Written Answers Nos. 1103-1123
1103. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of Covid-19 rent supplement claimants in County Kerry who are also on the full rate of pandemic unemployment payment and the reduced rate payment, respectively. [18238/21]
View answerA total of 870 people in Kerry were in receipt of Rent Supplement at end of March , of whom 302 were in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment as of April 18th 2021. The PUP rate breakdown is included in the attached tabular statement.
|
Rent Supplement Recipients in Kerry also in receipt of PUP |
302 |
|
of whom, received a €350 PUP |
204 |
|
of whom, received a €300 PUP |
43 |
|
of whom, received a €250 PUP |
21 |
|
of whom, received a €203 PUP |
34 |
1104. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Social Protection when she will announce an increase in the number of participants on community employment, rural social and Tús schemes as per the policy document called Rural Development Policy 2021-2025 - Our Rural Future and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18260/21]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the Rural Development Policy 2021-2025 - Our Rural Future, was published on 29 March 2021, which represents a new milestone in the approach to rural development in Ireland. The Policy is supported by 150 commitments across Government, which will address the challenges facing communities and deliver new opportunities for people living in rural areas.
The policy will help rural Ireland to recover from the impacts of Covid-19, enable long-term development of rural areas, and create more resilient rural economies and communities for the future. It is an ambitious five year whole of Government policy for the future development of rural Ireland.
As part of the July Jobs Stimulus Package, the Government announced 3,000 additional places on Employment Support Schemes, including Community Employment and Tús. These additional places will provide valuable opportunities for long term unemployed persons and will support CE and Tús schemes in providing services to local communities in rural and urban communities. Funding for these additional places will support additional CE and Tús participants in projects within rural communities in accordance with the commitment in the Rural Development Policy.
The Department is working closely with stakeholders at present to identify ways in which these opportunities can be made available to the long-term unemployed and those furthest removed from the labour market, including those in rural communities.
The Rural Support Scheme is an income support measure and during 2017 and 2018 the number of places available on RSS was increased by 750, bringing the total number of places available up to 3,350. As at the end of March 2021 there were 3,088 participants availing of RSS with over 250 RSS places still available.
Referrals to RSS will begin to increase as current Covid-19 Level 5 restrictions ease and I will be asking Intreo offices to continue to promote the existing vacancies on RSS. Rural areas will also benefit from the opportunities that the additional 3,000 CE and Tús placements will bring to communities once they have been introduced across the country.
I recognise and appreciate the importance of RSS and the Rural Development Plan commits to expanding the scheme. My Department will continue to monitor RSS and the numbers of participants availing of this valuable income support programme, including the related qualifying criteria. Should the demand for RSS places exceed the number of places available during the course of the Rural Development Plan, then my officials will seek to raise the matter with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to consider any additional funding required to further expand the RSS and build on the good work and additional places announced in 2017 and 2018.
My Department continues to review all aspects of its income and employment support programmes to ensure their most effective delivery and the best outcomes for both participants and communities.
1105. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of referrals made to JobPath to date in 2021; the reason referrals have continued during level 5 restrictions given they were suspended previously; the engagement and training being offered to participants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18268/21]
View answerOn Monday 28th December 2020 new referrals to all contracted employment service providers including JobPath were suspended. As on previous occasions all contracted employment service providers continued to engage with their existing caseloads during these periods of suspensions of new referrals. .
Mindful of the need to support the unemployed and given the labour market impacts arising from the pandemic, the Department on the 8th of March recommenced referrals of jobseekers to its employment services. All contracted employment service providers, including the Local Employment Services and JobPath in parallel with the Intreo service, resumed new referrals on 8th March 2021. The resumption of referrals is key to the continual engagement with the long term unemployed and other cohorts to ensure they do not become further distant from the labour market.
Referrals to the Department's employment services are engaged with in accordance with the public health guidelines and dealt with on a remote basis. JobPath clients have responded positively to the remote delivery model. The same frequency of contact is delivered remotely via telephone, email and other electronic means where possible. Contracted services will where appropriate facilitate face to face meetings in line with HSE Covid-19 guidelines should any client require it. To date in 2021, some 4,233 jobseekers have commenced their engagement with the JobPath service.
