Written Answers Nos. 148-162
148. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education if she will provide additional capitation grants to schools that require them to cover heating and lighting costs in the context of Covid-19 mitigation measures in schools and the requirement for adequate ventilation. [55133/21]
View answerMy Department provides funding to Primary and Post-Primary schools by way of per capita grants. The two main grants are the Capitation grant to cater for day to day running costs such as heating, lighting, cleaning, insurance, general up-keep etc. and the Ancillary/School Services Support Fund (SSSF) to cater for the cost of employing ancillary services staff. Schools also receive a range of other grants including Book Grants, Programme grants etc.
I understand the need for improved capitation funding and I am pleased that budget 2020 has been able to provide for a further 2.5% increase in standard capitation funding for primary and post-primary schools that applied from the start of the 2020/21 school year. This builds on the 5% increase in capitation announced in budget 2019.
The combined increases given in 2019 and 2020 mean that circa 40% restoration has been achieved.
All schools have received the benefit of the capitation increases awarded to date. It is my intention to seek funding for further capitation increases in future budgets.
In addition, under the COVID-19 response plans, a range of supports are being made available to all recognised schools in the free education scheme. To date more than €158 million of additional capitation funding has been made available to primary and post primary schools to provide for Cleaning, PPE and hand hygiene, Enhanced Supervision and employment of an Aide for the school year 2020/21.
My Department has committed to ensuring that the full range of measures necessary to allow schools operate safely in the Covid-19 environment will continue to be available for the 2021/22 school year and has provided a further €57.6 million of additional capitation funding for Term 1 of the 2021/22 school year.
149. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Social Protection if provision will be made for workers of local employment services that are being replaced by private providers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55099/21]
View answerMy Department is now at an advanced stage in its first phase of a two-phase procurement of new employment services. This procurement process follows extensive consultations by my Department with the existing service providers over the last number of years.
This phase involves the procurement of Regional Employment Services for seven counties in four lots for the North-West and Midlands. None of these counties currently operate a Local Employment Service and therefore no Local Employment Service employees are being replaced.
The Phase two procurement, to commence shortly, will see the Regional Employment Service model rolled out across the State. It will take on board the learnings of the first phase. This is a significant expansion of employment services and will result in State-wide coverage of employment services for those furthest from the labour market for the first time.
As I have stated previously, existing service providers, including current local employment services, with their strong track record and demonstrable capacity for delivering high-quality employment services, will be in a good position to submit strong competitive tenders for the Regional Employment Service.
150. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person (details supplied) is eligible for a working family payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54800/21]
View answerWorking Family Payment (WFP) is an in work family payment which provides additional income support to employees on low earnings with children.
An application for WFP was received from the person concerned on 19 October 2021.
Following receipt of further requested information/documents from the person concerned, they have been awarded WFP with effect from 26 August 2021 to 24 August 2022. The first weekly payment and any arrears owing will issue to their selected financial account on 11 November 2021.
The person concerned was notified in writing of this decision on 05 November 2021 and of the right of review and appeal.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
151. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the total amount spent by her Department on advertisements, including traditional forms of advertisement and online advertising, in each of the past ten years and to date in 2021. [54915/21]
View answerFor the purpose of this response, I have interpreted “the amount spent on advertisements including traditional forms of advertisement and online advertisement” as media buying costs incurred from public information campaigns, announcements and recruitment notices.
My Department administers over 90 separate schemes and services, which affect the lives of almost every person in the State. The Department is committed to ensuring that members of the public are fully aware of the welfare supports and services that are available, as well as ensuring key changes are communicated to them.
Public information/advertising campaigns are therefore an important part of the Department's work and span national and regional print media and radio, digital, social media and outdoor advertising.
All campaigns are developed and targeted carefully in collaboration with the agency responsible for our media planning and buying. They use the most suitable mix of media formats to ensure that the Department's messages reach members of the public effectively, while ensuring value for money.
All advertising expenditure undertaken by the Department is tendered for in accordance with Government and EU procurement guidelines, including use of framework agreements from the Office of Government Procurement.
Total advertising expenditure in each of the past 10 years, including 2021 spend incurred to date (8 Nov) is set out in the table which follows.
