Written Answers Nos. 339-353
339. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the status of the PPE grant for schools; if the third instalment has been made; if not, when schools can expect to receive this funding; and the level of funding provided by this funding in comparison to the first and second instalments. [25502/21]
View answerThe Government published the Roadmap for the Full Return to School, along with details of a financial package of over €375 million to support the implementation of the measures in the roadmap, following approval by Government.
The range of supports being made available to all schools in the free education scheme include additional financial supports to provide for PPE and hand hygiene costs under the COVID-19 response plans.
The first and second instalments of the PPE grant issued in August 2020 and January 2021 respectively.
My Department is currently finalising the arrangements to pay the third and final instalment for the 2020-2021 school year with a view to issuing same to schools shortly.
340. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 176 of 25 February 2021, the status of the upgrade of existing payroll systems in her Department; and the status of online payslips given that posting payslips comes at significant cost as highlighted by the Oireachtas Committee on Public Accounts. [25503/21]
View answerThe upgrade of the Department’s payroll systems is progressing on a phased basis as planned during 2021. As previously outlined the Department is assessing the feasibility of introducing online payslips for payees and this work is underway.
341. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if incidental school inspections including in-class teaching and learning inspections have resumed; if so, the date of resumption; her views on whether the actions of the inspectorate contradict circular 001/21; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25504/21]
View answerCirculars 0040/2020 and 0041/2020, which issued in June of 2020, informed schools of the range of advisory, research and evaluative work that inspectors would be conducting in schools in the 2021/22 school year. The circular stated : ‘It is envisaged that advisory, research and evaluation work will continue in the second and third terms of the school year 2020/21 and the Inspectorate is also planning for a carefully phased recommencement of a limited programme of normal inspection work in this period.’ Circulars 001/2021 and 002/2021, which issued in January 2021 drew schools attention to Circulars 40/2020 and 41/2020.
Accordingly, a small number of incidental inspections have been undertaken in schools since 16 April 2021. All of these incidental inspections, other than in very exceptional circumstances, are notified in advance to the principals of the schools concerned which allows for arrangements to be put in place to carry out the visits safely. The focus of these visits is on providing advice to teachers and schools on aspects of teaching and learning in a context where students have missed a great deal of face-to-face instruction in Term 2 of the current school year. These inspections will also provide the Inspectorate with important information on the impact of school closures on student learning and on how teachers and schools are responding to students’ needs in the pandemic context. Feedback from schools and inspectors on the inspections carried out to date has been positive overall and principals have generally welcomed the opportunity to engage in professional dialogue with inspectors on the work of their school in the pandemic context.
As outlined in the circulars above, the Inspectorate is also continuing to conduct urgent follow-through inspections, child protection-related inspections and Sustaining Safe Provision of Schools (SSPS) inspections in a sample of schools.
342. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if her Department will introduce legislation in relation to bullying following schools in Northern Ireland being legally required to record all incidents of bullying and alleged bullying from 1 September 2021. [25505/21]
View answerUnder my Department’s Action Plan on Bullying, new Anti-Bullying Procedures for Primary and Post-Primary Schools were published at the beginning of the 2013/2014 school year, following consultation with the relevant education partners.
The procedures are designed to give direction and guidance to school authorities and school personnel in preventing and tackling school-based bullying behaviour amongst its students.
Under the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000 all schools are required to have in place a code of behaviour that accords with Developing a Code of Behaviour: Guidelines for Schools as published by the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB), now referred to as the Educational Welfare Service (EWS). Each school is required to have an anti-bullying policy within its overall code of behaviour. The anti-bullying procedures are underpinned by this legal framework and all schools are required to comply with them.
Under the procedures, all school boards of management are required to adopt and implement an anti-bullying policy which fully complies with the requirements of these procedures. A template anti-bullying policy which must be used by all schools for this purpose is included in the procedures along with a standardised template for recording bullying behaviour.
The procedures for schools outline key principles of best practice for both preventing and tackling bullying and require all schools to commit to these principles in their anti-bullying policy. In particular the policy must set out the school’s procedures for investigating and dealing with bullying and the school’s procedures for the formal noting and recording of bullying behaviour.
The Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools 2017 give clear direction and guidance to school authorities and to school personnel in relation to meeting the statutory obligations under the Children First Act, 2015 and in the continued implementation within the school setting of the best practice guidance set out in the updated Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children 2017. The Child Protection Procedures provide that in cases of serious instances of bullying where the behaviour is regarded as possibly abusive, a referral may need to be made by the school to Tusla or An Garda Síochána as appropriate. Where school personnel have concerns about a child arising from alleged bullying behaviour but are not sure whether to report the matter to Tusla, the school designated liaison person should seek advice from Tusla.
