Written Answers Nos. 177 to 190
177. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Social Protection the options available to persons drawing credits but not receiving a social protection payment in terms of training; the schemes open to such persons; and his plans to extend options for job training for this category. [35571/16]
View answerThe key objective of activation policy and labour market initiatives has been to offer assistance to those most in need of support in securing work and achieving financial self-sufficiency. Accordingly the employment services and schemes provided by the Department are focused in the first instance on the cohort of people who are unemployed and in receipt of a social welfare payment (either Jobseekers Allowance or Jobseekers Benefit).
Despite this focus, access to training and employment programmes is also open to other groups under certain circumstances.
The main training opportunities open to unemployed people receiving social protection payments are through ETB (formerly FÁS) training for unemployed people, or, if they have been signing for six months or more, through the Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS). Unemployed persons not in receipt of payments, but signing for credits, are also eligible to avail of training opportunities under these schemes. In these cases, such participants do not receive a training allowance but may receive travel and lunch allowances from the ETB.
There are no plans to make changes to these arrangements at present.
The Government is committed to supporting as many people as possible to participate more fully in employment and to become more self-sufficient by providing supports that address barriers they may encounter in finding and sustaining employment.
178. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application for a carer’s allowance in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35583/16]
View answerI confirm that my Department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 12 July 2016.
Additional information was requested on 5 October 2016. Once the information is received the application will be processed without delay and she will be notified directly of the outcome.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
179. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if and when a carer's allowance will be paid in the case of persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35594/16]
View answerI confirm that my Department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on 5 October 2016. The application is currently being processed and once completed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy
180. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if and when a disability allowance payment will issue in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35605/16]
View answerExcept in certain exceptional circumstances which must be appropriately notified to my department in advance of travel, disability allowance (DA) is not payable for any period in respect of which the claimant is resident outside of the State.
Following a review of this man’s entitlement to disability allowance (DA), his payment was disallowed with effect from 1 June 2016 as he was found to be out of the State without prior notification. On 14 June 2016, he was notified in writing to his last known address of this revised decision and of his right of appeal.
I confirm this gentleman has been back in contact with my department within the last few weeks. At present, he is being paid basic supplementary welfare allowance pending a reassessment of his entitlement to DA. He has been advised to reapply for DA by fully completing and submitting the application form. My department has confirmed that, despite a number of reminders, he has not reapplied for DA.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
181. Deputy Pat Casey asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by the County Wicklow Partnership to seek an additional rural social scheme of 20 places in view of the demand for this service throughout County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35611/16]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware the purpose of the rural social scheme (RSS) is to provide income support to farmers and fishermen and women who have an entitlement to specified social welfare payments. The Government, as part of the budget package for 2017, announced 500 additional places on the scheme which will increase the overall number to 3,100.
A request for expressions of interest in additional RSS places was recently sent to all RSS Implementing Bodies, including County Wicklow Partnership. My Department intends allocating these places as early as possible in 2017, taking into account a number of factors. These include the number of places already allocated, the demand for new places in particular areas, work opportunities available in local areas and the numbers of farmers and fishermen and women in receipt of income support.
In allocating the additional places, the Government recognises the benefits the RSS provides for participants and their families, as well as the valuable contribution the scheme is making to the provision of services in communities across Ireland. At this stage it is not possible to give specific details on the allocation of the additional 500 places announced in the Budget.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
182. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to extend the access to rent supplement to those who may not be on a local authority housing list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35619/16]
View answerRent supplement continues to play a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme currently supporting some 49,700 recipients for which the Government has provided €267 million for in 2016.
The policy direction of my Department is to return rent supplement to its original purpose, that of a short-term income support scheme for those who are temporarily unemployed. The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), which has been in operation since 2014 and is a key pillar of the Social Housing Strategy 2020, will, over time transfer responsibility for all those on rent supplement with long term housing needs to the local authorities. It is expected that HAP will be available in all local authorities in early 2017.
Rent supplement will continue to be paid to households who are already in the private rented sector but who, generally because of a loss of income through unemployment, require a short term income support to pay their rent. I have no plans to further extend access to rent supplement which would have to be considered in a budgetary context.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
183. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Social Protection the total extra funds allocated to farm assist in budget 2017 to cater for the reintroduction of a farm income disregard and dependent child disregard; if the new disregards will be applied to all existing farm assist recipients in 2017 in order to recalculate payment rates; the date the reassessed payments will apply from; the total number of recipients whose payments will be reassessed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35623/16]
View answerThe farm assist scheme provides support for farmers on low incomes and 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.
