Written Answers Nos. 131-161
131. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will provide a copy of all correspondence to the local authorities from his Department in relation to a company (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3254/17]
View answer132. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if his Department carried out any research in relation to the number of housing units that are now operating similar to a company (details supplied) and resulting in a loss to the rental stock; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3255/17]
View answer133. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if his Department carried out any research in relation to the number of housing units that are now operating similar to a company (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3256/17]
View answer134. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the action he intends to take to prevent any further loss of rental stock to a company (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3257/17]
View answer135. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he raised the issue of the loss of housing units to a company (details supplied) with the four chief executive officers of the four Dublin local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3258/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 131 to 135, inclusive, together.
In publishing the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, the Government has set out a practical and readily implementable set of actions to create a functioning and sustainable housing system. The Plan is available at the website www.rebuildingireland.ie. The Plan is divided into five pillars, with each targeting a specific area of the housing system for attention.
On 13 December 2016, Government approved the publication of a Strategy for the Rental Sector, which delivers on a commitment made under Pillar 4 of Rebuilding Ireland. The strategy is structured around 4 key areas: security, standards, supply and services. The measures under these four headings will be implemented through the 29 actions contained in the Strategy.
In terms of supply, the focus in the strategy is on maintaining existing levels of rental stock and encouraging investment in additional supply. The overarching objective of the strategy is to increase supply and support the development of a stable, strong and viable rental sector offering true choice for households, investment opportunities for providers and reflecting the rights and responsibilities of tenants and landlords.
There are shortages in the supply of rental accommodation in key locations, particularly in urban areas. In some of these areas there is also significant demand for transitory short-term accommodation. In this context, easier access to short term rentals at higher prices may be an attractive option for landlords.
However, a recent determination by An Bord Pleanála in a particular case has determined that the exclusive use of a residential apartment for short-term holiday lettings is a material change of use requiring planning permission.
My Department has, by way of Circular letter PL12/2016 of 22 December 2016, brought this determination to the attention of all planning authorities to ensure that they are aware of:
- the grounds on which the Board reached its decision,
- the planning implications in terms of the requirement for such commercial use of residential units to be the subject of an application for planning permission, and
- the importance of a proactive approach to planning enforcement generally in this regard.
A copy of the Circular letter is available on my Department’s website at the following link: http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/pl_12-16_aph_6-16_recent_an_bord_pleanala_decision_on_short_term_lettings.pdf.
The implications of this case have raised a number of regulatory and other related issues, such as tax liability, residential tenancy regulation, support for tourism, and planning. The issue was considered in the preparation of the recently published Strategy for the Rental Sector and, with a view to providing more information on the scale and nature of the issue and full clarity regarding the appropriate regulatory approach to be adopted by relevant statutory authorities in relation to short-term tourism-related lettings, my Department, as provided for in the strategy, is establishing a working group, comprising representatives of relevant stakeholders including local authorities, relevant Departments, public bodies and other interests in the area, to consider the disparate issues involved and report in Quarter 2 2017.
136. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his plans to outsource a large part of the national book tender for libraries to a UK supplier; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3314/17]
View answerMy Department has no role in relation to the procurement of book-stock for public libraries. The provision of public library services, including the procurement of books, is a matter for each local authority in its capacity as a library authority under the Local Government Act 2001. In this regard, a national tender for book stock procurement was run recently by the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) on behalf of local authorities. The tender process concluded recently and contracts were signed with the successful tenderers. I understand that Irish companies were successful in four of six lots.
It is expected that the new contracts will come into effect in the coming months as the existing contracting between suppliers and library authorities expire. The new national framework will deliver an improved outcome in terms of stock ordering and servicing, securing greater efficiencies, better value-for-money and the best choice of material for our public libraries.
137. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if a county or city manager can pass a review of differential council housing rents without the consent of the council members. [3315/17]
View answer138. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the status of the proposed review of differential local authority housing rents postponed by the previous Minister. [3316/17]
View answer139. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to any review of differential council housing rents in Cork County Council. [3317/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 137 to 139, inclusive, together.
