Written Answers Nos. 171-185
171. Deputy John Brassil asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated amount it would cost to expand back to education allowance-approved postgraduate courses in line with postgraduate approved courses by SUSI; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21218/19]
View answerThe focus of back to education allowance (BTEA) is on providing income support to jobseekers in improving their education qualifications to access the labour market, meeting skill needs and supporting those who have poor levels of educational attainment. The BTEA provides people with a second chance education that will improve their prospects of securing employment The BTEA is not intended to provide a basis for a long-duration participation in extended education as long duration return to education programmes can exceed a jobseeker's 'progression effect' and reduce employment prospects.
Post-graduate courses that lead to a higher diploma in any discipline are eligible for support under the BTEA. The Professional Masters in Education (PME) and masters qualifications based solely on life experience, where the applicant holds no other third level qualification, are also eligible for support under the BTEA.
It would be difficult to establish the estimated cost of making the BTEA available for all postgraduate students as it would not be possible to determine the number of people on welfare support who would be likely to pursue postgraduate studies. The average BTEA annual cost for a 3rd level student for an academic year is approximately €8,500. Irish Masters degrees typically take one year to complete however some courses extend beyond this.
The BTEA is not an alternative form of funding for people entering or re-entering the third level education system. The Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) Grant payable by the Department of Education and Skills represents the primary support for persons pursuing education. The eligibility rules that govern the payment of a student maintenance grant are a matter for that Department.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
172. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her views on the provision of a service at a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21240/19]
View answerAs part of Budget 2019, it was announced that DEASP would commence a pilot scheme from September 2019, providing Hot School Meals in 36 primary schools for an estimated 7,200 children at a cost of €1m for 2019 and €2.5m in 2020.
All primary schools will be issued with an invitation to submit an expression of interest to participate in the pilot this week. Schools will have until Wednesday, 12 June to submit an Expression of Interest to participate in the pilot. Schools will be selected having regard to geographical spread, numbers enrolled, range of suppliers and the overall budget available for the pilot in 2019 and 2020 (€1m and €2.5 respectively).
173. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason the illness benefit payment of a person (details supplied) has been suspended; when same will be reinstated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21217/19]
View answerThe Illness Benefit payment to the person concerned was suspended on the 2nd April 2019 as Supplementary Welfare Allowance payments were also being made to him for a period and the overlap in payment required to be assessed.
The Illness Benefit payment has been reinstated and the person concerned has been paid up to date. He is currently medically certified as unfit for work until the 30th June 2019.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
174. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the actions, including meetings between her and or her officials and community employment supervisors and-or their representatives, she has taken since a motion was passed in Dáil Éireann in 2018 concerning pension entitlements for community employment supervisors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21250/19]
View answerI am happy to note that the industrial action due to take place this week has been suspended following recent discussions I and officials held with Forsa and SIPTU. The very many services provided by CE supervisors, assistant supervisors and every participant in community employment schemes in rural and urban areas are extremely valuable to every town and village in the country. All of these schemes are well embedded in community areas nationally and they are engaged in significant levels of service support and delivery.
Engagement will now commence between the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection and the unions over the next number of months provides an opportunity to address issues of concern to CE Supervisors.
175. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason a spouse of a recently deceased person who is in receipt of an invalidity pension cannot qualify for a widow’s or widower’s pension but a spouse who is working and earning a salary is entitled to a widow’s or widower’s pension if his or her spouse dies; her views on whether this inequity is fair; if her attention has been drawn to the burden this can place on households in which the main earner dies and the household is dependent on the invalidity pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21251/19]
View answerThe social welfare system is primarily a contingency-based system, with entitlement based on a number of defined contingencies such as sickness, unemployment, old age or widowhood.
There are two basic principles which underpin the Irish social insurance system.
Firstly there is the contributory principle. Under this principle there is a direct link between the PRSI contributions that a person has paid and entitlement to a varying range of benefits and pensions. Where a person has sufficient PRSI contributions, then benefits and pensions may be paid as of right, where a particular contingency arises and without a means test.
