Written Answers Nos. 354-368
354. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding a carer’s support grant appeal by a person (details supplied) in County Dublin; if the person can appeal the matter further; if there are any other payments they could apply for; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25416/21]
View answerAn application for the Carer’s Support Grant (CSG) was received from the person concerned on 29 July 2020.
A person may apply for CSG in any given year 8 weeks before the date on which the grant is payable and up to 31 December the following year. To qualify for CSG, a carer must be providing full-time care to the care recipient for a continuous period of at least six months and this period must include the first Thursday in June.
As the conditions were satisfied for the 2019 grant, it was awarded and payment of €1,700 issued to the person concerned. The application for the 2020 grant was disallowed on the grounds that the person concerned was not providing care on the first Thursday in June, 2020 as the person she was caring for passed away on 23 May 2020. The person concerned was notified of both decisions on 10 November 2020 and informed of her right of review and appeal.
The person concerned requested a review and an appeal of the decision.
She was notified by the Department, on the 03 December 2020, that on review the original decision was upheld. On 12 April 2021 the Social Welfare Appeals Office notified the person concerned that her appeal was disallowed.
Under Social Welfare legislation, the decision of an Appeals Officer is final and conclusive and may only be reviewed in the light of relevant additional evidence or new facts.
Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, the Department may make an exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet from their weekly income. An application can be made under the ENP scheme for assistance with funeral and burial expenses where there is an inability to pay these costs, in part or in full, by the family of the deceased person without causing hardship.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
355. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection the details of the information her Department collates as per circular 20/2019 (details supplied); the date this report was issued; the location on her Departmental website at which it can be found; and the progress in relation to green procurement that has been made to date. [25439/21]
View answerIn advance of the publication of Circular 20/2019, my Department has been working over recent years on progressing the green agenda. In this regard, my Department has been complying with environmental law and has developed strategies on waste management, energy reduction and developing and delivering online schemes and services in line with its Digital Strategy.
A Corporate Procurement Plan is currently being drafted in line with the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) guidelines and the provisions of the Circular. It will include information on where the Department intends to use green criteria in forthcoming procurement processes, and will consider the further inclusion of awarding marks for green procurement where appropriate.
In accordance with Circular 20/2019, the Department's Annual Report for 2020 which is currently being prepared, will include details of what has been achieved to date in relation to Green Public Procurement. The Annual Report, when published, will be available on the Departments website on www.Gov.ie.
356. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Social Protection the current services, schemes and initiatives made available to resettled refugees in order for them to be able to further their education and training and integrate into the labour market and the fabric of society (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25483/21]
View answerMy Department participates fully in resettlement programmes, providing income support where appropriate and access to the Public Employment Service (PES) to assist and support in finding employment.
Labour market activation policies delivered by the PES are designed to assist people in finding employment For a person in receipt of a jobseeker payment, activation is delivered through an engagement and case management process in which customers are expected to use the supports offered such as education, training and employment support schemes to help them back into the workplace.
If a customer is in receipt of Daily Expenses Allowance (DEA) then they can avail of a voluntary public employment service. During these engagements an employment services officer can refer them to an appropriate Further Education and Training (FET) course if necessary.
In addition the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation & Science operates a student grant scheme for persons in the protection process or at the leave to remain (but not deportation order) stage. The scheme provides supports to qualifying students which are similar to those available in the statutory based Student Grant Scheme administered by SUSI.
To qualify for the Student Support Scheme for Asylum Seekers, prospective students have to meet a number of criteria, including a requirement to:
- meet the definition of a protection applicant or a person at leave to remain stage (other than those at the deportation order stage);
- have been accepted on an approved Post Leaving Certificate course or an approved undergraduate course; and
- have been part of an application for protection or leave to remain for a combined period of 3 years prior to 31 August of the first year of their course.
- have been resident in the State for a combined period of 3 years as at 31st August of their course.
Further information on the student grant scheme is available at https://www.gov.ie/en/service/e786a-student-grant-scheme-for-asylum-seekers/.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
357. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if there are plans to review rules regarding pay during maternity leave such as employer requirements to pay persons a percentage of their salary during their maternity leave; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25384/21]
View answerThe Maternity Protection Acts 1994-2004 provide for up to 26 weeks maternity leave with a maternity benefit available to those who qualify, and a further 16 weeks unpaid leave. Where a child is born prematurely, additional weeks may be available.
I believe the Deputy is referring to a requirement on employers to pay salary during maternity leave. As noted above, maternity benefit is available to those who qualify. Some employers pay salary top-ups during maternity leave. However, there are no plans to introduce legislation to require employers to do so.