I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
1106. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection , further to Parliamentary Question No. 989 of 24 March, if the report into the contracted employment services will be published. [18269/21]
View answer1136. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection , further to Parliamentary Question No. 989 of 24 March, if the external consultant's report on public employment services will be made available; if she will also share the response from the Labour Market Advisory Council, LMAC, regarding progress; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19020/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1106 and 1136 together.
Last year my Department received the report on the Public Employment Service from the Institute for Employment Studies. The report, is a contribution to the ongoing process of procuring new models of contracted Public Employment Services.
I referred the report to the Labour Market Advisory Council for their views and my Department has received a response from the Council. Both the report and the views of the Council are contributions that are being carefully considered by officials in my Department in terms of the future design and approach to the Public Employment Service and the contracting of employment services by my Department.
As of yet, no decision on a date of publication has been made for either the report or the response for the Council.
1107. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Social Protection if invalidity and blind pensions are lost if persons with disabilities take up academic scholarships; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18283/21]
View answerI recently signed Regulations which introduced a new disregard which will apply to Disability Allowance recipients who have been granted bursaries, stipends or scholarships towards completing a PhD. It is subject to an annual limit of €20,000 per annum (i.e. if a recipient gets more than one bursary, the combination cannot exceed €20,000) and is available for a maximum of four years.
The disregard applies to Disability Allowance. Invalidity Pension is a benefit payment and a person's entitlement is dependent on their social insurance history. As such, it is not subject to a means test. A recipient of Invalidity Pension can receive income through a scholarship without their payment being affected.
My Department encourages other social welfare recipients to avail of education and training through the Back to Education scheme, as well as by referrals to Education and Training Board courses through the Department's Intreo service. In addition, income received from the SUSI grant is disregarded in the means test for most social welfare schemes.
Also, there are a number of scholarships, such as those awarded by certain charitable organisations, which are not assessed as part of the means test for social welfare payments. These include payments under the 1916 Bursary Fund and under Higher Educational Scholarships for Adult Learners from Uversity to a maximum of €7,000 per annum. Uversity is a registered charity that has been awarding Higher Education Scholarships to adult learners since 2018.
Any extension of means disregards would need to be examined in an overall budgetary context.
Questions Nos. 1108 and 1109 withdrawn.
1110. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection if a response will issue to correspondence from a person (details supplied) on the Local Employment Service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18296/21]
View answer1119. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection if matters raised in correspondence (details supplied) will receive a response; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18593/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1110 and 1119 together.
Similar correspondence was forwarded to my Department and I can confirm that a response has issued directly to the person concerned.
As part of the July stimulus, the Government committed to increase resources dedicated to the delivery of employment services both within the Department’s own Intreo service, and, in addition, to expand the coverage of the Local Employment Services to areas not currently covered by existing providers.
My Department has already increased its own complement of employment service staff and now intends to issue a Request for Tender (RFT) to expand local employment services into some geographical areas where a Local Employment Service does not currently exist. The forthcoming RFT will primarily focus on the quality of services to be provided, while expanding the capacity of the Public Employment Service (PES). This RFT, which is required to comply with EU procurement rules, will have no impact on the contracts of existing providers in other areas and it is expected that the tender will prove attractive to local community-based organisations, including the Local Development Companies.
Separately, current contracts for all contracted PES provision expire at the end of 2021 and my Department is therefore developing RFTs to ensure that renewed services are procured in a manner that is compatible with EU and national procurement rules and in keeping with best practices.
I am aware of the valuable work that continues to be performed by Local Employment Services. Future procurement process will give due recognition to the ability to deliver high quality, locally-based services, when that ability is demonstrated in the tender.
1111. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the increased numbers of persons in An Post branches as a result of changes to opening hours resulting from Easter public holidays; if her attention has been further drawn to the impact this has on social distancing and raised anxiety among those who collect payments in-branch; the health and safety measures that have been undertaken to address queues in the lead up to public holidays; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18356/21]
View answerEvery year, my Department staggers payments over both the Easter and Christmas holiday periods to cater for post offices and banks being closed. This Easter, payments which fell due for payment on Easter Monday and Good Friday were brought forward for payment to Thursday, 1st April. Payments which were due for payment on Thursday, 1st April were brought forward to Wednesday, 31st March and some Wednesday payments were moved to Tuesday, 30th March.
