Written Answers Nos. 410-429
410. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if a request to retain a person (details supplied) on a community employment scheme will be facilitated with particular reference to the fact that both employee and employer wish to maintain the status quo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33167/21]
View answerCommunity Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis.
As the Deputy is aware, my Department has supported CE schemes since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020. CE participants, whose contracts were due to end during the periods of restrictions, have had their contracts extended for the duration of those restrictions.
With the successful continuing roll-out of the vaccine programme and in accordance with the phased re-opening of the economy by Government, my priority and the priority of the Department is to get all CE schemes back up and running so that they can fully re-commence activities, providing work experience and training opportunities to long-term unemployment participants and delivering vital services to local communities.
Together with my colleague, Minister Heather Humphreys, I recently announced that funding for the current CE and Tús participants' contract will be further extended until 29/10/2021. This will bring to over 11,000 the number of CE and Tús participants benefitting from various contract extensions going back to October 2020. The conclusion of CE and Tús participant contracts after the 29/10/2021 will be undertaken on a coordinated and phased basis over a number of months.
The person concerned commenced on the North Kildare Leisure Club CE scheme on 30/04/2018 and completed his 3 years allowable on CE on 23/04/2021. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic the person concerned received an extension to 02/07/2021 which has now been further extended to at least 29/10/2021.
CE participants aged 62 years and over who meet the eligibility requirements may apply for further participation under the Service Support Stream (SSS). Participation is subject to the availability of SSS places, satisfactory performance on the CE scheme and annual approval by my Department. The person concerned will be eligible to apply for a place under the SSS option from 01/11/2021.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
411. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if a request to retain a person (details supplied) on a community employment scheme will be facilitated with particular reference to the fact that both employee and employer wish to maintain the status quo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33172/21]
View answerCommunity Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis.
As the Deputy is aware, my Department has supported CE schemes since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020. CE participants, whose contracts were due to end during the periods of restrictions, have had their contracts extended for the duration of those restrictions.
With the successful continuing roll-out of the vaccine programme and in accordance with the phased re-opening of the economy by Government, my priority and the priority of the Department is to get all CE schemes back up and running so that they can fully re-commence activities, providing work experience and training opportunities to long-term unemployment participants and delivering vital services to local communities.
Together with my Colleague, Minister Heather Humphreys, I recently announced that funding for the current CE and Tús participants' contracts will be further extended until 29/10/2021. This will bring to over 11,000 the number of CE and Tús participants benefitting from various contract extensions going back to October 2020. The conclusion of CE and Tús participant contracts after the 29/10/2021 will be undertaken on a coordinated and phased basis over a number of months.
The person concerned commenced on the North Kildare Leisure Club CE scheme on 15/10/2018 and will have completed his 3 years allowable on CE on 08/10/2021. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic the person concerned received an extension to 29/10/2021.
During his time on CE, the person concerned has received relevant work experience in the area of maintenance, caretaking and grounds work. He has completed certification in industry related courses, i.e., Workplace Safety, Fire Safety, Manual Handling, Safepass, Abrasive Wheels and Handheld Pesticide Applications. He is considered job ready. In advance of leaving the project, the CE Supervisor will also help him prepare an exit plan to assist him return to the labour market.
On finishing CE, the person concerned may be referred to my Department’s JobPath service who can work with him to ensure that the benefits of the experience and training received during his time on CE are maximised. The person concerned will receive one-to-one intensive and regular engagement with a personal adviser who can assess his skills, experience, challenges and work goals and assist him in finding full-time sustainable employment. This process can also help identify potential employment opportunities and can offer support to overcoming any barriers to employment.
The priority for my Department is to ensure that all employment and activation programmes have the best outcomes for participants. CE will continue to be made available to support those who are long-term unemployed and furthest removed from the labour market, while maintaining the role of CE as an active labour market programme.
