Written Answers Nos. 588-605
588. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason community employment sponsors are not given the same access to potential participants as rural social scheme, RSS, or Tús sponsors; her plans to review this matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49363/18]
View answerMy Department provides a range of activation supports and programmes catering for long-term unemployed jobseekers and those most distant from the labour market. These supports include Community Employment (CE), the Tús programme and the Rural Social Scheme (RSS).
RSS was introduced in 2004 and provides opportunities for farmers and fishermen/women who are currently in receipt of specified social welfare payments to work to provide certain services of benefit to rural communities. Communities benefit from the skills and talents of local farmers and fishermen and participants have the opportunity to improve existing skills, or develop new skills, while performing this valuable work in their local communities. RSS is voluntary and the person applies to participate.
Tús commenced operation in 2011 as a response to the high level of unemployment and the large numbers on the Live Register. It is a community work placement initiative which aims to provide short-term work opportunities for those who are unemployed for more than a year. The duration of the Tús contract is a maximum of 12 months and this ensures that as many people as possible who are unemployed for over 12 months are able to benefit from the initiative.
When RSS and Tús were introduced it was decided that the existing network of local development companies and Údarás na Gaeltachta – referred to as Implementing Bodies (IBs) - were best placed to manage the programmes. Tús is managed by 48 IBs, while RSS is managed by 36 IBs.
My Department assumed responsibility for the Community Employment (CE) programme in 2012. The aim of the programme, which began in 1994, is to enhance the employability of disadvantaged and unemployed people by providing work experience and training opportunities for them within their communities. The programme helps break the cycle of unemployment and improve a person’s chances of returning to the labour market.
CE schemes are typically sponsored by voluntary and community organisations wishing to benefit the local community. As the employers, these sponsoring organisations contract with the Department, on an annual basis, to provide jobseekers and other vulnerable groups with good quality work experience and training qualifications to support their progression into employment.
Jobseekers receive information about all available employment support options, including Community Employment (CE), through the Intreo Service. They also receive one-to-one support from a case officer and all available and suitable options are discussed.
Sponsors can also promote their scheme vacancies within their local communities. At a local level, various methods of promoting CE have been arranged between my Department and local CE schemes, including targeting potentially eligible jobseekers to attend a CE Job-fair, where details of CE vacancies and employment opportunities are provided.
In addition CE sponsors can advertise their vacancies free-of-charge on the Department's JobsIreland website, www.jobsireland.ie. The process of posting vacancies is relatively straightforward and a tailored video is available online to assist sponsors. There are currently over 1,700 CE vacancies advertised on the site. These are visible to anyone who logs onto the site and users can narrow the search by location.
It is reasonable to assume that any difficulties in filling CE vacancies can be related to the significant drop in the Live Register over the last year or so arising from the much improved labour market. Any sponsor who has any recruitment concerns should contact their nearest Intreo Centre who will provide assistance.
My Department will continue to review these schemes and continue to work with stakeholders in planning the longer term needs of jobseekers and other customers. It remains committed to ensuring that the social inclusion and community benefits that accrue from these schemes continue to be recognised and supported.
589. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans for the JobPath providers to establish pilot schemes specific to part-time workers or aimed at other groups of jobseekers; if the JobPath providers have the remit to establish such schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49368/18]
View answerLabour Market activation policies are designed to give jobseekers a better chance of finding employment, and the primary goal of my Department’s activation services is to move people from unemployment to full-time and sustained employment. In accepting payment of JobSeeker's Benefit or Assistance, the customer agrees to avail himself/herself of the appropriate support measures on offer during the course of the activation process.
JobPath is an employment activation service, which supports people who are long-term unemployed, including those working part-time and those at risk of becoming long-term unemployed, to secure and sustain full-time paid employment. All jobseekers over one year on the Live Register are eligible for selection for the JobPath service and clients are chosen by means of a random selection process.