Secondly there is the solidarity principle. Under this principle the benefits and pensions that are paid are not directly related to the amount of PRSI contributions paid by insured persons. PRSI contribution income is instead redistributed to support contributors who are more vulnerable. In this regard, it should be noted that some PRSI contributors do not experience all of the contingencies during their life. For example, one contributor may never require access to Invalidity Pension whereas it may be a crucial support for another.
In addition, there is a general principle of one person, one 'core' payment, which applies across the whole of the social welfare system. Given the contingency-based nature of this system, it can happen that a person may experience more than one contingency at the same time. For example, an unemployed person may become sick. As a consequence, if a person experiences more than one of these contingencies at the same time, he or she can receive only one of those payments. This principle is common to social security systems across the world.
It is generally only possible to claim one personal social assistance or social insurance payment at a time in Ireland. However, in certain circumstances, a person can keep their personal payment and get half rate of another social welfare payment. A notable example is the situation whereby, if a person receives certain social welfare payments and is providing full-time care and attention to another person, they may keep their main social welfare payment and get half-rate Carer’s Allowance as well.
Not to maintain the underlying principle of entitlement to one payment only at any one time, that is, one person, one payment, could potentially involve very significant and unsustainable additional expenditure in the long-term.
In terms of income support, Social welfare will always provide a safety net for those who most need it. Supplementary welfare allowance, administered by the community welfare service of the Department, is a means tested weekly payment, subject to certain terms and conditions, which provide a basic income support to eligible people whose means are insufficient to meet their needs. Every decision is based on consideration of the circumstances of each case, taking account of the nature and extent of the need and of the resources of the person concerned.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
176. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason for the delay in deciding an appeal for supplementary welfare allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); and if a decision has now been reached. [21289/19]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned in relation to diet supplement was registered in that office on 22 October 2018. The case was referred to an Appeals Officer who on 28 February 2019 requested some necessary clarification from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection on certain issues relating to the payment of the supplement to the person in previous years.
This clarification has just been received from the Department and the Appeals Officer 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 trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
177. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when rent support will be offered in the case of a person (details supplied); if the matter can be urgently investigated with a view to conclusion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21298/19]
View answerI am advised that the office with responsibility for the area in which the person concerned resides advises that no application for Rent Supplement has been received from the person concerned.
On receipt of the application a Deciding Officer will make and communicate a decision to the person concerned.
I trust this clarifies matter for the Deputy.
178. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the correct level of rent support payable in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21299/19]
View answerI am advised that the person concerned is in receipt of the correct Rent Supplement payable, i.e. the rate applicable for a single person resident in the Kilcock area of County Kildare.
The Rent Supplement claim was reviewed on 12th April 2019 and the Community Welfare Officer issued a letter to the person concerned, advising of their entitlement to Rent Supplement.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
180. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of houses in County Donegal affected by mica; if this includes council houses, State buildings, retaining walls, extensions, conservatories and so on; the estimated amount it will cost to resolve; and if the scheme will be open ended. [21277/19]
View answer181. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if families that have had remedial work carried out on their houses receive a certificate of being clear of mica in view of the fact that persons do not want to register with a group (details supplied) for fear their houses will be devalued or they will not be able to obtain insurance for their property. [21278/19]
View answer182. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if families affected by mica will have to continue to pay the local property tax; if families have to pay mortgages and rent if they are forced to move out; if the funding covers compensation to families; the effect the crisis will have on the provision of local authority houses in County Donegal; and the number of local authority houses set aside for families from mica houses. [21279/19]
View answer183. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when he plans to put in place a redress scheme or grant scheme for residents in County Donegal affected by problems in concrete blocks affected by Muscovite mica; the steps taken to put in place such a scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21202/19]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 180 to 183, inclusive, together.
An Expert Panel on Concrete Blocks was established by my Department in 2016 and its terms of reference were limited to the investigation of the problems that have emerged in the concrete blockwork of certain dwellings in Counties Donegal and Mayo. The report of the Expert Panel was published in 2017 and included eight recommendations, which my Department is actively progressing with the relevant stakeholders.
