Tuesday, 27 Jul 2021

Written Answers Nos. 1174-1193

Social Welfare Payments

Questions (1174)

Richard Boyd Barrett

Question:

1174. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost to increase child benefit in respect of children over 12 years of age by €30. [41246/21]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

Child Benefit is a monthly payment made to families with children in respect of all qualified children up to the age of 16 years. The payment continues to be paid in respect of children until their 18th birthday who are in full-time education, or who have a disability. Child benefit is currently paid to over 633,000 families in respect of over 1.2 million children with an estimated expenditure of more than €2 billion in 2019.

The cost of increasing child benefit for children aged over 12 as proposed by the Deputy is estimated to be €10.2 million per month or €123.2 million per year.

Any proposal for changes to the rate of payment for child benefit would have to be considered in the overall budgetary context.

Social Welfare Payments

Questions (1175)

Richard Boyd Barrett

Question:

1175. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of reversing cuts to the back to education allowance. [41247/21]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

The Back to Education Allowance Scheme (BTEA) is designed to support second chance education. It enables eligible persons to pursue education and to continue to receive their weekly income support for the duration of a course of study. The main focus of the BTEA is to assist qualifying applicants to improve their educational qualifications and improve their prospects of gaining employment.

There has been are approximately 6,400 students supported through the BTEA for the 2020/2021 academic year. Government has provided €96.5 million for BTEA in 2021. This represents a considerable investment in supporting all unemployed individuals.

The BTEA is not intended to provide funding for student fees. The Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) Grant, payable by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, represents the primary support for people pursuing third level education and its administration is a matter for that Department

The appropriate rate of payment for all social welfare schemes, including the BTEA scheme, is considered by Government in the context of the Budget and the availability of resources. The weekly rate of payment is linked to the persons' underlying payment, for example jobseeker's allowance, and all budget increases in these rates are applied to Back to Education Allowance recipients. Any rate changes would have to be considered in a budgetary context and within the scope of the overall resources available for welfare improvements.

This Government has not introduced any cuts to the BTEA scheme. In fact, under the July Job Stimulus, the scheme was expanded to allow recipients of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment to become eligible. Furthermore, under the recently-announced Pathways to Work Strategy 2021-2025, the number of available places under the scheme has been increased to 7,700.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Social Welfare Payments

Questions (1176)

Richard Boyd Barrett

Question:

1176. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost to increase social welfare payments to 2009 levels. [41248/21]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

The estimated full year cost of increasing standard weekly social welfare payments (excluding temporary payments such as the Pandemic Unemployment Payment) to 2009 levels is €157.7 million.

This costing is based on the estimated average number of recipients in 2021 and is subject to change in light of emerging trends and subsequent revision of the estimated number of recipients.

Social Welfare Payments

Questions (1177)

Richard Boyd Barrett

Question:

1177. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full year cost of measures (details supplied). [41249/21]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

1. The estimated cost of increasing the Fuel Allowance by two weeks, from 28 to 30 weeks is €21 million in a full year.

2. As the current weekly rates of payment are in excess of 2008 levels, no additional costs would arise.

3. No decision has been made in relation to paying the Christmas Bonus in 2021 and costings are not available at this time. Any costing would be dependent on the eligibility criteria and the anticipated number of recipients on the relevant schemes on the date that the Bonus is paid.

In 2020, a 100% Christmas Bonus was paid and the eligibility criteria was extended, on an exceptional one-off basis, to include all PUP recipients and equivalent recipients of jobseekers payments, who had been in receipt of those payments for four months or more. The cost in 2020 was €388 million and based on this, a 110% Bonus would cost €427 million.

4. The cost of increasing the Working Family Payment multiplier from 60% to 75% is estimated to be in the region of €83.6 million in a full year.

5. Child benefit is a monthly payment made to families with children in respect of all qualified children up to the age of 16 years. The payment continues to be paid in respect of children until their 18th birthday when they are in full-time education, or if they have a disability. Last year, it was estimated that the full year cost of extending the child benefit payment to 18 year olds in secondary level education would be an €58.3 million. An updated costing is not currently available.

