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Thursday, 7 Oct 2021

Written Answers Nos. 248-262

School Staff

Questions (248)

Holly Cairns

Question:

248. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Education the number of substitute teachers from supply panels who have been deployed since schools have reopened by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49058/21]

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Written answers

As part of the COVID-19 supports provided to schools in 2020, additional funding of €41.2 million was allocated to provide primary schools with substitute staff.

This funding allowed for the expansion of the Substitute Teacher Supply Panel from a pilot scheme consisting of 6 base schools to 132 Substitute Teacher Supply Panels nationwide, with almost 380 newly appointed Supply Panel teachers employed, providing substitute cover to over 2,500 schools across the country.

The county breakdown of supply panels and teachers is attached.

County

No. of Supply Panels

Positions Allocated

Carlow

2

5

Cavan

3

7

Clare

3

8

Cork

15

41

Donegal

7

15

Dublin

27

97

Galway

10

24

Kerry

4

9

Kildare

7

20

Kilkenny

1

3

Laois

3

8

Leitrim

1

3

Limerick

5

14

Longford

3

7

Louth

4

14

Mayo

4

10

Meath

4

12

Monaghan

2

5

Offaly

3

10

Roscommon

2

5

Sligo

2

5

Tipperary

7

18

Waterford

3

9

Westmeath

2

6

Wexford

3

9

Wicklow

5

13

Grand Total

132

377

Fuel Poverty

Questions (249)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Question:

249. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason persons in receipt of the benefit for a 65 year-old payment are not entitled to the fuel allowance payment; if she plans to include the payment as a qualifying payment for fuel allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48982/21]

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Written answers

The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €28.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €784 each year) from October to April, to 370,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €300 million in 2021. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. Only one allowance is paid per household.

Qualifying payments for fuel allowance are those payments that are considered long-term payments and an applicant must also satisfy a means test. People on long-term payments are unlikely to have additional resources of their own and are more vulnerable to poverty, including energy poverty. It is for this reason that the Department allocates additional payments, supports and resources to help this cohort of claimants

Benefit Payment for 65 Year Olds is a short-term payment for people aged 65 who have ceased employment or self-employment and who satisfy the pay-related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. It is not a means tested payment.

Any decision to include the Benefit Payment for 65 Year Olds as a qualifying payment for Fuel Allowance would have to be considered in the overall policy and budgetary context.

Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, Exceptional Needs Payments may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which customers are unable to meet out of their own resources, and this may include exceptional heating costs. Decisions on such payments are made on a case-by-case basis.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Social Welfare Schemes

Questions (250)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Question:

250. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection if persons in receipt of the benefit for a 65 year-old payment will receive the Christmas bonus; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48983/21]

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Written answers

The Christmas Bonus is paid to social welfare recipients such as pensioners, people with disabilities, carers, lone parents and the long-term unemployed in recognition of their long-term financial dependence on their social welfare payment for all or most of their income.

Last year, in recognition of the impact that the Covid-19 pandemic had on employment levels and the sudden financial impact on individuals, the Bonus was also paid to those in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment for a period of four months or more and who were in payment on the date the Bonus was paid. It was also paid to people on equivalent jobseeker payments who had been in receipt of these payments for four months or more.

As is the case every year, the payment of a Christmas Bonus is a discretionary decision made by Government in the context of the annual Budget process and available resources. Any decision to pay the bonus this year, and the eligibility criteria should it be paid, will be made in an overall budgetary context, and announced as part of Budget 2022.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Social Welfare Payments

Questions (251)

Patrick Costello

Question:

251. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will amend the eligibility criteria that bar persons in receipt of illness benefit from receiving the fuel allowance and the bonus week payment at Christmas. [48311/21]

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Written answers

The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €28.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €784 each year) from October to April, to 370,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €300 million in 2021. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. Only one allowance is paid per household.

Fuel Allowance and the Christmas Bonus are paid to social welfare recipients such as pensioners, people with disabilities, lone parents and the long-term unemployed in recognition of their long-term financial dependence on their social welfare payment for all or most of their income.

The reason Illness Benefit is not a qualifying payment for Fuel Allowance or the Christmas Bonus is that, in the majority of cases, Illness Benefit is a short-term payment for those who are certified by their GP as needing to take time out from their employment due to illness.