The making and amending of rent schemes is the responsibility of local authorities as an integral part of their housing management functions, subject to broad principles laid down by my Department in Circular letter HRT 3/2002 of 6 March 2002. The making or amending of such schemes is not a reserved function and does not require the approval of the elected members. There is no requirement for local authorities to inform my Department when reviewing a rent scheme.
Section 31 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 allows the Minister to make regulations in respect of various matters to be included in a rent scheme, including the sources of household income that may be assessed for the purpose of determining rent levels. Considerable work has been carried out by my Department in developing a draft framework for a harmonisation of the approach to be taken by local authorities in regard to various aspects of rent schemes. This work is now being examined further in the light of the broader commitment given in Rebuilding Ireland:Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, to review the disparate systems of differential rents for social housing in place across local authorities. The overall objective is to ensure that housing supports are fair and sustainable, prioritise those on lowest incomes and avoid creating social welfare traps that may prevent people from either returning to work or to the private housing market. I expect the review to be completed during Quarter 2 of 2017.
140. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government when his Department will issue the foreshore licence, which he approved in principle in December 2016, to Sligo County Council in respect of the development of the proposed pier and pontoon scheme in Rosses Point, County Sligo; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the council requires the foreshore licence as a matter of urgency in order to allow it make an application for grant aid for the project to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3350/17]
View answerThe draft foreshore licence concerned issued to the Council’s legal services on 12 January 2017.
141. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Sligo County Council purchased a house in 2015 to house a family (details supplied); if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that the council sought approval for funding from his Department in October 2015 to construct an extension to the house in compliance with the recommendation of the HSE’s occupational therapy service; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the family will not be allowed to move into the house until such time as the extension is constructed; if it normally takes 15 months for his Department to process and approve funding for such extensions; when it is expected that a decision will be made on the council’s submission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3351/17]
View answerMy Department received a submission from Sligo County Council on 31 March 2016 seeking funding for the proposed extension referred to in the Question. Following assessment by my Department’s inspectorate, approval in principle to proceed was issued to the Council on 15 August 2016. I understand from the Council that the provision of the extension is being prioritised within their projects on hands and that the Council will expedite the design and planning phase so as to allow construction to begin as soon as possible.
142. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his plans to change the delivery of Dublin's ambulance service; if he has discussed the future of this service with the Minister for Health; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3379/17]
View answerThe provision of health services in Ireland, including the provision of ambulance services, is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive (HSE), operating under the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Health. Within my Ministerial remit, fire services in Ireland are provided by local authorities in accordance with the provisions of the Fire Services Acts, 1981 and 2003. Dublin City Council provides fire services for the city and county of Dublin which are resourced by the four Dublin Local authorities, through Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB).
Dublin City Council through Dublin Fire Brigade also provides an ambulance service on behalf of the HSE. This service is provided under section 25 of the Fire Services Act 1981 which enables local authority fire services to carry out or assist in any operations of an emergency nature. However, it does not provide a legislative basis for fire services to provide a substitute or alternative ambulance service operating outside of the State’s health services provided by the HSE.
A Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) report of December 2014 highlights patient safety issues arising from two ambulance services operating in the same domain and points clearly to the need for enhanced integration of service provision in the greater Dublin area between DFB and the National Ambulance Service (NAS).
While I have not discussed this matter directly with my colleague the Minister for Health, discussions are taking place between our Departments. Both Departments have requested implementation/action plans in relation to service and governance issues that could be expected to arise from the need to meet HIQA’s concerns, while continuing to meet statutory fire service requirements.
While I have no remit in relation to the provision of ambulance services, from my perspective, as Minister with responsibility for fire safety and the provision of fire services by local authorities, I am concerned that local authority and fire services resources are not diverted from their statutory fire service and fire safety responsibilities where they are providing assistance for another public body. Available local authority resources should be prioritised for community and other fire safety initiatives as well as their statutory fire service response functions.
By placing the citizen in need of medical services at the centre of considerations and with flexibility from all the stakeholders concerned, I am confident that a robust over-arching plan can be put in place which will see the infrastructure and staff of Dublin Fire Brigade in a position to provide commissioned ambulance services on behalf of the HSE in the Dublin area on the basis of cost recovery and appropriate governance arrangements, while still meeting their range of fire service responsibilities as a priority.
143. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the rights of tenants under the rent a room scheme in view of the fact that it appears there are no procedures in place to protect tenants. [3407/17]
View answerThe Residential Tenancies Act 2004, as amended, regulates the tenant-landlord relationship in the private rented residential sector. The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) was established as an independent statutory body under the Act to operate a national tenancy registration system and to facilitate the resolution of disputes between landlords and tenants.
The Act applies to every dwelling that is the subject of a tenancy, subject to a limited number of exceptions. The dwellings to which the Act does not apply are set out in section 3(2) of the Act, and include for example-
- a dwelling that is used wholly or partly for the purpose of carrying on a business;
- a dwelling within which the landlord also resides;
- a dwelling the subject of a tenancy the term of which is over 35 years.
In these cases the RTB does not have any function in relation to the agreements or arrangements on which they are based.
In circumstances where it is unclear as to whether a dwelling is the subject of a tenancy to which the Act applies, the RTB can adjudicate on the question and has done so in the past. Where it finds that a tenancy is unregistered due to the landlord’s wrongful claim that the Act does not apply to the dwelling, the RTB can serve a notice requiring registration and failure to comply is an offence.
Where the owner of a dwelling, residing in that dwelling, lets a room, that letting is not considered to be a tenancy within the meaning of the Residential Tenancies Act.
144. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his plans to affect changes to the tenant purchase scheme introduced in 2016 due to the significant restrictive terms of eligibility attached which prevent long-term tenants and long-term social welfare recipients from purchasing the house they live in; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3463/17]
View answerThe Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme came into operation on 1 January 2016. The Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the Scheme. To be eligible, tenants must meet certain criteria, including having a minimum reckonable income of €15,000 per annum and having been in receipt of social housing support for at least one year.
The minimum reckonable income for eligibility under the Scheme is determined by the relevant housing authority in accordance with the detailed provisions of the Ministerial Direction issued under Sections 24(3) and (4) of the 2014 Act. In the determination of the minimum reckonable income, housing authorities can include income from a number of different sources and classes, such as from employment, private pensions, maintenance payments and certain social welfare payments, including pensions, where the social welfare payment is secondary to employment income.
In order to ensure the sustainability of the scheme, it is essential that an applicant’s income is long-term and sustainable in nature. This is necessary to ensure that the tenant purchasing the house is in a financial position, as the owner, to maintain and insure the property for the duration of the charged period, in compliance with the conditions of the order transferring the ownership of, and responsibility for, the house from the local authority to the tenant.
In line with the commitment given in Rebuilding Ireland - Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, my Department is currently carrying out a review of the first 12 months of operation of the scheme. Details of how to get involved in the public consultation process which will inform this review can be found on my Department’s website at the following link:
http://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/social-housing/tenant-purchase-scheme/public-consultation-review-tenant-incremental-purchase.
I expect the review to be completed by the end of Quarter 1 2017.
145. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the persons and or the groups on the departmental working group on vacant properties; the number of times this working group has met; and when the the working group is going to report back. [3531/17]
View answerPillar 5 of the Government’s Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness – Rebuilding Ireland is specifically focussed on Utilising Existing Housing Stock, with a key objective of ensuring that the existing vacant housing stock throughout the country and across all forms of tenure, in both the public and private sectors, is used to the optimum degree possible. In this regard, Action 5.1 of Rebuilding Ireland commits to developing a National Vacant Housing Re-Use Strategy by the first quarter of 2017, informed by Census 2016 data, to –
- inform the compilation of a register of vacant units across the country,
- identify the number, location and reasons for longer-term vacancies (i.e. over 6 months) in high demand areas, and
- set out a range of actions to bring vacant units back into reuse.
The Housing Agency, which has lead responsibility for co-ordinating the development of the Strategy, established a working group in September 2016 comprising senior representatives from my Department, local authorities, the Irish Council for Social Housing and from the Housing Agency itself to inform the Strategy. The Working Group is chaired by the Housing Agency.
