Eoin Ó Broin
Question:335. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education the current and capital costs involved with each action item in the Interim Climate Action Plan under her Department’s responsibility. [32695/21]
View answerClimate Action Plan
Questions (335)
Written answers
The following actions are assigned to the Department of Education under the Interim Climate Action Plan.
|
Action No. |
Sub Action |
Action |
|
22 |
22a |
Establish an appropriately resourced Climate Action Unit in every Government Department to ensure Climate considerations are at the core of policy development |
|
89 |
89a |
Enhance communications on Climate Agenda in schools sector with a particular focus on pilot deep energy retrofit projects delivered under Pathfinder Programme in partnership with the SEAI |
|
239 |
239a |
Hold a public consultation on a National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development to 2030 to inform a new Strategy and Action Plan |
|
240 |
240a |
Implement an enhanced approach to energy performance and renewable energy capability in school buildings, Encouraging schools to have an “energy champion” within their distributed leadership team |
To date there has been no current cost expenditure (beyond immediate staff costs) or capital cost expenditure incurred with each action item.
Departmental Schemes
Questions (336)
Eoin Ó Broin
Question:336. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Education the breakdown of the cost per school for retrofits under the pathfinder scheme. [32704/21]
View answerWritten answers
The School energy retrofit pathfinder programme is jointly funded from the Department of Education and Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications.
This Pathfinder is paving the way for, and informing, a much larger national schools programme for the energy retrofit of schools built prior to 2008 from 2023 onwards as included in the NDP. It is facilitating research on a range of typical retrofit options, which will have been tried and tested. It is providing valuable development information for a solution driven delivery strategy which will be founded on a good evidence base that has proven the robustness and scalability of renewable solutions within the schools sector.
Since 2017, 39 schools have seen over €22.9 million invested in energy efficiency retrofits with an average cost per school in the region of €600,000.
The pathfinder has focused in 2021 on renewable decarbonised heating solutions with associated works to achieve reduced heat losses for decarbonised solution compatibility, this includes six schools with a budget of €14 million.
School Patronage
Questions (337)
David Cullinane
Question:337. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Education if her Department plans to survey Dungarvan and the wider west County Waterford area to ascertain demand for a non-denominational primary school in the area; if Dungarvan or west County Waterford have in the past been identified by her Department as potential areas for the development of a non-denominational primary school; if they are currently designated as such; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32709/21]
View answerWritten answers
The patronage divesting process arises from the recommendations of the 2012 report of the Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector, following which the Department undertook surveys of parental preferences in 43 areas of stable population in 2012 and 2013 to establish the level of parental demand for a wider choice in the patronage of primary schools within these areas. Analysis of the parental preferences expressed in each area surveyed indicated that there was sufficient parental demand to support changes in school patronage in 28 areas, including in Dungarvan.
Under the patronage divesting process, a school can be opened where a school building became, or was due to become available as a result of an amalgamation/closure of an existing school. In some areas, including in the case of Dungarvan, in responding to demand for diversity where existing patrons were unable make school properties available, my Department also included an examination of properties held in public ownership.
To date, it has not been possible to secure a school property to facilitate a new school being established in Dungarvan. However, the Department is continuing its efforts in relation to identifying a suitable solution under the patronage divesting process.
Departmental Policies
Questions (338)
Christopher O'Sullivan
Question:338. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education if she will outline her key policy achievements in her Department since 27 June 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32714/21]
View answerWritten answers
Within the past year, the key objectives and achievements for my department included the safe reopening of schools and the continuity of the Leaving Certificate amid the adversity and disruptions of the pandemic.
A key objective of the Government’s plan for living with COVID-19 was that our children and school staff could attend school safely. On 27 July 2020 I published ‘Reopening Our Schools: The Roadmap for The Full Return to School’, supported by a funding package of €375 million with this funding being supplemented over the course of the academic year. The safe return to schools in September 2020 involved approximately 1 million students and 100,000 staff in 4,000 schools. This was supported by special arrangements for PPE, school transport, classroom layouts, curriculum guidance and additional staffing. In recognition of the fact that remote learning was particularly challenging for children with additional needs, a supplementary programme was put in place to support the education and/or care needs of pupils with complex needs.
