Written Answers Nos. 439-460
439. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection if persons under the age of 25 receive an increased jobseeker’s payment when living alone; and if this applies to homeless persons of the same age. [62474/21]
View answerReduced 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. A key feature of the introduction of the reduced rates was that subsequent participation in full-time education and training would lead to an increased rate in payment. As a result, if a young jobseeker on a reduced Jobseeker's Allowance payment participates on an education or training programme they receive the maximum weekly personal payment of €203. Where a young jobseeker participates on the new Work Placement Experience Programme their weekly rate of payment will increase to €306. I have provided that these weekly rates of payment will increase by €5 from January 2022.
A person aged between 18 and 24 is exempted from the reduced rates if they are living independently of the family home and are in receipt of state housing supports such as rent supplement, housing assistance payment (HAP), Rent Accommodation Scheme (RAS), local authority or living permanently in accommodation provided by a local authority approved housing body.
Reduced rates also 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.
My Department engages in an inter-agency response to homelessness through its engagement with Tusla, the HSE and non-Government organisations to provide the necessary support to vulnerable people including young people who are experiencing homelessness or are in insecure situations.
The reduced Jobseeker's rates apply to those who are experiencing homelessness. However, young people in these circumstances engage with the Department's Community Welfare Service where they can access additional financial support under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme. These supports may include supplements or exceptional needs payments which can be provided to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from the person's own resources. A case-by case approach is taken given the complexity of the issues that may be involved.
I trust that this clarifies the position.
440. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of State boards under the remit of her Department or its agencies, in tabular form; the number of members of each board; the number of persons with a declared disability on each board; and the percentage of each board that is made up of persons with a declared disability. [62533/21]
View answerThere are four statutory bodies operating under the aegis of my Department: the Citizens Information Board, the Pensions Authority, the Pensions Council and the Social Welfare Tribunal. The table below sets out the number of members on each board. Please note that Board members are not required to declare a disability and hence the information requested on the representation of people with disabilities on each board is not available.
|
Name of Board |
Current number of members on Board |
|
Citizens Information Board |
12 |
|
Pensions Authority |
3 |
|
Pensions Council |
9 |
|
Social Welfare Tribunal |
5 |
450. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of domestic violence survivors who have availed of rent supplement since the policy decision was made. [62672/21]
View answerIn August 2020, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, I agreed to make rent supplement more accessible to victims of domestic violence. This has ensured that they are not prevented from leaving their homes because of financial or accommodation difficulties.
Since this Protocol came into operation in August 2020, 164 victims of domestic violence have received support under the rent supplement scheme.
Following a review involving all key stakeholders, I have ensured that victims of domestic violence will be granted easier access to rent supplement on a permanent basis. This means that they can continue to get immediate access to rent supplement and are not prevented from leaving their home because of financial concerns.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
451. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason self-employed workers cannot claim illness benefit; if there are plans to change this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62729/21]
View answerThere is a wide range of benefits available to people who make Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contributions. Entitlement to such benefits is dependent on the individual's social insurance contribution record, the class of social insurance paid as well as satisfying other qualification criteria relevant to the scheme being applied for.
In general, self-employed people make PRSI contributions at class S. Where all qualification criteria for the particular scheme are satisfied, this class of PRSI gives access to the following benefits:
- Adoptive Benefit,
- Guardian's Payment (Contributory),
- Invalidity Pension,
- Jobseeker's Benefit (Self-Employed),
- Maternity Benefit,
- Parent's Benefit,
- Partial Capacity Benefit (where in receipt of Invalidity Pension),
- Paternity Benefit,
- State Pension (Contributory),
- Treatment Benefit, and
- Widows, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension.
The benefits to which class S PRSI does not provide access are -
- Carer's Benefit,
- Health and Safety Benefit,
- Illness Benefit, and
- Occupational Injuries Benefits.
