Written Answers Nos. 1285-1304
1285. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the 100 keywords that her Department will provide to a contracted service for its social media monitoring projects; the rationale for the way in which the keywords were chosen; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36446/18]
View answer1286. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason she is seeking a comprehensive social media monitoring and analysis service for her Department; the name of the social media channels for which her Department will require these services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36447/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1285 and 1286 together.
The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection is currently tendering for a number of related media monitoring services.
The tender for the provision of “a media monitoring service to the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection” details the Department’s requirements in terms of three individual service “Lots”. Lot 1 is for Print and Digital Media Monitoring, Lot 2 is for Broadcast Media Monitoring and Lot 3 is for Social Media Monitoring.
Daily media monitoring provides the Department with an important understanding of policy issues, economic issues and customer issues that may have implications for the Department’s customers and other stakeholders, and indeed the Department itself. The ability to monitor media coverage and respond quickly to issues impacting our customers and stakeholders is very important, especially given the scale and nature of the Department’s schemes and services, and the wide range of customers it serves on a daily basis.
The media landscape has changed in recent years and greater use of digital and social media means that policy, economic and customer issues are often communicated on social media in the first instance. Social media, therefore, represents an important potential news source for the Department.
As is clearly stated on the first page of the Tender document, “tenderers should be aware that the Contracting Authority may elect to proceed with one, two, or all three Lots, as determined by cost and business need”. The inclusion of a Social Media monitoring service in Lot 3 clearly does not commit the Department to procuring such a service now or in the future, but makes provision for this service.
As the tender process is ongoing, it would not be appropriate to provide further information at this time.
1287. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the community supports for carers for persons with dementia; her plans to expand the support levels for carers for persons with dementia; her plans to meet dementia advocacy groups to discuss increases in funding in the context of budget 2019; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36448/18]
View answerThe Government acknowledges the crucial role that family carers play and is fully committed to supporting carers in that role. This commitment is recognised in both the Programme for a Partnership Government and the National Carers’ Strategy.
My Department provides a range of income support payments that support those who are caring in their communities for family members, friends or neighbours, who as a result of an illness or disability require full-time care and attention. The income supports for people who are providing full-time care include carer’s benefit, carer’s allowance (including half-rate carer’s allowance), domiciliary care allowance and the annual carer’s support grant. The value of these income supports are kept under review and have been increased in recent budgets.
In addition, my department has secured €1 million of funding under the 2018 Dormant Account Fund to provide a range of training and supports for Home Carers. This measure is additional to the €1 million allocated under the 2017 Dormant Accounts Action Plan and both will be rolled out together. The measure includes the provision of structured training, information and support networks. The measure will be administered and managed by Pobal on behalf of the Department of Employment Affairs Social Protection in accordance with Pobal’s service agreement with the Department of Rural and Community Development.
Other government agencies most notably the Health Service also provide supports to carers. I would draw the Deputy's attention to the HSE plan for Dementia, Understand Together: www.understandtogether.ie.
I and my Department meet regularly with groups representing carers to discuss mutual priorities. My Department hosts an annual pre-budget forum, which provides an opportunity for sectoral groups including carer organisations to provide submissions on their Budget priorities. As Minister, I regularly meet advocacy groups to discuss issues relevant to the policies and responsibilities of my Department. My Department organises the annual National Carers Forum as part of implementation of the National Carers Strategy.
I can assure the Deputy that I will continue to keep the range of supports available to carers and people with disabilities under review. Any additional improvements or additions to these supports would have to be considered in a budgetary context.
I hope this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.
1288. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the way in which persons are chosen to participate in JobPath; the way in which persons are selected to enter JobPath for a second time; if there is a maximum number of times a person may be sent to engage with the JobPath programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36454/18]
View answerJobPath is an employment activation initiative designed to support long-term unemployed people and those most at risk of becoming long-term unemployed to secure and sustain full time paid employment or self-employment. The roll-out of JobPath began in 2015 and to date 160,000 participants have entered JobPath since it was first initialised.
All Jobseekers on the live register must be available for and actively seeking full time employment, they are also required to engage with the Department’s activation services.
Participants for JobPath are chosen by means of a random selection process.
Protocols for selection currently preclude the selection of anyone who has already completed 52 weeks on the JobPath programme within the previous four months.
