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Tuesday, 28 Jul 2020

Written Answers Nos. 574-593

Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment

Questions (574, 606)

Neale Richmond

Question:

574. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the pandemic unemployment payment can be extended for those working in the tourism industry that are unlikely to see a return to previous levels of income in 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18096/20]

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Emer Higgins

Question:

606. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the pandemic unemployment payment will be extended to qualified self-employed professional tourist guides until March 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18381/20]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 574 and 606 together.

The COVID 19 pandemic unemployment payment was introduced as an emergency measure to meet the surge in unemployment which resulted from the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic. As part of the July stimulus package the Government announced the further extension of the pandemic unemployment payment to April 2021. 

One of the conditions for receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment is that a person must have been in employment immediately before 13th March and lost their income from employment. If this is not the case then the pandemic unemployment payment is not payable.  It would be impossible to construct a scheme based on claims of potential or prospective but unrealised employment, particularly where the economy was operating at full-employment with many unfilled vacancies prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

People who do not qualify for the pandemic unemployment payment are eligible to apply for a jobseekers payment.  Jobseeker's benefit is a weekly payment to people who have lost their employment and who satisfy the scheme's statutory conditions including the requirement to have sufficient social insurance contributions paid.  This benefit is paid for 9 months (234 days) for people with 260 or more PRSI contributions paid and for 6 months (156 days) for people who have less than 260 paid.  Where a person does not re-qualify or has used up their entitlement to jobseeker’s benefit they can apply for the means tested jobseeker’s allowance. The maximum weekly rate of payment for these schemes is €203 and increases may also be paid for any qualifying adults and children.  

Any person who is experiencing financial hardship may be eligible for other financial supports under the means-tested supplementary welfare allowance scheme including an Exceptional or Urgent Needs payment.  Information on the supports available under this scheme is available at www.gov.ie.

The Government has set employment recovery as its top priority and a key element of the July Stimulus Package will be enhancing the supports available to people who lost their employment to assist people back into work.  My Department has also secured an additional €100 million in funding, in addition to the €12 million already secured in June, for a significant ramping up in the delivery of employment services to workers.

I trust this clarifies the position at this time.

Working Family Payment

Questions (575)

Seán Sherlock

Question:

575. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of a working family payment claim in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [18097/20]

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Written answers

Working Family Payment (WFP) is an in-work, family payment which provides additional income support to employees on low earnings with children.  In order to qualify for WFP, an applicant or the applicant and their spouse, partner, or cohabitant must be engaged in full-time remunerative employment as an employee for not less than 38 hours per fortnight.

An application for WFP was received from the family/person concerned (spouse) on 29 April 2020.

The family concerned were awarded WFP for 52 weeks, with effect from 28 May 2020 to 26 May 2021.  The WFP application could not be awarded until the 28 May 2020 as the customer's spouse was in receipt of Carer's Allowance until the 27 May 2020. This was at the request of the customer. The first payment and all arrears owing were issued to their selected financial account on 18 June 2020.  All subsequent payments have been issued on a fortnightly basis to date.

The person (family) concerned were notified of this decision on 7 May 2020, and of the right of review and appeal.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Exceptional Needs Payment

Questions (576)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

576. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will review the entitlement of an exceptional needs payment in the case of a person (details supplied). [18099/20]

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Written answers

According to the records of my Department the person concerned made an application for the exceptional needs payment towards the cost of clothing on 10/7/2020. 

This application was refused on the basis that the need was determined not to be exceptional. 

The person concerned was advised of this decision by letter on 10/07/2020.  She was further advised if she was dissatisfied with this decision she could request a review which should be made within 21 days of the decision letter.

To date, the person concerned has not requested a review. 

I trust this clarifies the matter.

Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment

Questions (577, 578, 579)

Duncan Smith

Question:

577. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will provide a copy of the operational guidelines for the pandemic unemployment payment. [18105/20]

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Duncan Smith

Question:

578. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will provide a copy of the general scheme for the pandemic unemployment payment. [18106/20]

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Duncan Smith

Question:

579. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will provide a copy of the review and appeals process for the pandemic unemployment payment. [18107/20]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 577 to 579, inclusive, together.

The emergency Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment was designed to support employees and self-employed people, aged between 18 and under 66, who were in employment or self-employment immediately prior to 13 March 2020 and have lost their employment due to the downturn in economic activity as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic. In order to do this, the qualifying conditions were kept as simple as possible.

Information on the payment is available on www.gov.ie under the pandemic unemployment payment section with detailed guidance on how the scheme operates provided for employees and employers.  This information is updated on a regular basis to reflect the current details of the payment as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to impact on  employees and employers.  I can assure the Deputy that the operational guidelines will be made available on www.gov.ie as soon as they are finalised.  