I am fully committed to the future of this programme and will continue to support and improve the programme for the benefit of the CE participants and the valuable contribution being made to local communities through the provision of services.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
412. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will extend the free travel scheme to persons with an incurable disease; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33174/21]
View answerThe free travel scheme provides free travel on public transport services for those eligible under the scheme. There are approximately 999,000 customers with direct eligibility, with an annual allocation of €95 million provided to fund the scheme.
People who are eligible for a free travel pass are those residents in Ireland aged over 66, those in receipt of certain social welfare payments, or those who satisfy the visual impairment condition for the blind pension.
It is important to note that a person in receipt of a qualifying payment receives the pass on the basis of that primary payment and not on the basis of their underlying medical condition. While medical evidence will be required to determine eligibility for certain social welfare schemes, it does not generally, entitle a person to free travel. The one exception to this is those who are blind – who, in many cases, will have entitlement from childhood.
If the Free Travel scheme were to be extended to all people who have an incurable disease, regardless of whether they receive a qualifying payment, a medical assessment process would be required for all such applications in order to adjudicate eligibility, significantly changing the nature of the scheme. Extra funding would also be required and accordingly, any proposed change 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.
413. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Social Protection if a list of all training provider and courses funded under the technical employment support grant will be provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33206/21]
View answerThe 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. Courses up to and including QQI level 6 can be supported.
The Department has a detailed list of courses and awarding bodies approved under the Training Support Grant and I have arranged for this list to be sent directly to the Deputy.
414. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an appeal by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33212/21]
View answerI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to disallow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision.
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.
415. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review the rules to qualify for the blind pension to enable those who are in receipt of the invalidity pension to qualify for it. [33265/21]
View answerInvalidity Pension is a long-term payment for persons who are permanently incapable of work and who satisfy the social insurance contribution conditions. Invalidity Pension is not means tested. To be eligible for Invalidity Pension a person must have a total of 260 weeks contributions paid and 48 weeks contributions paid or credited in the last complete tax year.
Blind Pension is one of a number of means-tested payments provided by the Department. It is paid to blind people and certain people with low vision, aged 18 and up to the age of 66, who are habitually resident in the State. The assessment of means reflects the fact that there is an expectation that people with reasonable amounts of income or capital are in a position to use these resources to support themselves, so that social welfare expenditure can be directed towards those who need it most.
It is important to note that these two schemes are fundamentally different: one is a payment based on PRSI contributions made, while the other is a means tested payment; and it would not therefore be appropriate to provide automatic access from one to the other.
It should be noted that for those in financial difficulty, the Supplementary Welfare Allowance, including Urgent Needs Payments or Exceptional Needs Payments, are available through my department's Intreo centres. This is a means-tested payment administered by this Department’s Community Welfare Service.
I will continue to keep the range of supports available under review. Any changes will fall to be considered in an overall budgetary context.
416. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Social Protection the State agencies, organisations or boards under the responsibility of her Department or that receive funding from her Department that have been charged interest for savings on deposit in Irish banks since negative interest rates were introduced; the amount of interest that has been charged to each State agency, organisation or board; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33320/21]
View answerBelow in tabular format are the state agencies under the responsibility of my Department, together with the amount of negative interest charged since negative interest rates were introduced:
|
State Agency |
Negative Interest |
|
Citizens Information Board |
€7,473 |
|
Pensions Authority |
€55,277 |
|
Total |
€62,750 |
417. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of households with at least one child under the age of 18 that are in receipt of a social welfare payment other than child benefit in each of the years 2016 to 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form. [33363/21]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table below. Data for 2021 refers to the first quarter of the year. The data reflects the most recent household composition known to the Department. The increase observed in 2020 relates primarily to new recipients of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment.
|
Year |
Households |
|
2016 |
307,066 |
|
2017 |
309,826 |
|
2018 |
289,798 |
|
2019 |
300,442 |
|
2020 |
369,056 |
|
Q1 2020 |
295,679 |
418. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount of funding allocated to provide lunch to children attending DEIS primary schools. [33367/21]
View answer419. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of primary schools, secondary schools and the number of organisations each taking part in the school meals programme. [33368/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 418 and 419 together.
