Written Answers Nos. 518-545
518. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education if additional resources will be provided to primary schools for the 2021-2022 academic year in order for them to accommodate an increased demand from new entrants to the primary school system due to the ongoing pandemic and a reluctance by some parents to commence with the education of their children as a result of public health advice. [12099/21]
View answerPrimary schools are currently provided with class teachers on the basis of one teacher for every 26 pupils which is at its historically lowest level. Budget 2021 builds on this progress by implementing a further 1 point reduction for the appointment of a teacher in the 2021/22 school year and a three point reduction in the retention schedule. These measures will help to ensure that less pupils are required to recruit or retain a teacher.
The staffing schedule for the 2021/22 school year will be published shortly. It is at this stage that schools will be able to establish their staffing for the coming school year on the basis of enrolments in September 2020. The staffing arrangements also include a staffing appeal mechanism and a developing post application process which allows for schools to be allocated posts on the basis of projected enrolments.
I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is aware of increasing pressures and demand for additional school places in a number of school planning areas.
Where capacity issues arise it may not be as a result of lack of accommodation but may be driven by the following factors:
- Duplication of applications – pupils have applied for a place to a number of schools in the area
- School of choice – pupils can’t get a place in their preferred school while there are places in other schools in the town/area
- Some towns/areas have single sex schools and while places are available in the school these are not available to all pupils
- External draw – pupils coming from outside the local area
Similar to the process adopted in advance of the current academic year, my Department is engaging with patron bodies, to identify particular capacity requirements for the forthcoming year(s) which may necessitate action including, where required, the provision of modular accommodation solutions.
My Department provides capitation funding for all primary schools in the free education scheme which is dealt with on a per capita basis. The two main grants are the capitation grant to cater for day to day running costs such as heating, lighting, cleaning, insurance and general up-keep in schools and the ancillary services grant to cater for the cost of employing services staff.
I am pleased to have been able to provide for a further 2.5% increase in standard capitation funding for primary and post-primary schools that applied from the start of the 2020/21 school year. This builds on last year’s 5% increase in capitation announced in budget 2019. The combined increases given in 2019 and 2020 mean that circa 40% restoration will be achieved. All schools have received the benefit of the capitation increases awarded to date and it is my intention to seek funding for further capitation increases in future budgets.
519. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to a five-month delay affecting retired teaches who have not yet received their relevant pension increases; if she will investigate the reason for this delay with the Payroll Shared Service which is part of the National Shared Services Office; when the issues causing this delay will be rectified; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12100/21]
View answerMy Department pays the salaries and pensions for current and former school staff who work or have worked in primary, secondary, community and comprehensive schools. All pay and pension increases have been implemented for the current and former school staff who work or have worked in primary, secondary, community and comprehensive schools.
In relation to retired staff of Education and Training Boards (ETBs), their pensions are paid by the Payroll Shared Service Centre (PSSC) which is part of the National Shared Services Office (NSSO). These pensions are paid on instruction from each individual ETB.
My officials have made enquiries with the PSSC in respect of the matter raised and I am informed that the PSSC are engaged in a clarification process with Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI), the representative body for the ETBs, in respect of this issue. I understand that the relevant parties are endeavouring to finalise this clarification process as soon as practicable and, once this process has been finalised, the relevant pension increases will be implemented for this cohort of former ETB employees.
520. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Education if she has engaged with National Broadband Ireland on any aspect of broadband provision in the past six months; and the outcome of any engagement. [12116/21]
View answerMy Department is working closely with the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications on the implementation of the National Broadband Plan Intervention area, which will see almost 700 primary schools provided with high speed connectivity by the end of 2022. This includes the School Connection Points under the Broadband Connection Points programme implementation currently underway. The role of National Broadband Ireland is managed by the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications and any engagement is in that context.
The policy of my Department is to offer the best quality connectivity to all schools in line with the technical solutions available in the market and within financial constraints. Currently investment of some €13m is allocated annually for the provision of internet connectivity to schools. As you will be aware, broadband capacity can vary across geographical locations and is dependent on local infrastructure which can impact on the service that can be provided in individual schools. The primary broadband scheme operates off existing infrastructure on the whole and the providers on the Primary Broadband Framework access this infrastructure to deliver the service to the schools. The Department does not put in place such infrastructure.