The Working Group held its inaugural meeting on 30 September 2016 and has met three times since in October and November 2016, and most recently on 13 January 2017. It is due to report by the end of Q1 2017.
147. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason for refusal of a disability allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); if it will be reviewed as a matter of urgency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3294/17]
View answerThe application for disability allowance (DA) from this lady, based upon the evidence submitted, was refused on medical grounds and the person concerned was notified in writing of this decision on 9 January 2017.
On the basis of the request by the Deputy, this decision is currently being reviewed by a deciding officer. The person in question can expect a decision on the review of her DA application shortly. If the decision to refuse the allowance is confirmed following review, the person concerned will have the right to appeal to the Social Welfare Appeals Office.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
148. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Social Protection when payment of an invalidity pension will issue to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3340/17]
View answerThe lady referred to has been awarded invalidity pension with effect from the 14 January 2016 at the maximum personal rate of €193.50. Payment will issue to her nominated bank account on the 09 February 2017. Any arrears due from 14 January 2016 to 08 February 2017 (less any overlapping social welfare payment and/or outstanding overpayment) will issue in due course. The lady in question was notified of this decision on the 23 January 2017.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
149. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason persons aged under 60 years who are in receipt of a widow's contributory pension are unable to qualify for the household benefits package and mortgage interest supplement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3347/17]
View answerThe household benefits package (HHB) comprises the electricity or gas allowance, and the free television licence. My Department will spend approximately €232 million this year on HHB for over 424,000 customers.
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 some people under the age of 66 who are in receipt of certain welfare type payments. Therefore anyone aged less than 70 years of age must be in receipt of a qualifying payment from the Department or satisfy a means test in order to qualify for HHB.
People in receipt of HHB aged under 66 are generally in receipt of payments such as Invalidity Pension, Disability Allowance or Carers. These payment types mean that the recipients are unable to work full time and earn additional income. This is not the case for people in receipt of widow’s contributory payment who are aged less than 66. These recipients are of working age and may take up full-time employment, at any level of remuneration, without losing entitlement to their widow’s contributory payment.
In general, widow’s pension only becomes a qualifying payment for HHB once the recipient reaches the age of 66 (State pension age) to ensure alignment with secondary benefits that are available to people in receipt of the State pension.
The concession whereby widows aged between 60 and 65 years, whose late spouse/civil partner received HHB from my Department, may qualify for the package was introduced at a time when State pension age was 65 and this cohort of widows were seen as less likely to be in a position to take up employment than those of a younger age.
Any decision to extend the concession to widows aged less than 60 or to allow recipients of widow’s pension of any age to qualify for HHB would have budgetary consequences and would have to be considered in the context of budget negotiations. It would also be necessary to consider whether they would be a priority group for the extension of such benefits ahead of other groups such as the unemployed or lone parents.
The mortgage interest supplement (MIS) scheme was closed to new entrants from 1 January 2014. The original purpose of the MIS scheme was to provide short-term support to eligible people who were unable to meet their mortgage interest repayments in respect of a house which was their sole place of residence. It is important that people experiencing difficulty meeting their home mortgage repayments engage with their lender to explore sustainable solutions.
The Money Advice and Budgeting Service, under the aegis of the Citizens Information Board, assists people who are over-indebted and need help and advice in coping with debt problems, in particular those on low incomes or living on social welfare payments. As part of its free services, MABS provides a dedicated mortgage arrears advisory service to help and advice those in mortgage arrears and a court mentoring service to assist those facing repossession proceedings. Additionally, the Government has recently put in place a scheme, known as Abhaile, to help people who are insolvent and in mortgage arrears on their home to access free, independent, expert advice. Borrowers can access one or more of the free financial and legal advice and assistance services by contacting the MABS helpline 0761072000 or any MABS office.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
150. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will confirm that the appeal for a carer's allowance has been successful for a person (details supplied); if so, when the appeal was resolved; the length of time it took from the original application to be resolved, including the appeal period; and when the person involved in the action will be reimbursed and begin to finally access the financial allowance. [3371/17]
View answerI can confirm that my department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person concerned on 16 February 2016. This application was refused on the grounds that the disability of the care recipient was not such that there was a requirement for full-time care and attention as prescribed in regulations.