6. The Department is not in a position to provide the cost of increasing the age of the youngest child to 18 years for receipt of One Parent Family Payment (OPF), without extensive analysis of the lone parent population which could potentially benefit from this provision. Firstly, this change could result in a cohort of lone parents that are currently not in receipt of a social welfare payment becoming eligible for a payment. Secondly, some customers could seek to move from alternative payments such as Jobseekers Allowance (JA), the Jobseeker’s Transitional Payment (JST) and the Back to Work Family Dividend (BTWFD) back to the OFP. Again, it would be difficult to estimate the magnitude of this flow between schemes. Finally, such a change to the scheme would also increase the incidence of dual payments of OFP and the Working Family Payment (formerly FIS). It is not possible to predict the impact on payments as a result of the interaction between both schemes without having detailed knowledge of individuals’ working patterns and the degree to which these might change.

7. Based on 2020 recipient numbers, the annual cost of increasing the Back to School Clothing and Footwear rates by €50 per child, from €150 to €200 in respect of children aged 4 to 11 and from €275 to €325 for children aged 12 years and over in second level education, is estimated to be €13.2 million.

8. Based on current payment rates, increasing the number of weeks for which maternity benefit is payable from 26 weeks to 52 weeks would cost approximately €257 million in a full year. It should also be noted that there would be additional costs to the Exchequer as this estimate does not include the costs for substitution or salary top-ups in the civil or public sectors (which is a matter for the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform).

9. The 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 average 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.

Social Welfare Payments

Questions (1178)

Richard Boyd Barrett

Question:

1178. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full year cost of restoring the respite grant to its highest historical level. [41250/21]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

The Carer’s Support Grant (formerly called the Respite Care Grant) is an annual payment for carers who look after people in need of full-time care and attention.

The grant is paid in a single annual lump sum, usually on the first Thursday in June. The grant is not means-tested and is not taxable. It is paid in respect of each care recipient.

The Carer's Support Grant is currently paid at a rate of €1,850 per year, which is the highest rate at which it has been paid since it was first introduced in 1999.

Question No. 1179 answered with Question No. 1164.

Question No. 1180 answered with Question No. 1164.

Social Welfare Payments

Questions (1181)

Richard Boyd Barrett

Question:

1181. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full year cost of increasing all social welfare payments to €300 per week; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41253/21]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

The estimated full year cost of increasing all social welfare payments to €300 per week, with a proportionate increase for qualified adults, is €5.9 billion. This cost refers to increasing the standard weekly social welfare rates of payment and does not include increases, where applicable, for temporary payments such as the Pandemic Unemployment Payment.

This costing is based on the estimated number of recipients in 2021 and is subject to change in light of emerging trends, and subsequent revision, of the estimated number of recipients.

Social Welfare Payments

Questions (1182)

Richard Boyd Barrett

Question:

1182. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full year cost of granting a €1,000 bonus to all recipients of the carer's allowance. [41254/21]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

The estimated full year cost of granting a €1,000 bonus to all recipients of Carer's Allowance is €91.6 million.

This costing is based on the estimated average number of recipients in 2021 and is subject to change in light of emerging trends and subsequent revision of the estimated number of recipients.

Living Wage

Questions (1183)

Richard Boyd Barrett

Question:

1183. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full year cost of moving all social welfare claimants including pensioners to a living wage. [41255/21]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

The Minimum Essential Standard of Living (MESL) is an assessment, developed by the Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice, of the minimum income needed to live and partake in the social and economic norms of everyday life for various household types. My Department has partly funded the excellent, detailed work of the Vincentian Partnership for a number of years, and I find it extremely useful. One of the benefits of the work of the Vincentians is that it produces data on various household types, including the different costs that arise for households in rural and urban locations. In that way, it complements data produced from other analyses such as the Survey on Income and Living Conditions produced by the Central Statistics Office.The work of the Vincentians also highlights issues that may be addressed with improvements in services. In this regard, improved services, such as the extension of GP visit cards for children and the affordable childcare scheme can result in significant reductions in the minimum income standards needed by households.

