Written Answers Nos. 604-623
604. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the procedure in her Department for investigating complaints by service users; the timeframe within which it must respond to a person that makes a complaint; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4353/18]
View answerThe Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection is committed to delivering high quality customer service. Our Customer Charter and Customer Action Plan 2016-2018 sets out the commitments and standard of service that customers can expect in their dealings with the Department. Among them, customers should be served in a fair, courteous and timely manner, be informed of their rights and entitlements, be provided with full and clear information, and have their privacy respected.
Essentially, my Department aims to provide the best possible service at all times. To that end, a dedicated Customer Service Unit receives and processes a wide range of feedback from customers on their experiences of interacting with the Department.
Where customers are dissatisfied with the standard of service that they have received, in the first instance, they are advised to convey their concerns to the staff member or section of the Department with which they have been dealing. If the issue is not resolved to their satisfaction, customers can submit a formal complaint. They can do so in a number of different ways, such as by letter, by email, or online using a Customer Feedback Form, which can be accessed on my Department’s website (www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/secure/Submit-a-comment-or-compliment.aspx). Alternatively, customers can make contact by phone or they can speak face to face to a member of staff in any of our Intreo centres around the country.
Once a complaint is received, my Department endeavours to issue an acknowledgement by letter or email within three working days, and a case reference number is also issued to the customer. The complaint is then forwarded to the Customer Service Officer(s) within the relevant business area(s) to be investigated and responded to within 15 working days, where practicable. If it is not possible to issue a response within that period of time, an interim response will issue, explaining why the 15 day time frame cannot be met and providing details of an expected response date. All complaints will be dealt with promptly, fairly and impartially, and the outcome of the investigation will be reflected in the final response to the customer.
Customers are advised that if they are unhappy with the outcome of the investigation, they can request to have their complaint reviewed by another officer who was not involved in dealing with the original complaint, explaining why they are not satisfied with the initial response. If a review is to be conducted, a response should be provided to the customer within 20 working days.
Customers are also advised that if, after review, they are still unhappy with the outcome, they can contact the Office of the Ombudsman to seek to have the matter examined by that Office.
Overall, in its efforts to deliver the highest possible standard of customer service, my Department aims to provide its customers with a complaints procedure that is accessible, efficient, effective, standardised and fair.
605. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) who is receiving maternity benefit and who incurred an overpayment on their claim is now being deducted at a rate of 15%, in view of engagement made with her Department to establish a suitable method of recovery by way of establishing a payment plan. [4365/18]
View answerThe person concerned is aware that maternity benefit and one parent family payment are not fully payable together and consequently she has an overpayment due for recovery by the Department. She was informed that 15% of her weekly payment (the Departmental standard rate that can apply to the repayment of debt without a person’s consent) would be deducted for this purpose. She was also advised to supply any further relevant information in relation to the debt and its repayment when this rate was applied.
The person concerned has recently been in contact through her local representative and as a result of this contact the repayment applied to this overpayment has been adjusted to €10.00 per week from 18 January 2018.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
606. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to her comments regarding payment of the State pension (details supplied), if public procurement guidelines have been followed regarding this information technology system; if a tender process has been initiated regarding the system; if so, if the tender has been awarded; the name of the successful company; the estimated cost of this new system; the name of the contract and description of same regarding the system currently in use; the cost of same; the supplier of this contract and associated contract; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4371/18]
View answerOn 23 January, the Government agreed to a proposal that will allow pensioners affected by the 2012 changes in rate bands to have their pension entitlement calculated by a new “Total Contributions Approach” (TCA) which will include up to 20 years of a new HomeCaring credit. This approach is expected to significantly benefit many people, particularly women, whose work history includes an extended period of time outside the paid workplace, while raising families or in a caring role.
As the Deputy has pointed out, I stated last week that IT systems have to be put in place to process the changes outlined by Government last Tuesday.
My Department will be working to address and implement the necessary system, administrative and legislative changes in a timely manner. Discussions on new IT systems, including the tendering process, have been initiated and will take some time to complete.
I hope that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
609. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when an application by a person (details supplied) will be processed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4388/18]
View answerA means review was carried out on this gentleman’s Disability Allowance (DA). It was found that his means based on his spouse’s earnings had increased. This gentleman was notified of a reduction in his weekly rate of DA on 28 June 2017.
This gentleman has lodged an appeal with the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO). All the relevant papers requested by that office were recently submitted by my department and the SWAO will be in touch with this gentleman in due course in relation to the progress of the appeal.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
610. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the public private partnerships her Department is engaged in; the name, cost and timeframe of each; the names of all private parties involved; the nature of each project in terms of design, build, maintain and so on, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4434/18]
View answerMy Department is currently not engaged in any Public Private Partnership arrangement and has no plans to engage in any such arrangements at this time.
611. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons negatively affected by changes introduced to the contributory pension in 2012; the number of persons expected to benefit from the new total contributions approach and home caring credit; the number expected to benefit by gender; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4454/18]
View answerThere were 46,677 people affected by the rate band changes in September 2012. It is estimated that two-thirds of these will see their rate of payment increased by the Total Contributions Approach (TCA) introduced on 23 January. The precise number cannot be known at this time as there may be inflows from other schemes, such as the State Pension (non-contributory). Equally, it is not possible at this juncture to give a gender breakdown of the likely beneficiaries.
In the main, people with home-making/caring periods pre-1994 (not covered by the current home-makers scheme) are expected to gain the most from the introduction of the HomeCaring Credits with TCA. There will also be some people with 40 years contributions (or slightly less) with big gaps in their records, who may expect an increase in their payment.
Those who are less likely to benefit from the TCA model are people with lower numbers of paid social insurance contributions, who have no significant home-making/caring periods. However, it should be understood that no-one will have a reduced rate of payment as a result of this announcement. Anyone who is not better off as a result of this proposal will remain on their existing rate of payment.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
612. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of the new total contributions approach and home caring credit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4455/18]
View answerOn 23 January, the Government agreed to a proposal that will allow pensioners affected by the 2012 changes in rate bands to have their pension entitlement calculated by a new “Total Contributions Approach” (TCA) which will include up to 20 years of a new HomeCaring credit. This approach is expected to significantly benefit many people, particularly women, whose work history includes an extended period of time outside the paid workplace, while raising families or in a caring role. It will make it easier for pensioners assessed under the yearly average model, to qualify for a higher rate of the State Pension (contributory). The TCA will ensure that the totality of a person’s social insurance contributions - as opposed to the timing of them - determines a final pension outcome.
The new TCA with substantial HomeCaring credits will be available to all people who reached pension age after 1st September 2012, when the revised rate bands took effect.
The cost of introducing this measure is estimated to be in the region of €40 million per annum, which does not include inflows from other schemes. This cost is based on estimated levels of take up of HomeCaring Credits among women and men, which will only be clear when claims have been made and processed. Inflows from other schemes cannot be estimated, e.g. those people on a State pension (non-contributory) who may now have a higher entitlement under the State pension (contributory).
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
613. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the total contributions approach that is due to come into effect for all pensioners in 2020 will be modelled differently from the one announced for the 2012 pension anomalies; if this will affect those who will be able to avail of the new total contributions approach as a result of the 2012 anomalies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4456/18]
View answerOn 23 January, the Government agreed to a proposal that will allow pensioners affected by the 2012 changes in rate bands to have their pension entitlement calculated by a new “Total Contributions Approach” (TCA) which will include up to 20 years of a new HomeCaring credit. This approach is expected to significantly benefit many people, particularly women, whose work history includes an extended period of time outside the paid workplace, while raising families or in a caring role. It will make it easier for such pensioners to qualify for a higher rate of the State Pension (contributory). The TCA will ensure that the totality of a person’s social insurance contributions - as opposed to the timing of them - determines a final pension outcome.
Officials in the Department have been working on the introduction of a Total Contributions Approach since 2015. The recent Actuarial Review of the Social Insurance Fund has been used to explore the costs of various options and to inform the design of the Total Contributions Approach.
This Review was recently completed and published, and the costings produced are being considered, with a view to progressing to the next stage, which will include a consultation process. The final structure of the model, which will include the number of years required for a maximum rate of pension, and the treatment of credited contributions and home-making periods, will be submitted to Government later this year, following that consultation process.
Subsequent to this, legislative proposals will be introduced to the Oireachtas.
This is a very significant reform with considerable legal, administrative, and technical components to be put in place prior its implementation.
It is intended that the arrangements in place from 2020 will apply only to new pensioners from that date.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
614. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons in each county who have been subject to sanctions in each of the years 2012 to 2017 and to date in 2018, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4457/18]
View answerThe numbers of persons in each county who had a Penalty Rate applied to them in the years 2012 to 2017 are set out in the following table. Figures to date in 2018 are not yet available.
The figures are based on the location of Intreo Centres within each county. An Intreo Centre may cover part or all of a county. Its catchment area may also include parts of more than one county.
