Written Answers Nos. 522-541
522. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will reconsider the policy in which entitlement to the domiciliary care allowance, carer’s benefit and carer’s allowance is suspended if a child remains in hospital for longer than thirteen weeks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4260/21]
View answerDomiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is an allowance payable in respect of children with a severe disability, who require care and attention substantially in excess of that required by other children their age without their disability. It is payable to the person providing for the child's care while they are resident with that person for at least 5 days each week, in their own home. Carers benefit or allowance can be paid in respect of such children while they are in receipt of DCA and the person providing the care meets the other relevant qualifying conditions.
DCA can be paid, for a period not exceeding 13 weeks in any 12 months, if the child is admitted to hospital on a full-time basis for medical or other treatment.
If a child is resident in an institution (including a hospital) for part of each week, DCA can be paid at 50% of the normal rate if the child resides with the qualified person between 2 and 4 days each week.
As a result DCA is not payable while the child is resident on a fulltime basis for an extended period in a hospital.
It is not proposed to amend the qualifying condition of the DCA scheme at this time.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
523. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to reopen the enterprise support grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4292/21]
View answerThe Enterprise Support Grant (ESG) is available to eligible self-employed recipients who close their Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) and re-start their business. A once-off grant of up to €1,000, to assist with the costs associated with reopening, is available under this measure.
The grant, of up to €1,000, is payable to self-employed individuals who employ fewer than 10 people, have an annual turnover of less than €1 million and are not eligible for support from similar business reopening grants, such as the COVID19 Restrictions Support Scheme, from other Departments.
Approximately 8,600 applications have been approved since the introduction of this grant, with funding of almost €8m paid to small businesses. A provision of €12m is available for this support in 2021. The extension of this grant into 2021 ensures supports remain available to qualified self-employed individuals when they close their PUP payments as restrictions are eased. Detailed information about this grant and other supports for self-employed individuals is available at www.gov.ie/dsp.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
524. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will address a matter regarding the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4294/21]
View answerI can confirm that my Department has not revoked the Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) of the individual referred to by the Deputy.
The SAFE registration process is the process by which the Department authenticates a person's identity and issues them with a Public Services Card (PSC). The PSC is an easy to use means of verifying identity when accessing pubic services, including services provided by my Department.
SAFE registrations have been suspended during Level 5 restrictions, but SAFE appointments are available for urgent cases in circumstances where the customer has no alternative means of accessing public services other than by acquiring a PSC.
My Department is monitoring requirements closely and will arrange additional appointments for urgent cases as needed.
A person must provide the required identity documentation when attending for SAFE registration.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
525. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection the way in which income from UK pensions was assessed and calculated with regard to an application for the fuel allowance by a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4348/21]
View answerFollowing a review of their claim, fuel allowance was awarded to the person concerned with effect from 2 October 2020. They were notified in writing of the decision and arrears due on 22 January 2021.
EU Regulations, namely Article 90 of Regulation 987/2009 and Decision H3 (as amended by Decision H7) of the Administrative Commission provide for application of currency conversion rates for non euro income. The currency conversion rate to be applied to weekly UK pensions is prescribed as the rate published by the European Central Bank for the day before the means calculation takes effect.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
526. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a search will be carried out for the PPS number of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4351/21]
View answerI can confirm that, following a search which was carried out using the information provided by the Deputy, my Department has no record of a Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) for the individual concerned.
Officials from my Department have been in contact with the Deputy’s office to see if any additional information is available that may help establish whether the person concerned had a PPSN or pre-1979 Insurance Number.
A further search will be carried out if any additional information is available.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
527. Deputy Kieran O'Donnell asked the Minister for Social Protection the criteria for self-employed persons in receipt of a Covid payment in circumstances (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4355/21]
View answerOn 5th August the Pandemic Unemployment Payment was introduced as a Statutory Scheme. To be eligible for payment a person must satisfy all qualifying conditions of the scheme. In the case of a self- employed person their trading income must have either ceased due to the impact of Covid-19 or their self-employment income must have been reduced to €960 or less over a rolling 8- week period.