The person concerned was notified on 20 June 2016 of this decision, the reason for it and of her right of review and appeal.
The person concerned appealed this decision and the case was submitted to the Social Welfare Appeals office for determination on 18 August 2016.
An Appeals Officer (AO), having fully considered all of the available evidence, allowed the appeal and the application was awarded on 21 January 2017. The first payment is due to issue to the person’s nominated Post Office on 26 January 2017.
Arrears of allowance due from 18 February 2016 to 25 January 2017 have issued by cheque to the person concerned on 21 January 2017. The person concerned was notified of these details on 21 January 2017.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
151. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection the average waiting time for a successful applicant for carer's allowance to receive their allowance; and the average waiting time for an applicant to receive their allowance and be reimbursed following a successful appeal. [3372/17]
View answerMy Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers. This includes ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible.
The average waiting time for new carer's allowance (CA) applications at the end of December 2016 was 11 weeks. At the end of December, there were 3,490 CA applications awaiting decision. The volume of CA claims on hands are a consequence of continued strong claim intake and the delays in processing are frequently caused by the customer failing to fully complete the claim form or failing to attach the supporting documentation that is requested on the application form.
Applications for CA in 2016 were 20% higher than in 2015. Nevertheless, my Department has seen a significant reduction in CA average processing times, from 22 weeks at the end of May 2016 to 11 weeks at the end of December 2016. Processing times are expected to further improve this year.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO) advises that the current average time taken to decide a CA appeal summarily is 17.6 weeks and 21.6 weeks for oral hearings. This represents a continuing improvement in appeal processing times compared to 2015, when the average times taken were 20.6 weeks and 25.9 weeks respectively for summary and oral hearing appeals.
Where a customer appeal is successful, every effort is made to implement the Appeals Officer’s decision within 3 weeks of notice of the decision being received from the SWAO.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
152. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an invalidity pension application in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3430/17]
View answerInvalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions.
The department received a claim for IP for the gentleman concerned on the 10 March 2016. He was refused IP on the grounds that the medical conditions for the scheme were not satisfied. He was notified on the 03 June 2016 of this decision, the reasons for it and of his right of review and appeal.
He requested a review of this decision and submitted further medical evidence in support of his request. Following a review of all the information available the DO is now satisfied that the medical conditions for the scheme are satisfied. His claim will be finalised as quickly as possible and he will be notified directly of the outcome.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
153. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of adults and children in emergency accommodation funded by his Department on the first day of every month in 2016. [3442/17]
View answerThe supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme is considered the "safety net " within the overall social welfare system in that it provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependants. The main purpose of the scheme is to provide immediate and flexible assistance for those in need who do not qualify for payment under other State schemes.
Under SWA, my Department can make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off expenditure, which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. The Government has provided €31.5 million for the exceptional and urgent needs schemes in 2017.
Under the ENP scheme payments can be made to support temporary accommodation where required. Statistics are not maintained on the numbers of adults and children supported with accommodation costs through the ENP scheme. There are many reasons why a person might seek support with temporary accommodation costs, for example when travelling with a family member to access medical treatment in another location.
The overall responsibility for the response to homelessness rests with the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government and the local authorities. There are some historical arrangements in place in some areas of the country, for example in Cork City, where Community Welfare Service staff co-ordinate access to homeless accommodation on behalf of the local authority. These cases are recorded on the PASS system.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
154. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Social Protection the details of the work his Department is carrying out to improve access and opportunities for employment for those persons with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3447/17]
View answerThe Department of Social Protection (DSP) provides a wide range of services and supports for people with disabilities, both in the area of income support and in providing assistance with finding and taking up employment where a capacity exists.
These play an increasingly important role in supporting increased participation in the labour force by people with disabilities. They also support the implementation of the Government’s commitments contained in the Comprehensive Employment Strategy (CES) for People with Disabilities, which seeks to address the multiple barriers faced by people with disabilities in obtaining employment.