This payment arrangement with An Post and the banks has operated successfully for many years as it distributes payments equally over the days on which financial institutions are open.
In addition to the usual holiday arrangements, my Department introduced a series of measures to maintain welfare payments while assisting with the necessity for social distancing. In co-operation with An Post, the period within which payments have to be collected at post offices has been extended. For example, anyone in receipt of a pension payment now has up to 90 days in which to collect their payment at a post office.
In addition, flexibility has been introduced to the rules on nominating agents to collect social welfare payments at post offices. This has allowed those who feel most at risk to nominate someone else to collect their payment at the post office on their behalf.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
1112. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures she will put in place to ensure that the proposed tendering for public employment services reflects the provision of a tailored, personalised service that includes a range of progressions appropriate to the person's circumstances, and prevents the unemployed person from being turned into a commodity whose sole purpose is to deliver a profit, protects the terms and conditions and offers job security to highly qualified and skilled staff who currently provide this service (details supplied). [18357/21]
View answer1113. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Social Protection if she plans to change the funding mechanism for the local employment services from a cost met model to a cost bid model; the implication of this change on guidance counsellor mediation services provided by local employment services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18360/21]
View answer1130. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection when tenders will be sought for the provision of local employment services throughout the State; if it will be a condition of bidding to provide such services that the area of operation of each service will be coterminous with the existing social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP, provision areas or local action group, LAG, areas for the LEADER programme; if the operating companies will be required to have a partnership structure to their boards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18885/21]
View answer1137. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection , further to Parliamentary Question No. 989 of 24 March, if the future of employment service provision will ensure that schemes will continue to be community-focused; if her Department will avoid a move towards a cost-bid model as part of updates to local employment services in recognition of the extensive public costs of schemes such as JobPath; if a cost-meet model will be utilised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19021/21]
View answer1154. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans for the expansion of local employment services; if expansion will include the change in delivery from a cost-met to a cost-bid arrangement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19500/21]
View answer1155. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection if a commitment will be given to ensure community-based employment services, which provide certainty, capacity and equity in terms of access for jobseekers, that do not use a cost-bid basis for future contacts given the prospect of a wave of unemployment due to Covid-19; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19580/21]
View answer1170. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the locations in which the local employment service will be rolled out as part of plans to roll out the service to areas not currently covered by existing providers; the timeframe for their establishment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19839/21]
View answer1179. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will address concerns (details supplied) raised by local employment services staff in Drogheda, County Louth; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19954/21]
View answer1190. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason she is proceeding with a new model of local employment service delivery; the cost basis on which the new model will be delivered; the relevant technical and previous experience necessary for a potential tender applicant; the proposed timeline for the process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20291/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1112, 1113, 1130, 1137, 1154, 1155, 1170, 1179 and 1190 together.
As part of the July stimulus, the Government committed to increase resources dedicated to the delivery of employment services within the Department’s own Intreo service, and, in addition, to expand the coverage of the Local Employment Services to areas not currently covered by existing providers. My Department has already increased its own complement of employment service staff and now intends to issue a Request for Tender (RFT) to expand local employment services into some geographical areas where a Local Employment Service does not currently exist. The specific lots will be detailed in the RFT when it is published.
The forthcoming RFT will primarily focus on the quality of services to be provided, while expanding the capacity of the Public Employment Service (PES). This RFT, which is required to comply with EU procurement rules, will have no impact on the contracts of existing providers in other areas and it is expected that the tender will prove attractive to local community-based organisations, including the Local Development Companies.
In practice, the annual "cost met" funding approach requires a level of scrutiny of day-to-day expenditure, which places an undue administrative burden on both the employment service provider and my Department. Such an approach diverts valuable resources away from supporting clients and as such does nothing to enhance employment outcomes for the long-term unemployed. Moving to a new multiannual funding approach, which pays for each jobseeker referred to the service, coupled with a strong emphasis on quality of service provision is more likely to deliver enhanced outcomes for those availing of the service.
