Written Answers Nos. 111-122
111. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will give consideration to temporarily reallocating staff within her Department in order to deal with the large backlog of Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment arrears in view of the financial hardship facing many on the payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16185/20]
View answerMy Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers. This includes ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible.
The emergency Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment has been introduced as a time-limited emergency measure so that payments can be made as quickly as possible to the large number of people who have become fully unemployed due to the pandemic. Currently, the Department is focused on processing and managing payments to ensure that they continue to be made to all who qualify for them. The work involved in doing this is complex, with people joining and leaving the scheme each week, along with management of overlaps between the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment and the Revenue Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme.
During the month of March, my Department received and processed jobseeker claims equivalent in number to a three year claim-load. These applications were processed as quickly as possible, with almost 59,000 people paid in the first week of the scheme, 283,000 people paid in the following week, and over 507,000 people in the third week of the scheme. Over 1 million applications in respect of 743,000 individuals have been received. To date, almost 7.8 million payments have issued at a cost of over €2.7 Billion.
My Department is aware that many people are due some arrears and that each person’s case is unique. The Department is currently developing an automated process which will examine each case and match a person’s eligibility for each week of the scheme against their payment history. This is a complex piece of work. It will take time to complete the necessary IT development work to enable the review of cases and to determine what, if any, arrears are due. All cases will be examined and where arrears arise they will be processed and claimants will be notified.
At the onset of the Covid-19 Pandemic approximately 1000 staff were temporarily redeployed within my Department to meet the demand placed on the Department’s services. In addition to this, 350 staff from other Government Departments and Agencies were temporarily assigned to my Department to assist with the response to Covid-19. Temporary Clerical Officers were also recruited and over 60 remain in place to assist with the increased workload.
My Department is keeping under review, in conjunction with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, the resources required to deal with the unprecedented demand on its services.
112. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 will be amended to allow applicants for the State pension (contributory) to qualify for the benefit by using their home carer credits in view of the fact that the credits can be used to increase the rate of payment at which the pension is paid; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16196/20]
View answerThe new Programme for Government “Our Shared Future” states that a Commission on Pensions will be established to examine sustainability and eligibility issues with state pensions and the Social Insurance Fund. The Commission is to report on to Government by June 2021 on options including the qualifying age, contribution rates, total contributions and eligibility requirements. The Government will take action, having regard to the recommendations of the Commission, within six months.
The current position is that a person is required to have a minimum of 520 paid reckonable PRSI contributions in order to qualify for the State Pension (Contributory), which reflects the contributory nature of the benefit. The actuarial value of the State Pension is estimated at over €300,000 which requires people who claim a contributory pension to have made at least 10 years of paid contributions over 50 years of a working age life.
When the Interim Total Contributions Approach (Interim TCA) was introduced, it included provision for the HomeCaring Periods Scheme which fundamentally changed the entitlement of many who spent time out of the workforce caring for others. It, for the first time, acknowledged home caring periods prior to 1994. Interim TCA provides for up to 20 years of home caring periods to be considered. These periods were not social insurance credits and could not be used for any other purpose other than improving the rate of pay for those who qualified for the State Pension (Contributory). Those who have a 40 year record of paid reckonable social insurance contributions, subject to a maximum of 20 years of credits / homecaring periods, qualify for a maximum contributory pension where they satisfy the other qualifying conditions for the scheme. From April 2019, all new State Pension (Contributory) applications are assessed under all possible rate calculation methods, including both the Interim TCA and the Yearly Average approach, with the most beneficial rate paid to the pensioner.
It should also be noted if a person does not satisfy those conditions, they may 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 Pension (Contributory). Alternatively, if their spouse is a State pensioner and they have significant household means, their most beneficial payment may be an Increase for a Qualified Adult, based on their personal means, and amounting up to 90% of a full contributory pension.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
113. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the arrangements in place for persons with no Internet connection and who have difficulty with the English language who have not been able to make the online application for the back to school allowance; the arrangements that can be put in place to assist parents in such a situation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16231/20]
View answerThe back to school clothing and footwear allowance (BSCFA) scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn. The scheme operates from June to September each year.