Where a company is refusing to pay a contractor for goods supplied, that is an issue between the contractor and the company concerned and is a matter of law irrespective of the reason being advanced by the company. It would not be appropriate for my Department to comment on such matters.
I trust that this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
528. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if there are provisions in place to fast-track the issuing of PPS numbers in respect of healthcare workers in the context that health and care settings need to recruit and pay new staff with a degree of urgency in order to maintain safety and care standards (details supplied). [4377/21]
View answerI can confirm that officials from my Department have been in contact with the Deputy's office to get further details regarding the Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) applications referred to by the Deputy. As soon as their details are received, these applications will be processed without delay.
My Department is working closely with the Strategic Workforce Planning Unit in the Department of Health and with the Health Service Executive in order to identify and expedite PPSN applications received from those taking up employment in the health sector.
Officials from my Department will continue to work closely with the Department and the HSE to ensure that there are no undue delays with the issuance of PPSNs to workers taking up employment in the health sector.
In December 2020, the Department introduced an online application service for those who need to apply for a PPSN. Anyone who has come to Ireland to work and who needs a PPSN should apply through this service which is available at www.MyWelfare.ie.
More information is available on the Department's website www.gov.ie/dsp.
In order to use this service, an individual needs to have a basic MyGovID account. If a person does not have a MyGovID account they can get one at www.MyGovID.ie.
Application volumes are being monitored carefully to ensure they are being processed as quickly as possible.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
529. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4398/21]
View answerI can confirm that my Department received an application for disability allowance (DA) from the person concerned on 16 November 2020.
On 25 November 2020 the person concerned was requested to supply supporting documentation required by the deciding officer in order to make a decision on his eligibility. A further request for information was issued to this gentleman on 14 January 2021.
On receipt of this information a decision will be made on his DA application and the person concerned will be notified of the outcome.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
530. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review the supports that are in place for employers to employ and retain persons with disabilities; if she will consider extending these supports to persons with disabilities who are self-employed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4401/21]
View answerIn addition to providing income supports, my Department provides a wide range of employment-related supports, for both jobseekers with disabilities and employers (including the self-employed) seeking to employ a jobseeker with a disability or retain an existing employee who has or acquires a disability.
A summary of the income and employment supports available is set out below.
Intreo Service
The Department's Intreo service is a single point of contact for all employment and income supports in the State. Intreo provides a case managed employment service and supports to both jobseekers and employers. Jobseekers, including jobseekers with disabilities, who seek support from their local Intreo Centre, work with a case officer with a view to agreeing a suitable personal progression plan in order to access the full range of employment supports available.
Local Employment Services
The Department contracts for the provision of Local Employment Services with 22 companies in 26 locations. Providers deliver a case managed employment service for all, including those with disabilities, who avail of the services. Jobseekers work with a LES Mediator to develop a personal progression plan in order to access the full range of employment supports available. Providers also deliver a recruitment and job matching service for employers.
Specialist Employability Services
The Department recognises the additional challenges some jobseekers with disabilities may experience in securing and maintaining employment, and so contracts for the provision of services to help address this. The Department contracts with 24 companies for the delivery of EmployAbility services in 31 locations. A jobseeker, with a disability, who is working with their Intreo Case Officer or LES Mediator may be referred to an EmployAbility service provider only if it is agreed between the Case Officer or Mediator and the Jobseeker that they would benefit from the type of services and support provided. Providers deliver a supported employment model of services for jobseekers with disabilities. Jobseekers work with a job Coach who provides both pre-employment and in-employment support and assistance. Providers also deliver a recruitment and job matching service for employers.