Bringing weekly working age social welfare rates in line with the MESL would entail increasing the maximum personal rate to €252 and the Qualified Child Increase to €48.40 for children under 12 and €95.10 for children aged 12 and over. There would be no proportionate increase in the current rate for Qualified Adults in order to meet the MESL.

Bringing pension rates in line with the MESL would require an increase of up to €57.70 for pensioners living alone in rural areas. There would be no increase to the rate of payment for pensioner couples, or pensioners living alone in urban areas. While it is not possible at this time to provide an estimate for those living in rural areas only, the estimated cost of an increase for all pensioners in receipt of the Living Alone Allowance is included in the figure below.

The estimated cost of bringing working age and pension welfare payments up to the Minimum Essential Standard of Living (MESL), as outlined above, is €2.9 billion . This costing is subject to change in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients.

The examination of the living wage, referred to by the Deputy and which will impact workers as opposed to social welfare recipients, is being undertaken by the Low Pay Commission.

The Commission's work, which is ongoing, will examine the design of a living wage in an Irish context, taking account of the policy, social and economic implications of a move to a living wage.

Social Welfare Payments

Questions (1184)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

1184. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason school secretaries are awaiting payment three-weeks after the closure of primary schools; the reason for the delay; and if she will ensure school secretaries that they will receive their full and due payment during the weeks that schools are closed for summer holidays in 2021. [41324/21]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

In general, there is no delay in processing jobseeker benefit claims if the relevant claim application forms and supporting documentation are completed by the customer, in a timely manner.

Seasonal workers including school secretaries should apply for jobseeker’s benefit as soon as they become unemployed.

Educational sector workers, who are employed on a temporary basis and who have previously been in contact with the Department, are issued with a repeat jobseeker’s application form and holiday form in advance of the school holiday periods. This advance process facilitates an efficient service to these customers and allows for speedy processing of their claim when the period of unemployment actually arises. However, it is important to note that educational sector workers are still required to sign on for each period of unemployment and satisfy all the qualifying conditions for jobseeker’s benefit.

I want to assure the Deputy that prompt processing of all claims remains a priority for my Department. Scheme areas are monitored on an on-going basis and processing procedures are reviewed to ensure that claims are paid to customers as quickly as possible.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Social Welfare Eligibility

Questions (1185, 1186)

Gary Gannon

Question:

1185. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection if persons under the age of 25 years living in homeless accommodation will be awarded the full independent jobseeker’s allowance rate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41395/21]

Gary Gannon

Question:

1186. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to persons under the age of 25 years in homeless accommodation (details supplied) not being awarded the full independent jobseeker’s allowance despite paying their own service charges, meals, shopping, laundry and so on; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41396/21]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1185 and 1186 together.

Reduced rates for young Jobseekers allowance recipients, currently paid at €112.70 per week, were introduced on a phased basis from 2009 to tackle high youth unemployment and avoid long term welfare dependency.

If a young jobseeker, on a reduced payment participates on an education or training programme, they receive the maximum personal weekly rate for Jobseeker’s Allowance of €203. Where a young jobseeker participates on the new Work Placement Experience Programme their weekly rate of payment will increase to €306. This new programme will provide jobseekers who have been unemployed for more than six months with quality work experience to increase their prospects of returning to employment.

Reduced rates do not apply to Jobseekers under 25 years of age who have qualified children or those who were in care of the HSE immediately before they turned 18.

A person aged between 18 and 24 is also entitled to an exemption from the reduced rates if they are living independently of the family home and are in receipt of state housing supports. They must be in receipt of either rent supplement, housing assistance payment (HAP), Rent Accommodation Scheme (RAS), local authority housing or living permanently in accommodation provided by a local authority approved housing body to qualify for an exemption from the reduced rates.

My Department engages in inter-agency responses to homelessness through its engagement with Tusla, the HSE and non-Government organisations to provide the necessary support to all vulnerable people including young people who are experiencing homelessness or are in insecure situations.