The process I have described is not a cost-cutting exercise. My Department is investing more in our communities by expanding employment services across the State and providing more support and assistance to the long term unemployed.
Regarding the governance of any potential service providers, the Department has never been in the position of dictating the board structure of service delivery contractors.
Separately, the current contracts for all contracted PES provision expire at the end of 2021 and my Department is therefore developing RFTs to ensure that sufficient high-quality employment services are procured in a manner that is compatible with EU and national procurement rules.
Organisations with strong experience in the delivery of similar services at a community and local level will be in a strong position to respond to the RFTs when they issue.
I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputies.
1114. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person in receipt of either the disability allowance, an invalidity pension or other disability payment from her Department is permitted to take up a Ph.D. scholarship or bursary without the loss of his or her disability allowance, invalidity pension or other disability payment, or any part thereof. [18364/21]
View answerI recently signed Regulations which introduced a new disregard which will apply to Disability Allowance recipients who have been granted bursaries, stipends or scholarships towards completing a PhD. It is subject to an annual limit of €20,000 per annum (i.e. if a recipient gets more than one bursary, the combination cannot exceed €20,000) and is available for a maximum of four years.
The measure in these Regulations is designed to acknowledge the increased costs a person with a disability encounters and the particular difficulties they may face supplementing their income through work alongside their PhD studies.
The measure applies to recipients of Disability Allowance, as people with disabilities are under-represented at higher levels of education, and in employment, and we should give them all the support we can to take advantage of opportunities and to contribute as full and active members of our society.
Invalidity Pension is a benefit payment and a person's entitlement is dependent on their social insurance history. As such, it is not subject to a means test. A recipient of Invalidity Pension can receive income through a scholarship without their payment being affected.
My Department encourages other social welfare recipients to avail of education and training through the Back to Education scheme, as well as by referrals to Education and Training Board courses through the Department's Intreo service. In addition, income received from the SUSI grant is disregarded in the means test for most social welfare schemes.
Also, there are a number of scholarships, such as those awarded by certain charitable organisations, which are not assessed as part of the means test for social welfare payments. These include payments under the 1916 Bursary Fund and under Higher Educational Scholarships for Adult Learners from Uversity to a maximum of €7,000 per annum. Uversity is a registered charity that has been awarding Higher Education Scholarships to adult learners since 2018.
Any extension of means disregards would need to be examined in an overall budgetary context.
1115. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason the only DEIS band 1 national school (details supplied) in County Clare was not included in the hot school meals programme for 2021-2022; if this decision will be reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18389/21]
View answerThe school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,557 schools and organisations benefitting 227,000 children. The objective of the programme 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.
As part of Budget 2019, funding was provided for a pilot scheme from September 2019, providing hot school meals in primary schools at a cost of €1m for 2019 and €2.5m in 2020. The pilot involved 37 schools benefitting 6,744 students for the 2019/2020 academic year and was aimed primarily at schools with no on-site cooking facilities.
In Budget 2021, I announced that an additional €5.5m would be provided to extend the provision of hot school meals to an additional 35,000 primary school children, currently receiving the cold lunch option. Officials from the department issued invitations for expressions of interest to 705 (612 DEIS and 95 non-DEIS) primary schools in November 2020. A total of 281 (256 DEIS and 25 non-DEIS) expressions of interest were received in respect of 52,148 children.
The 35,000 places were allocated to each local authority area based on the number of children applied by local authority as a percentage of the total number. A minimum of one School for each Local Authority area was selected. Thereafter, a process of random selection was used for each area.
As a result of this process, 189 of the 281 schools that submitted an expression of interest were selected, including 4 schools in County Clare, and the 596 children attending these schools will be entitled to receive hot school meals. Of the 189 schools selected, 171 (90.5%) are DEIS and 18 (9.5%) are non-DEIS.
Unfortunately, Scoil Chríost Rí, Ennis was not selected and I appreciate that this is disappointing for the school. Any further extension of the provision of hot meals will need to be considered in a budgetary context.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1116. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection if 189 schools were successful and 91 applicant schools were not successful in their applications for the recently announced hot school meals pilot programme; the number of unsuccessful applicants that were DEIS schools; her plans to address the large demand for hot meals in many more schools given the large volume of unsuccessful schools that applied; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18390/21]
View answerThe school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,557 schools and organisations benefitting 227,000 children. The objective of the programme 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.