The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,506 schools and organisations benefitting 230,000 children. The objective of the programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, due to lack of good quality food, to take full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement.
A budget of €65.1 million has been provided for the scheme in 2021.
The Programme provides funding towards food services for disadvantaged school children through two schemes - the urban school meals scheme and the school meals (local projects) scheme. The Urban School Meals Scheme for primary schools is operated and administered by local authorities and is part-financed by my Department. 44,095 pupils in 301 primary schools benefit from the Urban School Meals Scheme. 188 of these schools also benefit from funding for school meals through the local projects scheme.
The school meals (local projects) scheme provides funding towards the provision of food to schools and organisations. 214,574 students in 1,396 schools and organisations benefit from the school meals (local projects) scheme.
In recent years entry to the school meals programme has been confined to DEIS schools in addition to schools identified by Department of Education and Skills as having levels of concentrated disadvantage that would benefit from access to the programme.
Prior to the introduction of DEIS in 2005, all schools and organisations that were part of one of a number of Department of Education and Skills’ initiatives for disadvantaged schools were eligible to participate in the programme, which included Breaking the Cycle, Giving Children an Even Break, the Disadvantaged Area Scheme, Home School Community Liaison and the School Completion Programme. These schools and organisations have continued to remain in the programme.
Participation in the scheme is entirely voluntary with the onus being on the individual eligible schools to make an application. Schools and organisations must reapply for funding in advance of each school year and are required to submit detailed records at the end of the school year. Funding is based on a rate of payment per meal, per child, per day.
The number of primary schools, secondary schools and the number of organisations taking part in the School Meals Programme are contained in the attached Tabular Statement.
The total amount of funding allocated to provide lunch to children attending DEIS primary schools in 2020/2021 was €21.4m.
These are the most up to date figures. Applications are still being accepted from schools/organisations that were in the scheme last year and are currently finalising their applications for the current year.
I trust that this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
Breakdown of the number of primary schools, secondary schools and organisations taking part in the School Meals Programme
|
Type |
Number |
|
Primary |
900 |
|
Secondary |
269 |
|
Organisations |
227 |
|
Grand Total |
1,396 |
420. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 922 of 15 June 2021, if eligibility for basic social welfare payment will be reviewed in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33370/21]
View answerAs outlined in Parliamentary Question No. 922 on 15 June 2021, the person concerned submitted an application for a Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) payment with effect from 11/2/2021. He received a SWA payment for the period 11/2/2021 to 26/5/2021 pending the provision of a letter from Kildare County Council confirming his address, as he stated he was residing in a property owned by the Council. The person concerned was given notice in writing that he would be paid for 12 weeks pending receipt of the letter from the Council.
The person concerned failed to produce the requested documentation. He subsequently informed officials he was living at 2 different addresses and in his car but that it was his intention to move to Rathfarnham to reside with his spouse.
The person concerned should make contact with his local Community Welfare Service in Maynooth as soon as possible so that his current needs and circumstances can be fully established. The Community Welfare Service can be contacted by phone at (01) 6106143 or by email to KildarenorthCWS@welfare.ie. If the person concerned has moved to Rathfarnham, he should contact (01) 6732000 (option 7) or email CWSNutgrove@welfare.ie.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
421. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) in County Cork has had their qualified adult allowance stopped. [33414/21]
View answerAn increase for qualified adult (IQA) is a means-tested payment, payable to a claimant whose spouse, civil partner or cohabitant is being wholly or mainly maintained by them, and where that qualified adult’s personal means from any source does not exceed a means test income limit.
Where a qualified adult has weekly means of less than €100, the maximum rate of IQA is payable. Where their weekly means are over €100 and not more than €310, a tapering reduced rate of IQA is payable. If the qualified adult has means of more than €310 per week, this exceeds the means limit and there is no entitlement to an IQA payment.