People who are permanently incapable of work may be eligible for the non-means-tested Invalidity Pension, subject to satisfying the relevant medical criteria. Those who are substantially restricted in undertaking suitable employment arising from a medical condition may be eligible for the means-tested Disability Allowance, subject to meeting the relevant medical criteria. Recipients of both of these payments are eligible for the Christmas Bonus and subject to satisfying all qualifying condition, Fuel Allowance.

Any decision to extend the eligibility criteria for Fuel Allowance or the Christmas Bonus to include people in receipt of Illness Benefit would have to be considered in the context of overall budgetary negotiations.

Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, Exceptional Needs Payments may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which customers are unable to meet out of their own resources, and this may include exceptional heating costs. Decisions on such payments are made on a case-by-case basis.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Pension Provisions

Questions (252)

Dara Calleary

Question:

252. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of her engagement in dealing with the issue of pensions for community scheme supervisors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45422/21]

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Written answers

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 scheme sponsors. This claim creates some difficulties because the State is not the employer of the 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 complex issue, while having regard to the wider budgetary framework. Department officials also held discussions with unions representing CE supervisors and CE assistant supervisors.

At the start of April this year, agreement was reached with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform on proposals to resolve the long-standing issue. These proposals include a financial package.

I am confident these proposals are a solid basis for progressing and resolving this complex issue. Discussions on these proposals are ongoing between my Department and the unions representing CE supervisors and CE assistant supervisors. The unions have made a number of observations, and these are currently being examined by my officials in conjunction with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and other relevant Government Departments.

My officials are continuing to progress this matter as a priority, and I would hope that these discussions can reach a conclusion in the near future.

Youth Unemployment

Questions (253)

Paul McAuliffe

Question:

253. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps being taken to tackle youth unemployment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48640/21]

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Written answers

Latest estimates from the CSO indicate that the unemployment rate for young people is 17 percent using the traditional measure rising to just under 20 per cent when we use the CSO’s COVID-19 adjusted measure for the month of September. This COVID-19 Adjusted measure, which includes all those in receipt of PUP, has fallen by 6 percentage points from almost 26 percent in August and by over 41 percentage points since its 2021 peak of 61 percent in January.

The reduction in the COVID-19 adjusted measure of youth unemployment seen in September is driven by the fact that students on PUP are no longer included in the estimate, as they are no longer eligible for the payment since last month. Full-time students are not traditionally included in unemployment estimates as they are not considered part of the labour force as they are generally not available for full time employment.

Thanks to the continued reopening of our economy and society, the number of young people on PUP has declined significantly, falling by 91% since the 2021 peak in February to just under 10,400 this week. I expect to see further reductions in these PUP numbers, as the final set of public health restrictions are eased later this month.

To minimise any scarring effects amongst young people who permanently lost their jobs due to the pandemic, my Department has introduced a series of targeted measures under the Pathways to Work strategy, including:

- Expanding the JobsPlus scheme to 8,000 places and enhancing the incentive to recruit young jobseekers in particular, by increasing the youth age limit from 25 to 30 years.

- The newly launched Work Placement Experience Programme, which is a 6-month, 30 hour per week voluntary work experience programme, for persons out of work for six months or more and has 4,000 places ring-fenced for young people.

- Ring-fencing at least 1,000 out of the 3,000 additional Community Employment and Tús places for long term unemployed young people.

- Ring-fencing at least 1,000 out of the 3,000 additional Community Employment and Tús places for long term unemployed young people.

My Department also works closely with the Further Education and Training sector to provide access to training, upskilling and reskilling opportunities that are of particular relevance to young people entering the labour market for the first time. As part of Pathways to Work 2021-2025, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science are providing an additional 50,000 further education and training places to help more people, including young persons, to have the opportunity to upskill and reskill. In addition, the Apprenticeship Incentivisation Scheme has been extended until the end of December 2021. This scheme provides financial supports for employers who register apprentices to a national apprenticeship scheme.

Using these measures, Pathways to Work 2021-2025 aims to reduce the youth unemployment rate back to or below the 2019 average of 12.5% by 2023.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

School Meals Programme

Questions (254)

Paul McAuliffe

Question:

254. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of the implementation of the hot school meals programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48641/21]

View answer

Written answers

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.

As part of Budget 2019, funding was provided for a pilot scheme from September 2019, providing hot school meals in primary schools at a cost of €1m for 2019 and €2.5m in 2020. The pilot involved 37 schools benefitting 6,744 students for the 2019/2020 academic year and was aimed primarily at schools with no onsite cooking facilities.