If, however, at the end of the specified period the jobseeker has not engaged in other activation supports and services they then become eligible for selection for a second period of activation on the JobPath programme.
A Personal Advisor will then review their previous experience with JobPath and agree a new personal progression plan with actions based on their previous engagement and identified barriers to sustainable employment.
There is no current limit in place to the number of times a client can be referred to the Job Path service. The Job Path service is currently in year three of a four year contract term.
I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
1289. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a matter raised by an association (details supplied) will be examined; her views on the plan to disallow some parents this right; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36460/18]
View answerChild Benefit is a universal payment to help families with the cost of raising children and plays an important role in tackling child poverty. It provides assistance to households with children in recognition of the higher costs incurred in child-raising and child care in a way which allows choice to parents in how this is undertaken. It does not rely on a means test or social insurance contributions.
Child Benefit is a monthly payment made to families with children in respect of all qualified children up to the age of 16 years. The payment continues to be paid in respect of children up to their 18th birthday who are in full-time education, or who have a disability. It is currently paid to around 629,000 families in respect of almost 1.2 million children, with an estimated expenditure of over €2 billion in 2018.
As Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, I support the universality of the Child Benefit payment, and the principle that all families with children should receive this income support. I do not intend introducing a means-test for Child Benefit. Means testing Child Benefit is not provided for in the Programme for Government, and is not being considered by Government.
1290. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the timeframe for dealing with applications for assistance towards funeral expenses. [36481/18]
View answerUnder the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the 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 over €36 million for exceptional and urgent needs payments in 2018.
An application can be made under the ENP scheme for assistance with funeral and burial expenses where there is an inability to pay these costs, in part or in full, by the family of the deceased person without causing hardship.
When determining an entitlement to an ENP for funeral expenses the officer will take into account the circumstances of the individual applicant and that of the deceased person including any savings, property, insurance policies etc. that would render the applicant or anybody else liable and/or in a position to pay for the funeral costs. If a bereavement grant is available from any other source including former employer, credit union or trade union, this will also be taken into account.
The timescale for determining applications may be dependent, among other things, on the availability of supporting documents needed to consider the application. Provision of a prompt service is a major objective for the Department’s staff, especially for the SWA scheme which is the safety net within the social welfare system.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1291. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of an appeal by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36482/18]
View answerOn receipt of additional medical evidence submitted in support of the appeal of the person concerned, a review of the claim was carried out by a deciding officer and she has been awarded invalidity pension with effect from 07 December 2017. As a result the appeal is no longer necessary.
Payment will issue to her nominated bank account on 20 September 2018. Any arrears due from 07 December 2017 to 19 September 2018 (less any overlapping social welfare payment) will issue in due course. The lady in question was notified of this decision on 31 August 2018.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1292. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if illness benefit will issue to a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36501/18]
View answerIllness Benefit is a short term scheme intended for persons who are unable to work due to illness or injury. It is paid while the incapacitated person remains unable to work and continues to meet the conditions of the scheme. There is, however, a maximum payment period of two years after which payment will cease.
The person concerned made an illness benefit claim from 07/08/2018. Payment of Illness Benefit was awarded from 14/08/2018 and all payments have issued to date.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
1293. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason stamps were not credited to a person (details supplied). [36510/18]
View answerThe person concerned was in receipt of disability allowance (DA) from 25 April 2007 to 25 February 2014.
While in receipt of DA, you may qualify for credits if you have paid or credited PRSI contributions at PRSI Class A, B, C, D, E, H or P in either of the last two tax years.
For the two years prior to receiving DA the person concerned was self-employed and paid an S Class PRSI contribution. This means that he is not entitled to credits for the period that he was in receipt of DA.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1294. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to her Department's policy and practice of not displaying homemakers credits on a person's social insurance record but only taking them into account when a person's pension application is submitted and calculated; her views on whether it is preferable to display the homemaker's credits on the contribution statement as they accrue, ensuring better clarity and transparency for persons; if the practice will be changed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36522/18]
View answerThe Homemaker scheme was introduced to make it easier for those who provide full-time care for children or for an incapacitated person to qualify for a higher rate of payment under the State Pension (Contributory), as calculated under the current Yearly Average system. The scheme came into effect on 6 April 1994 and applies to both men and women.