There are a number of supports for employers to recruit jobseekers with disabilities or to retain employees who have acquired a disability as follows:
Wage Subsidy Scheme
The Wage Subsidy Scheme is targeted at private sector employers and is aimed at encouraging the employment of people with disabilities through the provision of financial incentives (a wage subsidy). The subsidy is delivered in three strands:
- Strand I subsidy is a general subsidy for any productivity shortfall in excess of 20% for a person with a disability, in comparison to a colleague without a disability. An employee must work for a minimum of 21 hours per week up to a maximum of 39 subsidised hours per week. The rate of subsidy is €5.30 per hour and the amount of the subsidy is based on the number of hours worked.
- Strand II subsidy is payable when an employer employs three or more people with a disability who are supported by a WSS Strand I payment. Strand II is intended to cover the additional supervisory, management and other work based costs relating to these employees. This top-up payment is a percentage of the Strand I subsidy and is based on the overall number of employees with a disability employed under Strand I. It ranges from an additional 10% of wage subsidy for 3 to 6 employees with a disability to a maximum of 50% of wage subsidy for 23+ employees with a disability.
- Strand III subsidy enables employers who employ 25 or more workers with a disability on the Wage Subsidy Scheme to be eligible for a grant of up to €30,000 per year towards the expense of employing an Employment Assistance Officer to support these employees.
Reasonable Accommodation Fund
The Reasonable Accommodation Fund (RAF) assists both jobseekers with disabilities and employers (including the self-employed) to enable persons with disabilities to enter/re-enter or sustain employment by providing a range of grants. In summary, the fund is comprised of the following four grants:
Employee Retention Grant
The purpose of the Employee Retention Grant Scheme is to assist employers to retain employees who acquire a disability by providing funding to:
- Identify accommodation and / or training to enable the employee to remain in his/her current position; or
- Re-train the employee so that s/he can take up another position within the company.
Workplace Equipment / Adaptation Grant
Where a person with a disability has been offered employment or is in employment, and requires a more accessible workplace or adapted equipment to do the job, s/he or the employer may apply for a grant towards the costs of adapting premises or equipment.
Job Interview Interpreter Grant
A jobseeker who is deaf, hard of hearing or has speech impairment and is attending job interviews, may apply for funding to have a sign language interpreter or other interpreter to attend the interview with him/her. Funding can also be provided to cover the costs of an interpreter during an induction period when starting work.
Personal Reader Grant
If a person is blind or visually impaired and needs assistance with job-related reading, s/he can apply for a grant to allow him/her to employ a Personal Reader.
Disability Awareness Training Support Scheme
In addition to the RAF, the Disability Awareness Training Support Scheme (DASS) provides funding (a grant) for the provision of Disability Awareness Training for a company's staff. The purpose of the training is to deliver clear and accurate information about disability and to address questions or concerns that employers and employees may have about working with and supporting a colleague with disabilities.
Income Supports: and Employment
Both Disability Allowance (DA) or Blind Pension (BP) are structured to support recipients to avail of opportunities to pursue their own employment ambitions, be that self-employment or in insurable employment.
When an individual commences employment, they can avail of an income disregard of €120 per week. In addition, a 50% taper on earnings between €120 and €350 is also applied (disregarded), for the purpose of the means test. It is important to note that a €20 per week increase in the DA and BP earnings disregards, from €120 to €140 per week, was introduced in Budget 2021 and will commence in June 2021.
Partial Capacity Benefit (PCB) allows a person who has been in receipt of Invalidity Pension or Illness Benefit (the latter for a minimum of six months) and who may not have full capacity for work, to return to employment or self-employment and continue to receive a partial or full payment. There are no restrictions on earnings from employment or number of hours worked under the PCB scheme.
The Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA) scheme to support persons including persons with disabilities to become self-employed. The BTWEA programme has been designed so customers who avail of it retain a percentage of their income support payment for up to 2 years. Persons in receipt of a wide range of income supports, including disability allowance and blind pension, are eligible for the scheme. Details of the scheme are available at https://www.gov.ie/en/service/f215a4-back-to-work-enterprise-allowance/#how-to-qualify
My Department continues to keep the range of income and employment supports under review. Any proposed changes to the supports provided must also be considered in an overall budgetary context.
531. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the way in which self-employed women can access the standard maternity payment. [4446/21]
View answerA self-employed woman can access maternity benefit payment by applying either online at www.mywelfare.ie or by paper application.
They must have their doctor complete an MB3 (Medical Certificate for Maternity Benefit) and submit it to the Department when applying for maternity benefit. This medical certification can be uploaded in support of an online application or attached to the MB1 and posted to the Department, if making a paper application.
In order to qualify for maternity benefit, a self-employed applicant must have 52 qualifying contributions paid in one of the last three tax years.
Self-employed applicants are advised to submit their claim 12 weeks in advance of their leave commencing to allow enough time for processing.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
533. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons by county who have been on the pandemic unemployment payment for six months or more in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4458/21]
View answer534. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of young persons under 25 years of age by county who have been on the pandemic unemployment payment for six months or more in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4459/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 533 and 534 together.
As of January 26th 2021, a total of 475,364 recipients were claiming the pandemic unemployment payment (PUP). Among this number 255,656 people, or 54% of all recipients, have received a minimum of six months worth of payments (.i.e. at least 26 PUP payments).
The county breakdown of these recipients, and of those aged 25 years or under are provided in the attached tabular statement.
|
County |
Total number in receipt of PUP (26/01/2021) who have received a minimum of six months worth of payments |
Of which those under 25 |
|
Carlow |
2,510 |
519 |
|
Cavan |
3,645 |
806 |
|
Clare |
6,259 |
1,321 |
|
Cork |
24,660 |
5,769 |
|
Donegal |
9,343 |
2,178 |
|
Dublin |
84,645 |
16,476 |
|
Galway |
14,262 |
3,222 |
|
Kerry |
9,991 |
1,971 |
|
Kildare |
10,896 |
2,546 |
|
Kilkenny |
4,575 |
962 |
|
Laois |
3,696 |
758 |
|
Leitrim |
1,661 |
345 |
|
Limerick |
8,959 |
1,969 |
|
Longford |
1,644 |
281 |
|
Louth |
7,071 |
1,552 |
|
Mayo |
6,651 |
1,512 |
|
Meath |
10,660 |
2,255 |
|
Monaghan |
3,082 |
644 |
|
Offaly |
3,327 |
721 |
|
Roscommon |
2,933 |
666 |
|
Sligo |
3,338 |
842 |
|
Tipperary |
6,624 |
1,397 |
|
Waterford |
5,484 |
1,209 |
|
Westmeath |
4,301 |
931 |
|
Wexford |
7,399 |
1,495 |
|
Wicklow |
7,691 |
1,665 |
|
Unknown |
349 |
34 |
|
All |
255,656 |
54,046 |
535. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of young persons under 25 years of age by county who have been on the jobseeker's allowance, jobseeker's benefit or signing for credits for six months or more in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4460/21]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is detailed in the tabular statement following.