The person concerned applied for State pension contributory in September 2020 and reached pension age on 20 December 2020. The initial assessment of the IQA claim was based on the drawings or income attributed from the farm to the qualified adult, resulting in a means assessment of €115.38 per week from farm income. This gave an entitlement to a weekly IQA payment of €137.80. A decision issued in writing to the person concerned on 30 March 2021, and included a breakdown of the means assessment.
Following review of the decision, it was noted that the farm is in joint names. Accordingly, the assessment of means should have been based on half of the farm income/profit rather than the drawings of the qualified adult from the farm. This resulted in an increased means assessment of €374.22 per week from farm income, exceeding the weekly means limit of €310.
Notification issued in writing to the person concerned on 16 April 2021. This included a breakdown of the new means assessment, outlined how this would impact the IQA payment and afforded them an opportunity to respond, prior to a decision being made. A decision letter issued on 5 May 2021 advising that the allowance would be stopped from 13 May 2021.
The person concerned has the right to seek a review or to appeal this decision to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
422. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection if additional information relating to a jobseeker’s review by a person (details supplied) was received; when a decision will be made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33470/21]
View answerThe customer's application for Jobseekers Allowance is currently pending a decision. A Social Welfare Inspector of this Department wrote to the customer in April 2021 and again on 31 May 2021 by registered post, requesting outstanding information which was deemed necessary in order for a Deciding Officer to make a determination on the claim.
The outstanding requested documentation was received by the Inspector on Friday last - 18 June 2021. The Inspector has completed his report and the report has been forwarded to the Dungloe INTREO office, in order that a decision can be made on the claim.
If the customer is experiencing financial difficulty while awaiting the outcome of her claim, it is open to her to contact her local Community Welfare Service in order to seek assistance under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme. Information for schemes administered by my Department can be viewed at the Department’s website, via www.gov.ie.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
423. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of abolishing the means test for the blind pension. [33518/21]
View answerAt the end of April 2021 there were almost 155,000 persons in receipt of means tested disability payments from my Department, comprising 153,805 on Disability Allowance and 1,069 in receipt of Blind Pension.
The Blind Pension is paid, subject to a means test, to blind people and certain people with low vision, aged between 18 and 66, who are habitually resident in the State.
The means assessment reflects the fact that there is an expectation that people with reasonable amounts of income or capital are in a position to use these resources to support themselves, so that social welfare expenditure can be directed towards those who need it most.
In the means test, cash income that is assessed includes any income from employment or self-employment (and spouse/partner, if applicable), income from a social security pension from another country and maintenance payments.
Recipients are also supported to pursue employment or self-employment through earning disregards in the means test. A recipient can earn up to €140 per week from employment or self-employment without their payment being affected, while weekly earnings between €120 and €350 are assessed at a 50% rate.
Capital assessed as part of the means test includes all monies held in financial institutions or otherwise, the market value of shares, as well as houses and premises owned by a claimant which may or may not be put to commercial use. The family home is never assessed as part of the means test, regardless of who is the legal owner.
The conditions attached to payment of Disability Allowance and Blind Pension are consistent with the overall conditions that apply to social assistance payments generally. This system of social assistance supports provides payments based on an income need with the means test playing the critical role in determining whether or not an income need arises as a consequence of a particular contingency – be that illness, disability, unemployment or caring.
The continued application of the means test not only ensures that the recipient has a verifiable income need but that resources are targeted to those with greatest need.
Based on the number of persons with a sight related disability (blindness or a serious visual impairment) identified as part of Census 2016 (54,810) it is estimated that a universal (non-means tested) Blind Pension payment could cost up to €580 million in total per annum. While census figures are based on a person self-identifying as having a sight-related disability - unlike the Blind Pension which is subject to a medical assessment - it is also worth noting that the estimated cost does not include the cost of secondary benefits that would arise.
424. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full year cost of increasing the qualified child increase by €1 for children under the age of 12 and €1 for children over the age of 12 respectively. [33519/21]
View answerIncreases for a Qualified Child (IQCs) are paid as child-related supplements to most weekly social welfare payments in recognition of the need for greater incomes among benefit-dependent households with dependent children. As of May 2021, there are an estimated 337,381 children supported by an IQC.