Budget 2017 introduces new measures in relation to the assessment of means for farm assist. These include that farm income will now be assessed at 70%, down from 100%, with an additional annual means disregard of €254 for each of the first two children and €381 for the third and subsequent children.
On 30 September 2016 there were approximately 8,000 farm assist claims in payment. All existing farm assist recipients currently assessed with means will have their payments adjusted so that the new measures contained in Budget 2017 will come into effect from the 8th March implementation date with relevant payments changing on the 15th March. (Farm Assist is paid weekly in arrears). It is estimated that the measure will cost €8.5 million in 2017.
Farm Assist recipients will also benefit from the following measures announced in Budget 2017; the €5 per week increase in the weekly rates of payment; the 85% Christmas Bonus; and Farm Assist recipients are eligible to avail of the 500 additional places on the Rural Social Scheme.
184. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Social Protection when he will make a statement on the recent review of community employment which his Department recently conducted; if he will publish this review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35652/16]
View answerThe Department of Social Protection completed a report on the Community Employment (CE) Programme in late 2015. This report was completed in the context of the Government’s activation strategy Pathways to Work and meets the Department’s commitment to analysing CE, as the largest employment programme, and to ensuring the delivery of services, value for money and progression of the individual is central to its core objective.
I met with my senior officials who have responsibility for CE schemes to discuss the findings of the review. I hope to be in a position to bring a Memorandum to Government on these matters in the coming weeks. If there are any changes to be made, consultations with stakeholders will be facilitated.
185. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection the details of the current system for pension entitlements (details supplied); if his attention has been drawn to the way it is discriminating against persons, particularly women; his plans to review the current system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35658/16]
View answerThe rate of payment of the State pension (contributory) is related to contributions made over years into the Social Insurance Fund. As such, those with a stronger attachment to the workforce, who have paid more into that fund, are more likely to be paid under that scheme. There are a number of criteria which must be satisfied in order to qualify for a State pension contributory. One of the conditions of the State pension (contributory) is that a person needs a minimum of 520 weekly contributions (i.e. 10 years) paid since entering insurable employment. If a person does not have this minimum number of contributions paid, they will not generally have an entitlement to this particular pension, either at a full or reduced rate. Since 1961, when contributory pensions were introduced, the average contributions test has been used in calculating the rate of pension entitlement.
Entitlement is banded, with the maximum rate payable to those with a yearly average of 48-52 contributions, and the minimum rate payable to those with a yearly average in the range of 10-14 contributions per year. Even if someone has only 10 years (520 weeks) of paid reckonable contributions between their 16th and 66th birthdays, they would generally qualify for a State pension (contributory), although the rate payable would vary depending on their circumstances, and it will not always be their most advantageous payment to claim.
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.
Prior to the introduction of the Homemakers scheme in 1994, there was no provision for the recognition of periods of homemaking. This scheme introduced such recognition of periods going forward from that date, but had it been backdated, the costs would have been very considerable. I am advised that if the Homemakers scheme was to be backdated to all dates prior to 1994, for payments from January 2017, the net cost to the Exchequer could be expected to amount to approximately €290 million in 2017, and this annual cost would rise at a faster rate than the overall cost of State pensions.
Where people who were unattached to the labour market during most of their adult lives cannot qualify for a contributory pension in their own right as they have paid few or no contributions, or cannot qualify for a full rate as a result of an intermittent PRSI record, the social protection system provides alternative methods of supporting such pensioners in old age. Therefore, 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.
The National Pensions Framework (2010) proposed that a “Total Contribution Approach” (TCA) should replace the yearly average approach, for new pensioners from 2020. The aim of this approach is to make the rate of contributory pension more closely match contributions made by a person. Officials of my Department are currently working on the detailed development of the TCA with a view to making proposals for consideration in the first half of next year. It’s worth noting that this is a very significant reform with considerable legal, administrative, and technical elements in its implementation. An important element in the final design of the scheme will be the position of people who have gaps in their contribution records for various reasons, and this factor is being considered very carefully in developing this reform.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
186. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the initiatives he proposes to undertake with the new Administration and Congress in the United States in relation to regularising the status of the undocumented Irish; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35636/16]
View answerAchieving relief for undocumented Irish migrants in the US and agreement on a facility for future legal migration between Ireland and the US have been and will remain key objectives for the Government. The Government is committed to working constructively with the new Administration when it assumes its responsibilities on January 20th. In the meantime, we will avail of all opportunities during the transition period to sensitise the incoming Administration to our concerns on immigration related matters. The Government continues to believe that progress on this issue will also require intensive work on a bi-partisan basis in both Houses of Congress, an approach we will continue to take once the new Congress takes office in the New Year.
