Written Answers Nos. 694-706
694. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the Acts, or parts of Acts, awaiting commencement within her area of statutory responsibility; the reason for the delay in the commencement of each; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53567/17]
View answerMy Department is responsible for the legislation underpinning the social welfare code and for a number of other areas of legislation. These are occupational and private pensions, civil registration and gender recognition, redundancy and employer’s insolvency, employment rights and Citizens Information Board/Comhairle legislation.
A number of provisions of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, as amended, have still to be commenced. In addition, some provisions of the Citizens Information Act 2007, as amended, the Civil Registration Act 2004, as amended, and the Pensions Act 1990, as amended, have still to be commenced.
Details of these provisions have been sent to the Deputy and can be found at the following link:
695. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of progress on the programme for Government commitment to implement the Pathways to Work five-year strategy which aims to help 50,000 long-term unemployed persons into jobs. [53661/17]
View answerThe target was to move 50,000 people, who were long-term unemployed at the beginning of 2016, into employment by the end of 2020.
The number of people who were long-term unemployed at the beginning of 2016 was approximately 144,000. By the end of September 2017, almost 42,000 of these people had moved into employment. The rate of exit to employment is therefore running some way ahead of the target level.
696. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if an application for a State pension (contributory) by a person (details supplied) will be reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53713/17]
View answerThe person concerned was awarded a mixed rate insurance pro rata state pension (contributory) from 2 May 2017, their 66th birthday. Written notification of this decision issued on 10 April 2017.
Following a requested review of the person’s pension entitlement, it was ascertained that all of the person’s social insurance contributions had not been included in the initial pension calculation. The person’s social insurance record has since been updated on the basis of information now available to my Department. A revised decision has been made, awarding an increased rate of state pension (contributory), effective from 2 May 2017, the person’s original date of pension award. The person concerned has been notified in writing of this decision on 20 November 2017, together with details of arrears due.
Additionally, my Department is investigating the person’s employment record for the period 2002 to 2013. The Department wrote to the person’s previous employer on 28 September 2017 and a reminder issued on 15 November 2017. A reply has not been received to date.
Once the Department decides on the insurability, or otherwise, of the queried period(s) of employment, the person’s pension entitlement will be reviewed. The person concerned will be notified in writing of the outcome of that review without delay.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
697. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of progress on Pathways to Work 2016-2020 to reduce the ratio between youth and overall unemployment from 2.2:1 to less than 2:1 by the end of 2017. [53795/17]
View answerThe average values for overall unemployment, youth unemployment, and the ratio between them for the years 2012 to 2016 are as follows:
|
- |
Unemployment rate (%) |
||
|
Year |
Total |
Aged <25 |
Ratio of youth to total |
|
2012 |
14.7 |
30.4 |
2.07 |
|
2013 |
13.1 |
26.7 |
2.05 |
|
2014 |
11.3 |
23.9 |
2.13 |
|
2015 |
9.4 |
20.9 |
2.21 |
|
2016 |
7.9 |
17.2 |
2.17 |
Full-year and end of year unemployment figures for 2017 will not be available until early-mid 2018 when the Labour Force Survey for Q4 2017 is published.
698. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will reconsider refusal of an exceptional needs payment in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53927/17]
View answerThe person concerned made an application for an Exceptional Needs Payment (ENP) to assist with the cost of a replacement cooker. As a payment of €310.00 was awarded in September 2015 to purchase this item, the Designated Person adjudged that this particular need had been recently met and given the general durability of such items it was reasonable to expect that this item would be in full working order for more than two years. For this reason the application submitted by the person concerned was disallowed.
I trust this information is of assistance to you.
699. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a jobseeker’s allowance application will be approved in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53930/17]
View answerAn application for jobseeker’s allowance is currently pending as documentation requested from the person concerned remains outstanding. When the requested outstanding documentation is received by the Department the application will be processed and the person concerned will be advised of the decision.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
700. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to previous parliamentary questions in the case of a person (details supplied), if an exceptional needs payment will be reconsidered as a matter of urgency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53932/17]
View answerAccording to the records of this Department the person concerned has not submitted an application for an exceptional needs payment. It is open to the person concerned to submit an application for financial assistance if she does not have sufficient means to meet her needs. A community welfare officer will phone her regarding her situation.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
701. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to previous parliamentary questions in respect of a preferential claim against a person (details supplied), if this can be taken into account in the determination of the person's case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53935/17]
View answerThe Department deals with employers who owe a debt to the Social Insurance Fund in line with its debt management policy and procedures.
I would urge the person in question to engage with the Department’s employer debt management unit to discuss their financial situation and capacity to repay their debt. They can contact the unit on (01) 673 4549 or at debtmanagement@welfare.ie.
702. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of an application for a carer's allowance by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54011/17]
View answerI confirm that my department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 4 August 2017.
CA is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a person who has such a disability that they require that level of care.
The matter was referred to a local social welfare inspector (SWI) on 13 November 2017 to assess the level of care being provided, assess means and confirm that all conditions for receipt of CA are satisfied.