In Budget 2021, I announced that an additional €5.5m would be provided to extend the provision of hot school meals to an additional 35,000 primary school children, currently receiving the cold lunch option. 97 schools commenced providing these hot meals in respect of 17,034 children prior to the end of the 2020/2021 school year with the remaining schools opting to commence in the 2021/2022 school year.

I am committed to continuing to grow the hot school meals element of the school meals programme and building further on the significant extension announced as part of Budget 2021.

Any request for additional funding for a hot school meals programme expansion for 2022 and beyond will need to be considered as part of the budgetary process.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Community Employment Schemes

Questions (255)

Violet-Anne Wynne

Question:

255. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider reviewing the decision to change the tendering process to "for profit" as in the case of the recent campaign by community-based employment services (details supplied); and if the concerns of the existing employment services workers have been taken into consideration. [43747/21]

View answer

Written answers

Local Employments Services contracts have previously been tendered through a closed bid process. My Department has commenced an open tendering process in order to ensure good governance and compliance with procurement rules

I have previously made clear that legal advice from the Attorney General's office obliges my Department to procure its employment services in an open and competitive manner in respect of EU and national procurement rules.

In addition, existing LES contracts are no longer consistent with best practices. The new model includes multi-annual contracts with enhanced key performance indicators and a funding model that allows more autonomy in delivering enhanced services and will lead to better outcomes across the State. The model my Department has designed is a model to deliver high quality individualised employment services to those furthest from the labour market. It is simply not accurate to describe it as 'for profit' model.

The first phase of this procurement is at an advanced stage. This will see the establishment of new employment services for seven counties in the Midlands and North-West which do not have an existing local employment service.

Phase two will see the Regional Employment Service model rolled out across the State. It will take on board learnings from phase one. This significant expansion of employment services will result in State-wide coverage of employment services for those furthest from the labour market for the first time.

Phase two, to have been in place by January 2022, has now been postponed for six months to enable potential tenderers make the necessary preparations to submit a competitive bid.

This procurement process follows extensive consultations by my Department with the existing service providers and employee representatives over the last number of years.

I understand and appreciate the concerns of the sector at the changes proposed. However, current service providers with a strong track record and an openness to cooperation will be well-placed to submit high-quality tenders for the new services.

This procurement process is accessible to the community and voluntary sectors, placing significant emphasis on service quality and local networks.

Community Employment Schemes

Questions (256)

Brendan Griffin

Question:

256. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a community employment scheme placement will be extended for a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48741/21]

View answer

Written answers

The aim of the Community Employment ( CE ) programme is to enhance the employability of disadvantaged and unemployed people by providing work experience and training opportunities for them within their communities. Participation limits on these schemes are necessary to allow for the maximum utilisation of places amongst qualifying persons. It is important to note that participation is intended to be for a temporary fixed term and the positions offered are not full-time sustainable jobs. Instead, the placements are designed to break the cycle of unemployment and maintain work readiness, thereby improving a person’s opportunities of returning to the open labour market.

In general, placements for new entrants aged between 21 and 55 years are for one year. Those participants who are working towards a Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) major award can seek to extend their participation on CE by up to two years to enable them to reach the required standard of qualification. Participants aged 55 years or older can remain on CE for three years and do not have to work towards a QQI major award. In both instances, a maximum of three consecutive year’s participation is permissible. A person may re-qualify for CE after a 12 month break once they satisfy the qualifying conditions. An overall lifetime limit of six years applies to all CE participants (seven years for those on a disability payment).

As time spent on CE for the person concerned is in excess of 3 consecutive years, they were due to finish their CE placement on 5th November 2021.However it has been decided that Community Employment participants who were due to leave their schemes on a phased basis from early November 2021 will now have their contracts extended until Friday, 4th February, 2022. They may re-qualify for CE after a 12 month break subject to them satisfying the qualifying conditions and they may then go on to complete an overall lifetime limit of six years.

When the person concerned leaves their CE placement the Department's Activation Service can work with them to ensure that the benefits and experience they received during their time on CE is maximised. This process will help identify potential employment opportunities and offer support to them in overcoming any barriers to employment.

Social Welfare Appeals

Questions (257)

Brendan Griffin

Question:

257. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been made on a disability allowance appeal by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48767/21]

View answer

Written answers

The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 17 August 2021. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Social Protection.

These papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 8 September 2021. The case has now been referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if necessary, hold an oral hearing.

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.

Social Welfare Appeals

Questions (258)

Brendan Griffin

Question:

258. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been made on a disability allowance appeal by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48769/21]

View answer

Written answers

The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 9 August 2021. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. These papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 8 September 2021. The case will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if necessary, hold an oral hearing.