In operating the Schools Broadband Programme, my Department adheres to procurement regulations, and must engage with the selected retail serviced providers on the DE Framework of Providers of Broadband Services through a tender process to award services. National Broadband Ireland is not one of these providers, however when the infrastructure provided by NBI is in place, the retail service providers on the Primary Schools Broadband Framework will be in a position to utilise this in providing connectivity through my Department's Broadband Programme, as is the case for all wholesale providers of broadband infrastructure.
521. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if all students who paid junior certificate examination and leaving certificate examination fees in 2020 have received a refund; if not, the number of students still awaiting a refund; the cause for delay; and when a refund can be expected. [12151/21]
View answerThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations.
In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.
522. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if State certificates of completion will be issued to junior certificate candidates in 2021; if this certificate will serve as a mechanism for entry into apprenticeships; if not, the way in which students who were due to complete the junior certificate examinations can be deemed eligible for entry into apprenticeships; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12152/21]
View answerFollowing a Government decision on 17 February, I confirmed that the Junior Cycle examinations will not be run in 2021. Schools will be provided with guidance on continuing to engage this year group in online learning and assessment during the period of school closure and through in-person learning when schools re-open.
This guidance and further information relating to the Junior Cycle of 2021 will be published by my Department shortly.
This decision follows intensive engagement with education stakeholders bilaterally and through the Planning for State Examinations 2021 Advisory Group and sub-group. The Advisory Group, which was initially constituted in April 2020, includes representatives of students, parents, teachers, school leadership and management bodies, the State Examinations Commission, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, the Higher Education Authority and my Department, including the National Educational Psychological Service.
This year, my department issued letters of completion to any candidates who requested them to facilitate entry into an apprenticeship programme. Similar accommodations will be made for the class of 2021.
My Department will continue to engage with SOLAS and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science on the issue of apprenticeship eligibility.
523. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the cost of including DEIS band one junior and vertical schools along with DEIS band one senior schools for the planned class size reductions in the staffing schedule; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12154/21]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that, on the 1st March 2021, I announced a package of measures to tackle educational disadvantage.
This announcement includes a one point reduction in class size from 22:1 to 21:1 in Urban Band 1 vertical schools and 20:1 to 19:1 in Urban Band 1 junior schools. This is in addition to previously announced one-point reduction for Senior Urban Band 1 schools from 24:1 to 23:1.
It is estimated that the reduction of class size in Urban Band 1 schools will require an additional 50 teaching posts and have a full year cost in the region of €2.45 million.
526. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection if freelance workers can qualify for the pandemic unemployment payment if they were not at work for the relevant weeks of their application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10982/21]
View answer527. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on a matter (details supplied) regarding seasonal tour bus operators; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11030/21]
View answer529. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to allow claims of the pandemic unemployment payment by those who were in the process of changing jobs prior to the initial lockdown in March 2020 in circumstances in which they had a full working history but were not working on the relevant date of 6 March 2020 following a decision in May 2020 to pay arrears of the pandemic unemployment payment to those who may have not received payment for a number of weeks in which they were out of work due to the Covid-19 pandemic; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11081/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 526, 527 and 529 together.
The Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) is a statutory scheme and requires that a person has lost their employment as a direct consequence of Covid-19 and has paid at least one contribution in the 4 weeks immediately before claiming the support.
People who are currently receiving a Jobseeker’s Payment, including seasonal workers who have been out of work for some time, will remain on this payment for the period they are entitled. Jobseeker's Benefit is normally paid for 9 months (234 days) for people with 260 or more PRSI contributions paid and for 6 months (156 days) for people with less than 260 PRSI contributions paid. Where a person’s entitlement to Jobseeker's Benefit is exhausted or where they do not satisfy the conditionality for this scheme, a person may be eligible for support under the means tested Jobseeker’s Allowance payment.
I trust that this clarifies the position for the Deputies.
528. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an invalidity pension application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11061/21]
View answerInvalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and for no other reason and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions.
The Department received a claim for IP for the person concerned on 21 February 2020. The claim was refused on the grounds that the medical conditions for the scheme were not satisfied. The person was notified on 1 April 2020 of this decision, the reasons for it and of her right of review and appeal of the decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO) within 21 days.