The Government is committed to supporting working families and there have been significant advances in the provision of family leaves in recent years. Most recently, the Family Leave and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2021, increased the entitlement to paid parent’s leave by three weeks, to a total of five weeks for each parent and the time in which it can be taken was extended to the first two years after the birth or adoptive placement of a child.
358. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 87 of 29 April 2021, if the case of a person (details supplied) will be reconsidered for accommodation given that they did not leave voluntarily but, rather, did so to attend hospital and undergo major surgery to amputate a limb; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25239/21]
View answerAs I previously advised the Deputy in my reply to Question No 87 of 29 April 2021, the person in question is no longer an applicant for international protection and is consequently ineligible for the provision of accommodation under the European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018.
It is open to the person in question to make another application to the Minister for Justice under Section 22 of the International Protection Act 2015, if new elements or findings have arisen which make it significantly more likely that the person will qualify for international protection upon making a subsequent application. Should such an application be made to, and accepted by, the Minister for Justice then the person in question can be considered for accommodation by my Department.
359. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the details of the information his Department collates as per circular 20/2019 (details supplied); the date this report was issued; the location on his Departmental website at which it can be found; and the progress in relation to green procurement that has been made to date. [25426/21]
View answerGreen Public Procurement in Department of Children, Equality, Diversity, Integration and Youth
The Department’s ambition in relation to Green Public Procurement is to reduce its impact on the environment by introducing measures to reduce its carbon footprint in order to achieve the goals set out in the Climate Action Plan.
This is strategised in our Corporate Procurement Plan (approved by Secretary General in June 2020) where we have pledged to include Green Procurement measures where possible during a procurement process.
Since 2019 we have improved our environmental impact by:
- Single Use Plastics: DCEDIY has ceased purchasing single use plastics since January 2019 under the Government directive to reduce its carbon footprint and cut down on waste management.
- Wooden stirrers for tea/coffee: The Department stopped using wooden stirrers to reduce its compostable footprint. The introduction of steel spoons reduces its waste footprint.
- ICT equipment: All ICT equipment used is reused and recycled. Lexmark collect toner cartridges that the Department no longer requires and recycles them.
- A ‘Green Team’ is being established to promote and encourage sustainability within the Department
- The Procurement Unit maintain a contracts register and database for all procurement documentation where we can monitor all contracts that have been awarded within the Department. All RFTs are proof-read by the Unit before being published on eTenders, this allows us to monitor whether Green Public Procurement has been included in the specification where possible.
To date, the DCEDIY 2020 Annual Report has not been published and therefore is not available on the DCEDIY website.
360. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the current services, schemes and initiatives made available to resettled refugees in order for them to be able to further their education and training and integrate into the labour market and the fabric of society (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25484/21]
View answerI wish to confirm to the Deputy that refugees welcomed to Ireland under the Irish Refugee Protection Programme based in my Department are offered a range of supports to assist in their integration to Irish society.
On arrival, programme refugees are generally accommodated in one of three centres where various State agencies provide supports including health, education for children and adults, and childcare. Particular emphasis is placed on the acquisition of English language skills, for children and adults alike, to facilitate integration into the community.
Following their stay in accommodation centres, programme refugee families are moved to communities with assistance from local authorities which are supported by funding under the EU Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF). The objective of projects funded by AMIF is to ensure that the refugees can settle into the community, access services appropriately, and build lasting relationships with the local community. Refugees are assisted in the early months after resettlement by a resettlement support worker and an intercultural support worker who assist with access to services that may be necessary for health, education, or other purposes
361. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will consider the plight of students who sat exams in November 2020 by accommodating these students' course preferences ahead of the class of 2021 given the difficulties they faced, especially with some having had their calculated grades reduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25260/21]
View answer364. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if, in the event that points needed are increased for third-level courses, he will make some arrangements for the class of 2020 who sat exams in November 2020 by facilitating their admission based on the 2020 points needed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25262/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 361 and 364 together.
Universities and Institutes of Technology are autonomous and determine their own procedures for admission. The CAO process applications for undergraduate, and some postgraduate, courses on their behalf.
Decisions on admissions are made by the higher education institutions who then instruct the CAO to make offers to successful candidates. Therefore neither I nor my Department have a function in relation to such matters and it is not within my remit to determine admissions criteria or direct HEIs to admit certain students.
It is my understanding that a total of 632 CAO offers have been made to students whose results in the 2020 written Leaving Certificate examinations brought them into consideration for a higher preference offer from their 2020 CAO application. These students will have the option to take up these offers for the 2021 academic year. Students who sat the 2020 written examinations but did not achieve the points needed for a higher preference offer had the option to apply for the 2021 academic year using their updated results. However any offers made to these students will be on the basis of the 2021 points requirements.