Table 1: Live Register claims of at least six months’ duration, for those under 25 years, by county of residence (or local office if unavailable) at 17 January 2021
|
Jobseekers Allowance |
Jobseekers Benefit |
Jobseekers Credits |
Total |
|
|
Carlow |
213 |
4 |
0 |
217 |
|
Cavan |
214 |
1 |
2 |
217 |
|
Clare |
286 |
7 |
2 |
295 |
|
Cork |
736 |
6 |
4 |
746 |
|
Donegal |
511 |
3 |
3 |
517 |
|
Dublin |
2501 |
34 |
11 |
2546 |
|
Galway |
485 |
6 |
2 |
493 |
|
Kerry |
277 |
2 |
4 |
283 |
|
Kildare |
432 |
6 |
4 |
442 |
|
Kilkenny |
218 |
2 |
0 |
220 |
|
Laois |
230 |
0 |
0 |
230 |
|
Leitrim |
94 |
1 |
1 |
96 |
|
Limerick |
487 |
7 |
2 |
496 |
|
Longford |
194 |
1 |
0 |
195 |
|
Louth |
452 |
3 |
1 |
456 |
|
Mayo |
285 |
2 |
2 |
289 |
|
Meath |
350 |
1 |
1 |
352 |
|
Monaghan |
102 |
4 |
1 |
107 |
|
Offaly |
203 |
3 |
0 |
206 |
|
Roscommon |
123 |
2 |
0 |
125 |
|
Sligo |
154 |
2 |
1 |
157 |
|
Tipperary |
443 |
3 |
1 |
447 |
|
Waterford |
392 |
1 |
1 |
394 |
|
Westmeath |
265 |
3 |
1 |
269 |
|
Wexford |
469 |
3 |
0 |
472 |
|
Wicklow |
304 |
4 |
1 |
309 |
|
Grand Total |
10420 |
111 |
45 |
10576 |
536. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures she is taking to address the high levels of youth unemployment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4461/21]
View answer537. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has sought or received input from the Labour Market Advisory Council on measures to address the high levels of youth unemployment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4462/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 536 and 537 together.
The experience of past recessions indicates that youth employment tends to be disproportionately impacted by any labour market shock. This is because many employers operate a "last in-first out" protocol when reducing their labour force. Moreover, in the case of the COVID-19 pandemic, this disproportionate impact is driven by the tendency for many younger people to work in some of the sectors most severely impacted by the pandemic; namely Accommodation and Food and Retail.
Prior to the pandemic, youth unemployment stood at just over 11% in December 2019 based on the Labour Force Survey data. By December 2020 however, this figure had increased to almost 20%. If PUP recipients at the end of December are included, just under 45% of young people in the labour force were unemployed at that stage.
It is important to note that the Government extended access to PUP to students who worked part-time, with a significant share of current claimants under 25 self-certifying as students. Using internationally recognised standards set by the International Labour Organisation, these students would not normally be considered, or counted, as unemployed, as they do not meet the standard conditions to be part of the labour force. Therefore the above measures of youth unemployment are somewhat overstated.
While the employment of young people is significantly affected by the pandemic, we also know from past recessions that youth unemployment levels typically fall quite quickly once economic activity resumes. In addition, the jobs of many persons currently on PUP will not be permanently lost due to the pandemic. Many will return to previous employment once restrictions ease, as they did during previous easing of restrictions during 2020.
However, others will require assistance and support to return to employment, reskill and to find new jobs. My Department is supporting initiatives to assist people, including young people, get back to work, once COVID-19 restrictions and their impact on the economy and labour market begin to ease.
In formulating and developing these programmes and services, my Department continues to work closely with, and be advised by, the Labour Market Advisory Council (LMAC) – a group which is composed of leading labour market experts, representatives of industry and workers and representatives of unemployed people.[1]
The first task assigned to the LMAC was to develop, as a matter of urgency, proposals for actions to tackle the labour market challenges arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to this mandate the Council prepared a Policy Paper – ‘Preparing for Economic Recovery’ – which outlined a series of recommendations for public policy and labour market responses needed to tackle the labour market challenges arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.[2]
Among the key recommendations of the LMAC’s policy paper were the call for enhanced employer incentives and subsidies, the expansion of existing work placements and the introduction of new work placement programmes. It also recommended enhanced cooperation with the further education sector and active labour market measures.
Taking the above recommendations of the Council into account, which noted in particular the adverse impact of the pandemic on our young workers, my Department, along with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, are putting in place the following measures, as announced under the July Jobs Stimulus:
- Expanding the caseload capacity of Intreo Centres during Q1 2021 with the assignment of 100 job coaches to provide enhanced employment services and supports. Case officer support to help people with job search advice and assistance is shown to be the most effective means of helping people move into employment. These are currently coming on stream.
