Written Answers Nos. 1204-1229
1204. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the qualified adult allowance rate in respect of social welfare payments has been increased in recent years; her plans to increase this rate of payment in 2018; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45967/17]
View answerI was pleased to announce on Budget Day that there will be a €5 increase in the maximum weekly rates of social welfare payments from the end of March 2018, with proportionate increases for qualified adults and those on reduced rates of payment. This builds on a similar €5 increase in Budget 2017, and a €3 increase in the weekly rates of payment for those aged 66 and over in Budget 2016.
Accordingly, as a result of the Budget 2016 and 2017 improvements, the qualified adult rate of a State Pension Contributory recipient (where the qualified adult is aged 66 and over), increased from €206.30 per week in 2015 to €213.50 per week currently. This will further increase to €218.00 per week from March 2018.
Similarly, the qualified adult rate for a State Pension Contributory recipient (where the qualified adult is under 66 years of age) has increased from €153.50 per week in 2015 to €158.80 per week currently and will increase to €162.10 per week from March 2018.
The qualified adult rate that applies to schemes such as Jobseeker’s Allowance/Benefit, Farm Assist, Disability Allowance, Blind Pension and Illness Benefit, increased from €124.80 per week in 2016 to €128.10 per week currently and will increase to €131.40 per week in March 2018.
Equivalent proportionate increases have applied across all social welfare schemes with qualified adult payments.
1205. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the meetings of the strategic communications unit she or her departmental officials attended; the date and location of each such meeting; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45991/17]
View answerThe Minister has not had any meetings to date with officials from the Strategic Communications Unit at the Department of An Taoiseach. The Secretary General of the Department met with the person appointed as head of the unit on 17th August at the Department’s headquarters at Áras Mhic Dhiarmada, Store Street, Dublin 1.
Senior officials from the Department have also met with from officials from the Strategic Communications Unit on two occasions, on 22 August 2017 and on Thursday 19 October 2017. Both meetings took place at the Department of An Taoiseach, Government Buildings.
1206. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the last time her Department's website was revamped or remodelled; the cost of same; if she or her Department officials have been consulted regarding creating one stand-alone online Government portal website; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46008/17]
View answer1207. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the investment in her Department’s website since 2011 including total associated costs incurred; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46025/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1206 and 1207
The Department’s website www.welfare.ie acts as a core information link between the Department and its customers and stakeholders. With over 7.9 million visits during the period from October 2016 to October 2017, it is used extensively and acts as the central source of information on the schemes and programmes provided by the Department.
An open procurement process, which was undertaken in 2012, saw Hewlett Packard (HP) Ireland Ltd appointed as consultants on a 2013 website redesign project. The 2013 website redesign project delivered a site which remains in existence and included the development of a new desktop version of the site, a mobile responsive version of the site, and support and maintenance of the web site up to 2016 at a total cost of €463,380 (excluding VAT).
In order to provide maintenance support for the website for the period 2016 onwards an open procurement process was undertaken and Hewlett Packard Enterprise Ireland were appointed to provide external support for the maintenance and technical support of the Department’s internal corporate portal and the external website. To date, the total spend on this contract is €33,458 (excluding VAT) which is paid on a drawdown basis.
Given the extensive range of information provided through the welfare.ie website and public reliance on same for clear information, it is important that the website keeps pace with changes in user interface and design in order to provide a modern, responsive and accessible website that more fully meets a wide range of customer and stakeholder information needs and expectations. Accordingly, an in-depth review of the website is currently underway to best determine the information needs of www.welfare.ie customers and provide a roadmap for future website development.
As part of the Government's eGovernment strategy 2017- 2020 the Office of the Chief Information Officer has been working on the development of a Digital Service Gateway - a single digital point where citizens can easily access information about the Government services that are available to them. This work, which began at the beginning of this year is ongoing and will involve the rationalisation of existing Government websites and online services over time. This project will be managed and developed by existing resources within the civil service.