Number of persons who had a penalty rate applied in a given year by County 2011-2017
|
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
|
|
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
N |
|
|
Carlow |
. |
17 |
32 |
80 |
131 |
119 |
109 |
|
Cavan |
. |
25 |
37 |
46 |
87 |
197 |
335 |
|
Clare |
19 |
47 |
40 |
110 |
166 |
283 |
436 |
|
Cork |
17 |
196 |
293 |
327 |
318 |
688 |
767 |
|
Donegal |
6 |
13 |
12 |
60 |
92 |
256 |
395 |
|
Dublin |
151 |
537 |
1630 |
2295 |
2531 |
3175 |
3905 |
|
Galway |
46 |
102 |
118 |
195 |
160 |
373 |
501 |
|
Kerry |
8 |
27 |
73 |
170 |
216 |
337 |
397 |
|
Kildare |
3 |
54 |
53 |
135 |
255 |
379 |
682 |
|
Kilkenny |
10 |
32 |
30 |
65 |
46 |
85 |
202 |
|
Laois |
1 |
27 |
19 |
28 |
38 |
131 |
440 |
|
Leitrim |
2 |
3 |
19 |
15 |
28 |
72 |
157 |
|
Limerick |
14 |
36 |
69 |
368 |
759 |
837 |
869 |
|
Longford |
1 |
9 |
6 |
38 |
78 |
149 |
283 |
|
Louth |
9 |
79 |
282 |
338 |
519 |
751 |
872 |
|
Mayo |
16 |
42 |
26 |
49 |
29 |
29 |
17 |
|
Meath |
3 |
20 |
18 |
41 |
66 |
91 |
220 |
|
Monaghan |
1 |
2 |
6 |
26 |
18 |
155 |
282 |
|
Offaly |
1 |
6 |
46 |
72 |
54 |
212 |
328 |
|
Roscommon |
4 |
10 |
4 |
17 |
26 |
33 |
79 |
|
Sligo |
1 |
30 |
31 |
31 |
46 |
70 |
194 |
|
Tipperary |
9 |
29 |
95 |
116 |
139 |
195 |
370 |
|
Waterford |
18 |
28 |
56 |
33 |
6 |
34 |
122 |
|
Westmeath |
6 |
55 |
38 |
64 |
119 |
392 |
480 |
|
Wexford |
13 |
29 |
53 |
123 |
125 |
338 |
614 |
|
Wicklow |
2 |
73 |
93 |
127 |
62 |
183 |
447 |
615. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of families claiming family income supplement in counties Westmeath and Longford in 2016 and 2017, by month, in tabular form. [4465/18]
View answerPlease see the following table for the number of recipients of Working Family Payment (formerly known as Family Income supplement) in Longford and Westmeath in 2016 and 2017, by month.
|
# |
Longford |
Westmeath |
||
|
Recipients |
||||
|
2016 |
2017 |
2016 |
2017 |
|
|
January |
706 |
788 |
1,212 |
1,250 |
|
February |
731 |
772 |
1,211 |
1,251 |
|
March |
736 |
764 |
1,218 |
1,242 |
|
April |
745 |
757 |
1,224 |
1,229 |
|
May |
754 |
771 |
1,210 |
1,243 |
|
June |
746 |
768 |
1,222 |
1,261 |
|
July |
742 |
783 |
1,204 |
1,272 |
|
August |
754 |
777 |
1,192 |
1,285 |
|
September |
755 |
786 |
1,189 |
1,277 |
|
October |
754 |
790 |
1,215 |
1,262 |
|
November |
785 |
796 |
1,221 |
1,269 |
|
December |
801 |
795 |
1,246 |
1,311 |
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
616. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if an application for disability allowance by a person (details supplied) will be assessed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4478/18]
View answerI can confirm that my department received an application for disability allowance (DA) from this gentleman on 9 November 2017.
On 26 January 2018 the person concerned was requested to supply supporting documentation required by the deciding officer in order to make a decision on his eligibility. On receipt of this information a decision will be made on his DA application and the person concerned will be notified of the outcome.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
617. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the exceptional needs payments allocated in 2017, by county. [4500/18]
View answer618. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she is satisfied that the discretion of payment officers is practised with the same degree of latitude across all jurisdictions. [4501/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 617 and 618 together.
Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, my Department may 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 €36.4 million for the ENP scheme in 2018.
Over 103,400 ENPs issued during 2017 and the tabular statement below provides the number of payments by county.
There is no automatic entitlement to a payment. The ENP scheme is demand led and payments are made at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case in order to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance.
Departmental guidelines assist staff administering the scheme and have contributed to more streamlined and consistent approaches being taken to applications across the country, for example, with recommended maximum amounts payable for a variety of household and personal items. The guidelines do not affect the discretion available to officers in issuing an ENP to assist an individual or household in any particular hardship situation which may arise.