Budget 2021 increased the rate of the IQC for a qualified child aged under 12 by €2 to €38 per week, and for a qualified child aged 12 or older by €5 to €45 per week. These increases came into effect in January.
The estimated cost of increasing the IQC by €1 per week is approximately €16.2 million for a full year. This estimate is comprised of a cost of €9.7 million in respect of children under 12 years, and €6.5 million in respect of children over 12 years.
425. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full year cost of increasing the carer’s support grant to €2,000. [33520/21]
View answerThe estimated full year cost of increasing the Carer's Support Grant from €1,850 to €2,000 is €21.5 million, based on the estimated number of recipients in 2021
This costing is subject to change in light of emerging trends and subsequent revision of the estimated number of recipients.
426. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full year cost of extending the fuel allowance for one additional week. [33521/21]
View answerThe estimated full year cost of extending the Fuel Allowance season by one week is €10.5 million.
This cost is subject to change in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients.
427. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full year cost of bringing the current young jobseeker’s rate of €112.70 per week up to the full rate of €203. [33522/21]
View answerThe estimated full year cost of increasing Jobseekers Allowance for recipients aged 18 to 24 from €112.70 per week to €203 per week is €64.8 million. This includes an increase for qualified adults and those on an age reduced rate of Supplementary Welfare Allowance.
This costing is based on the estimated number of recipients in 2021, and is subject to change in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients.
428. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full year cost of increasing the jobseeker’s transitional payment scheme age cut-off to 18 years of age. [33523/21]
View answerMy Department provides a number of options for income support to lone parents once their entitlement to the One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) ceases. These include the Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment (JST) payment where the youngest child is aged 7-13 years (inclusive) and the Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA) payment which may be paid to lone parents where the youngest child is aged 14 or over. The Working Family Payment (WFP), is also available to lone parents who are working 19 or more hours per week. Lone parents who move to WFP may also apply for the Back to Work Family Dividend (BTWFD).
To extend eligibility for the Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment as proposed would be contrary to the policy goal of the changes to the One-Parent Family Payment scheme introduced since 2015. Those changes were designed to tackle long-term social welfare dependency and its associated poverty risks.
This is done through a tapering of income supports and a more active engagement process offering enhanced educational, training and employment supports.
I am advised that the cost of increasing the age limit for a qualified child for the jobseeker's transitional payment (JST) until the youngest child reaches 18 is not easily estimated as there are significant barriers to undertaking such an exercise. For example, customers may no longer be within the welfare system, while others could seek to move from alternative payments such as Jobseekers Allowance (JA), the Working Family Payment (WFP) and the Back to Work Family Dividend (BTWFD) back to JST. It would be difficult for my Department to estimate the magnitude of this flow into and between schemes with any degree of accuracy.
As these unknown factors are critical to providing a reliable estimate, the Department is not in a position to provide a full-year cost as requested by the Deputy.
429. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost of providing rent supplement to survivors of domestic violence in 2020. [33524/21]
View answerLead responsibility for the development and provision of services to support victims of domestic violence rests with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.
In August 2020, I agreed a protocol with Tusla on a pilot basis involving a referral process through Safe Ireland and other service providers resulting in changes to the rent supplement scheme to make it more easily accessible to victims of domestic violence on a pilot basis. This seeks to ensure that victims of domestic violence are not prevented from leaving their home because of financial or accommodation difficulties. The protocol was introduced in the context of the current pandemic and I have provided that the protocol will remain in place until the end of this year at which time it will be reviewed.
Under the protocol, after six months of support, it is expected that the customer will, if eligible, be able to migrate to HAP or other social housing supports supported by their local authority. The arrangements in this protocol are additional and complementary to, and not a substitution for, the range of other supports already in place for victims of domestic violence.
A total of 46 victims of domestic violence availed of support under this protocol in 2020, the cost of which was approximately €73,000.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