The appropriate response given the complexity of the issues that may be involved in the circumstances outlined by the Deputy is that these cases are dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Young people in these circumstances should contact the Community Welfare Service in the local intreo centre where they can access support under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme which may include supplements – depending on the specific circumstances involved.

I trust that this clarifies the position for the Deputy at this time.

Question No. 1186 answered with Question No. 1185.

Question No. 1187 answered with Question No. 1094.

Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment

Questions (1188)

Seán Sherlock

Question:

1188. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to technical glitches occurring for recipients of the pandemic unemployment payment who were asked to fill out forms to confirm eligibility and remain on the payment by 20 July 2021. [41426/21]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

My Department recently made contact with recipients of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) and requested that they confirm their continued eligibility to receive the payment. An extensive publicity campaign has also been undertaken to highlight the requirement to confirm continuing eligibility. This is in line with the standard practice applying to all jobseeker payments. Recipients were asked to confirm eligibility no later than Tuesday, 20 July. Failure to do so may affect their entitlement to continue to receive a payment. While that deadline has now passed, the Department will still accept declarations up to Tuesday, 27 July.

Recipients were asked to use the online portal www.MyWelfare.ie and follow the instructions under the heading ‘confirm your eligibility for Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment’. This is the simplest and easiest way to do so. Any person who experienced difficulty in doing this could contact the Department's income support helpline at 1890 800 024 (Monday to Friday from 9.00am to 5.00pm.). For those who were unable to complete the declaration online, a paper form was available.

Over 160,000 or 98% of those who have confirmed their eligibility to date have done so online. This is in line with the experience in relation to applications for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment where the overwhelming majority of applications were successfully made online. The functioning of the online service is continuously monitored by my Department, ensuring its availability for use by customers.

I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy

Prison Service

Questions (1189)

Richard Boyd Barrett

Question:

1189. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated average cost of keeping one young person in remand in a youth justice remand facility for one year. [41256/21]

Written answers

Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

All young people under the age of 18 detained on remand or sentenced to a period of detention by the Courts are detained in Oberstown Children Detention Campus. The operational costs for the ongoing running of Oberstown (excluding pension and capital costs) in 2020 was €21.18 million.

The Certificate applicable in 2020 and issued by the Minister under Sections 195 and 196 of the Children Act 2001, requires Oberstown to provide a total of 54 remand and detention places (6 girls and 48 boys). In 2020, 122 individual young people were remanded or sentenced to detention in Oberstown. 

As occupancy rates vary on a daily basis, it is not possible to accurately estimate the cost of detaining one young person on remand for one year. 

Childcare Services

Questions (1190)

Kathleen Funchion

Question:

1190. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the percentage increase and or decrease in NCS registrations from September 2020 to June 2021. [39087/21]

Written answers

Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

The National Childcare Scheme represents the first ever statutory entitlement to early learning and childcare in Ireland, and has streamlined the multiple targeted support schemes previously available.

In replacing the legacy schemes, the NCS entails a fundamental shift away from subsidies grounded in medical card and social protection entitlements, and towards a comprehensive and progressive system of universal and income-based subsidies. 

Since the NCS was introduced in November 2019, over 58,000 children have benefitted from NCS subsidies.

In the final week of September 2020, there were 30,591 children in receipt of NCS subsidies. By the final week of June 2021, there were 39,376 children in receipt of NCS subsidies. This represents a 29% increase (8,785 children).

Departmental Reports

Questions (1191, 1192)

Violet-Anne Wynne

Question:

1191. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if a progress report will be provided on the Irish Refugee Resettlement Programme commitments namely, resettling 2,900 refugees between 2020 and 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39173/21]

Violet-Anne Wynne

Question:

1192. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of refugees that were successfully resettled according to the 2020 target of 650 and the 2021 target of 700. [39174/21]

Written answers

Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1191 and 1192 together.

I wish to confirm to the Deputy that, in 2020 and to date in 2021, a total of 259 programme refugees  have been resettled to Ireland.