The person concerned requested a review of the decision and submitted further medical evidence in support of her request. Following a review of all the information available it was decided that there was no change to the original decision. She was notified on 23 September 2020 of the outcome of the review.
I am advised that the SWAO have confirmed that they received a letter of appeal from the person concerned on 1 February 2021. I am also advised, however, that as she is outside the 21 day time limit for submitting an appeal, the SWAO are not accepting the appeal and have informed the person concerned by correspondence dated 22 February 2021.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
530. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will address a matter raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11088/21]
View answerThe person concerned was in direct contact with my Department in relation to this matter and a response was issued to him in August 2020 addressing all the matters he raised.
The Department has obligations to safeguard data and official information which are set out in a range of legislative and administrative provisions. These provisions include the Official Secrets Act 1963, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 and the Civil Service Code of Standards and Behaviour. There are obligations, for instance, in relation to the confidentiality of official information, protection of personal data and the protection of records against unauthorised access or disclosure.
The Department has acknowledged the errors that were made in the handling of the case in question and have offered sincere apologies to the person concerned.
The pension arrears due to the late mother of the person concerned were paid to the estate in July 2020.
The Department is satisfied that, through the payment of an ex gratia payment, interest on the pension arrears was applied in an appropriate manner.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
531. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Social Protection if there are supports available for persons in receipt of social welfare payments to pay for the cost of gym memberships or fitness equipment (details supplied). [11095/21]
View answerUnder the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, my Department may make an exceptional needs payment to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income.
The exceptional needs payment scheme is demand led and payments are made at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme, taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case. This is done in order to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance. Exceptional needs payments are not subject to the habitual residence condition and payments can be made to people who do not qualify for other social welfare supports.
The main items eligible for assistance under the scheme include household appliances, house “kit out” item such as flooring and essential furniture when moving into a new home, child-related costs such as prams, and assistance with funeral costs. Support is also available to assist persons under this scheme towards rent deposits.
Costs associated with gym membership or fitness equipment would not be considered an exceptional need.
Any person who considers they may have an entitlement to an exceptional or urgent needs payment should contact my Department's Community Welfare Service. My Department has established an Income Support Line - 1890 800 024 – which can be used by customers at this time to contact the Department. Staff can advise them on how to make an application for assistance from the Department. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
532. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has considered ensuring that inheritances that do not qualify for inheritance tax do not affect a non-contributory pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11105/21]
View answerSocial welfare legislation provides that all income and capital belonging to an applicant (and his or her spouse/partner, where applicable) is assessable for means testing purposes for social assistance schemes, such as the State Pension Non-Contributory (SPNC). This includes property (other than the family home) or capital including sums which have been inherited.
Under the means testing rules applying to the SPNC, the first €20,000 of capital is fully disregarded; the next €10,000 is assessed at €1 per thousand, the next €10,000 is assessed at €2 per thousand, with the remainder assessed at €4 per thousand. The SPNC means test also disregards the first €30 of weekly means from any source. This means that a recipient of the SPNC with no other means can inherit up to €40,000 (which would result in a weekly means assessment from capital of €30) and still qualify for the maximum weekly rate of payment.
I understand that a person may inherit up to €335,000 tax free, depending on how they were related to the deceased. Disregarding a potentially large amount of capital such as this, based solely on the fact that it has been inherited, would run contrary to the general aim of the means test, which is to ensure that persons with reasonable amounts of income or capital are in a position to use it to support themselves without having to rely solely on a means-tested welfare payment.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
533. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection if persons who have more than one job and lose one of their sources of income as a result of Covid-19 can be eligible for the pandemic unemployment payment; the supports available to persons in this situation who have seen their income drop sharply but remain in some part-time employment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11108/21]
View answerTo be eligible for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP), a person must satisfy the qualifying conditions of the statutory scheme which, in the case of an employee, includes that they are not in engaged in insurable employment. Accordingly, an employee who remains in part-time insurable employment is not eligible for PUP.
Where an employee is in part-time employment they may qualify for the social insurance contribution based jobseeker’s benefit scheme or the means tested jobseeker's allowance scheme subject to meeting the scheme statutory conditions. In order to qualify for this support, a person must be unemployed for 4 out of 7 consecutive days. The maximum personal rate of payment is €203 and increased allowances are paid for qualifying adults and children.