The Anti-Bullying Procedures already provide that the board of management of each school, in developing its anti-bullying policy, must formulate the policy in co-operation with both teaching and non-teaching school staff under the leadership of the principal and in consultation with parents and pupils. The need to consult with parents will be further underpinned in law once the Education (Student and Parent Charter Bill) 2019 is enacted. Under the legislation, each school will be required to prepare, publish and implement a Student and Parent Charter in accordance with national guidelines to be published following consultation with the education partners, including those bodies representing parents. The overall aim of the legislation is to improve the level of engagement between schools and students and their parents by inviting feedback, comment and observations from students and parents and by developing a listening culture in the school.
In this context one of the key concepts of the Bill is the need for a school to consult with students and their parents on individual school plans, policies and activities. This approach will help ensure that the various views of students and parents will be heard and responded to by schools on issues or policies including a school’s Anti-Bullying Policy.
343. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 558 of 10 March 2021, the number of schools taking part in the pilot workshops on well-being and trauma informed schooling; if the schools have been identified for the pilot; if therapists or counsellors will be made available to schools as part of this pilot; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25506/21]
View answerThe National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) service of my Department has developed a range of workshops on the promotion of wellbeing and resilience in schools which includes trauma informed approaches. The approaches outlined in the workshops are based on research findings, on the experience of experts in their fields and on the experience of practising psychologists working in schools. The focus of the workshops is on exploring and understanding the sources and impact of stress on children and young people including attachment, trauma and adverse experiences. The emphasis is on creating environments to reduce stress and on developing skills all children and young people need to better manage in school. The training will also cover the influences of stress on school staff and how to best to manage this. It is intended that staff will find the content useful in supporting their own wellbeing.
The workshops will be available to build the capability of school staff in both primary and post-primary settings. The workshops are for all staff and all students including those with SEN or those children impacted by trauma and adverse experiences. The workshop webinar will cover psychological theory and best practice approaches with opportunities for reflective activities and will be delivered by psychologists from the National Educational Psychological Service of my Department.
Work is underway to identify schools for inclusion in a pilot of the workshops. In selecting schools, a mix of DEIS, non DEIS and urban and rural schools will be included.
Following the pilot a national roll-out is planned during the next academic year.
344. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason notification of the expiry of public services cards is not being sent to card holders; if notification will be sent in advance of expiry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25177/21]
View answerAt the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, my Department temporarily postponed the SAFE registration process. This included the suspension of renewal notifications to customers whose Public Services Cards (PSCs) were due to expire. This decision was taken to comply with HSE and WHO guidelines in respect of social distancing and to ensure the health and safety of the Department's customers and staff.
Customers can continue to use expired PSCs to receive their payment in An Post. The National Transport Authority has confirmed that all transport operators allow customers with an expired free travel PSC to continue to avail of free travel. This is an interim measure during the COVID-19 crisis.
To facilitate those who need to renew their PSCs urgently, a service has been introduced to allow customers contact my Department by telephone (1800-837000 or 071-9672674) and be issued with a new card. These cards are valid for a further 3 years and carry the same photograph and other information as their current card. Customers must establish their identity by answering security questions.
The Department has also introduced a PSC Online Renewal Service to allow customers with verified MyGovID accounts renew their PSCs without having to attend an appointment at an office of the Department.
The SAFE registration service will resume in most Intreo Centres and Branch Offices from 17th May, in accordance with all relevant guidelines to ensure the health and safety of the Department's customers and staff. Any person who wishes to make an appointment to renew their PSC should contact their local Intreo Centre.
The decision as to the resumption of the issuing of expiry notifications will be taken within the context of the Department’s available resources and the ongoing requirements to comply with HSE and WHO social distancing guidelines.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
345. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection the basis on which medical practitioners who assess disability benefit claims on behalf of her Department are appointed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25204/21]
View answerMedical Assessors working within my Department are assigned on foot of an Open Competition which is administered by the Public Appointments Service on behalf of the Department.
The eligibility criteria for the post include a requirement for applicants to be medical practitioners who are fully registered in the General Register of Medical Practitioners maintained by the Medical Council of Ireland or who are entitled to be so registered and have at least three years satisfactory postgraduate training and experience in the medical profession.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
346. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if workers (details supplied) can still claim the pandemic unemployment payment for the loss of part-time work. [25268/21]
View answerThe Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) remains available to employees and self-employed who have lost their employment as a direct consequence of the pandemic and who satisfy the qualifying conditions of the statutory scheme.