JobPath provides an intensive personal service, which focuses on the skills and experience of each person. For customers who are in part-time employment JobPath providers focus on options or opportunities to increase the level of employment in their current role, or look at possibilities in other areas, which may also involve some training, but could provide a more sustainable income and a move away from jobseekers payments. The activation services currently provided by, or on behalf of my Department through contracted services, have the capacity to provide appropriate activation services for all jobseekers in a one to one case managed way. The providers are obliged to and are encouraged to tailor their activation support to the individual needs of each customer.
There a no current plans to ask the JobPath providers to establish pilot schemes specific to part time workers or aimed at other groups of Jobseekers.
590. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the procedures in place in circumstances in which a person that is engaged with a JobPath provider moves to another county before completing their time on the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49369/18]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware the primary goal of my Department’s activation services, including the JobPath service, is to move people from full-time and part-time unemployment to full-time and sustained employment.
Two companies, Turas Nua and Seetec, have been contracted by my Department to deliver JobPath services. All jobseekers are referred to a JobPath service location which is linked geographically to the office at which they are claiming a jobseeker’s payment.
If a jobseeker currently engaged with JobPath moves to another location which falls under the remit of their current JobPath provider, the company will handle the transfer internally. All subsequent appointments will be scheduled to an office in the customer’s new location.
If however the customer moves to an area which is outside the remit of their current service provider, the original JobPath referral is cancelled and the customer is referred to a provider in their new location.
In a handful of cases due to a specific reason, which are considered on a case by case basis, people have been facilitated to move to a different office within the same area.
I wish to assure the Deputy that the client will not be at a loss of service.
591. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her views on Turas Nua’s position regarding part-time employment whereby a Turas Nua client that works on a part-time basis is advised to seek full-time employment from a different employer instead of pursuing full-time employment with their current employer; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49373/18]
View answer
592. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when it is likely a decision will be made on a carer’s support grant claim by a person (details supplied). [49374/18]
View answerThe Carer’s Support Grant is an annual payment made by my Department to full-time carers.
This application was received on 9th October 2018. The Deciding Officer dealing with the claim has referred the case to a local inspector to provide a report on the level of care the customer provides. The inspector is expediting her report on this issue. Additionally, the person making the application has been asked to provide a written statement from her employer on the number of hours she works each week.
A decision will be made on this claim shortly after all of the requested information becomes available.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
593. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the criteria for qualifying for the total contributions approach, TCA; and if a person (details supplied) will qualify. [49383/18]
View answerOn 23 January last, the Government agreed to allow pensioners, born on or after the 1st September 1946, affected by the 2012 changes in rate bands, to have their state pension (contributory) entitlement calculated under an interim “Total Contributions Approach” (TCA). The changes also provide for up to 20 years of home caring periods in the calculation of that entitlement, for those who took time out of the workplace for parenting children under age 12, or individuals who needed increased levels of care.
The changes apply to those who reached pension age on or after 1st September 2012 who were awarded less than maximum rate, on post Budget 2012 rate bands. The changes do not apply to anyone already entitled to maximum rate state pension (contributory).
Currently there are approximately 79,000 pensioners in this category. My Department has issued Information Letters to over 70,000 of these pensioners who are resident in Ireland and the person concerned was one of these pensioners. The remaining over 8,000 pensioners resident outside of Ireland are expected to receive these letters in December.
The Information Letter informs pensioners that my Department will contact them directly with the outcome of their individual pension review, or a request for further information regarding gaps in their social insurance record, if required to complete their review. It is not necessary for anyone to contact the Department on this matter.
Work on examination of the social insurance records of the pensioners concerned commenced in September. As social insurance records are unique to individual pensioners, this manual examination phase is expected to continue to the end of the year. To date, over seventy temporary staff members have been recruited to work on this phase. Further recruitment will take place in January 2019 when the first pension reviews are expected to get under way following enactment of the Social Welfare, Pensions and Civil Registrations Bill 2018. In line with this timeframe, it is anticipated that the first review outcomes will be notified to pensioners during Quarter 1 2019.