Following a further period of school closure in early 2021, schools reopened on a phased basis in February/March, with a full reopening after the Easter break.
With regard to the Leaving Certificate, the provision of Calculated Grades for over 60,000 Leaving Certificate students in 2020 enabled them to progress to further and higher education and the world of work. For the 2021 Leaving Cert, following an intensive set of engagements with stakeholders, arrangements in respect of the 2021 state exams were decided on by Government on 17 February, with both written examinations and accredited grades available to students. The written Leaving Certificate written exams successfully commenced on 9 June with the orals in language subjects and the practical components in other subjects having taken place earlier including during the traditional Easter Holidays. The choice provided to students as between accredited grades or examinations or a combination of both is a student centred approach which I was anxious to deliver on.
Other significant achievements in the period referred to by the Deputy include:
- Significant increased investment in education secured in Budget 2021. Budget 2021 continued the programme of major reinvestment in our primary and post-primary education system. Building on the initiatives set out in the Programme for Government, the budget for the Department of Education will be €8.9 billion in 2021, an increase of €410 million or some 5 five per cent on 2020 and creating 1,065 new teaching posts. This investment will see the primary staffing schedule reduced by one point, to a historically low level of 25:1.
- Expanded summer provision for pupils with complex special educational needs and those at greatest risk of educational disadvantage was delivered in Summer 2020 and, for 2021, I secured a doubling of the funding available to €40m so that the programmes could be further expanded.
- Development of a New Digital Strategy for Schools
- The launch of a new arts in education initiative – BLAST 2021
- Payment of €100 million in ICT grant funding for schools, inclusive of a special €10 million payment to support the purchase of technology and devices for disadvantaged students during the school closures period.
- Payment of €50 million under the Minor Works Scheme to primary and post-primary schools.
- A 6 week sampler module of languages in primary schools has been announced, with schools invited to express an interest in participating with funding to support the participation of at least 100 schools provided. It will include foreign languages and Irish Sign Language (ISL) and will run for 6 weeks towards the end of the first term of the 2021/22 school year. The module will be used to inform the development of a new primary curriculum for foreign languages over the coming years.
- Budget 2021 investment includes a capital allocation for new and more energy-efficient school buildings with a €740 million budget for 2021 under Project Ireland 2040.
- €160 million was provided to schools in Minor Works funding in 2020, including €30 million which was brought forward from 2021. Due to the unprecedented Covid-19 situation, exceptional Minor Works Grant funding was also provided to Post Primary schools.
Equality Issues
Questions (339)
Holly Cairns
Question:339. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Education the way in which her Department and agencies under her remit are working towards enabling access to employment for persons from minority and or disadvantaged communities, including, but not limited to, persons with disabilities, persons from ethnic minorities, Travellers, Mincéirí; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32736/21]
View answerWritten answers
In recruiting Civil Servants the Human Resources Unit of my Department engage the Public Appointmente Service (PAS) which was established under the tersm of the Public Services management Act to provide recruitment, assessment and selection services for Civil and Public Service bodies.
Part 5 of the Disability Act 2005 provides that public bodies promote and support the employment of people with disabilities and ensure that 3% of staff employed are people with a disability. As at the 31st December 2020 the percentage of staff at my Department that declared a disability was 3.58%.
State Examinations
Questions (340)
Gary Gannon
Question:340. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education when the SEC will recommence the extensive review how to support students experiencing exceptional circumstances during their State examinations following on from the interim pilot measure in 2019 for students who suffered bereavement close to or over their examinations; when this review will be completed; and if the interim measures will continue to be offered while the review is taking place. [32785/21]
View answerWritten answers
The 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.