In the case of student nurses taking up clinical placement, the Department has clarified that the PUP is payable to those student nurses who were already in part time employment and when taking up their placement were informed by their employer that they could no longer continue with their employment due to COVID-19 related risks.
Where entitlement to the PUP is established the payment will be effective from the date the applicant lost their employment.
I trust that this clarifies the position.
347. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person (details supplied) is entitled to a free travel pass due to their low income and the ongoing expense of attending frequent necessary medical appointments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25321/21]
View answerThe Free Travel Scheme is available to people aged 66 and over who are permanently residing in the State. Applicants under age 66 must be in receipt of a qualifying payment in order to qualify for Free Travel.
The qualifying payments for those under age 66 for Free Travel purposes include Invalidity Pension, Blind Pension, (or a person who is blind or severely visually impaired and satisfies the medical conditions for a blind pension, or is registered with the NCBI), Disability Allowance, Incapacity Supplement with Disablement Pension for at least 12 months, Carer’s Allowance, or an equivalent social security payment from a country covered by EU Regulations or one with which Ireland has a Bilateral Social Security Agreement.
Based on the records held by my Department and the information provided by the Deputy, the person concerned is not in receipt of a qualifying payment and therefore does not qualify for Free Travel at this time.
Under the supplementary allowance scheme, the Department of Social Protection may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet from his/her weekly income.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
348. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Social Protection the target processing time for each scheme benefit and allowance scheme under her Department; when each target was last amended; the number of applications under each scheme in 2020 and the percentage achieved within the target time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25363/21]
View answerProcessing targets are published each year on gov.ie in the Revised Estimates and Volume (REV) for the Public Service and kept under review. The 2020 targets have been used in the figures provided below. Most of these targets were set at 90% in 2012 with revisions made to the following in 2017:
- State Pension (Non Contributory)
- Disability Allowance
- Carer’s Allowance
- Invalidity Pension and Domiciliary Care Allowance in 2018.
For 2021:
- the target percentage for Carer's Allowance increased from 70% to 75% and the target period decreased from 12 weeks to 11 weeks.
- the target period for Disability Allowance decreased from 12 weeks to 10 weeks.
The following table lists the schemes subject to these processing targets, the number of claims registered, the target itself and the determined processing rate for 2020.
Note that over 1.5 million applications for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment were processed by my Department in 2020.
|
Scheme |
Claims Registered |
Target % |
Target Period |
% achieved within the target time |
|
State Pension (Contributory) |
38,808 |
90% |
By date of entitlement |
96% |
|
Maternity Benefit |
41,987 |
90% |
By date of entitlement |
92% |
|
Paternity Benefit |
24,884 |
90% |
By date of entitlement |
87% |
|
Illness Benefit |
278,381 |
90% |
1 week |
84% |
|
Occupational Injury Benefit |
5,250 |
90% |
1 week |
49% |
|
Supplementary Welfare Allowance |
40,448 |
90% |
1 Week |
95% |
|
Free Travel |
4,302 |
90% |
2 Weeks |
95% |
|
Jobseeker's Benefit |
194,234 |
90% |
3 Weeks |
89% |
|
Child Benefit |
29,607 |
90% |
4 Weeks |
87% |
|
Household Benefits |
65,301 |
90% |
4 Weeks |
99% |
|
Widow/er's or Surviving Civil Partner's Contributory Pension |
7,782 |
90% |
6 Weeks |
94% |
|
Jobseeker's Allowance |
148,202 |
90% |
6 Weeks |
95% |
|
One-Parent Family Payment |
5,289 |
90% |
10 Weeks |
95% |
|
Invalidity Pension |
9,991 |
90% |
10 Weeks |
87% |
|
Domiciliary Care Allowance |
7,289 |
90% |
10 Weeks |
78% |
|
State Pension (Non-Contributory) |
8,789 |
75% |
12 Weeks |
88% |
|
Carer's Allowance |
18,774 |
70% |
12 Weeks |
87% |
|
Disability Allowance |
20,671 |
75% |
12 Weeks |
88% |
349. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the timeline for the Child Maintenance Review Group to report with its recommendations. [25364/21]
View answerThe Government established a Child Maintenance Review Group to examine certain issues in relation to child maintenance in Ireland. The Group is chaired by former Circuit Court Judge Catherine Murphy and includes legal, policy and academic professionals as well as officials from my Department and the Department of Justice.
The Group's Terms of Reference are to consider and make recommendations on: (i) the current treatment of child maintenance payments in my Department; (ii) the current provisions regarding liable relatives managed by my Department; and (iii) the establishment of a Child Maintenance Agency in Ireland.