Any persons who consider that they have an entitlement to an exceptional payment should contact my Department’s Community Welfare Service.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Tabular Statement – ENP Payments by County in 2017
|
County |
No. of Payments |
|
Carlow |
876 |
|
Cavan |
623 |
|
Clare |
3,126 |
|
Cork |
12,134 |
|
Donegal |
1,648 |
|
Dublin |
32,451 |
|
Galway |
2,876 |
|
Kerry |
2,689 |
|
Kildare |
4,188 |
|
Kilkenny |
1,412 |
|
Laois |
3,582 |
|
Leitrim |
802 |
|
Limerick |
8,122 |
|
Longford |
1,392 |
|
Louth |
1,608 |
|
Mayo |
2,377 |
|
Meath |
3,848 |
|
Monaghan |
858 |
|
Offaly |
1,259 |
|
Roscommon |
1,619 |
|
Sligo |
2,379 |
|
Tipperary |
4,095 |
|
Waterford |
3,411 |
|
Westmeath |
2,855 |
|
Wexford |
951 |
|
Wicklow |
2,273 |
|
Total |
103,454 |
619. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of an appeal for carer's allowance by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4538/18]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 20 December 2017, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
620. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will address a matter (details supplied) regarding assistance to repair an alarm system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4539/18]
View answerThe Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government is the lead Department for severe weather emergencies and the Office of Public Works has responsibility for capital flood relief activities. My Department has an important role to play in assisting households in the immediate aftermath of emergency events such as flooding through the humanitarian assistance scheme.
The purpose of the humanitarian assistance scheme is to prevent hardship by providing income-tested financial support to people whose homes are damaged from flooding and severe weather events and who are not in a position to meet costs for essential needs, household items and in some instances structural repair.
The scheme does not provide assistance towards the replacement or repair of personal alarm systems.
The Department of Rural and Community Development provides funding, through Pobal and community, voluntary and not-for-profit organisations registered with Pobal, for the Seniors Alert Scheme, which provides personal monitored alarms to older persons of limited means. I would suggest the Deputy follows up with the Department of Rural and Community Development in relation to this matter.
621. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons at assistant principal level under the aegis of her Department who are due to retire in the next six months on the ground of age in counties Galway, Mayo, Roscommon and Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4975/18]
View answerThere are no persons at Assistant Principal level in the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection that are due to retire in the next six months due to age in counties Galway, Mayo, Roscommon and Clare.
622. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to introduce legislation to ensure that health authorities intervene with householders when private sewage pipes attached to private houses are blocked, in view of the fact that this issue is not adequately dealt with in the Water Services Act 2007; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4481/18]
View answerI refer to the reply to Question No. 639 of 23 January 2018. The position is unchanged.
623. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 238 of 17 January 2018, the status of each plot of land listed by terms (details supplied); if each plot of land is still in public ownership; if not, the price at which it was sold; and the date of same. [3933/18]
View answerUnder the terms of the Land Aggregation Scheme (LAGS), lands accepted into the Scheme must be transferred to the ownership of the Housing Agency. The Housing Agency now holds the legal title to the land transferred into its ownership and is responsible, in the first instance, for the development of those sites.
A detailed database and GIS map of Land Aggregation Scheme sites, showing their location, size, boundaries and other information is available at
http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/rebuilding-ireland-land-map/.
The Housing Agency is in the process of finalising a Strategic Development and Management Plan for lands in its ownership, including those held under the Land Aggregation Scheme, with a particular emphasis on prioritising those sites that are already serviced and with the most potential to deliver housing at scale, in the short to medium term. Once finalised, the Plan will be made available both on the dedicated Rebuilding Ireland website, and on the website of the Housing Agency.
The Agency retains most of the land originally transferred to it under LAGS. Following Ministerial sanction, the Agency disposed of the following sites in accordance with the conditions of the Scheme with regard to the provision of social housing and building sustainable communities:
1. Duntahane Road, Fermoy, Co Cork - 1.62 hectare of the 3.98 hectare site was sold to the Department of Education and Skills, on the basis of supporting sustainable communities, to facilitate the construction of a school for the area. The land was sold at the prevailing market price of €62,000 per acre.
2. Glin, Co Limerick - 0.5 hectares (full site) was sold to Glin Homes for the Elderly Ltd., an approved housing body, for the delivery of housing for the elderly. The site was sold at the prevailing market price of €25,000.
3. Bruff, Co Limerick - the Housing Agency transferred lands totalling 385m2 from the original 2.1 hectare site in its ownership. The site was transferred for a nominal fee of €1 to Grange Meanus Community Council for the completion of a children's playground.
Income derived by the Housing Agency in respect of the sale of any Land Aggregation Scheme sites are recorded in the Housing Agency's Financial Statement and set out in its Annual Reports.