As part of Budget 2019, funding was provided for a pilot scheme from September 2019, providing hot school meals in primary schools at a cost of €1m for 2019 and €2.5m in 2020. The pilot involved 37 schools benefitting 6,744 students for the 2019/2020 academic year and was aimed primarily at schools with no on-site cooking facilities.
In Budget 2021, I announced that an additional €5.5m would be provided to extend the provision of hot school meals to an additional 35,000 primary school children, currently receiving the cold lunch option. Officials from the department issued invitations for expressions of interest to the 705 primary schools (612 DEIS and 93 non-DEIS) in November 2020. A total of 281 (256 DEIS and 25 non-DEIS) expressions of interest were received in respect of 52,148 children.
The 35,000 places were allocated to each local authority area based on the number of children applied by local authority as a percentage of the total number. A minimum of one School for each Local Authority area was selected. Thereafter, a process of random selection was used for each area.
As a result of this process, 189 of the 281 schools that submitted an expression of interest were selected. Of the 189 schools selected, 171 (90.5%) are DEIS and 18 (9.5%) are non-DEIS.
I appreciate that this is disappointing for the 92 schools that were not selected. Any decision to further extend the provision of hot meals will need to be considered in a budgetary context.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1117. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the supports in place for young persons from 18 to 24 years of age who are not in employment, education or training. [18476/21]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the experience of past recessions indicates that youth employment tends to be significantly 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, the impact on our youth 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, seasonally adjusted youth unemployment (15-24 year olds) stood at just over 11% in December 2019, based on the Labour Force Survey data. Latest estimates from the CSO however, show that by the end of March 2021, this figure had increased to almost 15%. These estimates exclude those in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP). Including all those in receipt of the PUP gives a COVID-19 adjusted unemployment rate estimate 59.2 % for young people at the end of March.
It is important to note that there are a significant number of PUP recipients who self certify as students. As of end-March 2021, it is estimated that 47,000 PUP recipients are students, with almost 90 percent of these in the under 25 cohort.
Using international measures of unemployment, set by the International Labour Organisation, students are not counted as unemployed, as they are not considered part of the labour force. Therefore, the inclusion of recipients of PUP, including students, in the COVID-19 Adjusted Measure of youth unemployment has inflated this measure of unemployment.
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.
Under the July Jobs Stimulus, my Department, along with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, are putting in place the following measures:
- Expanding the caseload capacity of Intreo Centres, with the assignment of 100 job coaches to provide enhanced employment services and supports.
- Increasing 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).
- 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.
- Facilitating access to the Back to Education Allowance and Back to Work Enterprise Allowance to those displaced by the pandemic and in receipt of PUP, by waiving the usual qualifying period of 3-9 months.
With regard to apprenticeships, the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 was launched this week by my colleague, Minister Harris. The Action Plan sets out a five year strategy to deliver on the Programme for Government commitment of reaching 10,000 new apprentice registrations per year by 2025. The plan provides a roadmap to a single apprenticeship system and new supports for employers and apprentices, which will prove attractive for many young people.
My Department is at an advanced stage in developing a new Work Placement Experience Programme for those out of work for at least six months, regardless of age. This programme will seek to encourage businesses 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”. I expect to launch the Programme as soon as public health restrictions allow in 2021.
These efforts will be further bolstered by Pathways to Work 2021-2025, which is currently being finalised by my Department. Pathways to Work, is the Government’s national employment services strategy. It will set out how an expanded Public Employment Service will utilise its existing and expanded capacity to deliver effective services in a post-COVID labour market. This whole-of-Government strategy will seek to build upon those support measures outlined above as we assist young people on their journey to work. Publication is expected in the coming months, following the launch of the Government's National Economic Recovery Plan.