Although self-employed people are not usually eligible for Illness Benefit, an exception was made in relation to Covid-19, primarily as a public health measure. The purpose of the enhanced Illness Benefit payment in respect of Covid-19 is to encourage people to not go to work due to financial constraint when they should be in isolation. It has been available to the self-employed since its introduction in March 2020. Expenditure on the enhanced Illness Benefit is expected to be in the region of €100 million for 2021.
There has been an extensive expansion of access to the range of social insurance benefits for self-employed social insurance contributors in recent years without any increase in the 4% rate of contribution made by them. In effect, self-employed contributors, in return for a contribution of 11 percentage points lower than the combined employer and employee contribution of 15.05% made in respect of employed contributors, have access to benefits which comprise over 90% of the value of all benefits available to employed contributors.
The Programme for Government commits to giving consideration to increasing all classes of PRSI over time to replenish the Social Insurance Fund to help pay for measures and changes to be agreed including to the State pension system, improvements in short-term sick pay benefits, parental leave benefits, pay-related jobseeker's benefit and treatment benefits.
The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme is the safety net within the overall social welfare system in that it provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependants. Supports provided under the SWA scheme can consist of a basic weekly payment, a weekly or monthly supplement in respect of certain expenses, as well as single exceptional needs payments (ENPs) and urgent needs payments (UNPs). The basic supplementary welfare allowance provides immediate assistance for those in need who are awaiting the outcome of a claim or an appeal for a primary social welfare payment or do not qualify for payment under other State schemes.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
452. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 252 of 9 December 2021, if she will clarify subsequent to an informal complaint or allegation made in relation to an employee of her Department and in view of the Data Protection Acts whether the complaint will be processed and the employee advised of the informal complaint or allegation. [62764/21]
View answerThere is no record of any complaint or allegation against an employee of this Department received from the company referred to by the Deputy. If the Deputy has any additional information on this matter she is welcome to contact my office and she will be given contact details for the Divisional Manager in Cork who will be in a position to investigate any additional information provided.
453. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the proposals there are to improve the criteria for the free fuel allowance in which a family member may return to live with a parent who normally resides on their own and is in receipt of the free fuel allowance on a temporary basis due to housing or domestic difficulties; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62874/21]
View answerThe Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from October to April, to 371,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €323 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. To qualify for the fuel allowance payment a person must satisfy all the qualifying criteria including the household composition criteria. 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.
To satisfy the household composition criteria an applicant may live alone or only with:
- a qualified spouse / civil partner / cohabitant or qualified child(ren); (if the qualified spouse is in receipt of half rate carers, in addition to the IQA payment, they may qualify for fuel allowance, subject to a means test) or
- a person in receipt of a qualifying payment who would be entitled to the allowance in their own right or
- a person who is in receipt of carer’s allowance or carer’s benefit in respect of providing full-time care and attention to the fuel allowance applicant or their qualified spouse / civil partner / cohabitant or qualified child(ren) or
- a person receiving pandemic unemployment payment (PUP), a person receiving short-term jobseeker's allowance (JA) or basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) - i.e., less than 391 days for JA and less than 15 months/456 days for SWA).
Fuel allowance is not payable if an applicant lives with any person, including a family member that is not covered by the criteria outlined.
Any decision to extend the qualifying criteria for fuel allowance in the manner outlined by the Deputy would change the targeted nature of the scheme and could only be considered while taking account of the overall budgetary context and the availability of financial resources.
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.
454. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when the review by Tusla of the provision of accommodation for victims of domestic violence will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62855/21]
View answerI am pleased to inform you that Tusla’s review is completed and ready for publication. I plan to submit a Memorandum for the Information of the Government on the matter early in the New Year at which time Tusla will publish the Review. I have been in contact with the Minister for Justice and the Minister for Housing in this regard.
In advance of publication, Tusla is to arrange a suitable briefing of all the NGO stakeholders funded by Tusla to deliver services to victims of domestic, sexual and gender based violence (DSGBV). I understand that Tusla's CEO will also arrange briefing for the members of the Oireachtas Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.