Payment of increases, where awarded, will be made immediately after an individual's review is completed. Given the numbers involved, it will take my Departments a number of months to work through all the reviews. In all cases, where the outcome of the review results in an increase in state pension (contributory) entitlement, the increase will be backdated to 30 March 2018 or the date of a person's 66th birthday if later, and arrears will be paid.
Personal pension entitlement rates will not be reduced as a result of this review. If a pensioner does not qualify for an increased rate, they will continue to receive their existing rate of entitlement.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
594. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a decision on a carer's allowance application by a person (details supplied) will issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49387/18]
View answerCarer's allowance (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 child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care.
I confirm that my department received an application for CA from the person concerned on 04 October 2018.
The application was referred to a social welfare inspector (SWI) on 23 November 2018 to assess the level of care being provided, assess the applicant's means and establish whether the conditions for receipt of carer’s allowance are satisfied.
Once the SWI has reported, a decision will be made and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
595. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the fees paid and services rendered to a person (details supplied) in each of the years 2013 to 2017 and to date in 2018; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49423/18]
View answerMy Department has made no payments to the individual referred to by the Deputy during the period 1 January 2013 to date 2018.
596. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a carer's allowance for a person (details supplied) will be awarded; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49458/18]
View answerCarer's allowance (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 child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care.
I confirm that my department received an application for CA from the person concerned on the 16 October 2018.
The application is currently being processed and once completed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
597. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a request to backdate a jobseeker's allowance award in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry will be reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49477/18]
View answerThe customer submitted her claim for Jobseekers Allowance on the 27 June 2018 and she requested this claim to be backdated to the 5 April 2018.
Backdating could not approved as the customer was not in a position to demonstrate that she had met all the conditions for Jobseekers Allowance during that period.
A letter confirming refusal of the backdating was issued to the customer on the 27 August 2018. She was also advised on 27 August 2018 that the decision could be appealed. To date no apply has been submitted.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
598. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 317 to 323 of 21 March 2018, the outcome of the consultation process regarding reconfiguring the age of eligibility for domiciliary care allowance and disability allowance which was due to conclude in April 2018 (details supplied). [49530/18]
View answerThe Make Work Pay report was published in April 2017 following a commitment in the Comprehensive Employment Strategy for people with disabilities 2015 -2024, and was undertaken in order to better identify how people with disabilities could be supported to achieve their employment ambitions.
The report made two recommendations (number 9 and 10) that addressed significant issues around the design of the main income supports schemes. These related to (a) reconfiguration of the starting age of DA from the current age of 16 to 18 years and (b) implementing the principle of early engagement for young persons on Disability Allowance (DA) and on all illness and disability payments.
To fulfil a commitment of the report, a wide consultation was conducted with persons with disabilities and their families in relation to these recommendations. This consultation began in September 2017 and continued until June 2018 with the final meeting of a key stakeholder focus group (this group comprises of persons with experience of disability issues and has helped the Department with the design of the national consultation process).
The public consultation process on recommendations 9 and 10 of the Make Work Pay report concluded in April, 2018. Outcomes from stakeholder submissions, four regional consultations (Dublin, Cork, Sligo, and Limerick), and online questionnaires were compiled. These outcomes were further considered by the key stakeholder focus group.
A report has now been drafted and next steps are currently under consideration prior to a decision being made on its publication.
I hope this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.
599. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the position regarding an illness benefit claim submitted on 24 September 2018 (details supplied) which has not been lodged or processed by her Department; if she will immediately investigate the reason certificates for the said application have not been processed despite being physically submitted weekly since the claim date to her Department's office in County Sligo; the further reason neither the application or certificates have been processed in Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49552/18]
View answerThe Illness Benefit claim for the person concerned has been processed and arrears owing to him will issue in the coming week.
The claim for the person concerned is certified up to the 18th November 2018 and paid up to the 17th November 2018.