The means tested Supplementary Allowance Scheme, including Exceptional and Urgent Needs Payments, is also available to any person who is in need of financial assistance.
I would advise the Deputy that a person in these circumstances should contact their Intreo Centre for advice.
534. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will respond to concerns raised by a person (details attached) about possible additional funding grants for carers during Covid-19 restrictions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11128/21]
View answerThe main income supports to carers provided by my Department are Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant. Combined spending on the above payments to carers in 2021 is expected to exceed €1.4 billion.
Notwithstanding the substantial extra financial demands due to the COVID-19 crisis, I announced that the Carer’s Support Grant would continue to be paid to carers. This is a payment for carers throughout the State and is paid in June each year, not just to people in receipt of a carer’s payment but also to other carers who may not be dependent on State income supports. The grant is paid in respect of each person being cared for. In recognition of the vital role that carers provide in our society, the Carers Support Grant will increase by €150 next June at an estimated cost of over €265 million in 2021. The new rate will be €1,850 – the highest ever rate at which it will have been paid since its introduction.
The Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme provides a "safety net" within the overall social welfare system and provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependants. SWA provides immediate and flexible assistance for those in need who do not qualify for payment under other schemes. Carers may also (subject to certain conditions) qualify for the Household Benefits Package and the Free Travel Scheme.
In addition, in responding to COVID-19, the Department has made special provisions for those who have lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic. A carer whose work ceases as a result of COVID-19 and whose situation qualifies them for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment will get the payment along with their current carer income support, whether Carer’s Allowance or Carer’s Benefit.
I can assure the Deputy that I am very aware of the commitment of family carers and the key role they play in society and I am very conscious of the particular challenges facing our family carers at this time. I will continue to keep the range of supports provided by my Department under review to ensure that the overall objectives of the carer income supports provided are met.
Any improvements or additions to the current carer's income supports provided by this Department can only be considered in a budgetary context and in the light of available financial resources.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
535. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to increase the basic rate payable, under the wage subsidiary scheme, to bring it in line with the increases in the minimum wage over the past decade; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the lack of increase in the basic rate has been cited as a significant contributory factor towards job losses for many persons with disabilities, including 37 recently at a facility (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11229/21]
View answerThe Wage Subsidy Scheme is an employment support to private sector employers, the objective of which is to encourage employers to employ people with disabilities and thereby increase the numbers of people with disabilities obtaining and sustaining employment in the open labour market. The scheme provides financial incentives to private sector employers to hire people with a disability for between 21 and 39 subsidised hours per week under a contract of employment. Estimated expenditure on the Wage Subsidy Scheme in 2021 is expected to be almost €26 million.
The basic rate of subsidy is €5.30 per hour giving a total annual subsidy available of €10,748 per annum based on a 39-hour week. The contract of employment offered must be for a minimum of 6 months and the employee should be subject to and have the same rights as per the conditions of employment as any of the other employees. Included in these conditions is the requirement that the employee must be paid the going rate for the job which must be at least the statutory minimum wage.
It should be noted that the subsidy rate contribution paid to the employer under this scheme is not linked to the statutory minimum wage - it is a subsidy claimed, subject to certain conditions, against the cost incurred where a productivity shortfall arises from a disability.
The financial supports for employers are structured under three separate strands and companies could benefit under one strand or under two or three strands simultaneously, as the case may be, depending on the number of people with a disability employed, as below.
Strand I is a general subsidy for any perceived productivity shortfall in excess of 20% for a person with a disability, in comparison to a colleague without a disability. The subsidy is based on the number of hours worked.
Strand II subsidy is payable when an employer employs three or more people with disabilities who are supported by a Wage Subsidy Scheme Strand I payment. Strand II is intended to cover the additional supervisory, management and other work-based costs relating to such 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. Therefore, when an employer has 23 or more Wage Subsidy Scheme employees a 50% top-up is applied to the hourly rate increasing the payment rate to €7.95 per hour for each employee.
|
% |
|
|
3 to 6 employees with a disability |
10% top-up of wage subsidy paid |
|
7 to 11 employees with a disability |
20% top-up of wage subsidy paid |
|
12 to 16 employees with a disability |
30% top-up of wage subsidy paid |
|
17 to 22 employees with a disability |
40% top-up of wage subsidy paid |
|
23+ employees with a disability |
50% top-up of wage subsidy paid |
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.