Under the CES, the Department is progressively rolling out its full Intreo service to people with disabilities who wish to avail of the service on a voluntary basis. In such cases, people with disabilities who present at an Intreo Centre will be offered an interview by an employment support officer with a view to agreeing a suitable action plan. To date, over 60 officers in Intreo Centres have received training to enable them to interact effectively with people with disabilities.
The DSP also provides a wide range of work related supports for people with disabilities. One of the principal supports is the EmployAbility service, which provides job coach support to people with disabilities in accessing jobs in the open labour market. Other supports include the provision of employment subsidies through the Wage Subsidy Scheme, Workplace Adaptation Grants and specialist training courses that are specially designed for people with disabilities. Funding is also provided to AHEAD (Association for Higher Education Access and Disability) for the Willing Able Mentoring (WAM) programme, an employment placement programme for graduates with disabilities.
Most recently, Budget 2017 provided funding of €2 million for projects which will deliver pre-activation supports for people with disabilities. This is a new scheme, the objective of which would be to help bring people with disabilities who are not work-ready closer to the labour market through engagement in training and personal development activities. This would be followed by an incremental exposure to suitable work.
On aggregate, employment related supports for people with disability provided by DSP are estimated to cost almost €55 million in 2017. Furthermore, people with disabilities have access to most of the standard employment supports available to other jobseekers such as the Community Employment Scheme and Springboard.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
155. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection the provisions within the JobPath rules for persons to be precluded from selection for JobPath again if they have already completed a full 52-week course of the scheme. [3508/17]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, JobPath is an employment activation service for people who are long-term unemployed (LTU) and those most at risk of becoming long-term unemployed to secure and sustain paid employment.
Clients are randomly selected for participation and the protocols for selection currently preclude the selection of anyone who has already completed JobPath within the previous six months.
However, an immediate re-referral to JobPath will be facilitated where a person asks to be returned to JobPath at the end of the 52 weeks and the JobPath provider confirms that the person, with an additional period of support has a strong chance of progressing into a full time sustainable job.
156. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding a disability allowance appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) who has been without a payment since August 2016 when their original application was refused. [3509/17]
View answerThe application for disability allowance (DA) from this man was disallowed by a deciding officer (DO) who decided that he does not satisfy the medical conditions for the scheme. Notification of this decision and the reason(s) for it issued to the person on 28 October 2016.
The person in question has lodged an appeal with the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO). All the relevant papers requested by that Office are being prepared and will be submitted by the Department shortly. The SWAO will be in touch with the person in due course in relation to the progress of the appeal.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
157. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if an aircraft (details supplied), that passed through Shannon Airport on 17 January 2017 and again on 18 January 2017, was contracted to the US military; if there were troops on board on either occasion; the reason the plane switched call sign on the next leg of its journey after Shannon, from Athens to Qatar; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3359/17]
View answerThe Air Navigation (Foreign Military Aircraft) Order 1952, made under the Air Navigation and Transport Act 1946, gives the Minister for Foreign Affairs primary responsibility for the regulation of activity by foreign military aircraft in Ireland. The practical implementation of this provision is guided by and reflects Ireland’s traditional policy of military neutrality.
Primary responsibility for the regulation of foreign civil aircraft in Ireland rests with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport.
158. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to a case of a person (details supplied); his views on whether nurses must be allowed to deliver certain services to those in need, without differentiation as to their status, and allowed express the views of their colleagues in relation to the delivery of health services; and if he has raised the case with his Bahraini counterpart. [3363/17]
View answerI am aware of the case in question, and have had representations made on behalf of this person to my Department by members of the public.
I strongly support the right to freely and peacefully express opinion in all circumstances, regardless of a person’s status, profession or role in society. Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right. There have been worrying developments in Bahrain of late, with widespread reports of a crackdown on those who express dissent or criticism of the Bahraini Government. Bahrain has been vocal in stating its commitment to improving its human rights record, but developments over the last few months would suggest that this is not being implemented in practice.