State Examinations
Questions (341)
Gary Gannon
Question:341. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to reports in the media that the leaving certificate orals were not up to standard this year; if candidates who seek an appeal will be provided with a full transcript of the oral interview or just a transcript of their own voice; and if the guidance from SEC to oral language interviewers was issued on 23 March 2021, three days prior to examinations commencing. [32787/21]
View answerWritten answers
The 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.
Social Welfare Schemes
Questions (342)
Emer Higgins
Question:342. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration is being given to providing a free travel pass to persons who lose their driver licence due to a diagnosis of epilepsy or breakthrough seizures. [32542/21]
View answerWritten answers
The Free Travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by over 80 private transport operators. There are currently approx. 999,000 customers with direct eligibility. The estimated expenditure on free travel in 2021 is €95 million.
In general, access to a free travel pass for those aged under 66 is linked to a person being in receipt of certain primary Social Protection payments such as Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, Carer’s Allowance, Blind Pension and Partial Capacity Benefit.
Extending the free travel scheme to people with epilepsy during the period in which they are disallowed from driving cannot be considered in isolation. There are a range of disabilities and medical conditions that can prevent a person from holding a driving licence and to award a free travel pass to any one of these conditions in isolation would immediately result in calls for all people who are not allowed to hold a driving licence because of their medical condition to receive the free travel pass and could result in challenges under the Equal Status Act.
If the Free Travel scheme were to be extended to all people who are not allowed to drive due to their disability, regardless of whether they receive a qualifying payment, a medical assessment process would be required for all such applications, significantly changing the nature of the scheme and requiring additional administrative processes to be put in place in order to adjudicate eligibility. Significant extra funding would also be required and accordingly, it could only be considered in the context of overall budgetary negotiations.
Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, my Department may award a travel supplement, where the circumstances of the particular case so warrant. The supplement is intended to assist with ongoing or recurring travel costs that cannot be met from the client’s own resources and are deemed to be necessary. Every decision is based on consideration of the circumstances of the individual case, taking account of the nature and extent of the need and of the resources of the person concerned.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment
Questions (343)
James O'Connor
Question:343. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the continuation of the pandemic unemployment benefit for the aviation sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32548/21]
View answerWritten answers
The Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) is a statutory income support for qualifying employees and the self-employed who have lost employment due to Covid-19. As employments are continuing to reopen with the lifting of public health restrictions the number of people in receipt of the PUP are reducing with some 267,000 supported by the payment this week. This support is available to all workers impacted by the pandemic, including those in the aviation sector, and is not provided on a sectoral basis.
I have recently confirmed as part of the National Economic Recovery Plan that PUP is being extended beyond the end of June 2021. This extension is not sector-specific. To allow as much time as possible for employment to recover, a transitional approach will be taken with payments reduced on a tapered basis over 6 months from next September. People currently receiving the €203 rate and those who reach the €203 rate in each phase, will then transition to standard jobseeker terms over a period of time and with advance notice.
The Community Welfare Service remains available to provide support for any person who is experiencing financial hardship under the means-tested supplementary welfare allowance scheme including an Exceptional or Urgent Needs payment.
I trust that this clarifies the position at this time.
Pension Provisions
Questions (344)
Johnny Guirke
Question:344. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Social Protection the current position on pension provision for community employment supervisors following the recent negotiations with the relevant unions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32658/21]
View answerWritten answers
The Community Employment (CE) Scheme is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and others with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis.
The programme is delivered through independent CE sponsoring authorities. The contract agreement between the Department and the CE sponsoring authorities establishes their role as independent contractors. CE sponsoring authorities are the legal employers of CE supervisors, CE assistant supervisors and CE participants.
The CE sponsoring authorities receive state funding to cover the salary costs of supervisors, assistant supervisors and participant remuneration, training and material costs from the Department. CE supervisors and CE assistant supervisors are not public servants or employees of the Department or the state.