The WSS is a demand-led scheme and there are currently 1,586 private sector employers availing of the subsidy in respect of 2,581 participant employees.
I am aware of the redundancies recently announced at the facility referred to by the Deputy. WSS subsidies have been provided to this employer under Strand I and Strand II in respect of 35 employees and one position is subsidised under Strand III. Staff in my Department have been assigned to work directly with the employer and with the employees affected by this redundancy to ensure they receive their proper entitlements and appropriate supports.
I will keep the Department’s employment support schemes for people with disabilities under review to ensure that they continue to meet their policy objectives and a review of the Wage Subsidy Scheme, including an examination of the rate of the subsidy, is scheduled to be carried out this year. However, any potential changes to these schemes can only be considered as part of the wider budgetary context.
I hope this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.
536. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount spent to date on the pandemic unemployment payment; the breakdown of monthly spending on the payment since March 2020; and the number of recipients across each payment rate since March 2020, per month. [11288/21]
View answerThe information sought by the Deputy is in the attached tabular statement. Please note that figures for February 2021 refer to recipients up to February 23rd 2021.
|
€203 Recipients |
€250 Recipients |
€300 Recipients |
€350 Recipients |
Total Cost (€) |
|
|
Mar 2020 |
238,531 |
0 |
0 |
393,970 |
186,311,293 |
|
Apr 2020 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2,343,179 |
820,112,650 |
|
May 2020 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2,365,215 |
827,825,250 |
|
Jun 2020 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2,470,556 |
864,694,600 |
|
Jul 2020 |
277,963 |
0 |
0 |
1,085,759 |
436,442,139 |
|
Aug 2020 |
212,299 |
0 |
0 |
794,199 |
321,066,347 |
|
Sept 2020 |
226,314 |
73,267 |
265,727 |
523,494 |
327,199,492 |
|
Oct 2020 |
200,908 |
185,486 |
505,431 |
143,461 |
288,996,474 |
|
Nov 2020 |
253,812 |
254,690 |
257,487 |
632,675 |
413,878,686 |
|
Dec 2020 |
304,409 |
282,612 |
283,295 |
706,335 |
464,653,777 |
|
Jan 2021 |
298,759 |
281,315 |
290,150 |
806,234 |
500,203,727 |
|
Feb 2021 |
331,772 |
308,098 |
321,322 |
954,284 |
574,770,216 |
|
Total |
6,026,154,651 |
537. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of pandemic unemployment payment recipients since March 2020, by month; and the number of pandemic unemployment payment claim closures since March 2020, by month, employment and sector, in tabular form. [11289/21]
View answerSummary information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table below, while the larger tables are provided in the attached document. The recipient and closure numbers set out here refer to the total number of individuals who were in receipt of a PUP or closed their PUP over the course of the calendar month. As such, the monthly totals here are greater than the individual weekly totals reported each week by my Department.
Please note that figures referring to February 2021 refer to recipients and/or closures to February 23rd 2020. Sectoral details are based on the NACE code of the last known employer, while employment / self-employment details are based on details provided by PUP recipients on their application.
|
Month |
Total Individual Recipients |
Individuals with Closures |
|
Mar 2020 |
398,695 |
9,728 |
|
Apr 2020 |
642,830 |
57,867 |
|
May 2020 |
627,551 |
106,330 |
|
Jun 2020 |
563,022 |
140,062 |
|
Jul 2020 |
422,210 |
135,262 |
|
Aug 2020 |
287,275 |
42,175 |
|
Sep 2020 |
254,568 |
45,024 |
|
Oct 2020 |
335,036 |
24,880 |
|
Nov 2020 |
367,037 |
28,176 |
|
Dec 2020 |
371,162 |
97,764 |
|
Jan 2021 |
491,880 |
34,824 |
|
Feb 2021 |
504,523 |
36,659 |
538. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection if there is room for flexibility with the back-to-education allowance in circumstances in which an application rejection results in serious financial difficulties for those pursuing further education, in particular a student (details supplied) whose application for the allowance was rejected after the academic year had commenced and his or her jobseeker's payment was then cut with no prior notice; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11299/21]
View answerThe Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) is a scheme that allows persons in receipt of certain social welfare payments the opportunity to pursue a course of study, while still maintaining their income support, subject to satisfying a number of conditions, one of which is the progression to a higher level of education than that already held by the applicant.