I hope that this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Job Losses

Questions (580)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

580. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of redundancies her Department has been notified of in each month to date in 2020; the number notified in each month of 2019; the number of companies involved; the sectors impacted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18131/20]

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Written answers

Section 12 of the Protection of Employment Act 1977 provides that employers proposing a collective redundancy must notify the Minister of the proposed collective redundancy. 

The statistics in relation to collective redundancy notifications to date in 2020 are -

Collective Redundancies Notified 

Number of Notifications Received

Number of Potential Redundancies Advised

 January

9

391 

 February

10

379 

 March

16

1195 

 April

17 

1960

 May

28

2159 

 June

37 

1464

 July (to 22/7)

19

871 

The statistics in relation to collective redundancy notifications in 2019 are -

Collective Redundancies Notified 

Number of Notifications Received

Number of Potential Redundancies Advised

January

7

233

February

5

212

March

13

844

April

9

168

May

20

793

June

7

280

July

8

408

August

10

329

September

10

280

October

12

1122

November

7

542

December

241

 

My Department monitors that the legislative requirements for consultation and notification of potential redundancies to the Minister are complied with.

I am advised that it is not possible to confirm if the actual number of redundancies occurring will correlate to that advised to me as Minister as a potential redundancy.

I am further advised that statistics are not retained on a sectoral basis. 

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Fuel Allowance

Questions (581)

Paul Kehoe

Question:

581. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the way in which the means of a person (details supplied) were reached in relation to the fuel allowance application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18138/20]

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Written answers

Fuel allowance is a means-tested payment which aims to help householders on long-term social welfare payments with their heating costs during the winter season.  It is not intended to meet those costs in full.  Only one allowance is paid per household.

The applicant must satisfy a number of eligibility conditions, which include being in receipt of a qualifying payment, satisfying a means test and living alone or only with other qualifying person(s).  The fuel allowance means test is linked to the maximum rate of the State pension (contributory).  The applicant and their spouse can have a combined weekly household income of €100.00 above the maximum rates for State pension (contributory) and Increase for qualified adult and still be eligible for a fuel allowance. 

On their fuel allowance application form, the person concerned provided details of jointly-held capital and UK pensions. The fuel allowance means assessment was based on assessed weekly means from jointly-held capital, the couple’s UK pensions and their State pension entitlements.  The total means assessed exceeds the permissible weekly means of €570.80 for fuel allowance qualification for a couple where both are aged over 66.

Weekly means from capital is calculated using the following formula which is published on www.gov.ie, together with fuel allowance guidelines.  The first €20,000 is disregarded.  The next €10,000 is assessed at €1 per €1,000. The next €10,000 is assessed at €2 per €1,000.  The remainder (in excess of €40,000) is assessed at €4 per €1,000.  Therefore weekly means from capital of €60,000 are assessed as €110.00.

The person concerned was notified in writing of this decision on 10 July 2020.  They were advised that if their circumstances change it is open to them to submit a new application for fuel allowance.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Low Pay Commission

Questions (582)

Patrick Costello

Question:

582. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the Low Pay Commission has been formally requested to examine universal basic income as agreed in the programme for Government; and if not, when the request will be made. [18145/20]

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Written answers

The Programme for Government states that the Low Pay Commission is to examine Universal Basic Income, informed by a review of previous international pilots, and resulting in a universal basic income pilot in the lifetime of the Government. This matter will be progressed in line with the Programme for Government commitment and a referral to the Low Pay Commission will be made in due course.

Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment

Questions (583)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

Question:

583. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied ) is on the lower rate of pandemic unemployment payment in view of income exceeding the €200 threshold; her views on the policy issues raised by the circumstances of the case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18168/20]

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Written answers

From 29th June, the higher rate of Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) is only payable to customers who had average weekly reckonable income of €200 or greater from self-employment prior to applying for the PUP.  For self-employed customers, the last year for which complete data is available is 2018.  This is the year which was used in determining the correct rate of PUP going forward.  As the Department has identified the person concerned as self-employed, it is basing its decision on his return of income in the 2018 tax year. 

The Revenue Commissioners has advised this Department that the income of the person concerned (after application of capital allowances) is below €200 per week, and a weekly PUP rate of €203 therefore now applies to the person concerned.

Under PUP rating rules, employed and self-employed incomes cannot be combined in the same year.

I trust this clarifies the matter.

Community Employment Schemes

Questions (584)

Thomas Pringle

Question:

584. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if persons working in a community employment scheme and that work part time to supplement their income will be included in the new Covid-19 payment changes (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18199/20]

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Written answers

The Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was introduced by my Department in response to the Covid-19 pandemic emergency, to provide income support to those who had lost their jobs. As stipulated in the scheme guidelines both employees and self-employed people can apply for the payment if they satisfy a number of qualifying conditions as set out below.