As the Deputy will be aware, CE supervisors and CE assistant supervisors have been seeking for several years, through their union representatives, the allocation of Exchequer funding to implement a 2008 Labour Court recommendation relating to the provision of a pension scheme for CE supervisors and assistant supervisors who are employed by CE schemes.
The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has to have regard to any potential Exchequer exposure associated with the specific issue relating solely to CE supervisors arising from the Labour Court recommendation. Any proposal to resolve this specific issue, can and will only apply to CE supervisors and CE assistant supervisors.
Within this context, officials from my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform held discussions on proposals to progress and resolve this issue over the past number of months, while having regard to the wider budgetary framework. Officials from my Department also held discussions with unions representing CE supervisors and CE assistant supervisors.
As the Deputy is aware, an agreement was reached between my colleagues, the Minister for Social Protection and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform on proposals to resolve the long-standing issue. Details of these proposals have been forwarded to the unions representing CE supervisors and CE assistant supervisors by my Department officials. I understand the unions have been considering these proposals and have sought clarification on some of the details contained therein. My Department officials are continuing to engage with the unions on this basis.
I am confident this is a solid basis for progressing and resolving this complex issue, while ensuring there is no potential exposure for additional costs to the exchequer.
Minister Humphreys and I will continue to support CE for the benefit of the CE participants and the valuable contribution being made to local communities.
Departmental Schemes
Questions (345)
Joan Collins
Question:345. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons with disabilities currently availing of the training support grant that was introduced in 2020; and the breakdown of groups of disabled persons that are applying for the grant. [32535/21]
View answerWritten answers
The Training Support Grant (TSG), available through my Department, can be used for the purchase of training (where this cannot be provided by a state provider within a reasonable time) or for certain other expenditures such as purchase of tools or travel costs to job interviews. The TSG can be made available to jobseekers who have registered with the Employment Service and undertaken a guidance process leading to an agreed career plan, and who are in receipt of certain specified welfare payments, primarily jobseekers’ and lone parent payments as well as payments related to disability and long-term illness.
As part of the July Stimulus the funding available through this grant was doubled from €500 to €1,000. There is a provision of €11.3m for this support in 2021 to assist with the training needs of up to 12,000 individuals.
The grant assisted approximately 3,000 jobseekers with short-term training needs in 2020. Statistics are not maintained on the number of individuals with disabilities assisted under this grant.
Also announced in Budget 2020 was the extension of the facility of the Training Support Grant through Employability Service contractors. The administrative measures to support this extension are being put in place and it is expected to be operational shortly.
Departmental Schemes
Questions (346)
Joan Collins
Question:346. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection the total amount of funding allocated for the training support grant; the courses or training opportunities for which the grant has been used; and her plans to increase the amount of the training support grant in Budget 2022. [32537/21]
View answerWritten answers
The Training Support Grant, available through my Department, is designed to support quick access to short-term training where the training is not delivered by a State provider. The grant can be provided where an immediate skills gap is identified that represents an obstacle to taking up a job offer or accessing other opportunities. The grant can be used for training up to level 6 on the QQI or training such as safe pass, driving licences, HACCP or security industry permits as appropriate.
There is a provision of €11.3m for this support for 2021 to help with the training needs of up to 12,000 individuals. As part of the July Stimulus the funding available through this grant was doubled from €500 to €1,000. This ensures that greater funding is available for individual jobseekers to assist with their short term training costs.
Any further changes to the provision for this grant would have to be considered in a budgetary context. I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Departmental Expenditure
Questions (347)
Claire Kerrane
Question:347. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the vote headings and sub-headings for her Department in tabular form. [32544/21]
View answerWritten answers
Below in tabular format are the Vote headings and sub-headings for my Department. The listing covers the year 2020 and is currently subject to audit by the C&AG.
Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment
Questions (348)
Seán Haughey
Question:348. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will allow taxi drivers aged 66 and over to receive for the pandemic unemployment payment as part of the support package announced for the small public service vehicle Industry on 9 June 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32600/21]
View answerWritten answers
The COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) is a statutory scheme providing income support for those aged 18 to 66 years who lost employment due to consequences of the pandemic. The age condition for the scheme is aligned with that under the Jobseekers supports and there are no plans to amend this condition.