The BTEA scheme is designed to support 'second-chance' education. Applicants who already hold a degree are therefore not eligible to commence a new three- or four-year level 8 degree course in a different discipline. As such, the only option for an applicant who already holds a degree relates to an applicant who holds a level 7 ordinary degree. Such applicants may apply for a one year add-on honours degree course: in these circumstances, progression to a level 8 higher diploma may be approved.
The guidelines governing such progression under the operation of the BTEA are, in the main, in line with the mechanisms in place for student support-type schemes administered by the Department of Education and Skills; and the requirement of progression in education as a condition to access BTEA is not unique , as other State supports for education purposes are grounded on a similar basis.
The person concerned already holds a Level 7 degree and is now pursuing a level 8 full-time degree course of study in a different discipline. As such, a decision has been made that he is not entitled to support under the BTEA scheme guidelines. This decision to refuse BTEA has been upheld following a full review of the claim.
The Deputy will be aware that, in normal instances, third-level students cannot claim Jobseeker's Allowance or Jobseeker's Benefit while they are studying full-time. On this basis the Jobseekers application of the person concerned was refused.
The person concerned made an application for a Covid Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) in October 2020, when an employment he was undertaking terminated. He is currently in receipt of a weekly Covid PUP of €350. He will continue to receive this payment as a student who has lost his employment based on the scheme guidelines; however once the Covid PUP ends, he will not be entitled to claim BTEA (based on the original decision, as upheld following review); and will not have an entitlement to Jobseekers payments if he is a full-time student at that time.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
539. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if the technical issues encountered by the illness benefit section in 2019, following the introduction of e-certification and the transfer of illness benefit to a new IT system in late 2018, have now been resolved; if this has resulted in a significant decrease in the number of overpayments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11301/21]
View answerI can confirm for the Deputy that the technical issues encountered by the Illness Benefit scheme on transfer of the scheme to a new IT system in late 2018 have now been resolved.
Processing overpayments have reduced significantly over the past two years as have the value of overpayments in this period.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
540. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if the case of a person (details supplied) will be fully re-examined; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11317/21]
View answerThe qualifying medical criteria for Invalidity Pension (IP) and Disability Allowance (DA) differ.
Disability Allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged over 16 and under 66. The disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, a means test and a habitual residency test.
To qualify for DA, a person must be considered to be substantially restricted in undertaking employment suitable to his/her age, qualifications and experience. The condition must be expected to last for at least 12 months.
Invalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and for no other reason and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. Permanently incapable of work is defined as an incapacity for work of such a nature that the likelihood is that the claimant will be incapable of work for life or an incapacity which has existed for 12 months prior to the date of claim and where the Deciding Officer or Appeals Officer is satisfied that the claimant is likely to be unable to work for 1 year from the date of the claim.
The Department received a claim for IP for the person concerned on 8 October 2020. The person concerned was refused IP on 16 November 2020 on the grounds that the medical conditions for the scheme were not satisfied. The person in question appealed the decision to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO) who upheld the Department’s decision and disallowed the appeal. The person in question was notified of this decision on 18 February 2021.
The decision of the Appeals Officer is final and conclusive and may only be reviewed by the Appeals Officer in the light of new evidence or new facts.
It is open to the person concerned to reapply for an Invalidity Pension.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
541. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Social Protection when a fuel allowance payment will issue to a person (details supplied) who made an application in 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11368/21]
View answerIn order to be eligible for fuel allowance, a person must be in receipt of a qualifying payment, satisfy a household means test and live alone or only with certain other qualified people. Under the means test, an applicant and members of his/her household may have a combined assessable income of up to €100 a week above the appropriate rate of State Pension Contributory.