1208. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of departmental staff in her press office; the reporting relationship in operation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46042/17]
View answerThere are three staff assigned to my Department’s press office. These staff report into an Assistant Principal Officer who, in addition to other duties, is responsible for the operation of the office.
1209. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the protocol for attendance by staff, both civil servants and political non-civil servants, to continuing professional development programmes and courses; the number of staff, both civil servants and political non-civil servants, in her Department who participated in such programmes on an annual basis in each of the years 2011 to 2016 and to date in 2017; the costs incurred by her Department for persons who participated in these courses; the providers of all such courses; the subject areas of all courses and programmes provided, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46059/17]
View answerMy Department is committed to the continued learning and development of its staff and has invested heavily in the rollout of tailored training to meet the needs of staff. The provision of this training is an investment by the Department in the continuing development of staff with the aim of ensuring that the Department continues to provide a high quality service to its customers.
Given the scale of my Department and the level of training activity it is involved in delivering across the country, it has not been possible to provide all of the information in the format requested by the Deputy. However I wish to inform the Deputy of the following;
In the period 2011 to 2017 my Department has spent the following sums in providing training and development:
|
Year |
Overall Training Expenditure |
|
2011 |
€487,200 |
|
2012 |
€465,631 |
|
2013 |
€665,565 |
|
2014 |
€701,299 |
|
2015 |
€707,492 |
|
2016 |
€780,803 |
|
2017 (to Sept) |
€987,088 |
Since 2015 the Department has prioritised the development of training to staff in its frontline roles, namely Appeals Officers, Case Officers, Deciding Officers, Designated Persons, Managers in Intreo Centres and Social Welfare Inspectors through the development of the Learning Programme known as One DEASP. This involved the development of a curriculum of over 70 instructor –led courses that are delivered by Departmental training staff. This training is further supported by the development of e-learning modules to support staff in these specific roles.
Since 2015 there have been over 9,500 attendees at various One DEASP training modules, which have been supplemented by approximately 8,300 e-learning completions:
|
One DSP Learning Programme |
Instructor-Led Modules |
E-Learning Modules |
|
2015 |
2921 |
1584 |
|
2016 |
3892 |
4209 |
|
2017 |
2694 |
2503 |
To supplement this specific training and to cater for the broad range of training needs of staff across my Department additional generic training is delivered both internally and externally to meet the business needs of the Department. Since 2015 there have been a total of 23,000 attendees at such training across a wide range of different areas:
|
Other Training |
Total Attendees |
|
2015 |
7046 |
|
2016 |
8259 |
|
2017 |
7695 |
1210. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the public relations companies or agencies the services of which her Department used for information campaigns since 1 January 2017; and the costs incurred to date in 2017. [46076/17]
View answerNo services from public relations companies or public relations agencies have been used for information campaigns since 1 January 2017. As a result, no costs have been incurred.
1211. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the steps she has taken to ensure that grant-aided organisations are spending their moneys appropriately in view of the revelations regarding a charity (details supplied) in 2016; if her attention has been drawn to concerns regarding organisations funded by her Department; if so, the action she has taken; if her Department has issued new procedures regarding the use of credit cards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46093/17]
View answerThe information requested is not immediately available in my Department but is being compiled at present and my officials will write to the Deputy when it is available.
1212. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her Department has invited a company (details supplied) to establish a new company and to apply for the community services programme funding administered by Pobal that was removed from a previous company in view of the fact that three directors on the board of the company were also members of the board of the previous company; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46107/17]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, funding under the Community Services Programme (CSP) was withdrawn from the company involved in promoting Inishowen tourism at the end of June 2017 following a lack of sufficient progress by the company in addressing governance deficiencies identified in an independent report in 2016.
My Department did not wish to withdrawn funding from the service but could not continue with the funding given the issues identified. In order to progress matters, officials from my Department and Pobal have been working with Inishowen Development Partnership (IDP) to restore and maintain CSP funding to the tourism service in Inishowen. IDP has an established track record in administering government programmes and funding in Inishowen.