People aged 66 years and over are provided for within the Social Protection framework through the State Pension – either the contributory pension based on PRSI contributions, or the non-contributory means-tested pension.
Where an individual does not have the required number of contributions to receive the maximum rate of State Pension Contributory, they may qualify for an increased rate of State Pension Non-Contributory, depending on their circumstances.
People aged 66 and over may also be entitled to ancillary supports which include free travel, fuel allowance, household benefits package for gas or electricity costs and living alone allowance.
The Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme administered by the Community Welfare Service is also available to any person of any age who is experiencing financial hardship. Exceptional and Urgent Needs Payments may be made subject to satisfying the means test.
The income supports provided by my Department are not sector specific. On 9th June 2021 the Minister for Transport, Eamonn Ryan TD announced a new €6.5 million support package for the Small Public Service Vehicle Industry (SPSV).
I trust that this clarifies the position for you.
Social Welfare Schemes
Questions (349)
Bernard Durkan
Question:349. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application for a carer’s allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32602/21]
View answerWritten answers
Carer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care.
I can confirm that the person concerned was in receipt of CA in respect of her husband from 19 February 2015.
The Medical Control Section in the Department undertook a review of the CA claim of the person concerned and the requirement for full time care of the care recipient in October 2017. Following the receipt of the medical information from the care recipient, the Department’s Medical Assessor (MA) found that the care recipient did not require full time care and attention and deemed the person concerned was not eligible for CA. A Natural Justice letter issued to the person concerned in August 2019.
The person concerned submitted further medical evidence to the Department in September 2019 and this was referred to the Department’s MA. Having reviewed this additional information, the Department upheld their original decision that the person concerned was not eligible for CA.
Due to the COVID lockdown in March 2020, the Department did not issue any letters of termination until May 2021, when the person concerned was informed that their eligibility for CA would cease on the 26th June 2021. The customer subsequently contacted the Department to indicate that they would provide additional medical information for the care recipient. Once any additional information is provided, this will be considered and the Department will notify the person concerned of the outcome of the review of her claim.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
Departmental Expenditure
Questions (350)
Alan Kelly
Question:350. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount her Department and associated agencies have spent on social media advertising since the beginning of January 2021 until 12 June 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32620/21]
View answerWritten answers
My Department administers over 90 separate schemes and services, which affect the lives of almost every person in the State. The Department is committed to ensuring that members of the public are fully aware of the welfare supports and services that are available to them and public information campaigns are an important part of this work.
During the period 01 January 2021 to 12 June 2021, the Department delivered a total of 5 public information campaigns in 2021. Advertising was carried across a range of media, including social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter), as well as national and regional print and radio, and targeted digital advertising. The aim of the campaigns was to increase public awareness of the available income supports and the Department’s relevant schemes and services.
All public information campaigns are developed and targeted carefully in using the best mix of media formats to ensure that the Department’s messages reach members of the public effectively, while ensuring value for money.
The cost of social media advertising from 01 January 2021 until 12 June 2021 is outlined below in tabular form. Please note that these figures exclude VAT, ASAI, and agency fees.
Social Media Advertising Expenditure (01 January 2021 to 12 June 2021)
|
Department |
Costs (€) |
|
Department of Social Protection (DSP) |
€38, 399.51* |
|
Agencies |
Costs (€) |
|
Pensions Council |
Nil |
|
Pensions Authority |
Nil |
|
Labour Market Advisory Council (LMAC) |
Nil |
|
Citizens Information Board (CIB) |
€5,054.00 |
|
Abhaile Service |
€6,063.05 |
* Invoiced to 12 June 2021. The figure excludes a spend of €6,700 on social media advertising for the Pensions Commission Consultation which was paid for by the Commission but facilitated by DSP.
