Written Answers Nos. 390-409
391. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Education if she will intervene to ensure that a person (details supplied) will be contacted to receive permission for an Oireachtas Committee to engage with her Department with regard to their case. [33431/21]
View answerWhile the name provided by the Deputy appears to be incorrect, I can confirm that, based on the additional details provided, my Department has been in contact with the individual concerned, and has received their permission to engage with the relevant Oireachtas Committee in relation to their case.
392. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Education if she has received a technical report from a school (details supplied) regarding additional costs involved in a summer works scheme; and if her Department will make the necessary additional funding available to cover the increased unforeseen costs. [33442/21]
View answerI would like to inform the Deputy that the school in question have been approved funding under the Summer Works Scheme 2021 for roof works.
The Department received communication from the School Authority on the 11th June in relation to an asbestos report, this was reviewed by a member of our technical team and the school were advised as to what steps should be taken to remove the asbestos.
The school authority also raised the issue of a possible increase in costs associated with this project and have been requested to submit an itemised breakdown of costs.
393. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Education when she expects the National Council for Special Education to complete and submit its policy advice on education provision in special classes and special schools first commissioned in September 2018. [33443/21]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware of my belief that children with special educational needs should receive their education in placements which are appropriate to their needs alongside their peers wherever possible unless such an approach would be inconsistent with the best interests of the individual child or other children in the school.
This inclusive approach is consistent with the provisions of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act 2004.
Only where it has been assessed that the child is unable to be supported in mainstream education, are special class placements or special school placements recommended and provided for.
Most children with special educational needs receive their education in mainstream classes, many with additional teaching and care supports.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children nationwide. It has well established structures in place for engaging with schools and parents. The NCSE seeks to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all children who have been identified as needing special education placements.
The NCSE was requested to develop Policy Advice on Education Provision in Special Classes and Special Schools to examine whether placement in specialist settings brings about improved educational outcomes and experiences, relative to their ability, for students with special educational needs.
This Policy Advice is expected to be completed in the coming weeks.
394. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Education if she will permit a proposed new primary school (details supplied) to enrol senior infants from September 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33444/21]
View answerIn order to plan for school provision and analyse the relevant demographic data, my Department divides the country into 314 school planning areas and uses a Geographical Information System, utilising data from a range of sources including information on planned and current residential development, to identify where the pressure for school places across the country will arise. Donaghmede_Howth_D13 is one of the school planning areas. Major new residential developments in a school planning area have the potential to alter demand in that area. In that regard, as part of the demographic exercises, my Department engages with each local authority to obtain the up-to-date data on significant new residential development in each area.
Where data indicates that additional provision is required at primary or post primary level, the delivery of such additional provision is dependent on the particular circumstances of each case and may be provided through either one, or a combination of, the following:
- Utilising existing unused capacity within a school or schools,
- Extending the capacity of a school or schools,
- Provision of a new school or schools.
Since 2018, 47 new schools to cater for demographic demand have been announced to be established over the period 2019-2022 and included in that number are two new primary schools in Donaghmede_Howth_D13. Stapolin Educate Together NS opened in September 2019 and Gaelscoil Ghrainne Mhaol will be established in September 2021.
New schools are established by my Department on the basis of identified demographic demand in an area, and, as outlined above, only after consideration of the capacity of existing schools to absorb the expected school place demand. Furthermore, such new schools are required to build their enrolments incrementally, with an intake of Junior Infants or First Years each year. This is designed to allow the new school’s enrolment capacity to increase in tandem with emerging demographic demand and in order to mitigate any impact on the enrolments at other schools in the area.
On this basis, Gaelscoil Ghrainne Mhaol will be established with a Junior Infant intake only in 2021.
395. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Education the details of the way a school that is not on the school building programme can access and commence planning work on accessing the school building programme; if the existing school building programme is a chronological one, for example, the way in which a school can access the school building programme if it is in a very bad state of repair and is not at present on the school building programme; the details of the way this works; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33452/21]
View answerUnder the National Development Plan (NDP), increased funding has been provided for the school sector capital investment programme. This funding allows for a continued focus on the provision of new permanent school places to keep pace with demographic demand. The main focus of resources over the last decade and for the coming period is on provision of additional capacity to cater for increasing demographics. The second half of the NDP (from 2023 onwards) will see an increasing focus on the upgrade and refurbishment of the existing school stock.
Under the Ireland Project 2040, we will invest €8.4 billion (compared to €4.9 billion in the previous decade) in primary and post primary school buildings.
In the interim, should a school authority consider that it does not have sufficient capacity, in terms of mainstream teaching accommodation, it is open to them to apply for accommodation under the Additional School Accommodation Scheme, details of which are available on my Department's website www.education.ie. The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential classroom accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year and where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation.
As the Deputy will be aware, a devolved Minor Works Grant is also payable to schools. This grant provides good flexibility at local school level to make improvements to the physical infrastructure of school buildings and it is open to schools to prioritise the works they wish to undertake within the terms of the scheme.
396. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 137 of 16 June 2021, the efforts that will be made to ensure that no child will be left without school transport for the new school term in September 2021 considering the review into the school transport system is not due to completed until later in 2021; the efforts that can be made to speed up the review considering it is almost two years since the review was first announced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33506/21]
View answerSchool Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 114,100 children, including over 14,700 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country at a cost of over €224.7m in 2020.
The purpose of my Department's School Transport Scheme is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children who reside remote from their nearest school.
In October 2019, my predecessor announced a review of the school transport scheme with a view to taking a fresh look at the service and its broader effectiveness and sustainability. The review is being conducted to ensure that the school transport is fit for purpose and that it serves students and their families adequately.
It is planned that the Steering Group will report to me on an interim basis as the review progresses, with a view to presenting a final report later this year with recommendations on the future operation of the Department’s School Transport Scheme.
The Steering Group will report to me initially on preliminary findings regarding eligibility, before moving to consider and report on broader issues such as the objectives of the scheme and the alignment of the scheme with other initiatives and wider Government policy. The Steering Group has recently reported to me with this preliminary interim report which is under consideration.
397. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Social Protection if the case of a person (details supplied) will be addressed and the reason for refusing a domiciliary care allocation for them re-examined considering their complex needs. [32990/21]
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 on 1 February 2021.
Under social welfare legislation the decision of an Appeals Officer is generally final and conclusive. However, it may be reviewed by an Appeals Officer under section 317 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 in the light of new evidence or new facts that were not before the Appeals Officer when the decision was made.
I am advised that the Appeals Officer has agreed to review their decision, if the person concerned submits additional evidence to support their case.
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.
398. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason the free travel pass cannot be used on services provided by a company (details supplied); if her Department will consider applying its usage to the company; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33356/21]
View answerAt end May, over 998,800 customers are eligible for free travel, at an annual cost of €95 million. Under the free travel scheme, travel is permitted for eligible customers free of charge on most CIE public transport services, Luas and a range of services offered by some 80 private operators countrywide, who participate in the scheme.
The company concerned already participates in the Free Travel scheme, for a route other than the one referenced by the Deputy. The transport provider concerned has been in contact with my Department in relation to the additional route.
Due to the continuing, though reducing, impact of Covid-19 measures and restrictions on transport service provision, the uncertainty around numbers travelling and the lack of reliable survey data, it is a difficult time to enter new routes to the scheme. Progress in the sector is kept under review and as these variables stabilise and services return to more normal levels, additional routes can be considered for inclusion in the scheme.
I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
399. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications made for PPS numbers in 2020 and to date in 2021; the number of applications processed in that time; the number of applications yet to be processed; the current average waiting time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32900/21]
View answerI can confirm that my Department approved 77,070 Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) applications in 2020 and 35,337 PPSN applications so far in 2021.