It was decided on the 23rd October 2020 that the person concerned did not qualify for fuel allowance as his weekly means derived from a private pension and employment, were in excess of the weekly income threshold . The person was notified in writing of this decision and advised if there were any changes in their circumstances to submit a new application.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
542. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection the details of contracts of €25,000 or more that have been awarded by her Department, or bodies under her aegis, that were found to be non-compliant with procurement guidelines in 2018 to 2020 and to date in 2021; the value and nature of the contract work carried out in each case; the year of each contract, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11384/21]
View answerThe procurement of supplies and services is essential to support my Department and bodies under the aegis of my Department in providing high quality services to the public, in a cost effective and efficient manner. The tables below set out details of contracts over €25,000 that were found to be non-compliant with procurement guidelines in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Details of my Department’s non-compliant procurements are published in the Appropriation Account annually on the Comptroller and Auditor General’s website.
Department of Social Protection
|
Year |
Contract |
Contract Value |
|
2018 |
Forms Supply Contract |
€262,000 |
|
Interpretation Services |
€159,000 |
|
|
Translation Services |
€97,000 |
|
|
Consultancy Services |
€35,000 |
|
|
Stand storage, display & installation for events |
€37,320 |
|
Year |
Contract |
Contract Value |
|
2019 |
Employability Services (24 contracts) |
€9,863,377 |
|
Stationery Supply Contract (contract covers 2019 & 2020) |
€292,680 |
The Appropriation Account for 2020 is currently being prepared. These are the contracts that the Department deems at this time to be non-compliant for 2020 and 2021.
|
Year |
Contract |
Contract Value |
|
2020 |
Local Employment Services (25 contracts) |
€19,615,199 |
|
Employability Services (24 contracts) |
€9,932,995 |
|
|
JobsClub Services (40 contracts) |
€4,924,812 |
|
|
Covid PPE Equipment & Supplies (3 contracts) |
€332,067 |
|
|
IT consumables to support remote working (6 contracts) |
€266,154 |
|
|
Printing Services |
€84,020 |
|
|
Translation Services |
€48,000 |
|
|
Covid Signage |
€36,552 |
|
Year |
Contract |
Estimated Contract Value |
|
2021 |
Local Employment Services (25 contracts) |
€20,938,228 |
|
Employability Services (24 contracts) |
€10,001,855 |
|
|
JobsClub Services (40 contracts) |
€5,042,631 |
Bodies under the aegis of my Department
The Pensions Council, the Low Pay Commission and the Social Welfare Tribunal had no non-compliant contracts in 2018, 2019, 2020 or to date in 2021.
The Pensions Authority has had no non-compliant contracts in 2018, 2019 or to date in 2021. In 2020 there was one contract deemed to be non-compliant, which will be published in their Annual Report and Accounts for 2020. Details of the contract are provided in the table below.
|
Year |
Contract |
Estimated Contract Value |
|
2020 |
Accounting Support Services |
€ 55,350 |
The Citizens Information Board (CIB) has had no non-compliant contracts to date in 2021. The tables below set out details of contracts over €25,000 that were found to be non-compliant with procurement guidelines in 2018, 2019 and 2020. Details of the Citizens Information Board’s non-compliant procurements can be found in the Financial Statement of the Annual Report which is published annually on the Citizen Information Board’s website.
In the 2018 Financial Statements for CIB, expenditure on six contracts were deemed to be non-compliant. Details are as follows:
|
Year |
Contract |
Expenditure |
|
2018 |
Wide Area Network (WAN) and fixed voice telephony support services. |
€ 479,306 |
|
Insurance provider |
€475,978 |
|
|
Marketing, Communications and PR Services |
€415,681 |
|
|
ICT Hardware provider of PCs and laptops |
€158,417 |
|
|
Web & Application Developer services |
€32,000 |
|
|
Mobile Voice and Data services |
€25,871 |
In the 2019 Financial Statement for CIB, expenditure on five contracts were deemed to be non-compliant. Details are as follows:
|
Year |
Contract |
Expenditure |
|
2019 |
Wide Area Network (WAN) and fixed voice telephony support services |
€ 655,257 |
|
Managed Private Cloud ICT Infrastructure |
€508,738 |
|
|
ICT Security services |
€58,815 |
|
|
Mobile Voice and Data services |
€27,838 |
|
|
Contract cleaning services |
€34,770 |
In the 2020 draft Financial Statements for CIB is currently being prepared. Expenditure on one contract is deemed to be non-compliant. Details are as follows:
|
Year |
Contract |
Expenditure |
|
2019 |
Managed Private Cloud ICT Infrastructure |
€ 185,842 |
My Department and bodies under the aegis of my Department ensure that the necessary work is undertaken to make non-compliant contracts compliant as soon as possible.
543. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider increasing the materials grant provided to community employment schemes (details supplied). [11439/21]
View answerCommunity Employment (CE) supports projects that provide work experience for long term unemployed persons to assist them entering the open labour market on exit from the CE scheme, while at the same time providing valuable community services. These can be in the areas such as social care, childcare services, heritage, arts, culture, tourism, sport and the environment. The programme is delivered through CE sponsoring authorities in the community and voluntary sector.
CE sponsoring authorities receive annual contracts from my Department which fund the employment of both CE participants and CE supervisors. Funding is also provided towards training and material costs. The materials grant is a contribution towards the running costs of the scheme and covers consumable services and materials necessary for the effective operation of the CE project including such items as Employers and Public Liability Insurances, tools, stationery, audit fees, bank charges (excluding bank interest), protective clothing and the hiring of equipment.
Materials funding is provided to CE sponsoring authorities in accordance with their requirements, where necessary. The Department provided an additional materials funding of €2 million in Budget 2019 and this additional annual provision continues to be allocated to those projects that identify a valid requirement for additional materials funding.
Over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic each CE sponsoring authority has maintained different levels of service provision in line with the public health restrictions up to and including Level-5 that are currently in place. For many CE schemes this has resulted in a reduction in materials expenditure while a number of CE schemes have experienced some additional costs. A number of CE schemes are already in receipt of the maximum materials funding available.
If a CE sponsoring authority is seeking further funding under the materials grant, they should make an application through the Department's Community Development Officer assigned to their CE scheme.
In relation to the Deputies suggestion that unused training resources might be transferred into materials funding, it should be note that €4.2 million of the training Budget allocated to CE is funded from the National Training Fund and that materials funding would therefore not be possible under this training strand of funding.
544. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on proposals to enable persons who are cocooning due to Covid-19 to apply for a public services card without attending an in-person appointment. [11457/21]
View answerThe 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).
PSC appointments are currently suspended due to the prevailing Level 5 restrictions. Appointments are available, however, for urgent cases in circumstances where the customer has no alternative means of accessing public services other than by acquiring a PSC, and over 8,700 SAFE registrations have been carried out since the beginning of the current Level 5 restrictions. Any person urgently requiring a PSC should contact their local Intreo Centre.
It is not possible for someone who does not already have a PSC to acquire one without attending an in-person appointment.
However, in June 2020, my Department introduced the facility to issue a new PSC, valid for a further three year period, to customers whose PSC has expired. Customers can avail of this service by telephoning their local Intreo Centre or the free travel or PSC helpdesk areas of my Department where my officials will be happy to assist them.
In addition, my Department is developing an online PSC renewal service. It is expected that this service will be available in April 2021.
It is important to note that an expired PSC can be used to collect a social welfare payment at the post office, to avail of free travel, and to set up a verified MyGovID account which can be used to access online services provided by many public sector bodies.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
545. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of children currently deemed as living in poverty in Ireland. [11518/21]
View answerThe most recent official poverty data is from the annual Survey on Income and Living Conditions 2019, published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) in October 2020. It shows that the consistent poverty rate in 2019 for children aged 0-17 years was 8.1% (approximately 97,000 children based on the CSO estimated population figures for 2019). This is an increase on the 2018 figure of 7.7%. A person is regarded as being in consistent poverty if their income is below 60% of the median income (at risk of poverty) and they are deprived of at least two items out of an eleven item deprivation list (basic deprivation).
The 2019 at-risk-of-poverty rate for children was 15.3% (approx. 184,000 children), a reduction on the 2018 figure of 15.9%. The deprivation rate was 23.3% (approx. 280,000 children), up from 19.7% in 2018.
Data from the 2020 Survey on Income and Living Conditions is not expected to be published by the CSO until Quarter 4 2021.
The Roadmap for Social Inclusion, 2020-2025 is the national whole of government strategy aimed at reducing the number of people in consistent poverty in Ireland and increasing social inclusion for those who are most disadvantaged. The strategy contains a number of goals and commitments focused on delivering these aims, including the reduction of child poverty in Ireland.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