Evidence gathered by the SWI indicates that the care recipient has been hospitalised since 8 September 2017.
Discharge papers were requested from the person concerned on 30 November 2017. Once this information is received the application will be processed without delay and the person concerned notified directly of the outcome.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
703. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of an application for a disability allowance by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54015/17]
View answerI confirm that my department received an application for disability allowance from this gentleman on 31 October 2017. On completion of the necessary investigations on all aspects of the claim a decision will be made and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
The processing time for individual disability allowance claims may vary in accordance with their relative complexity in terms of the three main qualifying criteria, the person’s circumstances and the information they provide in support of their claim.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
704. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if managers of local community employment schemes are permitted to request financial contributions from community groups to support the running costs of the scheme; if so, the relevant guidelines regarding requests for such financial donations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54058/17]
View answerThe aim of Community Employment (CE) is to enhance the employability and mobility of disadvantaged and unemployed persons by providing work experience and training opportunities for them within their communities. In addition, it helps long-term unemployed people to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to work routine.
CE projects are typically sponsored by groups wishing to benefit the local community, namely voluntary and community organisations. Such projects provide a valuable service to local communities while at the same time providing training and educational opportunities to jobseekers.
The Department’s priority in supporting CE is having access to schemes that can provide job seekers and other vulnerable groups with good quality work experience and training qualifications to support their progression into employment.
My Department provides funding towards the cost of employee wages (CE supervisors and participants), as well as material funding necessary for the effective operation of the scheme and training costs for participants.
The sponsor of a CE scheme is also aware that matching funds may be required to meet project costs. Such other funding requirements are not generally part of the Department’s remit. However if a sponsor or a community group has a specific concern related to their CE scheme, they should contact the Community Development Officer with responsibility for the scheme in their local Intreo Centre.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
705. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the in-work training and upskilling schemes funded by her Department, in tabular form; the number of persons in each such scheme; the funding provided in 2016 and 2017; and the budget allocation for 2018. [54127/17]
View answerThe Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection has no functions in relation to the funding of in-work training for people in employment.
706. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the labour market activation measures and schemes by her Department that are being deployed to reduce long-term unemployment, in tabular form; the number of persons in each such scheme; the funding provided in 2016 and 2017; and the budget allocation for 2018. [54128/17]
View answerThe Government’s primary strategy to tackle unemployment – including long-term unemployment – is twofold. The Action Plan for Jobs supports continuing strong economic recovery and employment growth. Policies and actions to ensure that unemployed people benefit from the increase in employment are set out in the strategy paper Pathways to Work 2016-2020.
To date, these policies have been effective in reducing long-term unemployment.
For example, the most recent data show that the rate of long-term unemployment in Ireland has fallen from a peak of 9.5% in 2012 to 3.1%, Q2 2017.
Long-term unemployment can be expected to fall further this year and next in line with the continuing forecast fall in overall unemployment.
Policy continues to focus on support for the long-term unemployed. For example, the Pathways to Work 2016-2020 strategy prioritises long-term unemployed people – most notably through the roll-out of JobPath to engage more systematically with this group; through targeted wage subsidies under JobsPlus; and through reserved places for long-term unemployed jobseekers on employment and training programmes.
The out-turn for 2016 and the budget allocations for 2017 and 2018 for the main programmes impacting on the long-term unemployed, provided by the Department of Employment and Social Affairs, is given in Table 1. While not all participants in these programmes are necessarily long-term unemployed prior to taking up places, this is the case for the vast majority of participants on Community Employment, Tús, Gateway, and JobsPlus, and for a significant proportion of the participants on the remaining schemes.
Table 1 Activation Measure Funding.
|
Activation Measure |
2016 €000 |
2017 €000 |
2018 €000 |
|
COMMUNITY EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMME |
356,341 |
353,000 |
350,530 |
|
TÚS |
118,604 |
124,820 |
100,100 |
|
BACK TO WORK ENTERPRISE ALLOWANCE |
124,383 |
119,560 |
101,680 |
|
JOBBRIDGE |
37,793 |
15,000 |
1,000 |
|
BACK TO EDUCATION ALLOWANCE |
114,829 |
105,000 |
72,950 |
|
GATEWAY |
21,183 |
7,250 |
470 |
|
JOBSPLUS |
23,679 |
20,400 |
30,000 |
The number of activation places on these programmes in 2016 and 2017 is given in Table 2:
Table 2
|
Activation Measure Places |
2016 |
2017 |
|
Community Employment (excluding supervisors) * |
22040 |
21670 |
|
TUS - community work placement initiative * |
7419 |
6359 |
|
Back to work enterprise allowance * |
11077 |
10017 |
|
JobBridge * |
3390 |
0 |
|
Gateway * |
839 |
67 |
|
Jobplus ~ |
8422 |
8624 |
|
* Number of participants November |
||
|
~Number of persons for which a payment was made during the year 2016 and year-to-date 2017. |