I most recently raised the question of immigration reform, including relief for undocumented Irish citizens in the United States, during my meeting with US Secretary of State, Mr John Kerry, on 30 October. While Secretary of State Kerry does not carry policy responsibility for immigration reform, he was personally very sympathetic to the plight of the undocumented Irish and was hopeful that progress could be made in the future.
I also availed of my visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly in September to meet Irish community leaders in the United States, to discuss with them the prospects for achieving immigration reform and to reassure them of the Government’s commitment to the issue. In addition, Minister of State McHugh met representatives of the Coalition of Irish Immigration Centers, representing a broad group of Irish centres across the United States, in New York on 20 September. That meeting was also attended by Senator Billy Lawless of Seanad Éireann.
The Government, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and our Embassy in Washington continue to work closely with Irish American community leaders in actively pursuing all viable opportunities to advance immigration reform. There is little prospect of the comprehensive reform that we seek being achieved within the lifetime of the outgoing Congress and the current policy platform of the Trump campaign would not suggest that it will be an immediate priority for the incoming Administration. Nevertheless, our Ambassador and Embassy staff in Washington DC are working with their contacts on both sides of the political aisle to assess the basis for a renewed initiative once a new Administration and Congress have been established in Washington DC.
187. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of companies based in Northern Ireland that have been assisted in business and trade promotion or participated in business events organised through the embassy and consulate network throughout the world in each the years 2010 to 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35645/16]
View answerIreland’s network of Embassies and Consulates worldwide works to promote Ireland’s international trade, tourism and investment priorities in close co-ordination with key stakeholders including Tourism Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and Bord Bia. Our missions host a large number of trade and economic events and liaise closely with governments and the private sector in their countries of accreditation to support Irish exporters, to promote Ireland as a location for investment and to enhance our international reputation.
The Government also supports cross-border economic flow through the work of North-South bodies such as InterTradeIreland, which is working to reduce trade barriers and to develop economic links between businesses on both sides of the Border. InterTradeIreland is making a significant impact building the exporting capability of SMEs and creating jobs in both jurisdictions.
Although information of the type requested by the Deputy is not kept centrally, our network of diplomatic and consular offices continues to be available to assist Northern Ireland businesses and joint North-South trade missions. Furthermore, Embassies and Consulates have, through events and promotional activities, supported Tourism Ireland’s hugely successful work promoting tourism to the island of Ireland on a cross-border basis.
We continue to reach out to Northern Ireland’s economic and business sector to grow cross-border economic links. The attendance and participation by business figures from Northern Ireland at the recent All-Island Civic Dialogue on Brexit, for instance, was very welcome, and it is clear from our contacts that the Northern Ireland business community recognises how much the economies North and South can gain from co-operation.
188. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the terms of the targeted voluntary homeowners relocation scheme, which was announced on 10 November 2016, to relocate homeowners whose primary residences are unsustainable due to the threat of flooding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35524/16]
View answer189. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the Department that will administer the targeted voluntary homeowners relocation scheme, which was announced on 10 November 2016, to relocate homeowners whose primary residences are unsustainable due to the threat of flooding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35525/16]
View answer190. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when applications for the targeted voluntary homeowners relocation scheme, which was announced on 10 November 2016, to relocate homeowners whose primary residences are unsustainable due to the threat of flooding, will be accepted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35526/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 188 to 190, inclusive, together.
Last Tuesday, 8th November I announced a fund of €2m for a targeted humanitarian aid scheme for those primary residential properties that flooded during last Winter and had flooded in previous years to ensure those worst affected homeowners have a primary residence.
While the Government has agreed that the terms of funding for relocation will be in line with the previous scheme in 2009; I am to apprise Government of the ongoing review of the administrative arrangements from that earlier scheme, to ensure that the arrangements for this once-off scheme are reflective of its targeted objective and all relevant circumstances.
I want to ensure that the funding is targeted at those homeowners at greatest risk of future flooding and would gain greatest benefit from State support to relocate. Therefore, this will be a targeted, prioritised scheme and will not be open for general applications.
The Office of Public Works is working jointly with Local Authorities and the Department of Social Protection to identify and prioritise homeowners and review the administrative arrangements for this scheme. I hope to be able to appraise Government and subsequently make initial contact with a small number of targeted homeowners towards the end of this year.