Due to Covid-19, the number of refugees resettled globally in 2020 was the lowest in two decades. An Irish selection mission in Lebanon in March was interrupted due to the pandemic, and there were no further missions last year. Consequently, there was a shortfall in the number of refugees interviewed, security screened and resettled last year.

I'm pleased to report that the first 2021 Irish selection and security screening mission for refugees took place in Athens last month. My officials in the Irish Refugee Protection Programme are currently planning a mission in Lebanon and Jordan later this year, subject to health and security considerations. It is intended to interview over 300 persons on each of those missions.

At this point, my Department continues to seek to fulfil the Government pledge to resettle 2,900 refugees between 2020 and 2023.   

 

Question No. 1192 answered with Question No. 1191.

Departmental Data

Questions (1193, 1194)

Violet-Anne Wynne

Question:

1193. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the status of the operation on community sponsorship Ireland stream for resettling refugees as established in 2018; and the breakdown of refugees who have been resettled under this initiative by county in each of the years 2019, 2020 and to date in 2020, in tabular form. [39175/21]

Violet-Anne Wynne

Question:

1194. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if there is a plan to expand or incentivise the community sponsorship Ireland model taking into consideration the success of its counterpart in Canada; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39176/21]

Written answers

Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1193 and 1194 together.

I wish to confirm the following to the Deputy in relation to the operation of Community Sponsorship Ireland since its establishment:

The Irish State launched a pilot Community Sponsorship Ireland model in December 2018 as an alternative way to resettle refugees in Ireland. Following this successful pilot, the Irish Government launched the initiative nationally as a mainstream project in 2019.

- To date, 55 individuals (13 families) have settled into 13 different rural and urban communities under this model.

- The 13 Community Sponsorship Ireland groups are located across 5 different counties.

- 4 New Community Sponsorships groups arrived in Q2 this year.

- A further 4 families have been identified for arrival in Q3 following a selection ission in Greece.

- A further 11 Community Sponsorship Groups are currently in formation in counties across Ireland.

- New group formations are expanding into new areas including Wicklow, Kerry, Wexford and Mayo in addition to new additional groups establishing in Dublin, Cork, Meath and Kildare.

Year	Group	# Individuals	County
2018	Dunshaughlin	3	Meath
2019	Road to Kinsale	5	Cork
2019	New Beginnings -Kells	5	Meath
2019	Dublin 6	4	Dublin
2019	Clane and Rathcoffey	4	Kildare
2019	Lismore	2	Waterford
2019	Midleton	3	Cork
2019	Carrigtwohill	4	Cork
2020	Tallow	6	Waterford
2021	Pennisula	5	Dublin
2021	Dublin 8	4	Dublin
2021	Cork Croí	5	Cork
2021	Carrigaline	5	Cork
	13 Groups	55 individuals	5 counties

In terms of plans to expand the Community Sponsorship Ireland model taking into consideration the success of its counterpart in Canada I can confirm that the Irish model has been developed in cooperation with the Government of Ireland, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), and civil society organisations such as UNHCR, the Irish Red Cross, NASC, Irish Refugee Council and Amnesty International Ireland. 

In August 2020, the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP) issued a call for applications for funding under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) 2014-2020 in August 2020. A sum of €770,000 in funding was made available for the IRPP to develop several Regional Support Organisations (RSOs) to further develop the Community Sponsorship programme in Ireland.

At the start of 2021, 4 RSOs entered into formal agreements with IRPP, with responsibility for recruitment, support, coordination and training of Community Sponsorship groups across 7 areas:

- Area 1: Dublin /Louth

- Area 2: Cork /Kerry

- Area 3: Limerick /Tipperary/Clare

- Area 4: Meath/ Kildare /Wicklow/Westmeath /Offaly

- Area 5: Waterford /Wexford /Kilkenny/Carlow/Laois

- Area 6: Galway /Mayo/Longford /Roscommon

-Area 7: Leitrim /Sligo /Cavan /Donegal/Monaghan

The RSOs will play an active role in promoting community sponsorship at local levels. The identification and engagement of Community Sponsorship groups will also be promoted at a national level through the activities of the IRPP.