The significant increase in advertising spend in the years 2020 and 2021 can be attributed to the ongoing requirement to ensure that the public are fully aware of the COVID-19 income supports available to them and any changes to these supports.
|
Year |
Total Advertising Costs |
|
2021 * |
€1,806,148 * |
|
2020 |
€2,538,989 |
|
2019 |
€845,761 |
|
2018 |
€416,585 |
|
2017 |
€839,102 |
|
2016 |
€87,642 |
|
2015 |
€209,198 |
|
2014 |
€64,095 |
|
2013 |
€54,469 |
|
2012 |
€109,920 |
* Invoiced to 8 November 2021
152. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount paid out in pandemic unemployment payments in each month since the start of the pandemic. [54935/21]
View answerThe amounts paid to recipients of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment since March 2020 to date (October 2021) are set out in the following table.
|
- |
€m |
|
March 2020 |
110.9 |
|
April 2020 |
778.8 |
|
May 2020 |
824.5 |
|
June 2020 |
858.1 |
|
July 2020 |
421.3 |
|
August 2020 |
310.8 |
|
September 2020 |
326.1 |
|
October 2020 |
267.8 |
|
November 2020 |
403.8 |
|
December 2020 |
676.8 |
|
January 2021 |
510.6 |
|
February 2021 |
588.5 |
|
March 2021 |
685.9 |
|
April 2021 |
551.2 |
|
May 2021 |
436.4 |
|
June 2021 |
395.9 |
|
July 2021 |
247.2 |
|
August 2021 |
228.9 |
|
September 2021 |
128.3 |
|
October 2021 |
99.5 |
153. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount paid out in jobseeker’s allowance in each month since the start of the pandemic. [54936/21]
View answerThe amounts paid out to Jobseeker Allowance recipients each month since March 2020 to October 2021 are set out in the following table.
|
- |
€m |
|
March 2020 |
152.9 |
|
April 2020 |
137.8 |
|
May 2020 |
125.7 |
|
June 2020 |
128.6 |
|
July 2020 |
139.6 |
|
August 2020 |
127.6 |
|
September 2020 |
143.4 |
|
October 2020 |
137.8 |
|
November 2020 |
133.3 |
|
December 2020 |
178.2 |
|
January 2021 |
123.1 |
|
February 2021 |
126.1 |
|
March 2021 |
151.8 |
|
April 2021 |
131.7 |
|
May 2021 |
124.3 |
|
June 2021 |
130.5 |
|
July 2021 |
136.5 |
|
August 2021 |
130.8 |
|
September 2021 |
127.9 |
|
October 2021 |
113.4 |
154. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of instances of fraud in relation to the pandemic unemployment payment identified by her or her Department to date; the nature of the incidents; and the estimated cost to the State of said fraud in each incident. [54937/21]
View answer155. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on the fact that proof of unemployment was not required as part of the application for receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment; if she regrets same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54938/21]
View answer156. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department has evidence or statistics which suggest that persons who were in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance prior to the pandemic applied successfully for the pandemic unemployment payment once the pandemic started; if so, the details of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54939/21]
View answer157. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of pandemic unemployment payments which were made to persons resident outside of the State. [54940/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 154 to 157, inclusive, together.
The Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was introduced in an extremely short period of time in order to cushion the incomes of citizens following the onset of an unprecedented public health crisis. Within a month of the PUP scheme going live, over 507,000 people received at least one payment. Recipient numbers peaked at 602,108 on 8 May 2020. My Department has processed in excess of 1.7 million applications for the PUP, from over 900,000 applicants and made almost 27.7 million separate PUP payments. The number of claims received and processed is equal to approximately 9 times a normal annual claim load. Delivering the scheme on such a scale and in such a short time represented a major achievement.
At all times during this process, my Department has prioritised prompt claim processing and payment in order to ensure that people who had to cease their employment because of public health restrictions had the security of an income support payment. In addition, while prioritising prompt payment in the circumstances of the pandemic, payment and claim processing controls were applied to reduce the risk of incorrect or fraudulent payments.
In processing claims, my Department always has to strike a balance between applying tight controls and checks on claims on the one hand and not frustrating a person’s entitlement to a payment on the other. This was particularly the case in the extraordinary and exceptional circumstances of Covid-19. Applying normal controls would have meant very long delays in processing the unprecedented number of claims received. This would have led to severe financial hardship for many people and undermined the sense of social solidarity that was required to sustain the public health restrictions and combat the virus.
Notwithstanding these concerns a range of controls were implemented and while not as extensive as would normally be the case the controls did help to reduce and control the level of incorrect payments. For example, in the initial two months to end April 2020 the Department processed some 900,000 PUP claims, with around one third of these being rejected for failing to meet the control criteria. Controls on PUP have continued to be enhanced over the last eighteen months, with a wide range of control work undertaken, including matching against Revenue records.
Overpayments can arise as a result of a statement or representation which was, to the knowledge of the person making it, false or misleading in a material respect or by the willful concealment of a material fact by a claimant, or by new facts or evidence which have come to light since a claim was made. It will be appreciated that a very high threshold of proof must be met to warrant a finding of fraud.
Up to the end of October 2021, my Department has recorded 15,023 overpayments of the PUP totalling €29.3 million, with €10.2 million recovered to date. Of these figures, 443 cases, totalling just under €1.5 million, were attributed to fraud. Typically, overpayments have arisen where a person has failed to declare ongoing employment or where the person was not working prior to the pandemic.