The homemakers scheme allows up to a maximum of 20 homemaking years to be disregarded for State Pension (Contributory) purposes. The homemakers scheme does not issue social insurance credits for the duration of this period, rather it disregards the years when calculating entitlement to the contributory state pension using the Yearly Average Calculation. A small number of credits are awarded at the start of the year the period began, and at the end of the year it was completed. This disregard and those credits are only awarded for the purpose of a State pension (contributory) claim. They may not be used to qualify for any other payment which a person might apply for when of working age.
In May my Department launched a public consultation on the introduction of a Total Contributions Approach to calculating the contributory state pension. Although we are now deliberating on the submissions to the consultation, a move towards introducing homemakers credits to replace the "disregard" is likely (as signposted in the National Pensions Framework).
How these credits will be communicated to those who have earned them is just one of many technical and logistical issues that will be addressed before we seek to finalise a proposal. My ambition, however, is that the more simplified nature of the Total Contributions Approach will allow us make more useful information available to future pensioners, than is possible under the current system.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1295. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the sections of the Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2017 that have been commenced to date; when all sections of the Bill will be enacted in full; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36524/18]
View answerThe Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2017 was published on 7th December 2017. The Bill delivers on the commitment in the Programme for a Partnership Government to tackle the problems caused by the increased casualisation of work and to strengthen the regulation of precarious work. The key objective of the Bill is to improve the security and predictability of working hours for employees on insecure contracts and those working variable hours.
The Bill completed Report and Final Stage in the Dáil on 12th July 2018 and I anticipate that it will be introduced in the Seanad in the Autumn. As the Bill has not yet been enacted, no provisions have been commenced.
I will continue to work with colleagues on all sides of the Houses of the Oireachtas to progress this Bill as expeditiously as possible in order to deliver legislation that is fair, balanced and that works in practice.
1296. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a report (details supplied) on local employment and job club services will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36523/18]
View answerMy Department commissioned Indecon to conduct a review of the Local Employment and Job Club services. This review is the first significant independent review that has been commissioned since the Local Employment Services (LES) and Job Clubs were established and it will help inform future decisions regarding how the Department contracts, monitors and procures for these services.
The final report is currently with my officials. The findings of the report will be discussed with the contractors in quarter 3 and their observations sought. The report contains contractual and performance information relating to some 63 contractors and my Department must consider any obligations under the terms of the existing contracts before deciding whether it is appropriate to publicise the reports in their entirety.
1297. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if changes will be made as part of budget discussions to social welfare payments that take place from 1 January 2019 in line with the date changes to taxation that are made, thereby treating all persons fairly; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36525/18]
View answerOn Budget Day last year, I was pleased to announce a €5 increase in the maximum rates of all weekly social welfare payments at a cost of €264 million in 2018. This built on a similar increase provided in Budget 2017, which was the first across the board rate increase since 2009.
Budget 2018 increases commenced in March. In the context of budgetary parameters, payment from January would have necessitated either a smaller rate of increase, or excluding certain groups benefitting from the increase. Neither of these options were considered acceptable to Government.
The appropriate rates of social welfare payments will be considered by Government in the context of budgetary deliberations, in light of available resources and other priorities.
1298. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when improvements to pension calculations announced on 23 January 2018 for post-2012 pensioners will be implemented; when the relevant pensioners will be contacted regarding these changes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36548/18]
View answerOn 23 January last, this Government agreed to a proposal that will allow pensioners affected by the 2012 changes in rate bands to have their pension entitlement calculated on a Total Contributions basis, including provision for up to 20 years of a new home caring credit.
Legislation has to be drafted and enacted to enable implementation of these arrangements, and a number of options regarding the best approach to passing that legislation are being considered. In addition, an information technology system has to be developed in line with the legislation. My Department is currently working on both of these. As I've said previously, it is still planned to commence the reviews before the end of this year, with the first payments being made in the first quarter of 2019. In this regard, the commitment we made in January for the payments to be dated from 26 March last still stands.
It is not necessary for people to contact the Department on this matter. Once the legislation is enacted and the systems and processes are ready, my Department will write to the people impacted and provide them with the opportunity to have their pension calculation reviewed.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1299. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of an appeal for a domiciliary care allowance by a person (detail supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36575/18]
View answerI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to allow the appeals of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision.
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.