The work of the Group is well underway. To date the Group has held six meetings and there are a number of other meetings scheduled on a regular basis over the coming months.
A consultation process to facilitate feedback from stakeholder groups and members of the public in order to inform the Group's work has been completed.
The Group's report is expected later this year.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
350. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection when the tendering process will begin for the local employment service. [25365/21]
View answerMy Department intends to issue a Request for Tender (RFT) shortly to expand local employment services into four geographical areas where a Local Employment Service does not currently exist. This initial competitive procurement process, required to comply with EU procurement rules, will have no impact on the contracts of existing providers in other areas.
Separately, the current contracts for all contracted PES provision expire at the end of 2021. My Department is developing RFTs to ensure that with effect from 2022 the Public Employment Service has sufficient capacity and can deliver a sufficient high-quality employment service in order to support all those who need our assistance and help in securing employment.
I trust that clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
351. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to take steps to reform and amend the means test for the blind person's pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25373/21]
View answerBlind Pension is one of a range of means-tested social assistance payments. Social welfare legislation provides that the means test takes account of the income and assets of the person (and spouse / partner, if applicable) applying for the relevant scheme. The means assessment reflects the fact that there is an expectation that people with reasonable amounts of income or capital are in a position to use these resources to support themselves so that social welfare expenditure can be directed towards those who need it most.
Cash income that is assessed includes any income from employment or self-employment, income from a social security pension from another country and maintenance payments.
Blind Pension recipients can earn up to €120 per week from employment or self-employment without their payment being affected, while weekly earnings between €120 and €350 are assessed at 50%. A €20 increase in this disregard was announced as part of Budget 2021 and will take effect from next month, meaning that the first €140 per week from employment or self-employment will be disregarded. This income disregard aims to ensure that people with disabilities can participate in work while retaining some or all of their social welfare payment.
Capital assessed as part of the means test includes all monies held in financial institutions or otherwise, the market value of shares, as well as houses and premises owned by a claimant which may or may not be put to commercial use. The family home is never assessed as part of the means test, regardless of who is the legal owner.
For Blind Pension, the first €20,000 of capital from any sources is not assessed, the next €10,000 is assessed at €1 per thousand, the next €10,000 is assessed at €2 per thousand, while any amount above €40,000 is assessed at four euro per thousand.
Any changes to means assessments for schemes, including the Blind Pension, will be considered within the overall budgetary context.
352. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the advice for a person who has been refused a contributory pension due to the fact their contributions for working prior to becoming a homemaker cannot be located by her Department (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25408/21]
View answerMy Department holds contributor's social insurance records. Since 1979, social insurance contributions are collected and returned to my Department under the Revenue PAYE system. Prior to this, social insurance contributions were collected by means of social insurance cards being stamped by employers for each week of employment and returned to the Department. All social insurance records, except those of full-time civil servants for the period pre-1979, are held by my Department.
If a person believes there is a period of employment which is not reflected in their social insurance record, they should contact my Department outlining, in as much detail as is possible, the circumstances of the employment. That detail should, where possible, include the name of the employer, the period of time the person worked with the employer and any other relevant information which the person may have. If the person has any documentary evidence, such as P60 or P45 forms or payslips relating to the employment, a copy of such evidence should also be submitted. This information should be provided to the following address: Client Eligibility Services, Department of Social Protection, McCarter’s Road, Buncrana, Co. Donegal.
On receipt of this information, my Department will investigate to ascertain if contributions are missing from the person's social insurance record. If the investigation confirms that contributions are due, the person's record will be amended accordingly. On that basis, the State pension (contributory) entitlement of the person concerned can be reviewed and they will be notified in writing of the outcome.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
353. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection if the pandemic unemployment payment will be phased out in 2021; if so, the way this will be done; the timescale for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25409/21]
View answerOver €7.5 billion has been paid out on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) since the onset of the pandemic last March which demonstrates the Government’s commitment to supporting workers impacted by restrictions.
As restrictions are eased further over the coming weeks it is expected that an increasing number of people will be in a position to close their PUP claims as their employers re-open and they return to work. For persons who are not yet in a position to return to work, the PUP will continue to be paid at the current rates and will remain open to new entrants until June 30th.
Government will set out its plans for the future of the PUP post June in the coming weeks, taking account of the trajectory of the virus, progress on the vaccine roll out, progress in terms of people returning to work and the continued impact of the pandemic on the economy over the months ahead.
I trust that this clarifies the position for the Deputy at this time.