 In order to qualify for the payment, the applicant must:

- be aged between 18 and 66 years old and

- be currently living in the Republic of Ireland and

- have lost their job due to the COVID-19 pandemic or

- have been temporarily laid off due to the COVID-19 pandemic and

- have worked in the Republic of Ireland or were a cross border frontier worker and

- not be in receipt of any employment income.

In order to ensure business continuity across its schemes my Department gave a commitment to continue funding all Community Employment (CE) schemes throughout the emergency period, which included the continued funding of wages for CE participants.  In this context, as CE participants are in receipt of an employment income, they do not meet the criteria for receipt of the Covid-19 PUP.

However, where a CE participant lost/loses their employment outside of CE, their second employer can apply for the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) administered by the Revenue Commissioners to assist in the continuation of a wage payment, subject to certain conditions. 

The Pandemic Unemployment Payment is to be extended to April 2021 at an estimated cost of €2.24 billion, with some changes to how it is currently administered.  It will close to new applications on 17 September 2020.  There will be three rates of payment instead of the previous two and the rate of payment will be based on a person’s earnings prior to COVID.  There are no changes to qualifying conditions of PUP.

Child Benefit

Questions (585)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Question:

585. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of families that receive child benefit payments; and the number of children these are in respect of. [18205/20]

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Written answers

The information requested by the Deputy is detailed in the following tabular statement.  

Recipients of child benefit at the end of June 2020 by families and children.

Family Size (No Of Children)

Number Of Families

Number Of Children

1 Child

 251,039

 251,039

2 Children

 244,144

 488,288

3 Children

 108,323

 324,969

4 Children

 28,007

 112,028

5 Children

 5,625

 28,125

6 Children

 1,469

 8,814

7 Children

 442

 3,094

8 Children

 184

 1,472

9 Children

 71

 639

10 Children +

 43

 459

Totals

 639,347

 1,218,927

School Meals Programme

Questions (586, 587)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Question:

586. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost of the extension of the school meals programme over the summer months in 2020. [18206/20]

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Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Question:

587. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing the school meals programme budget by 5%, 10%, 20% and 25%, respectively; and the estimated cost of extending the programme budget to include provision for breakfast in addition to lunch. [18207/20]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 586 and 587 together.

The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,580 schools and organisations benefitting 250,000 children.  The objective of the scheme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, due to lack of good quality food, to take full advantage of the education provided to them.  The programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement.

Following the announcement of the closure of schools due to the Covid-19 pandemic on 12th March 2020, schools and organisations participating in the school meals programme expressed concerns about the impact of school closures on pupils who avail of school meals, and that the unavailability of school meals impacts in particular on the most disadvantaged in our society.

My Department confirmed that funding to schools would continue to enable schools to provide food until the end of the current school year - the end of May 2020 for post-primary schools and the end of June 2020 for primary schools, in line with the parameters of the school meals scheme. This funding was further extended to allow schools who choose to continue to provide food during the summer period until the start of the new academic year 2020/2021. The extension of the school meals programme over the summer months will be provided for within the budget of €61.6 million for 2020.

Based on the 2020 budgetary allocation of €61.6 million, the additional annual costs of expanding the school meals programme by 5%, 10%, 20% and 25% are €3.1 million, €6.2 million, €12.3 million and €15.4 million, respectively.

The School Meals Scheme can provide funding for breakfast or snack, lunch and afterschool, subject to submission of an application.  The scheme is currently available to all 891 DEIS schools, where 162 are not availing of the breakfast or snack. If these schools submitted an application for breakfast, it would cost €2.8m.

Changes to increase the funding of any scheme administered by my Department would have to be considered in a budgetary context.

Question No. 588 answered with Question No. 564.

State Pensions

Questions (589)

Jackie Cahill

Question:

589. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason for disallowance of a pension application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18262/20]

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Written answers

State pension non-contributory is a means-tested payment for people aged 66 and over, habitually residing in the State, who do not qualify for a state pension contributory, or who only qualify for a reduced rate contributory pension based on their social insurance record. In order to satisfy the habitual residence condition, the person must have a legal right of residence in the State.    

An application for State pension non-contribution was received from the person concerned on 7 December 2018.  Following a means assessment of the income and assets of the person concerned, the Deciding Officer established that the person's weekly means, comprising of income and capital, exceeded the permissible statutory weekly limit of €262.50 and their application was disallowed. 