The allowance is payable in respect of eligible children between the ages of 4 and 17 in respect of whom a qualified child allowance is being paid and eligible children between the ages of 18 and 22 who are in full-time second level education and in respect of whom a qualified child allowance is being paid.
Similar to previous years, the majority of customers are awarded BSCFA automatically and notification of these awards have issued to these customers.
From 6 July, if customers have not received an award letter from BSCFA, the customer will need to apply for the allowance online on www.mywelfare.ie. If customers are experiencing issues applying online, they can contact the BSCFA section on 071 9193318 or 0818 11 11 13, where an officer can assist the customer to apply online or will issue an application form for the customer to complete.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
114. Deputy Chris Andrews asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when citizens information centres in southern areas of Dublin Bay are due to reopen; her plans to reduce the number of centres in the area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16272/20]
View answerThe Citizens Information Board (CIB) is the statutory body responsible for supporting the provision of information, advice (including money and budgeting advice) and advocacy services on a wide range of public and social services. CIB delivers on this remit through its provision of some services directly to the public and through a network of service delivery companies.
During the Covid-19 crisis, CIB developed a national Covid-19 response across all its services and introduced a range of additional measures to address the needs of citizens in a situation where local Citizens Information Centres were closed to the public in line with public health guidelines.
Dublin South Citizens Information Service is the regional company with responsibility for the delivery of citizens information services in its geographic area. It is funded and supported by the Citizens Information Board. The Dublin South service continues to respond to queries by telephone and email in order to meet the most immediate information, advice and advocacy needs of people arising from loss of work and income, closure of businesses and schools and many other issues of concern to people living in its area.
Within the Dublin South area, planning is under way to commence an appointment based service for callers within a limited number of Citizens Information Centres (CIC's) where social distancing can be facilitated in line with current HSE Covid-19 public health advice and Return to Work Safely protocols.
Tallaght CIC is now opened for face to face appointments; Dun Laoghaire CIC will commence an appointment service from 27 July; while Ballyfermot and Rathmines will follow from mid-August or early September.
The Dublin South CIS company, which has responsibility for service provision in the southern areas of Dublin has no plans to reduce services in this area.
The aim of the 8 CIS regional service delivery companies in the country is to continue to deliver a high-quality information, advice and advocacy service to citizens in their respective geographic areas.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
115. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of the roll-out of broadband connection points in County Wexford. [16072/20]
View answer116. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of the roll-out of broadband connection points in counties Cavan and Monaghan. [16077/20]
View answer118. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of the roll-out of broadband connection points in County Cork. [16081/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 115, 116 and 118 together.
In November 2019, National Broadband Ireland was awarded the contract to provide high-speed broadband connectivity to almost 540,000 premises across the State, predominantly in rural areas. This project will be implemented on a rolling basis; however, the BCP initiative is designed to bring a measure of connectivity to remote and isolated areas ahead of the completion of the National Broadband Plan roll out.
BCPs are typically publicly accessible buildings such as community centres, sports clubs and libraries. Approximately 300 BCPs will be provided with a wireless high speed broadband connection over the next twelve months which will make free on-site internet connectivity available to the public.
To date, more than 70 BCPs across the country have been provided with an initial backhaul connection by National Broadband Ireland, including sites in counties Cork and Wexford. Sites in counties Cavan and Monaghan are scheduled for installation later this month. Over the coming weeks, Vodafone, as the internet service provider, will also begin installing their public access equipment at each site which will enable the BCPs to “go live”.
BCP locations are listed by county on National Broadband Ireland’s website at https://nbi.ie/bcp-locations/. It should be noted that some BCP sites may change over time as commercial connectivity becomes more widespread or as the circumstances at each site change. In such cases, the BCP list will be updated accordingly.
117. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the lead Department in fulfilling the commitment in the programme for Government to invest in infrastructure to support the development of rural towns and villages. [16232/20]
View answerA number of Departments have responsibility for investing in infrastructure to support the development of rural town and villages.
My Department supports the development of rural towns and villages through a number of measures, and particularly through investment under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme and the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund.
Since the launch of the Town and Village Renewal Scheme in 2016, almost €68 million has been allocated to more than 830 projects across Ireland. The 2020 Town and Village Scheme, which is currently open for applications through the Local Authorities, places particular emphasis on the economic and social recovery of our towns and villages. This may include public realm projects to make towns and villages more accessible in the context of COVID-19 public health requirements, or supports for projects with a direct economic impact, such as enterprise hubs or remote working solutions.
In addition, as part of the 2020 Town and Village Renewal Scheme, a new standalone Measure was introduced that will provide accelerated support for towns and villages to adapt to public health requirements in response to COVID-19 in the short term, and to encourage increased footfall in our towns and villages.
The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund provides investment to support rural economic development and help build strong communities in towns and villages and their outlying areas. The projects approved for funding under the Fund are of a larger scale than the Town and Village Renewal Scheme and deliver essential infrastructure to ensure the sustainable recovery and growth of rural towns and villages. To date 134 projects have been approved for funding of €161 million for projects worth a total of €229 million.
The third call for Category 1 shovel-ready proposals under the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund is now open. The primary focus of the third call under the Fund is to support capital projects that will support economic recovery and the overall economic development of rural towns and villages.
119. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the draw down to date of the €3 million allocated in budget 2020 for new pilot agri-environmental schemes; the schemes supported to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16260/20]
View answerUnder Budget 2020, €3 million was allocated to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to pilot new agri-environmental schemes to support the Government’s Climate Action Plan objectives in 2020.
The Department have established a working group to progress with a particular focus on the use of the European Innovation Fund framework which facilitates locally-led initiatives. Plans for the development of new projects are ongoing.
120. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of a TAMS application by a person (details supplied); if the person can submit the correct documentation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16233/20]
View answerThe person named submitted an application for grant-aid on 5 June 2020 under the Animal Welfare, Nutrient and Storage Scheme of TAMS II in tranche 17. This tranche also closed on 5 June 2020.
All applications received in a given tranche are initially be subject to an administrative check. This includes an examination of the documentation supplied. It should be noted that the submission of an application under a TAMS II measure does not guarantee approval.
My Department will contact the person named directly, with a view to resolving the query that has arisen in relation to this application and, should the query be resolved, progressing the application to the next stage of the approval process.
121. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the instances of non-compliance with carcase trim specifications his inspectors have identified in beef plants each month to date in 2020; when the names of plants involved will be published; the payments made to the farmer supplier to reflect loss; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16261/20]
View answer122. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of instances in which mechanical grading was suspended in meat plants in cases in which a machine is found to be working outside of tolerance and manual grading was instigated in 2019 and to date in 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16262/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 121 and 122 together.
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1184 of 20 April 2017 governs the monitoring of carcase classification, carcase presentation and weighing. To date, in 2020, officers from the Carcase Classification Division of my Department have conducted over 260 inspections across 32 factories (mechanical and manual grading plants) and over 23,600 carcases were inspected.
During these inspections, officers monitored compliance with the EU reference carcase presentation specification. Monitoring of carcase presentation was also carried out by my Department's Veterinary Public Health staff based in the factories, on a daily basis. To date, in 2020, no factory has been fined for non-compliance with carcase presentation.
The mechanical classification method must operate within legally defined tolerances at all times. When any mechanical system is found to be working outside of these tolerances, the meat plants concerned are instructed to revert to manual grading. Farmers are advised through their remittance dockets where manual grading is applied. Regarding the suspension of mechanical grading, this occurred on two occasions to date in 2020 and the factories in questions were instructed to revert to manual grading. In all instances, classification officers from my Department conduct a classification check before a factory is allowed to recommence mechanical grading. In 2019, mechanical grading was suspended on six occasions.