Explore Inishowen CLG, a new company, has been formed with a view to restoring CSP funding for the Inishowen tourism service. While there are 2 directors from IDP on the board of Explore Inishowen CLG, it is completely independent of IDP. The company has to develop an initial 12 month business plan which will need to be examined and recommended by Pobal to my Department before the CSP funding can be restored.
I want to confirm that none of the directors of Explore Inishowen CLG were board members of the previous company through which CSP funding was delivered.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
1213. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the details of all planning and research work under way for the impact of the result of Brexit negotiations in her Department or related State agencies; if this analysis is intended for publication; the expected completion and publication date respectively of this research, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46119/17]
View answerAs Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade with special responsibility for Brexit, Minister Coveney has responsibility for coordinating the whole-of-Government response to Brexit. In this capacity, he is working closely with his colleagues across Government to address the many challenges resulting from Brexit. This cooperation also involves the relevant State Agencies.
Work at Cabinet level is being prepared through cross-Departmental coordination structures. These represent a frequent and active channel through which all relevant Departments are providing their research, analysis and overall policy input to the Government’s wider response to Brexit, including its priorities for the ongoing Article 50 negotiations between the EU and the UK.
As the outcome of the negotiations is not yet known, an important focus of the planning and preparation being undertaken through these structures is on deepening the Government’s analysis and understanding of the exact consequences of a range of different possible scenarios. This represents an intensification of efforts to build on the Government's contingency planning.
In relation to the areas under my remit, the key area of concern is the impact of Brexit on the current reciprocal arrangements for social insurance (which includes pensions) and social assistance (means tested schemes linked to residency rights) and child benefit between Ireland and the UK, including Northern Ireland.
The Citizens Information Board has commissioned research to scope the possible impacts of Brexit on citizens in a number of areas and to identify potential information responses, including cross-border responses, to ensure citizens are kept informed of their rights and entitlements.
CIB intends to publish this research. It is due to be complete in February 2018.
The Department is continuing its assessment of the implications of Brexit on these areas on a scheme-by-scheme and client basis. This is part of ongoing Brexit analysis and scenario planning for input into larger Government deliberative processes and it is considered that all of these areas merit equal prioritisation as they fundamentally relate to the rights, entitlements and wellbeing of our citizens.
1215. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when discussions regarding pension contributions for those who took time out of their working lives previous to 1994 to raise their families will conclude; and when those affected can expect to be in receipt of a full pension payment. [46135/17]
View answerThe State pension is a valuable benefit and is the bedrock of the pension system. There are two State pensions. Firstly, the State pension non-contributory is a means-tested pension funded from taxation. Secondly, the State pension contributory, which is based on social insurance contributions rather than a means-test, is paid from the Social Insurance Fund. Accordingly, it is important to ensure those qualifying for a State pension contributory have made a sustained contribution to the Social Insurance Fund over their working lives. To ensure that the individual can maximise their entitlement to a State pension, all contributions, paid or credited, over their working life from when they first enter insurable employment until pension age are taken into account when assessing their entitlement and the level of that entitlement.
The homemaker's scheme makes qualification for a higher rate of State pension contributory easier for those who take time out of the workforce for caring duties. The scheme, which was introduced in and took effect for periods from 1994, allows up to 20 years spent caring for children under 12 years of age, or caring for incapacitated people over that age, to be disregarded when a person’s social insurance record is being averaged for pension purposes, subject to the standard qualifying conditions for State pension contributory also being satisfied. This has the effect of increasing the yearly average of the pensioner, which is used to set the rate of his or her pension. Backdating it in respect of periods before its introduction in 1994 is estimated to cost €290 million per year, and this figure would rise annually and at a faster rate than the overall cost of State pensions.
It is clear that this is a very substantial sum, which is not affordable without very significant cut-backs in other areas. Therefore, a change along the lines suggested in the Deputy’s question, where everyone affected by the 1994 cut-off point for the Homemakers scheme would receive a maximum rate pension, is not a feasible option at the present time.
Where someone does not qualify for a full rate contributory pension, they may qualify for an alternative payment. 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. Alternatively, they may qualify for a means-tested State pension non-contributory, which amounts up to 95% of the maximum contributory rate.