I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy
1118. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding a person (details supplied) who was turned down for the State pension transition payment; and if the case will be reviewed. [18519/21]
View answerI introduced the new Benefit Payment for 65 year olds, in line with the Programme for Government commitment, to provide a benefit payment for people who are aged 65 and who are required to retire, or who chose to retire, without a requirement to sign on, engage in activation measures or be available for and genuinely seeking work. This new payment is designed specifically to bridge the gap for people who retire from employment or self employment at 65 but who don’t qualify for the State Pension until age 66.
The person concerned submitted an application for a Benefit Payment for 65 year olds with effect from 25/01/2021. This application was disallowed in writing on 04/03/2021 as the PRSI contribution conditions were not satisfied.
To be eligible for Benefit Payment for 65 Year Olds a person must satisfy all the conditions for the payment:
- Be aged between 65 and 66 years
- Have ceased employment or self-employment
- Be resident in the Republic of Ireland
- Satisfy the contribution conditions
The contribution conditions are as follows:
First contribution condition: A person must:
- have paid at least 104 PRSI employment contributions at Class A, H or P
or
- Have paid at least 156 PRSI self-employment contributions at Class S
and
- have paid at least 39 PRSI employment contributions at Class A, H or P or have credited contributions in the Governing Contribution Year (GCY). (The GCY is the second last complete tax year. For example, for a claim in 2021 the second last complete tax year is 2019).
- Second Contribution Condition: A person must:
- have at least 39 reckonable contributions paid or credited in the GCY and 13 of these contributions must be paid
or
- have at least 26 reckonable contributions paid in both the GCY and the year immediately preceding the GCY.
If a person does not have 13 paid contributions in the GCY they must have the 13 contributions paid in any one of the following years:
- the two tax years before the relevant tax year
- the last complete tax year
or
- the current tax year
The last contributions notified to my Department refer to 2009 when 52 Class S PRSI contributions were recorded for the person concerned . This does not satisfy the contribution conditions of the scheme. The decision disallowing the claim may be appealed through the Social Welfare Appeals Office.
It is open to the person concerned to make an application for a Jobseeker’s Allowance payment. The quickest and easiest way to submit an application is online at www.mywelfare.ie. Alternatively the person concerned can apply through his local Social Welfare Branch Office in Athy.
Information about my Department’s schemes, including qualifying conditions, is available at www.gov.ie/DSP.
1120. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on the lack of progress in the area of legal recognition for non-binary persons; if she is committed to providing for an X mark on legal documents in line with the practice in other progressive European countries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18612/21]
View answerThe Review Group for the Gender Recognition Act recommended extending legal gender recognition to non-binary people, while also recognising the complexity of the issue and acknowledging that a comprehensive impact analysis may be required. An interdepartmental group is being established to carry out this impact assessment and submit a report to Government for consideration.
Preliminary work has commenced in relation to the inter-departmental group; however, the ongoing devotion of resources within the Department to the public health crisis and associated matters has meant that it has not yet been possible to further progress this work. The matter will be kept under review and remains as part of the Programme for Government.
In the meantime, Government Departments and other public bodies will take positive steps to improve the position of non-binary people. This could include measures such as:
- promoting the use and acceptance of correct pronouns;
- improving the design of official forms and documentation to permit the use of a third gender option, or no gender at all, where it is possible to do so.
1121. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if the outcome of an appeal for a State pension (non-contributory) will be re-examined in the case of a person (details supplied). [18615/21]
View answerI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, decided to disallow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. Under social welfare legislation the decision of an Appeals Officer is final and conclusive and may only be reviewed by an Appeals Officer in the light of new evidence or new facts.
I am advised that the person concerned has submitted additional evidence and that the Department has been requested to return the file to the Social Welfare Appeals Office. On receipt of this file, the Appeals Officer will review the case. The person concerned will be contacted when the review of his appeal has been finalised.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1122. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress made on the introduction of an extra three weeks of parental benefit; and the timeframe for the change to apply. [18661/21]
View answerThe Family Leave and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2021 was enacted on 27th March 2021, with a Commencement Order providing for the additional three weeks of Parents Leave and Benefit taking effect from 1 April 2021.
In preparation for this extension, my Department implemented the required system updates in advance so as to be in a position to begin processing applications immediately. Parents Benefit applications are processed in order of the date of commencement of the Parents Leave. My Department is currently processing claims with a commencement date of 2nd May 2021.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
