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Co. Limerick |
Limerick |
Dominic Street |
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Newcastlewest |
Newcastlewest Government Buildings, Gortboy |
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Co. Longford |
Longford |
Government Buildings, Ballinalee Road |
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Co. Louth |
Drogheda |
Custom House Quay, Mayoralty Street |
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Co. Mayo |
Achill |
Achill Sound |
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Ballina |
Government Buildings |
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Belmullet |
American Street Belmullet Co Mayo |
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Castlebar |
Michael Davitt House |
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Westport |
James Street |
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Co. Offaly |
Edenderry |
Edenderry |
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Tullamore |
Unit 1, Castle Buildings, Tara Street |
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Co. Sligo |
Sligo |
Government Offices, Cranmore |
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Co. Tipperary |
Clonmel |
Harbour House, New Quay |
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Thurles |
Thurles |
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Co. Waterford |
Waterford |
Government Buildings, Cork Road |
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Co. Westmeath |
Athlone |
Grace Park Road |
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Co. Wexford |
Wexford |
Government Office 1, Anne Street |
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Co. Wicklow |
Arklow |
Castle Park |
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Bray |
Unit 1, Block 1, The Civic Centre, Main Street |
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In Progress |
Co. Cork |
Carrigaline |
Ballea Road |
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Co. Meath |
Kennedy Way / Abbey Mall |
Abbey Mall |
450. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection further to his reply to Parliamentary Question No. 369 of 12 July 2016, if he will outline the position with regard to the person indicated (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22575/16]
View answerThe self-employed can access long-term benefits such as State pension (contributory) and widow's, widower's or surviving civil partner's pension (contributory) as well as guardians payment (contributory), maternity benefit and adoptive benefit. They cannot, however, currently establish entitlement to certain social insurance benefits, such as those relating to long term illnesses.
Self-employed or former self-employed workers who become ill, including the individual referred to by the Deputy, may access means tested supports by establishing eligibility to assistance-based payments such as disability allowance. I understand that the individual concerned is currently in received of a disability allowance payment of €188 per week plus a €9 per week living alone allowance. The individual also has entitlement to the fuel allowance.
As I indicated in my reply to the previous question, I intend to extend, over a period of time, the range of benefits which the self–employed can access through the social insurance system, with particular reference to providing access to benefits for long-term illness/incapacity and treatment benefits.
451. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider extending the period of participation in a community employment scheme for a person (details supplied) beyond the standard participation limits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22576/16]
View answerIn general, the cumulative maximum participation on community employment by an individual is 3 years for persons under 55 years of age and 6 years for persons of 55 years of age up to State Pension age.
As the person in question will have accumulated 6 years on the 20 July 2016 his participation cannot be extended further.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
452. Deputy Seamus Healy asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of a company (details supplied) regarding redundancy repayments; when redundancy payments will be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22595/16]
View answerThe purpose of the Redundancy Payments Scheme is to compensate workers, under the Redundancy Payments Acts 1967 to 2013, for the loss of their jobs by reason of redundancy. An eligible employee is entitled to two weeks statutory redundancy payment for every year of service, plus a bonus week. Compensation is based on the worker’s length of reckonable service and reckonable weekly remuneration, subject to a ceiling of €600 per week and applicants must meet the scheme qualifying requirements. Payments are made from the Social Insurance Fund, which is mostly funded from employee and employer PRSI contributions.
A liquidator was appointed to the company on 13 June, 2016. When a company goes into liquidation, the liquidator takes the place of the employer for the purposes of administering redundancy payments.
Before payments can be made under the Redundancy Payments Scheme, the liquidator must provide certain information to the Department of Social Protection, including the Deed of Appointment certified by the Companies Registration Office, a Statement of Affairs at the date of liquidation, and applications on behalf of individual employees, with the information provided certified by the liquidator as being correct based on the books and records of the company.
My Department is liaising with the liquidator on these matters and redundancy claims for the former employees of the company will be processed once all the required information is received. It is anticipated that payment in respect of these claims will be made within four weeks.
I hope that this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
454. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the expenditure on the school meals programme; the cost in 2017 of increasing expenditure on this programme by 5% and 10%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22610/16]
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. 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.
Based on the 2016 budgetary allocation of €42 million, the additional annual cost of expanding the school meals programme by 5% is €2.1 million, at a cost of approximately €840,000 in the first year covering the school-term from September to December. The additional annual cost of expanding the school meals programme by 10% is €4.2 million, at a cost of approximately €1.7m in the first year covering the school term from September to December.
Overall, it should be noted that any changes to social welfare schemes can only be considered in a budgetary context.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
455. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) will receive a decision regarding their farm assist appeal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22615/16]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned has been 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 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.
456. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider changing the current policy and increasing the pension paid to a person (details supplied) and others who were only awarded a half-rate pension due to the dates when the self-employed contributions were implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22616/16]
View answerThe State pension is a very valuable asset and it is important, for sustainability reasons, that those who receive it have made a significant contribution towards it during a working life. Currently, to qualify for a State pension (contributory), a person must satisfy a number of qualifying conditions which include commencing insurable employment at least 10 years before pension age, having a minimum of 520 qualifying PRSI contributions and achieving a yearly average of at least 10 qualifying contributions, paid or credited, over their working life.