My Department has made known Ireland’s position on these developments. In the Item 4 Statement (Human rights situations that require the Council's attention) at the Human Rights Council in Geneva last September, Ireland expressed concern about “restrictions on freedom of expression, assembly and association aimed at silencing the voice of civil society and human rights defenders in countries including Bahrain”. Further, Ireland’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, who is accredited to Bahrain as we do not have an Embassy there, recently met with the Bahraini Deputy Minister for International Affairs, Abdullah Bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, and they discussed human rights.
My Department will continue to advocate for freedom of expression to be respected, in Bahrain and elsewhere.
159. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a case of a person (details supplied); if he has seen a video clip which lasts for over two minutes and was released to the Irish media ahead of Christmas; and if he has discussed the case with his Filipino counterpart recently. [3364/17]
View answerI am very aware of the extremely difficult circumstances in which this individual and his family find themselves. I have personally raised my concerns about the case, and about the health and wellbeing of the individual concerned, with my Philippines counterpart, most recently at the UN in New York last September.
As the individual himself makes clear in the video clip released before Christmas, this is an ongoing legal case. It is for the citizen’s legal representatives to advise him and to act on his behalf in matters before the courts. The Irish Government does not and cannot interfere with a trial in another jurisdiction, just as we would not tolerate a foreign government seeking to interfere in a judicial process in Ireland.
Beyond doing what is possible to ensure that Mr Ó Cochlain has legal representation, what the Government can do, and what we have been consistently doing, is emphasising very strongly to the Philippines authorities our serious concerns for the rights and welfare of our Irish citizen, explaining and underlining the humanitarian considerations, and seeking the cooperation of the relevant executive and administrative authorities in expediting the scheduling of the appeal on those grounds.
As the individual states in the video clip, his appeal is waiting to be filed at the Supreme Court.
This is why the current priority focus of our Embassy in Singapore is on follow up to the request to seek to have the appeal process expedited on humanitarian grounds. This request was reiterated at a meeting earlier this month with senior Philippines Foreign Ministry officials.
Let me assure you that my Department continues to prioritise this case and that Department officials in Dublin, our Embassy in Singapore and our Honorary Consulate in the Philippines will continue to provide all appropriate consular assistance to this individual and to his family.
160. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the health and safety of a person (details supplied); and if he will raise the case with his Turkish counterpart. [3365/17]
View answerI am aware of the case to which the Deputy refers. I understand that there are worrying suggestions that this individual’s safety in prison may be under threat. The security measures surrounding prisoners are, of course, a matter for the Turkish authorities. I have asked my officials to raise the concerns that have been brought to my attention with the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey in Dublin.
As we approach the 18th anniversary of the detention of this individual, I would like to reiterate my call to all parties concerned in the Kurdish issue to return to dialogue so that the political process to resolve this issue can be resumed.
161. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the supports that were put in place to deal with increased demand for Irish passports in view of the fact that 733,060 Irish passports were issued in 2016, an increase of 9% on 2015; and if he expects a similar demand in 2017. [3366/17]
View answerTo respond to the seasonal spike in demand as well as a more general increase in passport application numbers, a total of 233 Temporary Clerical Officers were employed by my Department last year. This was an increase of 62 officers compared to 2015.
It is expected that passport application volumes will continue to increase in 2017. To effectively manage rising volumes, including via timely processing of applications and related customer service functions, the Passport Service aims to recruit a similar number of Temporary Clerical Officers this year.
The Passport Service continues to advance the upgrade of technology systems and business processes under the Passport Reform Programme. The introduction of an on-line passport application channel for adult renewals planned for the coming months will result in significant savings in passport processing time and increased productivity.
As part of the Reform Programme, an improved on-line tracking service was launched at the end of 2016. This allows the customer to accurately track the progress of their application in a visually dynamic way, and provides an estimated date of issue based on current turnaround timeframes. This should reduce the volume of customer queries to the Passport Service and allow more staff to be allocated to application processing.
Public messaging on the Passport Service website and in media contacts has been revised to underline the importance of applying at least six weeks in advance of travel and reminding that the Passport Express service is still the cheapest and most efficient means of applying for a passport.
My Department will continue to closely monitor the volume of applications. Resources will be re-deployed as needed to deal with any significant increases and the need for additional resources will be kept under active review.