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 on social welfare entitlements.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Social Welfare Appeals

Questions (259)

Brendan Griffin

Question:

259. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been made on an invalidity pension appeal in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48772/21]

View answer

Written answers

The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 30 July 2021. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Social Protection.

These papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office and the case was referred on 4 October 2021 to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if necessary, hold an oral hearing.

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.

Social Welfare Rates

Questions (260)

Robert Troy

Question:

260. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to increase the income limits for the fuel allowance in budget 2022 given the rising cost of fuel prices. [48781/21]

View answer

Written answers

The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €28.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €784 each year) from October to April, to 370,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €300 million in 2021. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. Only one allowance is paid per household.

The criteria for Fuel Allowance are framed in order to direct the limited resources available to my Department in as targeted a manner as possible. All recipients of non-contributory payments are accepted as satisfying the means-test for fuel. People who are in receipt of a qualifying contributory payment must also satisfy a means test.

A fuel applicant and members of his/her household may have a combined assessable income of up to €100.00 a week above the appropriate rate of State Pension Contributory and qualify for a payment. This ensures that the fuel allowance payment goes to those who are more vulnerable to fuel poverty including those reliant on social protection payments for longer periods and who are unlikely to have additional resources of their own.

Any extension of the fuel allowance qualifying criteria, such as increasing the allowable means for fuel allowance purposes or only assessing the means of the fuel applicant, can only be considered while taking account of the overall budgetary context and the availability of financial resources.

Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme a special heating supplement may be paid to assist people in certain circumstances. Exceptional needs payments may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which an applicant is unable to meet from his / her own resources.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Departmental Data

Questions (261)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

261. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of complaints made under her Department'’s customer charter against social welfare inspectors in each of the years 2016 to 2020 and to date in 2021; the number of complaints accepted; the number rejected; the number referred to another public authority; and the number referred to An Garda Síochána. [48784/21]

View answer

Written answers

The Department of Social Protection is committed to delivering an excellent customer service as pledged in our Customer Service Charter. My Department always aims to ensure that all customers are served in a fair, courteous and timely manner, are informed of their rights, provided with full and clear information regarding entitlements and have their privacy respected.

All complaints received were accepted by the Department and fully investigated.

The total number of complaints made in relation to the Department's Social Welfare Inspectors is provided in tabular form for each of the respective years 2016 to 2020 and to date in 2021 – accurate as of Monday, 4th of October 2021.

The number of complaints received should be viewed in the context of the overall number of cases examined annually by the Inspectorate. Since the start of 2019 to the end of September 2021 a total of 378,544 cases have been examined and over the same period a total of 62 complaints have been made concerning the Department's Social Welfare inspectors.

There are no cases relating to complaints regarding Social Welfare Inspectors that have been referred to another public authority or an Garda Síochána by my Department.

Year

Total number of complaints made about DSP Social Welfare Inspectors

2016

16

2017

16

2018

19

2019

31

2020

17

2021(to date 04/10/21)

14

Social Welfare Schemes

Questions (262)

Neale Richmond

Question:

262. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has considered broadening the fuel allowance qualifying conditions to include those partaking in the community employment scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48787/21]

View answer

Written answers

The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €28.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €784 each year) from October to April, to 370,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €300 million in 2021. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. Only one allowance is paid per household.

If a participant on a Community Employment (CE) scheme was in receipt of fuel allowance prior to going on the scheme, they can continue to receive the fuel allowance payment while participating on the scheme once they continue to satisfy the qualifying conditions.

If the CE participant was not in receipt of the fuel allowance payment prior to going on the CE scheme they may still apply for and qualify for fuel allowance in the following circumstances.

- If the CE scheme participant was in receipt of a long-term qualifying payment prior to going on the CE scheme this will allow them to satisfy the qualifying payment element. However, all other qualifying conditions of fuel allowance must also be satisfied.

- Where the CE scheme participant has an established underlying entitlement to fuel allowance but is not in receipt of the allowance because another member of the household was receiving the payment, it is open to the CE scheme participant to apply for fuel allowance if these circumstances change, e.g., where the fuel allowance recipient leaves the address.

Any decision to extend the eligibility criteria for fuel allowance for other people participating on a CE scheme would have to be considered in the context of overall budgetary negotiations.

Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, exceptional needs payments may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which customers are unable to meet out of their own resources, and this may include exceptional heating costs. Decisions on such payments are made on a case-by-case basis.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

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