The SAFE registration process, which involves the authentication of a person's identity in a face-to-face interview, is the normal method of processing an application for a PPSN.
At the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, my Department temporarily suspended the SAFE registration process and the online appointment system used to manage those registrations. This decision was taken in order to comply with HSE and World Health Organisation guidelines and help protect the health and well-being of our customers and staff.
Applications for PPSN were accepted through email and post from March 2020 to December 2020. In December 2020 an online PPSN application service was introduced on MyWelfare.ie, which replaced email and postal service.
My Department is currently processing 2,991 PPSN applications received through the MyWelfare.ie service. As SAFE registrations have resumed in all offices, many of these applicants will be required to SAFE register before they are issued their PPSN.
My Department is also examining emails received from 3,608 persons in respect of PPSN applications for individuals residing outside of Ireland for reasons such as probate, tax and the purchase of property. As many of these may be duplicate applications, it is not possible at this stage to state with certainty how many of this type of application are currently awaiting a decision.
Data in respect of average waiting times is not available as it is often the case that an application may involve correspondence between the Department and the applicant, for example, where insufficient information or documentation has been submitted in support of the application.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
400. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if the circumstances in relation to a non-contributory pension application by a person (details supplied) will be examined; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32919/21]
View answerA recipient of a State Pension payment can claim an increase in their pension in respect of a Qualified Adult. A Qualified Adult is the spouse, civil partner or cohabitant of the pensioner who is being wholly or mainly maintained by that pensioner.
For the State Pension (non-contributory), both members of a couple are subject to a means test to determine whether any pension, including an increase for a qualified adult, is payable.
For the State Pension (Contributory) (SPC), only the spouse or partner of the claimant is subject to a means test, as in the case of the claimant to which the question refers. An increase is payable at the maximum rate of payment where the means of the spouse or partner are €100 a week or less. Reduced rates are payable where the means are over €100, up to €310 per week. No increase is payable where the means of the spouse/partner are in excess of €310 per week.
The means assessed are those of the spouse or partner only, and include:
- Income from employment and self-employment;
- Income from non-social welfare pensions; and
- The capital value of property other than the family home, as well as savings.
Where property or assets are held jointly, the spouse or partner's means is taken to be half of the total amount.
When calculating the weekly means, the assessment formula used for capital is: the first €20,000 of capital is fully disregarded; the next €10,000 assessed at €1 per thousand, the next €10,000 is assessed at €2 per thousand, with the remainder assessed at €4 per thousand.
Where there are no other means, a spouse or partner can have capital of up to €57,999.99 without affecting entitlement to an increase for a Qualified Adult, payable at the maximum weekly rate. Tapered reduced rates of Qualified Adult increase can continue to be payable where the spouse or partner has capital of up to €110,999.99.
It should be noted that the value of the family home, regardless of who is the legal owner, is never taken into account in this assessment.
If circumstances change, another application can be made by this SPC recipient, for an increase for their spouse.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
401. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of the case of a person (details supplied) seeking access to transitional jobseeker's allowance to facilitate their caring responsibilities. [33001/21]
View answerJobseeker's Transitional payment is a special arrangement under the Jobseeker's Allowance scheme which aims to support lone parents into the workforce. To qualify for a Jobseeker’s Transitional payment a person must be the parent, step-parent, adoptive parent or legal guardian of a child who is aged between 7 and 13 years inclusive.
As the person concerned is a foster parent she does not meet the qualifying conditions for the One Parent Family payment or Jobseeker’s Transitional payment as she is not the child’s legal guardian. I can confirm that the person concerned is receiving Child Benefit in respect of two qualified children. Tusla also provides supports and allowances to foster carers.
Departmental records also reflect that the person concerned is currently in receipt of a Jobseeker’s Allowance payment inclusive of an increase in respect of 2 qualified children. A review of the person’s means was recently undertaken and there was no change found to her entitlement at that time.