If the person concerned remains ill and unfit for work, a further medical certificate should be submitted to the Department as soon as possible in order for further payments to issue.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
600. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will provide a timeline for the development of her Department's specific climate change targets; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49567/18]
View answerMy Department is currently in discussions with the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment in the development of specific climate change targets as part of an overall whole of government climate change action plan.
Energy usage is the main contributor to climate change and the Department and agencies under its aegis are mitigating this as part of the Public Sector Energy NEAP 33% 2020 energy saving targets. As at the end of 2017, an energy saving of 32.6% was recorded by my Department and its agencies against the 2009 baseline figures using the SEAI Public Sector Energy Reporting Programme.
My Department also actively engages with the OPW in their OPW's Optimising Power at work energy saving scheme.
The Department continues to ensure that procurement policies include provisions for Green Procurement. Energy efficiency criteria are included in requests for tenders (RFTs) where relevant, including IT equipment and non-IT equipment.
Energy, including electricity, is procured centrally through the Office of Government Procurement to obtain savings through economies of scale.
601. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the revenue raised by increasing the rate of the vacant site levy by 1%, 2% and 5% respectively. [48960/18]
View answerUnder the vacant site levy provisions in the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015, planning authorities are empowered to apply a vacant site levy of 3% of the market value of relevant vacant sites where a site exceeds 0.05 hectares in area, was in the planning authority’s opinion vacant or idle in 2018, and is in an area identified by the planning authority in its development plan or local area plan for residential or regeneration development. As signalled in Budget 2018, the rate of the levy has been increased to 7% for sites on a local authority vacant sites register from 2019 onwards.
My Department does not maintain a central register of vacant sites, as each local authority administers the vacant site register in respect of their functional area. As provided for under the Act, the register in respect of each local authority is available for inspection at its offices and online on its website. However, on foot of a recent review of the on-line vacant site registers across all local authority areas, I understand that there are collectively almost 300 individual sites currently on the local registers. Over 140 of these sites were entered on the local vacant site registers on 1 January 2018 and will therefore be subject to the levy in 2019, unless development works are activated in the interim.
The specific information sought by the Deputy in relation to the amount of the levy that would be raised in particular circumstances is not available in my Department. However, based on the current legislative provisions and a recent review of the sites currently listed on local authority registers, it is estimated that the levy proceeds nationally could be €9m in 2019 (applying the current 3% levy rate) and €28.2m in 2020 (applying the increased 7% levy rate). The latter estimate for 2020 is based on the number of sites currently included on the local vacant site registers and in respect of which market valuations have been attached to the registered sites. It is expected that the number of registered sites in respect of which market valuations will be obtained will increase in the coming months which should result in an increase in the estimated levy proceeds nationally for 2020.
My Department continues to monitor implementation of the levy to ensure that it is being effectively applied, in line with its intended purpose of incentivising the development of vacant or under-utilised sites in urban areas.
602. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the action he will take in terms of reform to address the issue of families having to spend more than half the family income to meet rent payments; if provision will be made in which families can compete with investors in the market place to provide themselves with a home rather than the current situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49483/18]
View answer603. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the action he will take in terms of public expenditure and reform with a view to ensuring that the domestic customer has a reasonable chance of purchasing a home notwithstanding the competition from investors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49485/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 602 and 603 together.
Ensuring that we have a supply of housing that is affordable for people to buy or rent, depending on their choice and circumstances, is a priority for the Government. In overall terms, the key elements of the Government’s approach to addressing the issues in our housing sector are set out in the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, and Project Ireland 2040, which set out a comprehensive set of measures designed to restore the housing market to a sustainable equilibrium.
The generally accepted convention is that housing is deemed affordable where households, particularly low or moderate income households, are paying not much more than a third of their disposable income on meeting their accommodation needs. In order to support households that have difficulty in accessing affordable housing, a multi-stranded, targeted approach is being pursued in the areas of the country most affected. The measures are targeted at households earning a maximum of €50,000 for a single applicant or €75,000 for a couple.
