Wednesday, 8 Mar 2017

Written Replies Nos. 164 to 174

Data Sharing Arrangements

Questions (164)

Barry Cowen

Question:

164. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will release all datasets from his Department in open format as defined under the open data technical framework and re-use of public sector information regulations 2015; if he will release a dataset (details supplied) in an open format as defined in the framework and regulations; if not, the reasons for refusing to do this; and the reason his Department is of the view that this dataset should not be published in open format in the initial instance. [12399/17]

Written answers

Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government

My Department is part of the Public Bodies Working Group, PBWG, on Open Data and contributed to the development of an Open Data Strategy, and an Open Data Framework which underpins the publication of datasets on the Government Open Data portal (data.gov.ie.) in line with agreed standards thus facilitating re-use and interoperability. Work is underway between my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to evaluate the potential for a harvester to automate the collection of data directly from my Department’s website.

My Department is also carrying out data audits on an ongoing basis with a view to publication where appropriate. To date my Department has made available a total of 220 datasets via the Open Data Portal https://data.gov.ie and the dataset referred to in the question is now available on my Department’s website at http://www.housing.gov.ie/housing/rebuilding-ireland/construction/rebuilding-ireland-social-housing-construction-status-report and will be made available shortly, in open format, via the Open Data Portal.

Social and Affordable Housing

Questions (165)

Barry Cowen

Question:

165. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his views on the fact that social housing construction output is behind the annual targets set in the Rebuilding Ireland action plan; and the targets for annual output of new-build social housing completions in each year from 2016 to 2021 compared to expected output based on the 8,430 approvals, in tabular form. [12400/17]

Written answers

Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government

The need to increase and accelerate the delivery of social housing for those on the waiting list is a key focus of the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, which provides for an ambitious social housing programme of 47,000 units to 2021 with funding of €5.35 billion.

The delivery against this target has already been well advanced and in 2016, we saw 18,380 social housing supports provided nationally, with expenditure of €935 million on social housing over the year. This exceeded the 2016 target of 17,240, giving a very positive start to the challenge of meeting the ambitious targets in Rebuilding Ireland. The 2016 build target within Rebuilding Ireland was 2,260 units, made up of new builds by local authorities and approved housing bodies, through regeneration, rapid builds, newly constructed Part V units and the remediation of vacant properties. The estimated output, subject to final confirmation of data, is 2,920.

Under Rebuilding Ireland, approximately 26,000 social housing units are to be delivered via construction activity, some 18,000 of which will be local authority and AHB new build units, with the balance comprising units constructed through Part V and void units refurbished. The 8,430 new social homes being delivered via the 504 approved projects in the construction pipeline represent a significant tranche of the required delivery. It should be noted these projects are those approved up until end-2016, which have since been added to, and do not include the approved bundles of Public Private Partnership construction projects for around 1,000 new social housing units. Since becoming Minister, I have approved projects to the value of approximately €400 million, which will deliver over 3,000 additional new social homes, and further approvals are issuing on an ongoing basis.

The annual breakdown of delivery between the various mechanisms will depend on a number of factors, including the pace at which individual projects proceed. These will be kept under ongoing review by my Department, in consultation with local authorities, in order to ensure that overall delivery on an annual basis is maximised.

Family Income Supplement

Questions (166)

John Brady

Question:

166. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection if family income supplement payments have been suspended for any persons engaging in industrial action, in view of the incorrect information given out by his Department on this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12204/17]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

The Family Income Supplement (FIS) is an in-work support from my Department, which provides an income top-up for employees on low earnings with children. FIS was designed to prevent in-work poverty for low paid workers with child dependents and to offer a financial incentive to take-up employment. There are currently over 57,000 families with more than 127,000 children in receipt of FIS and the Government has provided approximately €422 million for FIS in 2017

A unique feature of the FIS scheme is that recipients receive a guaranteed level of income support throughout a 52-week period. This certainty is important to the success of the scheme as it provides an incentive to claimants to maximise their earnings from employment (e.g. more hours, higher wages).

The recent Tesco industrial dispute led to the Department receiving a number of queries on the FIS entitlement of those participating in industrial action. These highlighted an incorrect reference on some Departmental documentation, and on the Department’s website, that FIS may be suspended due to participation in a trade dispute.

This incorrect information has been corrected.

There is no provision in social welfare legislation, which provides for the suspension or termination of FIS in the event that the recipient is involved in industrial action. My Department has not suspended or terminated FIS in respect of any Tesco worker, specifically on the grounds that they were involved in the recent industrial dispute.