Social insurance contributions (Class S PRSI) were introduced for self-employed people on 6 April 1988. These contributions provide cover for self-employed people for long-term benefits such as State pension (contributory) and widows/widowers pension (contributory). In addition to the qualifying conditions above, a person must have paid self-employment contributions in respect of at least one contribution year prior to reaching age 66, and all self-employment contributions payable must have been paid in full.
The State pension (contributory) half-rate pension for self-employed people was one of a number of measures which was introduced by the Government. The legislation providing for this partial pension came into effect from the 9 April 1999 to provide a basic payment for groups who would not otherwise qualify for a contributory social welfare pension, and who did not satisfy the means test for the State pension (non-contributory). In this case, the measure was designed to benefit self-employed people who were already over 56 years of age when compulsory self-employed social insurance was introduced in 1988, who had not paid other contributions (such as voluntary contributions, or other contributions while in employment), and who could not therefore satisfy the condition of having entered insurance 10 years before pension age. The pension requires a minimum of 5 years contributions and is payable at 50% of the standard rate. The pension was seen as a reasonable response to the position of the self-employed and I believe most would agree that it represents good value for the contributions made.
It is worth noting that the most recently published Actuarial Review of the Social Insurance Fund found that the self-employed achieve very good value for money from the fund.
A person who is unable to meet the qualifying conditions for a State pension (contributory), or who is only eligible for a reduced rate of contributory pension, may alternatively apply for State pension (non-contributory) amounting up to 95% of the maximum contributory pension rate which is subject to a means-test.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
457. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of defined benefit schemes here; the number of active members in the defined benefit schemes; the number of deferred members of defined benefit schemes; the number of pensioners in defined benefit schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22628/16]
View answerThe information below most contains the most recent ‘Annual Actuarial Data’ returns submitted to the Pensions Authority by funded Defined Benefit schemes:
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- |
Including schemes in wind-up |
Excluding schemes in wind-up |
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Number of defined benefit schemes subject to the funding standard |
685 |
653 |
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Number of active members in the defined benefit schemes; |
135,571 |
133,565 |
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Number of deferred members of defined benefit schemes; |
426,499 |
413,677 |
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Number of pensioners in defined benefit schemes; |
102,105 |
100,607 |
It should also be noted that figures available to the Pensions Authority indicate there are 99 unfunded Defined Benefit schemes with approximately 340,000 active members. As these schemes are not subject to the funding standard, a more detailed breakdown of membership numbers would be available through the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
458. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost in 2017 of restoring the Christmas bonus to 75% and 100% of its previous rate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22639/16]
View answerThe Christmas Bonus was abolished in 2009. The Bonus was partially reintroduced in 2014 with the payment of a 25% Bonus. A 75% Bonus was paid last December to some 1.2 million long-term social welfare recipients, including pensioners, people with disabilities, carers and the long-term unemployed, in recognition of their financial dependence on their social welfare payments.
The cost of a 75% and 100% Bonus is estimated to cost approximately €200 million and €267 million respectively. It should be noted that these costings are subject to change over the coming months in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients for December 2016.
459. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) must remain on JobPath despite being accepted onto a community employment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22644/16]
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.
JobPath is a new approach to employment activation that supports people who are long-term unemployed and those most distant from the labour market to secure and sustain full-time paid employment. Participants on JobPath receive intensive individual support to help them tackle barriers to employment and to assist them in finding jobs. Each person is assigned to a personal adviser who assesses a person’s skills, experience, challenges and work goals. The personal adviser works with the jobseeker to agree a personal progression plan that includes a schedule of activities, actions and job focused targets. Participants are also provided with a range of training and development supports including online modules, career advice, CV preparation and interview skills. They spend a year on JobPath and if they are placed into a job they will continue to receive support for at least three months and up to twelve months while in employment.
I understand that the person concerned is aged 61 years and has already completed 6 years on a Community Employment (CE) scheme. Under current CE rules, a person over 55 years of age is limited to a maximum period of 6 years on the scheme. The person concerned is currently not eligible to participate on a CE scheme.
The person concerned was referred to JobPath on 21 June 2016. He attended a meeting with his personal adviser and agreed a personal progression plan on 30 June 2016. He will reach the age of 62 later this year. When a jobseeker is selected for any activation programme and reaches 62 years of age while on the programme they are expected to complete the programme.
A CE pilot initiative called the Service Support Stream was introduced in December 2015 to enable those aged 62 and over to extend their participation on CE beyond the standard maximum participation limits provided the eligibility conditions are met. Participants aged 62 and over, are allowed to participate on CE 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 total number of places allocated for these participants within each individual CE scheme is limited to 7% of each scheme’s overall budgeted places. The limitation on such places per scheme is in place to maintain the overall throughput on the programme. The participation limit is set to allow for the highest utilisation of places amongst qualifying persons and aims to ensure the benefit of these schemes are available to the widest possible number of jobseekers.
The person concerned may be considered for the CE Service Support Stream initiative after he has completed 52 weeks on JobPath and provided he is still in receipt of a CE-qualifying social welfare payment for the requisite period of time. A CE placement will also be dependent on there being such a place available on the CE scheme with regard to the 7% per scheme limit on such places.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