Under Budget 2019, the Government has trebled, to €310 million, the funding available for key facilitating infrastructure on local authority sites, to support the provision of affordable homes to purchase or rent, under the Serviced Sites Fund (SSF).
In terms of the type of affordable housing that will be delivered on local authority sites it may be affordable housing for purchase, for example, under the recently commenced provisions of Part 5 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, or cost rental, which is being advanced on a number of pilot sites before being rolled out further. These initiatives complement other Government actions which help first-time buyers to buy a home, such as the Help to Buy Scheme and the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan.
The new Land Development Agency (LDA) will also contribute significantly to the delivery of affordable housing. All of the State land developed by the LDA will include 40% social and affordable homes to purchase or rent.
While the State is playing its part in facilitating the additional supply of affordable housing, Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITS) are another component part of a more sustainable, long-term property system. While commercial property investment has been a key focus for some of the REITs launched to date in Ireland, residential property also forms part of the sector's activity. It is expected that the sector will continue to develop over time and increase the supply of professionally managed, good quality, rented accommodation.
Historically, the private rented sector in Ireland has been largely made up of small-scale landlords, who will continue to provide the bulk of private rented accommodation. However, a more diverse sector, which includes institutional investors specialised in providing and managing larger scale residential rental projects, provides more stability and less exposure to property market risk and volatility. Institutional investors can also help provide the range of tenancy options that households need across their lifecycles. Large-scale investment in property has an important role to play in helping to deliver the professional high-standard rental sector required. The fact that institutional investors are entering the rental market, with a clear long-term focus on their investment provides security for tenants who can be confident that their landlord is committed for the long run.
604. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the way in which the Land Development Agency will interact with councils and local communities during the development process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48845/18]
View answerThe recently established Land Development Agency (LDA) will act as a new commercial State body to actively manage the strategic development of public land, with particular focus on unlocking the potential of publicly owned brownfield sites.
The Agency will act as a national centre of expertise, working with and supporting local authorities, public bodies and other interests, to harness public lands as catalysts to stimulate regeneration and wider investment and to achieve compact, sustainable growth, with a particular emphasis on complex regeneration projects and the provision of affordable housing. In line with its mandate, the LDA will retain experienced staff with extensive skills and experience in project management, finance, planning, development, law and procurement and will provide professional services to master-plan key sites/areas for development in key urban areas, in partnership with local authorities and other state bodies.
The LDA is in the process of advancing agreements with various State bodies in relation to a range of sites, including the Housing Agency, the Office of Public Works, the Department of Health, the HSE and the Department of Defence, which are participating in the first tranche of land agreements and is keen to work in partnership and co-operation with local authorities. A detailed business plan for the LDA is currently in development and will provide additional information on its delivery programme.
The LDA will also be subject to the full range of public participation mechanisms provided for under the planning process, which includes extensive provision for community engagement in the development and assessment of specific proposals.
605. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the planning guidelines on the installation of solar panels in both urban and rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48847/18]
View answerAs is the case with the large majority of development types, there are currently no specific planning guidelines in place in respect of solar farms. Proposals for individual solar farm developments are subject to the statutory requirements of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, in the same manner as other proposed developments, with planning applications made to the relevant local planning authority and with a right of appeal to An Bord Pleanála. Within the wider national and local planning context, planning authorities must make their decisions, based on the specific merits or otherwise of individual planning applications.
While I am satisfied that the planning code is sufficiently robust to facilitate the assessment of individual planning permission applications for solar farm developments, the matter is being kept under review, in consultation with the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and the Environment, who leads on renewable energy policy. Our two Departments are exploring the potential for enhancing national planning guidance on solar energy, taking account of solar energy projects being assessed by planning authorities and the scope for future development of the sector in the context of the ongoing development of renewable energy policy.
On foot of this on-going engagement between the two Departments, where the need for specific planning guidance for solar farms is identified, my Department will develop such guidance as appropriate.