In October 2018, the Government approved in principle the development of a grant scheme of financial assistance to support affected homeowners in the two counties to carry out the necessary remediation works to dwellings that have been damaged due to defective concrete blocks. Earlier this week, agreement was reached with my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, to allocate €20 million to a scheme for this purpose from within the €2.4 billion housing budget for 2019. Funding for future years will be agreed on an annual basis.
The extent of damage arising from mica varies significantly from house to house. It is intended that the maximum rate of grant will be 90%, with the full terms and conditions of the scheme being finalised over the coming weeks, in consultation with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. This will take account also of the further engagement that my Department will now be having with Donegal and Mayo County Councils in relation to the arrangements for the scheme. On completion of this work, it is intended to revert to Government for a further decision.
While initial work has been carried out on the range of potential costs arising, the ultimate costs involved will be determined by the final terms and conditions of the scheme and will, of course, also depend on the number of applications made under the scheme and the extent of the damage to be remediated in each individual house ultimately approved for grant assistance.
In relation to the issue of certification for families who have already had remedial work carried out on their dwellings, the issuing of such certification is a matter entirely for the homeowner and the professionals they have engaged. Similarly, the payment of mortgages and rent is a matter for individual property owners.
As regards Local Property Tax (LPT), taxation policy, including matters relevant to LPT, falls within the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Finance. The Finance (Local Property Tax) Act 2012 (as amended) provides for the administration of LPT and allows for only a limited number of exemptions from that tax. There is no specific exemption for properties affected by mica or pyrite in the concrete blockwork However, as LPT operates on a self-assessment basis, it is a matter for the property owner, in the first instance, to calculate the tax due based on his or her assessment of the market value of their property. When making an assessment of the value of a property, issues such as the presence of mica (or any other defects, which may adversely affect the value of the property) should be taken into account by the property owner.
In relation to the issues referred to concerning social housing, the relevant legislation provides that a household is not eligible for long-term social housing support if a household member owns alternative accommodation that the household could reasonably be expected to use to meet its housing need, either by occupying it or by selling it, and using the proceeds to secure suitable accommodation. However, in determining a household’s need for social housing support, local authorities are required to have regard to, inter alia, the household’s current accommodation, specifically its fitness for human habitation, having regard to the matters set out in Housing Act 1966, which include the stability of the structure. Decisions on the eligibility of individual households for social housing support are a matter for the local authority concerned.
184. Deputy Tony McLoughlin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when Sligo Fire Service will receive two new fire units for its Sligo and Tubbercurry fire units; if this allocation will be made in 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21268/19]
View answerThe provision of a fire service in its functional area, including the establishment and maintenance of a fire brigade, the assessment of fire cover needs and the provision of fire station premises and fire appliances is a statutory function of individual fire authorities under the Fire Services Act 1981. My Department supports the fire authorities through the setting of overarching policy, providing a central training programme, issuing guidance on operational and other related matters and providing capital funding for priority projects.
Management of the number, type and age of fire appliances is a matter for each of the local authorities who have responsibility for the assessment of their individual fire cover needs, including the provision and management of a fleet adequate to their requirements.
My Department funds new fire appliances under national procurement programmes, the most recent of which ran in 2015 and 2017. In June 2018, Sligo County Council requested approval for two new ‘Class B’ fire appliances, and were advised that this would be considered in future capital programmes. On 1 May 2019, the Council requested funding to purchase a pre-used ‘Class B’ fire appliance. This request is currently under consideration. All requests for funding from my Department’s Fire Services Capital Programme are considered in the context of the available resources, local authorities’ priorities, the value for money offered by proposals and the totality of requests from fire authorities.
185. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the local authorities that employ and do not employ, respectively, a full-time Irish language officer in tabular form; and the estimated annual cost for employing such a position. [21324/19]
View answerUnder section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he or she is responsible.
My Department oversees workforce planning for the local government sector, including the monitoring of local government sector employment levels and payroll costs. To this end, my Department gathers quarterly data on staff numbers and pay in the local authorities but this does not provide details of the specific role and function of each individual staff member or their individual annual salary cost.
Therefore, my Department is not in a position to provide details of the local authorities that employ or do not employ full-time Irish language officers or the annual salary cost. This information should be available directly from local authorities.