Departmental Expenditure
Questions (351)
Alan Kelly
Question:351. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount her Department has spent on social media content production since the beginning of January 2021 until 12 June 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32637/21]
View answerWritten answers
My Department administers over 90 separate schemes and services, which affect the lives of almost every person in the State. The Department is committed to ensuring that members of the public are fully aware of the welfare supports and services that are available to them, especially during the ongoing pandemic, and public information campaigns are an important part of this work.
During the period, 01 January to 12 June 2021, the Department of Social Protection delivered 5 public information campaigns across a range of media including national and regional print publications, national and regional radio, and digital and social media advertising. These campaigns were designed to increase public awareness of the available income supports, schemes and services, and to provide opportunities for greater public engagement and input into important public consultations.
The total cost associated with the production of social media content from 01 January 2021 until 12 June 2021 is €4,616* excluding VAT.
*Invoiced to 12 June 2021. This figure excludes spend on social media content production for the Pensions Commission Consultation at a cost of €560 ex VAT, which has been paid for by the Pensions Commission.
Departmental Expenditure
Questions (352)
Alan Kelly
Question:352. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount her Department and all associated agencies have spent on public relations consultancy costs since January 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32654/21]
View answerWritten answers
There has been no expenditure on public relations consultancy by the Department of Social Protection, or by any of the agencies under its aegis, since January 2021.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Pensions Reform
Questions (353)
Claire Kerrane
Question:353. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 423 of 5 May 2021, the action that has been taken to ensure that those receiving pension payments overseas are no longer subject to bank charges in recognition of the reduction these charges cause to pension payments as a result of recent charges which were not in place before; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32677/21]
View answerWritten answers
My Department, in conjunction with all Government Departments and Offices, moved its banking operations to Danske Bank on foot of a Government Decision to tender for an “All of Government” Banking Service. This migration of the Department’s banking services to the new provider, Danske Bank, was completed last month.
One of the last banking migration phases was the moving of foreign EFT payments, which was carried out in March 2021. These payments are to beneficiaries who are resident in 21 countries outside of both the Single European Payments Area (SEPA) and the United Kingdom. While the migration of these foreign payments to Danske Bank was successful, beneficiaries in the United States and Canada were levied with cross border payment charges by their own banks.
While the Department of Social Protection has no control over the fees charged by foreign banks to their own customers, the Department has been in continuous liaison with Danske Bank to try and reduce or eliminate the fees which U.S. and Canadian banks might charge their own customers. The Department has also implemented a number of payment process changes to Social Welfare pension payments to help in this regard.
EFT payments to markets outside Ireland where the sending bank is not a member of the domestic clearing system, such as the US or Canada, are processed as international cross border payments, also known as ‘international wire transfers’. Processing such payments as international wire transfers ensures that the sending bank complies with its national and international Anti Money Laundering (AML) and Counter Terrorist Financing (CTF) obligations. In order to effect these international wire transfers in markets such as the US and Canada, the services of correspondent banks are necessary, and their use is the industry standard approach. Correspondent banks will deduct charges from the payment amount to compensate for the cost of processing the payment and discharging their AML and CTF obligations.
As previously outlined in Parliamentary Question No. 423 of 5 May 2021, Danske Bank secured a significant reduction in the processing charge levied by its American correspondent bank on the Department’s payments to pensioners resident in the United States. In addition, the Department amended its Social Welfare payment files to ensure that all pension payments to beneficiaries outside the SEPA zone and the UK are clearly marked as pension payments. This change was in place for all payments to North America in April.
Many bank customers in both Canada and the United States can avail of reduced bank fees on pension payments, depending on the financial institution that they bank with and the type of account they hold. The Department is aware of a number of pensioners in both the United States and Canada who no longer incur any charges due to these payment processing changes, in particular the explicit marking of the Department’s payments as pension payments.