The person concerned was notified of this decision on 15 February 2019, together with the reasons for the decision and their right, if dissatisfied with the decision, to request a review of the decision, or to  appeal the decision to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office.  To date, there is no record of an  appeal received from the person concerned.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Covid-19 Pandemic

Questions (590)

Pa Daly

Question:

590. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the fact that many pensioners and elderly persons are incurring significant expense on masks and sanitiser resulting in significant hardship; the steps she will take to address this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18270/20]

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Written answers

During the COVID-19 emergency, the Government has been seeking to implement and operate supports that are targeted where most needed, to ensure continued economic activity and reduce the risk of poverty.  In March, as part of Government COVID-19 response measures, the Fuel Allowance scheme was extended by four weeks until Friday, 8th May 2020.  At a cost of €36.61 million, the extension of the fuel season for over 369,000 existing eligible households was put in place, to ensure that the most vulnerable groups, particularly older people in receipt of State pensions, were provided with additional targeted financial supports.  This extension meant that the 2019/2020 Fuel Season ran to the latest end date of any season in the last 30 years and provided €98 additional income to those 369,000 vulnerable households in a timely fashion.

Recipients of State pension payments may, subject to satisfying eligibility conditions, have access to a range of additional supports.  These supports include the living alone increase, household benefits, telephone support allowance, fuel allowance and free travel.

Furthermore, my Department operates both Exceptional and Urgent Needs Payments as part of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme for people of any age, who have an urgent need which they cannot meet from their own resources.  These payments are available through our Community Welfare Officers.

Officials in my Department are monitoring these payments and figures indicate that in the 16 week period between mid-March and the first week of July 1,145 Exceptional and Urgent need payments were paid to those aged 66 and over.  This compares to 1,673 payments made to the same age group over the corresponding period in 2019, representing a drop of over 31% in these claims, year on year.

The Department of Health is still advising that elderly people are at the highest risk of severe illness from COVID-19 and are advised to stay at home as much as possible and to limit physical contact with other people. While I fully understand that these are difficult and distressing times for many people, especially for the vulnerable and the elderly, any further economic measures can only be considered while taking account of the overall budgetary context and the availability of financial resources. 

I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Social Welfare Offices

Questions (591)

Michael Ring

Question:

591. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the supports in place in local Intreo centres for persons with dyslexia in cases where they must complete application forms in the offices. [18286/20]

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Written answers

It is the policy of my Department to standardise and simplify its application forms as much as possible. Plain English principles are applied in the design of all primary application forms to ensure that they are available in a simple, clear, easy to read format that is accessible to people with different levels of literacy ability. In this regard my Department has  been working with the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA)  for the past number of years to adopt plain English principles in its application forms, website text and publications. Application forms can also be provided in alternative format such as audio which would be helpful to those who have reading difficulties.

My Department operates a network of some 125 social welfare local and branch offices throughout the country, providing information on all the Department’s schemes and services and assistance with the completion of application forms is available where required. 

In addition, the nationwide network of over 200 Citizens Information Centres offer a drop-in service where callers can meet information providers face-to-face. Staff in these centres assist and support individuals, in particular those with disabilities, access their entitlements and advocate on their behalf in this regard.

I am satisfied that the assistance and support available to customers, including those with disabilities such as dyslexia, through my Department’s offices and through the Citizens Information Services offices enables them to access my Department’s schemes and services in a timely and effective manner that best meets their needs.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance Scheme

Questions (592)

Michael Ring

Question:

592. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if hard copy application forms for the back to school clothing and footwear allowance scheme are available in local Intreo offices to enable those that do not have online access to apply for assistance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18306/20]

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Written answers

The 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 the end of 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 a customer has not received an award letter from BSCFA, that customer will need to apply for the allowance online on www.mywelfare.ie.  While BSCFA application forms are not available in Intreo offices, customers who not in a position to apply online or who are experiencing difficulties in applying online can contact the BSCFA section on 071 9193318 or 0818 11 11 13, where an officer will assist the customer to apply online or, where necessary, will issue an application form for the customer to complete.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Public Services Card

Questions (593)

Thomas Gould

Question:

593. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when the public service card registration process will resume. [18320/20]

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Written answers

The SAFE registration process, which my Department uses to authenticate a person's identity, is a face to face process which results in the issuing of a Public Services Card (PSC).

At the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, my Department temporarily postponed the SAFE registration process.  This decision was taken to comply with HSE and WHO guidelines in respect of social distancing.

My Department is currently resuming SAFE registration work in Intreo Centres and this will be done in accordance with all relevant guidelines to ensure the health and safety of the Department's customers and staff.  I would expect that SAFE registrations will re-commence nationwide over the coming weeks and further information will then be made available as to how appointments can be arranged.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

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