It is planned that a total contributions approach will replace the yearly average approach from around 2020. The position of homemakers will be carefully considered in the context of that reform.
I hope this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
1216. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the steps she is taking to ensure that all construction companies pay PRSI and social insurance contributions for all construction employees and that main contractors for State contracts, including PPPs must be fully legally responsible for those contributions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46139/17]
View answerAll companies within the construction and, indeed all other sectors, are obliged in law to ensure that PRSI contributions are duly recorded and remitted for their employees. My Department undertakes a number of specific compliance measures as part of its Compliance and Anti-Fraud Strategy 2014-2018 using our own inspectorate – the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) - as well as joint working with other state agencies, notably, the Revenue Commissioners and the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). The construction sector is actively monitoring to ensure compliance.
This work facilitates an approach whereby compliance issues can be aggregately examined across agencies and involves the examination of contractors and employees engaged on construction sites.
Where details of specific cases are supplied to my Department, they are investigated and the insurability of the person or persons concerned is determined. If evidence of non-compliance or misclassification of employment status is detected, this is pursued. Inspections are also conducted by the SIU on once-off builds. The SIU will also investigate reports where information is received about persons engaged in concurrent working and claiming of benefits and/or the non-payment of tax as shadow economy workers in the construction sector.
The Deputy may also like to note that the SIU works in co-operation with welfare anti-fraud agencies in Northern Ireland and other jurisdictions where any suspicion is raised that abuse of the social welfare and social security systems may have cross-border features.
Particular emphasis has been given to the Education Capital Building Programme with the inspection focus towards larger projects and sites. This Department, Revenue and the WRC are actively engaged with the Department of Education & Skills and have obtained details of their capital investment programme and locations where construction is currently underway or due to commence.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1217. Deputy Declan Breathnach asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason women who are suffering illness due to and during pregnancy cannot receive illness benefit; if a benefit for women who suffer during this time can be put in place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46144/17]
View answerIllness Benefit is a payment for persons who cannot work due to illness and who satisfy the pay-related social insurance (PRSI) contributions conditions. The rate of payment depends on the person’s level of earnings in the governing PRSI contribution year. For illness benefit claims made in 2017, the governing contribution year is 2015.
Illness benefit is payable to pregnant women who meet the qualifying conditions and who are certified as unfit to work, by their doctor.
Health and Safety Benefit is a weekly payment for women who are granted Health and Safety leave by their employer if a risk to their health cannot be removed or alternative “risk-free” duties cannot be assigned while they are pregnant. To qualify, certain criteria and social insurance conditions must be met. Under the Maternity Protection Act, 1994, an employee is entitled to remuneration from her employer for the first 21 days of Health and Safety Leave and Health and Safety Benefit is payable for the remainder if the qualifying conditions are met.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1218. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the country and location that the mobile phone code verification numbers are sent from in the context of the public service card application process stage whereby a person is asked to verify his or her mobile phone number and receive a MyGov verification code; if the host +1 425 prefix code and accompanying number is compliant with data protection laws here; the name of the service provider; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46157/17]
View answerA MyGovID account is a secure online account for accessing public services. The process for registering and using a MyGovID account proves in the online environment that the person has had their identity verified to the SAFE 2 standard. In the context of the SAFE/PSC/MyGovID infrastructure, my Department utilises three mobile verification processes as follows –
(a) when an individual’s phone is verified face-to-face as part of the SAFE 2 registration process,
(b) to facilitate MyGovID registration prior to receipt of a PSC and
(c) as part of the two factor authentication for MyGovID verification/transaction processes.
As regards (a) and (b), the text messages are generated on the Department’s internal systems and relayed through Vodafone’s Irish network via a direct link for onward transmission to the relevant phone number.