Should the person concerned have any enquiries about her current circumstances or entitlements, it is open to her to contact Clondalkin Intreo Centre by phone at 01 4030000, 01 4667200 or by email at SWLOClondalkin@welfare.ie.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
402. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of public services cards issued during January to May 2021; if extra staffing arrangements will be put in place to deal with any backlog that arises as a result of Covid-19; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33025/21]
View answerAll Public Services Card (PSC) appointments were suspended from the beginning of this year because of the Level 5 restrictions. However, appointments were made available for urgent cases in circumstances where the customer had no alternative means of accessing public services other than by acquiring a PSC, and a total of 19,891 such appointments were carried out between 1st January 2021 and 14th May 2021.
The Department has resumed appointments for all customers from Monday 17th May and any person who requires a PSC should contact their local Intreo Centre.
A total of 120,681 PSCs were issued between 1st January 2021 and 31st May 2021, of which
- 19,891 were issued following an appointment between 1st January and 14th May, inclusive,
- 8,891 were issued following an appointment between 17th May and 31st May, inclusive, and
- 91,899 were renewal or replacement Cards issued between 1st January and 31st May.
Additional staff are being assigned to increase the capacity in our offices in respect of such appointments, and that capacity will be increased over the coming weeks.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
403. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of extending the free travel pass scheme for persons with epilepsy; if she will consider the matter as part of Budget 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33026/21]
View answerThe 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 approximately 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.
It is not possible for my Department to provide an estimate of the cost of extending the free travel scheme to persons who are diagnosed with epilepsy. Information on the number of such persons is not held by my Department. The additional cost to the scheme would also depend on factors including the type of travel pass issued (e.g., single or companion pass), the number of journeys made using the free travel pass, the prevailing fares, and the type of journeys undertaken, i.e., rail, bus or Luas.
Furthermore, extending the free travel scheme to people with epilepsy cannot be considered in isolation. It would immediately result in calls for all people who are diagnosed with a disability 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 with a 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.
I will carefully consider all submissions in relation to proposals for the forthcoming Budget. The Government has not made any decisions in relation to measures to be introduced in Budget 2022. The Government will finalise its consideration of the Budget in the coming months having regard to all of its commitments. The outcome of this process will be announced on Budget Day.
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.
404. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans for current job clubs in counties Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33058/21]
View answerThe current contracts for all contracted employment services, including the Job Clubs in Leitrim and Donegal, expire at the end of 2021. There is no Job Club in Sligo.
The 2018 Indecon Review of Job Clubs recommended that the Department consider integrating LES and Job Clubs into one service thereby reducing administrative duplication and supporting a more effective and efficient overall employment support service.
On this basis, the current ongoing procurement of Regional Employment Services across seven counties, including Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal, will see the new employment service provide a range of employment services including services similar to those currently provided by Local Employment Services and Job Clubs.
It is expected that organisations such as the Job Club providers in Leitrim and Donegal with strong experience in the delivery of similar services at a community and local level will be in a strong position to work collaboratively with similar organisations to engage with the current procurement process.
405. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if the three month time limit to submit applications for child benefit for newborns has been relaxed given the backlog due to Covid-19 and the HSE cyber-attack which is causing delays with registering newborns; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33071/21]
View answerRegulations governing the Child Benefit scheme provide that claims should be made within 12 months of person becoming a qualified person (generally, the date of the child's birth) and there are provisions in place to allow late claims to be backdated where there is good cause.
The requirement to register a birth within three months is a general requirement of birth registrations under the Civil Registration Act 2004 as amended, rather than a condition of eligibility for Child Benefit.
In order to assist new parents, if a child is born in Ireland and the parent is not already claiming Child Benefit for any other children, a claim form is automatically sent to the parent when the birth is registered. If the parent is already in receipt of Child Benefit, the new-born child is added to the Child Benefit claim when the birth is registered. The payment begins automatically from the month after the birth. Where a birth is not registered within the required time (that is, 3 months) the parents must complete a Child Benefit form (CB1) and submit it to my Department.