All claimants for the PUP were required to confirm the date on which they last worked as part of the application process. Where this date predated the introduction of Covid related restrictions, their claim was rejected. In addition, from June 2020, all claims were checked against Revenue records to verify a history of previous employment. In a situation where a significant proportion of private employments were closed due to public health restrictions, along with the fact that claim inflows closely tracked the introduction of Covid-19 restrictions, it was reasonable to accept self-declaration as the basis for a loss of employment.
The Deputy will be aware that in addition to those who are fully unemployed, Jobseeker’s Allowance is also payable to individuals who work on a part-time basis. Many of those individuals lost their employment in exactly the same manner as the rest of those in the labour force and were entitled to claim PUP. In total, out of over 900,000 applications for PUP, just over 36,800 cases involved individuals who were claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance as part-time workers prior to their PUP claim. Payment of Jobseeker's Allowance ceased from the date of the award of the PUP payment in these cases. There is no evidence which suggests that persons who were in receipt of Jobseeker’s Allowance prior to the pandemic applied successfully for the PUP once the pandemic started with the exception of the part-time workers just referenced.
In common with many social welfare payments, the PUP is not payable in respect of periods where a person is absent from the State. However, in line with the practice in relation to Jobseeker payments, a person may avail of a limited absence from the State of up to two weeks in a calendar year. My Department carries out a range of checks to identify cases where an individual may no longer be in the State and takes appropriate follow up action. However, the volume of identified cases does not support a reliable estimate of the overall number of such cases.
As is the case with all schemes, the Department is continuing take steps to identify overpayment cases and to seek refunds and will do so in a measured way. Control activity and work on the recovery of overpayments on the scheme will continue into next year.
I trust that this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
158. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made on a disability allowance application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55027/21]
View answerThe person concerned has been awarded disability allowance (DA) with effect from 25 August 2021. They were notified of this decision directly in writing on 5 November 2021.
The first payment will be made by their chosen payment method on 10 November 2021. Arrears of payment due will issue as soon as possible once any necessary adjustment is calculated and applied in respect of any overlapping payments or in respect of outstanding overpayments (if applicable).
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
159. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the current status of a fuel allowance application by a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [55059/21]
View answerThe Department received a claim for fuel allowance for the person concerned on 26 October 2021. A Deciding Officer of the Department wrote to the person concerned on 08 November 2021 requesting further information relevant to his claim. The claim will be finalised as quickly as possible on receipt of the requested information.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
160. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will address a query (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55152/21]
View answerThe 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.
Budget 2021 provided an additional €5.5m to extend the provision of hot school meals to an additional 35,000 primary school children, currently receiving the cold lunch option. Invitations for expressions of interest were issued to 705 primary schools (612 DEIS and 93 non-DEIS) in November 2020. A total of 281 (256 DEIS and 25 non-DEIS) expressions of interest were received in respect of 52,148 children.
The 35,000 places were allocated to each local authority area based on the number of children applied by local authority as a percentage of the total number. A minimum of one School for each Local Authority area was selected. Thereafter, a process of random selection was used for each area.
Budget 2022 is providing for the hot school meals to be extended from January 2022 to the 81 DEIS schools that submitted an expression of interest but were not selected in the extension to 35,000.
The 81 schools will be announced in the near future.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
161. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps she has taken regarding the staffing crisis in homecare service providers; her views on whether the decision to exclude home carers from the critical skills exemption is greatly exacerbating the problem; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55232/21]
View answerThe HSE Home Support Service (formerly called the Home Help Service or Home Care Package Scheme) is a matter for the Department of Health and the HSE and I have no role in the matter. This Question is therefore more appropriate to my colleague, the Minister for Health.
162. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the progress that is being made with the pledge to end direct provision; the way this will be achieved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55093/21]
View answerA staff team has been established in my Department to lead the transition to the new model and has developed a detailed implementation plan.
I have appointed a Programme Board, including independent members, to oversee the transition. . I have also recently announced the membership of the three-person External Advisory Group to monitor and report independently on the progress of the reforms.
Working with the Housing Agency, my Department has begun to acquire the accommodation needed for Phase Two - that is, after people have completed their initial four-months in a Reception and Integration Centre and move into the community.
An allocation key to determine the spread of this accommodation across all counties has been agreed by Local Authorities.
Working with the housing experts on the Programme Board, my Department is preparing advice on the optimal ownership model for the accommodation, as well as on the funding model to enable Approved Housing Bodies and other not-for-profit organisations to act as our delivery partners for the accommodation and support elements of the new system.
Policy on International Protection Support Payments is being developed in consultation with the Department of Social Protection.
My Department has also begun to develop the integration policy for the new model, based on the principle of 'integration from day one' set out in the White Paper.
It will take time to end Direct Provision and replace it with a new and very different system of accommodation and supports - grounded in human rights and delivered on a not-for-profit basis. Our work to do this has begun. We are making good progress and anticipate starting to move people out of Direct Provision into accommodation sourced in accordance with the new model early next year.