As regards (c) above, the Department seeks to ensure that a person’s MyGovID account is not used by another person. This is done by employing two-factor authentication each time the person uses the account. This means that, in addition to requesting a username and password (something they know), a one-time verification code is sent to a person’s verified mobile phone (something they have) which they must also provide when logging in. MyGovID is developed on the Microsoft Azure platform and utilises the in-built Azure text message Multi-Factor Authentication which is Microsoft's two-step verification solution. Microsoft provides the text messaging two-factor authentication service on behalf of the Department and guarantees 99.9% availability of Multi-Factor Authentication. For this service, Microsoft avails of bundled low-cost text messaging services worldwide. The origin of each message depends on the location of the lowest rate available at the time.
It is important to note that no personal information is shared in the provision of this service.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1219. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason her Department did not follow the established protocol of seeking an adjournment when a social welfare case for prosecution has an appeal pending in regard to a case (details supplied). [46162/17]
View answerMy Department’s policy in relation to appeals to the Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO) and cases being considered for prosecution has not changed. Where my Department’s Prosecution Service is advised of a pending appeal, the State Solicitor conducting the case will advise the Court and agree to an adjournment, if so determined by the Court. In the absence of any notice of appeal, it is open to the defendant to petition the Court in a similar manner.
In the case referred to by the Deputy, the Prosecution Service was not aware that a second appeal had been made to the SWAO sometime after a first appeal was unsuccessful. The second appeal was also unsuccessful. I also understand that the defendant in this case sought and obtained an adjournment of proceedings which is their right. The State Solicitor did not object to the adjournment being granted.
The assessment of the Prosecution Service is that the existing practice was followed in full. Had the Department been notified of the second application to the SWAO, the State Solicitor would have been so advised and sought the Court’s permission to adjourn proceedings.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1220. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kildare is not in receipt of a full State pension. [46167/17]
View answerAccording to the Department’s records, the person concerned has a social insurance record of 1822 reckonable contributions and credits. They are in receipt of a reduced rate state pension (contributory) based on an assessed yearly average of 36 contributions, covering the period from August 1966 to December 2015. The person concerned is in receipt of the correct rate of contributory pension based on this record.
The Department’s records show that there are gaps in the person’s insurance record for the years 1971, from 1979/80 to 1981/82, from 1984/85 to 1988/89 and from 1991/92 to 1992/93. These gaps impact on the person’s overall yearly average and consequently on their rate of weekly pension entitlement.
If the person concerned considers they have additional contributions or credits that have not been recorded, it is open to the person concerned to forward documentary evidence of the missing periods of employment to my Department and their pension entitlement will be reviewed.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1221. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of an illness benefit payment for a person (details supplied) in County Kildare. [46169/17]
View answerI confirm that an application from this gentleman for disability allowance (DA) was received by the Department on 18 August 2017. The application has been referred to a Social Welfare Inspector (SWI) for a report on the person’s means and circumstances. Once the SWI has submitted his/her report to DA section, a decision will be made on the application and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1222. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of recipients of a State pension (contributory) who qualified for payment since the changes were made to the bands and rates in 2012 and whose payment is less than the full payment rate as a result of those changes, by gender, local social welfare office, county or other such geographical measure for which data is available. [46182/17]
View answerThe change in relation to State pension (contributory), introduced with effect from 1st September 2012, sets out a wider graduation of yearly average bands and corresponding pension rates. The aim of this change is to ensure that the rate of pension payment is more closely related to the paid or credited social insurance contribution record a person holds over their working lives.
The maximum pension rate band, for those with a yearly average of 48 contributions or over, remained unchanged, as did the rate payable to people with a yearly average of between 40 and 47 contributions. A person’s yearly average of contributions (including reckonable credits where applicable) determines a person’s rate of pension entitlement. The changes introduced from 1 September 2012 affected only those who qualified for State pension (contributory) after that date, and only those who had an average of between 10 and 39 contributions per year.