I understand that the cyber security attack which targeted HSE systems recently has caused difficulties in the General Register Office which have in turn resulted in delays in the registration of births. Where this has caused any knock-on delays with Child Benefit applications, such claims will be prioritised as soon as they are received and payments will be backdated to the beginning of the parent's eligibility. Regulations provide that where Child Benefit is awarded, payment commences from the 1st day of the month following that in which the claimant became a qualified person.
It is important to note that even where a birth has not been registered within three months, Child Benefit payments will be backdated to the beginning of the eligibility period. So, parents will not lose out on any Child Benefit payments as a result of the cyber attack on the HSE systems.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
406. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons who have received ophthalmic benefits in 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form. [33095/21]
View answerThe number of claims for optical benefit in the period requested are detailed below:
|
Year |
Number of claims |
|
2019 |
452,311 |
|
2020 |
406,648 |
|
2021 to end May |
255,944 |
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
407. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Social Protection when the work placement programme announced as part of the July jobs stimulus and again as part of the national economic recovery plan is due to commence; the level of pay for participants during the work placement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33110/21]
View answerThe July Jobs Stimulus set out the Government investment plan of €200m investment towards training, education, skill development, work placement schemes, recruitment subsidies and job search and assistance measures; these measures aim to help those who have lost their jobs find a new one, retrain or develop new skills, in particular for emerging growth sectors.
Included in this is provision for a funded work placement scheme to provide work experience for 10,000 jobseekers over two years, where the jobseeker (aged 18 - 65 years) has been unemployed for more than six months. Time spent on the pandemic unemployment payment (PUP) will contribute towards eligibility. The programme will be open to all those who are job seeking with the particular aim of assisting those who have been affected by Covid-19 to pivot into new employment in new sectors through additional learning with new and relevant work experience. This work experience opportunity will provide important and valuable work and development opportunities to persons whose previous jobs are permanently lost due to Covid-19, as well as to those who were unemployed prior to the pandemic. The programme will support innovative learning and development opportunities for participants.
Under the July Jobs Stimulus, provision was made for €135m to fund the programme. These costs include a weekly uplift to the usual welfare payments for participants. This programme is included as one of the measures under the Economic Recovery Plan, with some measures to be partially funded under an application to the Resilience and Recovery Facility to the EU.
Roll out of the programme was delayed because of the pandemic with restricted social mobility and the necessary closure of some business operations. I'm pleased to advise, however, that I will be bringing details of the programme, including the levels of payment, to Government shortly for consideration and approval with a view to launching the programme shortly thereafter.
408. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of jobseeker's payment reviews carried out each month since September 2020 to date in 2021; the results of the reviews; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33128/21]
View answerIn order to protect the integrity of the social welfare system and to ensure that the right person is paid the right amount of money at the right time, all of my Department’s schemes, including Jobseeker's payments, are subject to on-going control reviews and eligibility checks.
Details of jobseeker payment control reviews undertaken in the period requested are as follows:
|
Month |
Number of Reviews |
Savings Recorded € |
|
Sep-20 |
5,148 |
5.05m |
|
Oct-20 |
6,079 |
5.927m |
|
Nov-20 |
6,246 |
6.292m |
|
Dec-20 |
4,145 |
4.205m |
|
Jan-21 |
4,846 |
5.347m |
|
Feb-21 |
5,941 |
6.573m |
|
Mar-21 |
6,320 |
6.296m |
|
Apr-21 |
5,803 |
5.745m |
|
May-21 |
4,646 |
6.554m |
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
409. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing the disability allowance of €203 per week by €10 per week to €213; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33129/21]
View answerThe estimated full year cost of increasing Disability Allowance by €10, from €203 to €213, is €85.5 million, including a proportionate increase for Qualified Adults.
The cost shown above is based on the estimated number of recipients in 2021. It should be noted that costings are subject to change in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients.