I am committed to ensuring that the findings of the Review will inform the approach to addressing the shortage in refuge provision and will also inform the strategic actions under the forthcoming Third National Strategy on DSGBV.
455. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the eligibility for redress and compensation as part of the mother and baby homes redress scheme in the case of a person (details supplied); the procedure to apply for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62427/21]
View answerProposals for the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme were agreed by Government and published on 16 November 2021. The Scheme will include financial payments and a form of enhanced medical card for eligible applicants and will be based on proof of residency in a Mother and Baby or County Home Institution for a defined period of time.
According to the proposals for the Scheme, any person who was resident as a child in a Mother and Baby or County Home Institution for a period of six months or more (and who did not receive redress in respect of that institution under the Residential Institutions Redress Scheme) will be eligible for a financial payment and an enhanced medical card. As mentioned, eligibility is based on proof of residency and it is the intention that the payment will rise based on the time spent in an institution. Full details of the proposals for the Scheme, including a table which sets out the payment rates agreed by Government for inclusion in the Scheme, can be found on my Department’s website (www.gov.ie/en/publication/0c637-mother-and-baby-institutions-payment-scheme/).
I have been given Government approval to bring forward legislative proposals on the basis of the agreed proposals and work has commenced in my Department on the Heads of Bill required to establish the Scheme. Once the legislation has been passed by the Oireachtas and the necessary preparatory work has been completed, the Scheme will be open for applications. I hope that this will be possible by the end of 2022.
456. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of State boards under the remit of his Department or its agencies, in tabular form; the number of members of each board; the number of persons with a declared disability on each board; and the percentage of each board that is made up of persons with a declared disability. [62520/21]
View answerMy Department is currently collating the information requested and a reply will issue directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
457. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if an autism strategy will be developed in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62652/21]
View answerNational action in respect of autism is a firm commitment in the Programme for Government. Earlier this year, my colleague Minister Rabbitte announced an intention to develop an Autism Innovation Strategy with the aim of launching it in 2022. In Budget 2022, Minister Rabbitte and I secured €100,000 for the design and implementation of the Autism Innovation Strategy, and for awareness raising around it.
In line with our commitments under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, it is critical that the Autism Innovation Strategy be informed by the lived experiences of people with autism, their families and their representatives. As such, the first step in the development of the Strategy will be a consultation on its design, which I expect to occur early in 2022.
The Autism Innovation Strategy will be aligned to Ireland's existing national policy frameworks which address and respond to issues that affect all persons with disabilities, including those with autism. These strategies are the National Disability Inclusion Strategy (NDIS) and the Comprehensive Employment Strategy for Persons with Disabilities (CES).
The Innovation Strategy will compliment these structures by focusing on the specific challenges that face persons with autism, and will seek to break down bespoke barriers by focusing on practical and tangible actions and outcomes.
458. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when the review of the provision of accommodation for victims of domestic violence by Tusla will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62673/21]
View answerI am pleased to inform you that Tusla’s review is completed and ready for publication. I plan to submit a Memorandum for the Information of the Government on the matter early in the New Year at which time Tusla will publish the Review. I have been in contact with the Minister for Justice and the Minister for Housing in this regard.
In advance of publication, Tusla is to arrange a suitable briefing of all the NGO stakeholders funded by Tusla to deliver services to victims of domestic, sexual and gender based violence (DSGBV). I understand that Tusla's CEO will also arrange briefing for the members of the Oireachtas Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.
I am committed to ensuring that the findings of the Review will inform the approach to addressing the shortage in refuge provision and will also inform the strategic actions under the forthcoming Third National Strategy on DSGBV.
459. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the breakdown of funding across all operations allocated to family resource centres by his Department in each county in each of the years 2017 to 2021, in tabular form. [62674/21]
View answerTusla, the Child and Family Agency, administers the Family Resource Centre (FRC) Programme. The programme provides funding supports to 121 FRCs across the country. Core funding for the national FRC Programme is provided from my Department (Vote 40) with the allocation of approximately €18m annually to Tusla. FRCs may receive funding from Tusla, other than core funding, including occasional one-off supports, for example in the context of COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021 and from Dormant Accounts funding.
My Department provides funding directly to service providers (including FRCs) which deliver childcare services under the National Childcare Scheme (NCS), the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme and the Community Childcare Scheme Plus (CCSP) Saver Programme. Services operating any of the aforementioned programmes would also be eligible to apply for Programme Support Payments. In recent years FRCs may also access youth funding programmes, including Youth Affairs 'Follow Your Dreams project'.
I can confirm that funding provided by my Department directly to FRCs includes the following breakdown by county for Sustainability Funding, Communities Integration Fund, LGBTI Community Services Fund, LGBTI+ Capacity Building Grant Scheme, National Integration Fund and What Works.
|
County |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
|
Carlow |
3,500 |
3,870 |
10,000 |
||
|
Cavan |
3,700 |
22,472 |
|||
|
Clare |
96,102 |
25,679 |
8,198 |
10,596 |
5,000 |
|
Cork |
21,117 |
10,000 |
16,440 |
22,158 |
125,210 |
|
Donegal |
1,400 |
2,260 |
|||
|
Dublin |
4,395 |
9,500 |
15,000 |
13,000 |
39,430 |
|
Galway |
10,000 |
5,000 |
5,000 |
4,993 |
4,644 |
|
Kerry |
22,134 |
12,628 |
72,620 |
||
|
Kildare |
3,700 |
13,560 |
|||
|
Kilkenny |
1,280 |
||||
|
Laois |
4,750 |
2,970 |
|||
|
Leitrim |
1,000 |
3,580 |
|||
|
Limerick |
36,182 |
5,000 |
5,000 |
51,246 |
15,000 |
|
Longford |
16,200 |
21,200 |
|||
|
Mayo |
3,700 |
3,500 |
34,332 |
||
|
Meath |
34,693 |
20,616 |
14,980 |
||
|
Monaghan |
3,000 |
||||
|
Roscommon |
5,000 |
||||
|
Sligo |
5,000 |
5,000 |
5,000 |
11,062 |
|
|
Tipperary |
10,000 |
||||
|
Wexford |
6,960 |
||||
|
Wicklow |
4,260 |
1,617 |
|||
|
* Clare, Limerick, Tipperary |
15,000 |
||||
|
Total |
215,180 |
89,872 |
83,254 |
143,951 |
438,177 |
The data is aggregated from funding provided to applicants clearly identified as FRCs.
* Payment of €15,000 made to Mid-West FRC Regional Forum (a network between the 9 FRCs in Limerick, Clare and North Tipperary)
460. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the intended use and roll-out of disability awareness programmes and their regulation for use for workplaces and educational settings; and the way that his Department is planning on ensuring increasing public awareness. [62771/21]
View answerMy Department has a commitment to awareness raising activities within the context of the Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities 2015-2024 (CES). It is also intended to conduct awareness raising activities around the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).
The CES is a whole-of-government strategy which seeks to address and break down the barriers and challenges to employment for people with disabilities. The CES Implementation Group is independently chaired and includes representatives of the Disability Stakeholders Group and of relevant Government Departments and Agencies.
An awareness raising campaign, designed to encourage the employment of persons with disabilities, was due to be launched in 2021 but has been postponed to 2022 because of the disruption to the labour market resulting from Covid-19. The Department is considering how to develop the campaign. and funding has been secured in Budget 2022 for this purpose.
In terms of existing measures under the CES, my Department funds the "Employers for Change" service, which serves as an information and advice service for employers in becoming "disability confident".
In relation to wider awareness raising, my Department will develop an information and awareness programme around CRPD as part of the development of the CRPD Implementation Plan. This is currently being progressed in parallel to a number of matters to further realise the Convention.