For pension payments to Canada, the Department of Social Protection has implemented a number of changes to its payment file processing to enable Danske Bank to direct payments to additional correspondent banks. These changes have ensured that payments to most pensioners in Canada should only incur one set of cross border fees. With these process changes the number of correspondent banks that can handle Social Welfare payments has changed from one in March, to four in April and six in June.
Further changes are currently being implemented which should eliminate duplicate cross border fees for the remaining pensioners who do not have an account in one of these six Canadian correspondent banks. It is hoped that this change will be in place for pension payments issued in July 2021.
The Department of Social Protection continues to liaise with Danske Bank in relation to this issue.
Departmental Policies
Questions (354)
Christopher O'Sullivan
Question:354. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will outline her key policy achievements in her Department since 27 June 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32724/21]
View answerWritten answers
Throughout the period referred to, the country continued to be severely affected by the effects of the pandemic and unprecedented numbers of people suffered job losses and temporary lay-offs as a result of public health restrictions. Throughout this time, thanks to the monumental efforts of the staff of my Department, we have continued to provide vital income supports, through the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) and the enhanced Illness Benefit scheme - alongside all of the existing suite of social protection schemes for our pensioners, people with disabilities, carers, one-parent families amongst others – to all of our citizens. Research undertaken by the ESRI on the impact on family incomes of Covid-19 related job losses found that 400,000 families would have seen their disposable income fall by more than 20 per cent in the absence of policy measures such as the PUP and the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS). The ESRI also found that the PUP and TWSS measures were particularly effective in cushioning families at the lower-end of income distribution from losses.
As a further step towards supporting those in greatest need, we provided for a the payment of a Christmas Bonus to over 1.6 million recipients in December with payments totalling €390 million. On an exceptional basis, the 2020 Christmas Bonus was also paid to some 311,000 recipients of the PUP who had also been in receipt of a PUP payment - continuously or otherwise - for at least 4 months (17 weeks) since March 2020, at an additional cost of over €93 million.
Notwithstanding the enormous strain on the national finances caused by the pandemic, I was pleased to be able to secure funding in Budget 2021 for a number of targeted increases aimed at particularly vulnerable cohorts of the population. These included increases to the living alone allowance, fuel allowance, qualified child increases, an increase in the offshore island allowance, an increase to the disability allowance earnings threshold, a €150 increase in the carers support grant and the removal of the one parent family payment earnings threshold.
I was also pleased to secure funding of an additional €5.5 million to provide for a major expansion of the Hot School Meals Pilot Programme. This will extend the provision of hot school meals to an additional 35,000 primary school children, currently receiving the cold lunch option.
As part of the wider Government Covid-19 emergency response, we introduced a simplified application for rent supplement. I was particularly pleased that we were able to establish a protocol with Tusla which ensures that victims of domestic violence are now able to access rent supplement as seamlessly and as quickly as possible.
I was equally glad to be in a position to provide additional supports to families by ensuring that the Department was in a position to pay for the additional three weeks of Parent’s Benefit when the necessary legislation was introduced earlier this year.
In fulfilment of a commitment under the Programme for Government, I was glad to be able to introduce a benefit payment for people aged between 65 and 66 years who are no longer engaged in employment or self-employment. A person in receipt of this payment is not required to be available for full-time work or to be genuinely seeking work and they are not be required to sign on the Live Register.
Again in fulfilment of a Programme for Government commitment, I established the Pensions Commission which is examining sustainability and eligibility issues in respect of State Pension arrangements and which will outline options for the Government to address issues such as qualifying age, contribution rates, total contributions and eligibility requirements.
Also in the pensions area, I was very pleased to be able to formally sign regulations to introduce the IORP II directive, a very substantial directive which supports positive reform of the Irish occupational pension sector.
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.
My Department is currently finalising a new Pathways to Work Strategy which I expect to publish in the coming weeks and which will focus on the next stage of our response to the pandemic and on supporting people to get back to work.
These are some of the key achievements which my Department, through the enormous efforts of all of its staff, was able to deliver over the past year.