The CAO system is a system that works on the assumption that grades obtained in the Leaving Certificate by candidates determine their points. It is on this basis that the CAO system allocates places to applicants including those from different years. To ensure impartiality, the automatic CAO points systems have been created in a way that does not allow for different treatment to be applied to different sub-groups, or students with results from different years.
362. Deputy Kieran O'Donnell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the range of supports available for persons attending third-level education, in particular for attending modular courses, as in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25222/21]
View answerThe principal support provided by my Department in financial terms is the Student Grant Scheme. Under the terms of the Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. Courses that are part-time or that are less than two years in duration currently do not qualify. Any student in third-level institutions experiencing exceptional financial need can apply for support under the Student Assistance Fund. This fund assists students, in a sensitive and compassionate manner, who might otherwise be unable to continue their third level studies due to their financial circumstances. Information on the fund is available through the Access Office in the higher education institution attended.
363. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the cost of extending to those studying for a professional doctorate in counselling psychology the conditions that apply to those in clinical psychology in terms of salary during training and a 60% fee reduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25229/21]
View answerI am arranging for information to be collected on the numbers of students who would be encompassed by the question and will revert to the Deputy in due course.
365. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if the resources can be provided to provide an additional veterinary studies centre in Ireland (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25312/21]
View answerMy Department is actively engaging with Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) about the demand for higher education places in 2021 and will take action as necessary to ensure the availability of a full range of further and higher education options for applicants in 2021 and beyond.
However the HEIs are autonomous bodies under the Universities Act 1997, the Institutes of Technology Acts 1992 to 2006 and the Technological Universities Act 2018. Under this legislation the HEIs are administratively and academically independent and ultimately the decision on the courses provided rests with the individual institutions. It is not within my remit to direct a HEI as to the courses they offer.
366. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the breakdown of the 708 Irish and EU entrants studying medicine each year in each institution and course, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25375/21]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is available in the attached table.
First Year Medicine Students by Domicile, HEI and Course, 2016 - 2019
367. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the details of the information his Department collates as per circular 20/2019 (details supplied); the date this report was issued; the location on the Departmental website on which it can be found; and the progress in relation to green procurement that has been made to date. [25433/21]
View answerAs this report relates to 2020 Green Public Procurement, it is being prepared by the Department of Education on a shared service basis, and the report will be inclusive of both Departments. It will be submitted to the EPA and published as part of the Department's Annual Report for 2020 which will be available on my Department’s website. In line with the EPA Reporting on Green Public Procurement Guidance & Template for Government Departments Reference Year 2020, my Department will provide information for the Priority Sectors of Transport, Construction, Energy, Food & Catering Services, Cleaning Products & Services, Textiles, IT Equipment, and Paper, at contract level, where the contract value is greater than €25,000 and the contract has been signed in calendar year 2020.
368. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the estimated cost of expanding SUSI supports to cover graduate medicine at entry level if a minimum of 35% and maximum of 45% of all graduate medicine students (details supplied) were eligible for some level of support; the range of supports available, from the lowest to the highest level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25507/21]
View answerStudents pursuing GEM programmes do so as second degree courses and consequently are not eligible for free fees funding or for student grants. However, in order to widen access to GEM programmes, and give assistance towards the financial burden on each student pursuing these programmes, the fees of participating EU students are partly subsidised by the State via the Higher Education Authority (HEA).
Institutions participating in the graduate medical programme have been requested to provide accompanying services and supports to facilitate the participation of disadvantaged students in the programme. Details of these services and supports are available from the relevant institution.
As the course that the Deputy refers to is not eligible for support from SUSI, we do not hold information regarding enrolments. However, from figures received from the Higher Education Authority, a total of 1632 students enrolled in graduate entry to medicine in the academic year 2019/20.
If a minimum of 35% of this cohort qualified for support at the average rate of grant for 2019/20 of €4770, then the estimated annual cost would be in the region of €2.7m.
If a minimum of 45% of this cohort qualified or support at the average rate of grant for 2019/20 of €4,770, the estimated annual cost would be in the region of €3.5m
It is not possible to estimate the fee costs which would accrue, as Universities are autonomous bodies and the amount of fees charges is a matter for individual third level institutions
I attach the full rate of maintenance grants for 2020/21 for your information.
Students on graduate entry medicine courses may be eligible to apply to the Student Assistance Fund for financial support. The SAF guidelines provide that students with a previous higher education qualification at the same NFQ level, or who, in the past, attended higher education without ultimately obtaining a qualification, may be considered for support on a case-by-case basis and subject to available funding.