1300. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of a domiciliary care allowance by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36576/18]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the appeal from the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer who has decided to convene an oral hearing in this case.
Every effort will be made to hear the case as quickly as possible and the person concerned will be informed when arrangements for the oral hearing have been made.
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.
1301. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the figures and waiting time for invalidity pension applications in July 2017 compared to July 2018. [36581/18]
View answerInvalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions.
The table shows the number of applications for Invalidity Pension received in July 2017 compared to July 2018 and the average time taken to award a new claim for each month.
|
Month |
No of applications |
Processing time |
|
July 2017 |
777 |
6 weeks |
|
July 2018 |
764 |
7 weeks |
The Department is committed to ensuring that claims and reviews are processed as expeditiously as possible.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1302. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the full-year cost of eliminating the reduced rates of jobseeker's allowance for persons under 26 years of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36591/18]
View answerThe rationale for having reduced rates of payment for young jobseekers in receipt of a means-tested jobseeker’s payment is to prevent young people from entering welfare dependency by providing a strong financial incentive to take up a job, or a training or education programme.
In this regard, young jobseekers who participate in an education, training or employment programme currently qualify for the maximum weekly rate of payment. Age-related reduced rates of payment also do not apply in certain circumstances, such as when the claimant has a dependent child, or transferred to Jobseeker's Allowance from Disability Allowance, or was in State care during the 12 months prior to applying for Jobseeker's Allowance.
The estimated full year cost in 2019 of increasing the age-related reduced rates of Jobseeker's Allowance for persons under the age of 26, from €107.70 per week and €152.80 per week to €198 per week, is €59.75 million. This cost includes increasing the €107.70 qualified adult rate to €131.40 per week.
It should be noted that the above costing is subject to change in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients for 2019.
1303. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of the investigations her Department has carried out with regard to applying PRSI contributions and entitlements for those in receipt of the carer's allowance in order to allow them to qualify for contributory pensions when they reach pension age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36604/18]
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.
Under the new arrangements a person who reached pension age after 1 September 2012 and has a 40 year record of paid and credited social insurance contributions, subject to a maximum of 20 years of the new HomeCaring credits, will qualify for a maximum contributory pension where they satisfy the other qualifying conditions for the scheme. Crucially, unlike the existing Homemakers disregard system, periods of home-caring before that scheme was introduced in 1994 may be recognised under the new scheme.
Up to 10 years of other credits, for example when unemployed or ill, may also be used, subject to the total number of credits not exceeding 20 years. So, for example, a person might receive a maximum pension based on 20 years paid PRSI contributions, 5 years jobseeker credits, and 15 years HomeCaring Credits, over a 50 year period.
The new TCA for pensioners assessed under the 2012 rate band changes, came into effect from 30 March 2018. Pensioners do not need to contact the Department at this juncture. Instead, the Department will invite pensioners who were assessed under the current rate bands in place since 2012 to have their pensions recalculated under TCA to determine if they qualify for a higher rate of entitlement.
Legislation is currently being prepared to enact these changes. Following the passing of this legislation, the Department expects to begin sending out these invitations before the end of the year and to begin making payments, including arrears for any period from 30 March 2018, from Quarter 1 of 2019.
These arrangements are expected to benefit many people who are or who have been in receipt of Carer's Allowance, subject to them satisfying the other conditions regarding the State pension contributory. If they do not satisfy those conditions, but they have been eligible for the means-tested Carer's Allowance, it is likely that they will qualify for the means-tested State pension (non-contributory), the maximum rate of which is over 95% that of the maximum rate of the State pensions contributory.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1304. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to review the level of training supports available for persons who are unemployed but cannot receive jobseeker's allowance due to the fact that their spouses are working; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36628/18]
View answerReferrals to training supports by my Department are focused on those in receipt of qualifying welfare payments.
Unemployed persons who are not in receipt of welfare support have access to Solas training supports. As you know Solas is a statutory agency that operates under the aegis of the Department of Education and Skills, which has responsibility the management, co-ordination and supporting the delivery of Further Education and Training by the Education and Training Boards. I would suggest that any such person is advised to inquire with their local Education Training Board to assess what supports may be available to them.
It is also open to any unemployed person to contact my Department’s Public Employment Service at their local Intreo centre to discuss the options that may be available to them.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