My Department is currently reviewing available records to see if it can establish whether, in the past, a FIS recipient involved in an industrial dispute has had their payment suspended and take any necessary corrective action.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Jobseeker's Allowance Applications

Questions (167)

Kevin O'Keeffe

Question:

167. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the position regarding jobseeker's allowance applicants (details supplied). [12209/17]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

Social welfare legislation provides that where a person under 25 years of age claims jobseeker’s allowance and is living with a parent or step-parent in the family home, an assessment is made of the yearly value of any benefit and privilege enjoyed by that person by virtue of residing there.

The value of the benefit and privilege assessed is based on the level of the parents' assessable income. Parental income is calculated as gross income less tax, PRSI, Universal Social Charge, superannuation and union dues. Rent or mortgage repayments are then disregarded, where appropriate, and, finally, a parental allowance of €600 per week per couple plus €30 per week in respect of each additional dependent children is also disregarded. The balance is assessed at 34% and this constitutes the weekly value of benefit and privilege to the claimant.

There are two exceptions to this rule. No assessment is made where a son or daughter and his or her spouse/civil partner/partner is living with his / her parents. In addition, where a person returns to the parental home having had an independent life elsewhere in Ireland or abroad for an appreciable length of time e.g. at least three years, the assessment in this case is €7 per week.

It should be noted that once a person reaches 25 years of age, the value of any benefit and privilege is no longer regarded as means.

Any change to the assessment of means for jobseeker’s allowance claimants who live at home will have to be considered in the overall policy and budgetary context.

Carer's Allowance Applications

Questions (168)

Michael Healy-Rae

Question:

168. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application for carer's allowance by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12229/17]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

I confirm that my Department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person concerned on 30 January 2017. 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.

Community Employment Schemes Eligibility

Questions (169)

James Lawless

Question:

169. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the community employment scheme of a person (details supplied); if he will extend this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12253/17]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

The Department sets down eligibility criteria for participation on Community Employment (C.E.) schemes so as to ensure that opportunities to avail of activation measures are managed effectively. The maximum duration of participation available on C.E. is determined having regard to a range of factors including the age of the participant and signing record at date of commencement on the scheme.

In certain circumstances it is possible for those aged 62 and over to have their placement extended until they reach 66 years of age. The person concerned was eligible under this category of participant. The C.E. scheme in question has two such places available and interviews were held with interested participants. Unfortunately, the person concerned was not successful at interview stage.

The scheme’s next renewal date is 02/06/2017. At that time the person concerned will finish on the scheme, having completed 6 years in total.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility

Questions (170)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

170. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the eligibility for contributory State pension of a person (details supplied); the options available in this instance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12254/17]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

The question relates to the possibility of the person concerned becoming a voluntary social insurance contributor, for the purposes of filling gaps in his social insurance record. As the Deputy will be aware, I recently introduced legislation extending the period during which a person may opt to become a voluntary contributor, increasing the period from from 12 months to 60 months. Unfortunately, as the person concerned last paid compulsory PRSI in the 2007 tax year he is outside the 60 month time limit to make an application to become a voluntary contributor.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Question No. 171 withdrawn.

Community Employment Schemes Administration

Questions (172)

Thomas Byrne

Question:

172. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Social Protection if there are exemptions for persons employed on community employment schemes to remain on these schemes after their term has ended. [12261/17]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

Community Employment (CE) is available to participants up to state pension age who meet the current eligibility criteria.

The pattern of participation on CE is dependent on the individual circumstance of each person and the length of time she has been in receipt of a CE-qualifying social welfare payment.

The participation limits that have been set allow for the utilisation of places among qualifying persons, to ensure the benefit of CE is available to the widest possible number of jobseekers. Any CE participant with a query regarding their participation duration can contact their local Intreo Office for further information.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Question No. 173 withdrawn.

Employment Support Services

Questions (174)

Joan Burton

Question:

174. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Social Protection the opportunities in terms of training or workplace support programmes available to persons drawing credits but not receiving a social welfare payment; the schemes open to such persons; and his plans to extend options for job training for this category of persons. [12340/17]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

The key objective of activation policy and labour market initiatives is 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 qualifying social welfare payment.

At the same time and under certain circumstances, other groups can access training opportunities. Unemployed persons not in receipt of payments may be eligible to avail of up-skilling opportunities, for example 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). In these cases, such participants do not receive a training allowance but may receive travel and lunch allowances from the ETB. Persons signing on for credits for 12 months or longer over the previous 18 months are also entitled to participate on Momentum provided that they have been actively seeking work, however they will not receive any payment.

More generally, a range of services are available to persons who are unemployed but not in receipt of a social welfare payment. For example employment services, such as advice on job-search activities and the use of online job search tools, are available to people if they register with the Department’s employment services offices, regardless of their social welfare status.

In short, 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. There are no plans to make changes to these arrangements at present.