According to the records of my Department, the current number of recipients of state pension (contributory) is 391,998. Of those recipients, 42,278 pensioners – 26,598 females and 15,680 males - have been affected by the rate band changes introduced from September 2012. 38,191 of those affected are resident in Ireland – 24,430 females and 13,761 males. The breakdown of these pension recipients per county is provided in the table below.
|
State pension (contributory) recipients |
Female |
Male |
|
|
Carlow |
404 |
263 |
141 |
|
Cavan |
551 |
328 |
223 |
|
Clare |
1143 |
709 |
434 |
|
Cork |
4179 |
2748 |
1431 |
|
Donegal |
1131 |
639 |
492 |
|
Dublin |
10514 |
7116 |
3398 |
|
Galway |
2116 |
1271 |
845 |
|
Kerry |
1398 |
843 |
555 |
|
Kildare |
1721 |
1166 |
555 |
|
Kilkenny |
706 |
464 |
242 |
|
Laois |
502 |
305 |
197 |
|
Leitrim |
279 |
159 |
120 |
|
Limerick |
1606 |
1062 |
544 |
|
Longford |
314 |
183 |
131 |
|
Louth |
855 |
548 |
307 |
|
Mayo |
1340 |
762 |
578 |
|
Meath |
1438 |
940 |
498 |
|
Monaghan |
512 |
292 |
220 |
|
Offaly |
563 |
349 |
214 |
|
Roscommon |
606 |
351 |
255 |
|
Sligo |
694 |
401 |
293 |
|
Tipperary |
1371 |
887 |
484 |
|
Waterford |
890 |
588 |
302 |
|
Westmeath |
764 |
436 |
328 |
|
Wexford |
1186 |
729 |
457 |
|
Wicklow |
1408 |
891 |
517 |
|
Total |
38191 |
24430 |
13761 |
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1223. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to change the anomaly whereby a person who was in receipt of fuel allowance prior to participating in a community employment scheme can continue to qualify and receive this payment for the duration of the scheme, but a person who joins a community employment scheme and satisfies all other criteria cannot receive fuel allowance if that person had not received it prior to starting the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46185/17]
View answerThe fuel allowance is a payment of €22.50 per week from October to April to 376,000 low income households to assist them with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. Only one allowance is paid per household.
Participants on Employment Support Schemes (ESS), including Community Employment Schemes, can be paid Fuel Allowance where they had applied for or were awarded fuel allowance prior to commencing the scheme and where they satisfy or continue to satisfy the conditions. Claimants moving to an Employment Support Scheme cannot accrue entitlement to Fuel Allowance while on the scheme, e.g., a person moving from Jobseeker’s Allowance with less than 391 days.
However, if there is a change in circumstances, i.e., where an ESS participant has an underlying entitlement to Fuel Allowance but is not in receipt of the allowance because another member of the household is receiving the allowance, (e.g. social welfare fuel recipient is no longer residing at the address), then it is open for the ESS participant to apply for Fuel Allowance. In such circumstances, the Fuel Allowance can be reviewed and awarded provided the ESS participant satisfies all conditions for receipt of the allowance.
The Guidelines for the Fuel Allowance Scheme are kept under review. However, any decision to allow people whose entitlement to fuel had not been established prior to participating on a community employment scheme to subsequently qualify for the fuel allowance would have to be considered in the context of overall budgetary negotiations.
Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, a special heating supplement may be paid to assist people in certain circumstances who have special heating needs due to ill health or infirmity. Exceptional needs payments may also be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which a person is unable to meet from his/her own resources.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1224. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a decision will be made in respect of a carer's benefit application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46190/17]
View answerAn application for carer’s benefit was received from the person concerned on 12 September 2017.
The application was awarded to the person concerned with effect from 12 October 2017 when her carer’s leave commenced. The first payment will issue to her nominated bank account on 9 November 2017.
Arrears of benefit due from 12 October 2017 to 8 November 2017 will also issue to her bank on 9 November 2017.
The person concerned was notified on 31 October 2017 of this decision, the reason for it and of her right of review and appeal.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1226. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the substantial cuts imposed on members of the IASS pension scheme in advance of the sale of the State's stake in Aer Lingus; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46293/17]
View answerI am aware of the reduction in pension benefits for members of the IASS pension scheme.