- Extending the current contracts of existing contracted public employment service providers into 2021. In particular, the Local Employment Service is being extended into four new areas.
- Expanding the benefit of the JobsPlus recruitment subsidy to employers who hire young people. Under this scheme an employer receives the JobsPlus subsidy of €7,500 once they employ a young person (under 30 years of age) who has been unemployed for just 4 months. A higher subsidy of €10,000 is paid for recruitment of a person who was long term unemployed (over 12 months). This will help make it more attractive to recruit young people who face difficulties in securing a footing in employment.
- Providing access to additional full-time and part-time education, including targeted short-term courses, with over 35,000 new education and training places for those currently unemployed.
- Providing incentives to employers to take on more apprentices, with the provision of a grant of €3,000 to employers for each new apprentice recruited until June 2021.
- Facilitating access to the Back to Education Allowance and Back to Work Enterprise Allowance to those displaced by the pandemic by waiving the usual qualifying period of 3-9 months. My Department will actively promote this scheme to suitable candidates and although it is not budget capped, additional provision has been made in Budget 2021 of €3.5million – equivalent to an extra 700 places.
Furthermore, building on the success of the Youth Employment Subsidy Scheme (YESS), my Department is now at an advanced stage in developing a new work placement experience programme for those out of work for at least six months. This programme will seek to encourage businesses to provide jobseekers with the necessary workplace skills to compete in the labour market and to help break the vicious circle of “no job without experience, no experience without a job”. There is a target of over 10,000 persons, regardless of age, to be placed on this six-month scheme by end of this year. I expect to launch the Programme as soon as public health restrictions allow in 2021.
In discussing work placement programmes in it’s Policy Paper, the LMAC stated that “when accompanied by appropriate upskilling and training provision, these have the potential to provide skilled labour to struggling firms, while offering valuable work experience and retraining opportunities to jobseekers”. This is what I intend to achieve, by ensuring that training is an integral component of the new Work Placement Experience Programme.
Further to those measures outlined above, work is also at an advanced stage by my Department to develop Pathways to Work, the national employment services strategy for the period 2021-2025. This strategy - which represent a whole-of-government approach - will seek to build upon those support measures outlined above as we assist young people on their journey to work. Publication is expected in early 2021, following the launch of the Government's National Economic Plan.
In summary, the Council has been, and continues to be, a key vehicle in providing my Department and I with guidance on public policy responses that will continue to support our labour market recovery and assist us to retrain and re-employ all those whose employment has been disrupted by the pandemic, particularly our youth.
[1] LMAC Membership: https://www.gov.ie/en/organisation-information/984411-members-of-the-labour-market-advisory-council/
[2] Policy Paper, ‘Preparing for Economic Recovery’: https://assets.gov.ie/78017/6a8ac31a-9a88-40df-85cf-71ff3a4fa4fa.pdf
538. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the budgetary analysis being carried out to plan for long Covid-19 impacts in her Department and each State agency under the remit of her Department in tabular form. [4494/21]
View answerAn enhanced Illness Benefit is available to employees who are unable to work because they have been diagnosed with Covid-19, or are told to self-isolate or restrict their movements. The enhanced rate of Illness Benefit was brought in as a short-term public health measure and is not a long-term income support payment. It is payable for 2 weeks where a person is isolating as a probable source of infection of Covid-19 and up to 10 weeks where a person has been diagnosed with Covid-19. The purpose of the enhanced Illness Benefit payment in respect of Covid-19 is to encourage people to not go to work due to financial constraint when they should be in isolation. In a case where a person continues to be ill beyond 10 weeks, standard Illness Benefit may be paid for an extended period, based on the person’s continued eligibility.
In 2020, the Department of Social Protection introduced a number of other emergency schemes and measures in response to the Covid-19 pandemic to support workers while out of work and to facilitate their return to work when feasible.
The Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was introduced in March 2020 to provide support to employees who have lost their job due to COVID-19 and to self-employed workers where their trading income has ceased due to the pandemic. To facilitate self-employed workers moving from PUP to re-start their business, they can avail of the COVID-19 Part Time Job Incentive where they work up to 24 hours per week. The Enterprise Support Grant is available to assist eligible self-employed workers by providing a once-off grant of up to €1,000 to restart their business.
The Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS), which replaced the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS), and which is operated on behalf of the Revenue Commissioners, provides economy-wide support to businesses with employees, which have been impacted by Covid crisis.
These schemes are being continued into 2021 and are reviewed in keeping with the trajectory of, and developments with, the virus. Any future supports, if required, will depend on what emerges from the medical advice and policy analysis arising from this.
539. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection the absolute and relative number of persons with disabilities employed by her Department in each of the years 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2020; if these persons are in full-time or part-time roles; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4534/21]
View answerIncluded in the table below are the absolute and relative numbers of those who have disclosed a disability in the Department of Social Protection from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2020. The Department cannot report on the number of these individuals who are in part-time or full-time work as the censuses conducted yearly to ascertain these figures are anonymous.
|
Year |
Total Staff |
Staff with Disclosed Disability |
Percentage of Total |
|
2015 |
6878 |
339 |
4.9 |
|
2016 |
6823 |
348 |
5.1 |
|
2017 |
6728 |
339 |
5.0 |
|
2018 |
6725 |
351 |
5.2 |
|
2019 |
6642 |
462 |
6.9 |
|
2020 |
6715 |
386 |
5.7 |
540. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount of funding allocated by her Department to the Covid-19 communications strategy since the beginning of the pandemic; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4762/21]
View answerFor the purposes of the response, we have interpreted the question regarding the ‘amount of funding allocated’ on ‘COVID-19 communications strategy’ to include the cost of advertising and related creative/design expenditure incurred in 2020 and 2021.
In total, the Department delivered 18 public information campaigns related to COVID-19 during 2020. The aim of these campaigns was to increase public awareness of the available income supports and related Department services, and to provide important information and updates on these income supports which were extended and evolved in response to the pandemic. Advertising included national and regional print and radio, as well as targeted digital and social media advertising.
The full year cost of public information campaigns in 2020 is outlined below.
To date in 2021, the Department has delivered 2 further public information campaigns in response to the introduction of Level 5 restrictions and a sharp rise in the numbers of COVID-19 infections. The budgeted costs of these two campaigns are outlined below, but these campaigns have not yet been invoiced so costs are not final.
|
Year |
Expenditure |
|
2020 |
€2,151,677 ex VAT |
|
2021 |
*€369,000 ex VAT to date *Budgeted -not invoiced -and subject to revision |
541. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount of funding spent by her Department on the Covid-19 communications strategy since the beginning of the pandemic; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4773/21]
View answerFor the purposes of the response, we have interpreted the question regarding the ‘amount of funding allocated’ on ‘COVID-19 communications strategy’ to include the cost of advertising and related creative/design expenditure incurred in 2020 and 2021.
In total, the Department delivered 18 public information campaigns related to COVID-19 during 2020. The aim of these campaigns was to increase public awareness of the available income supports and related Department services, and to provide important information and updates on these income supports which were extended and evolved in response to the pandemic. Advertising included national and regional print and radio, as well as targeted digital and social media advertising.
The full year cost of public information campaigns in 2020 is outlined below.
To date in 2021, the Department has delivered 2 further public information campaigns in response to the introduction of Level 5 restrictions and a sharp rise in the numbers of COVID-19 infections. The The budgeted costs of these two campaigns are outlined below, but are not yet invoiced or final.
|
Year |
Expenditure |
|
2020 |
€2,151,677 ex VAT |
|
2021 |
*€369,000 ex VAT *Budgeted -not invoiced -and subject to revision |