As the Deputy may be aware there is currently a case before the Courts in relation to the IASS pension scheme. Therefore it would be inappropriate for me to comment further on the details of this scheme.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1227. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will consider in the forthcoming social welfare and pensions Bill-specific measures targeted at members of the IASS pension scheme to reduce the impact of cuts to their pension benefits; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46294/17]
View answerThe Deputy will appreciate that I cannot intervene in the pension arrangements applying to a particular pension scheme or introduce any measures which would benefit the members of a particular pension scheme to the exclusion of members of similar pension schemes.
While I am very conscious that any reduction in benefits can have a significant impact on scheme members, any such consideration is a matter for the pension scheme trustee, the companies participating in the scheme, the scheme members and the Pensions Authority.
As the Deputy may be aware this scheme is now the subject of legal proceedings. Therefore, it would be inappropriate for me to comment any further on the matter.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1228. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the amount paid to a company (details supplied) by her Department since the beginning of its contract in summer 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46328/17]
View answer1229. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons who have remained in sustainable employment for more than 12 months after having been initially referred by her Department to a company (details supplied). [46329/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1228 and 1229 together.
It is not intended to publish the individual payments to the JobPath companies as these are commercially sensitive and to do so would place the State at a disadvantage both in terms of the contracts currently in place and in any future procurement that may be undertaken.
JobPath is a payment by results model and all initial costs are borne by the companies.
The payments made are in respect of registration fees, paid for clients who have completed a personal progression plan, and fees paid for sustained employment outcomes of 13, 26, 39 and 52 weeks duration. The overall cost will be determined by the number of people who engage with the service and the number of jobseekers who successfully obtain and sustain employment.
The total amount paid in fees from the outset of the service in July 2015 up to the end of September 2017 is €71.2m.
As the Deputy will be aware, JobPath is a service that supports people who are long-term unemployed and those most at risk of becoming long-term unemployed to secure and sustain paid employment. The service is delivered by two companies, Seetec and Turas Nua.
The service was rolled out on a phased basis over the period mid-2015 to July 2016. The numbers referred initially were low but this has increased with some 124,000 customers having commenced with the service by 30 September. In addition, Jobseekers may be supported through the service for up to 30 months. Under the service jobseekers have access to a personal adviser who works with them over two phases. During the first phase, of 12 months duration, the PA provides practical assistance in searching, preparing for, securing and sustaining employment. The second phase starts if the jobseeker is successful in finding work. During this phase the PA continues to work with the jobseeker for a further period of at least three months, and up to 12 months. In addition to the two phases, jobseekers may also undertake training while with the service and this may extend the period the jobseeker is supported through the service for up to a further 6 months.
It will therefore take time to accumulate data on a sufficient number of clients who have completed their engagement period with the service for complete and robust outcome data to be available.
However my Department has commenced publishing initial cohort reports on the performance of the service on a quarterly basis. I can confirm that the next quarterly report will be published in the coming weeks.
The most recent report, which details the performance outcomes for three jobseeker cohorts - Q3 and Q4 2015, and Q1 2016 is available on the Department’s website at http://www.welfare.ie/en/downloads/JobPath_Performance_Report_Jul15-Mar16.pdf
It is important to note that the outcomes for each cohort are updated every time these reports are published, to take account of job sustainment’s that have been validated since the last publication date.
The current report provides outcome figures such as job starts and 13 and 26 week job sustainments in respect of jobseekers referred to the service during the period July 2015 – March 2016. As the number of people who have completed their engagement period with the service increases the department will be in a position to provide greater detail in each cohort report - this will include performance outcome statistics for 39 week and eventually 52 week job sustainments.
The initial cohort reports are encouraging, for example, employment outcome data shows that compared to people who did not take part in the service; people who availed of the service are up to 34% more likely to have gained employment. As the initial reports are based on a small number of people who have completed their full engagement period with the service these results should be treated with caution. However the published data contains a range of information which may assist the Deputy in gaining an overview of the performance of the service to date.
It is intended that a full econometric evaluation of the service will commence at the end of 2017, following which more detailed and robust statistics will be available.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
