Written Answers Nos. 1-20
7. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department plans to increase the level of income disregard for the carer’s allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5454/22]
View answer92. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection when the changes for the carer’s allowance means test will come into effect; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5100/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 92 together.
The Government recognises the important role that family carers play in Irish society and is fully committed to their support through a range of supports and services. The main income supports to carers provided by my Department include Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance, and the Carer's Support Grant. Spending on these payments in 2022 is expected to exceed €1.5 billion.
The current income disregard and means test for Carer’s Allowance is the most generous within the social welfare system. The amount of weekly earnings disregarded is €332.50 for a single person and €665 for a couple. In acknowledgement of the crucial role that family carers play in our society I introduced a number of measures as part of Budget 2022 in relation to supports provided by my Department. These include the following changes to the carer means test which will take effect in June:
- An increase in the weekly income disregard for Carer’s Allowance to €350 a week for single carers and to €750 for carers with a spouse/partner,
- An increase in the Capital/Savings disregard for Carer’s Allowance from €20,000 to €50,000.
A more generous means assessment for Carer’s Allowance has been called for over successive Budgets by organisations representing carers. An increase in the general weekly income disregard will enable more carers with modest incomes to become eligible for Carer’s Allowance, and therefore provide an income support to carers, whose earning capacity is significantly constrained as a consequence of their caring responsibilities.Increasing the capital disregard will allow carers who have accumulated relatively modest savings, often to provide sufficient moneys to care for a loved one, to retain these savings without it impacting upon their carer’s payment. It also brings the capital formula applied to savings in the means assessment for Carer’s Allowance in line with Disability Allowance.
Notwithstanding the increased level of support already in place for carers, my Department will keep these measures under review as part of the annual budgetary process.
8. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has given consideration to the disregard of means testing for the carer’s allowance payment; if such considerations have been discussed with other relevant Departments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5458/22]
View answerAs I have already emphasised, the Government is fully supportive of the important role that family carers play in Irish society and is fully committed to their support through a range of supports and services. My Department provides a range of income supports to family carers including Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance, and the Carer's Support Grant. There are currently 90,896 people in receipt of Carer's Allowance. This represents an increase of 74% in the past 10 years, from 52,209 in 2012. The average time to award the Alllowance was 4 weeks in 2021, as compared to 14 weeks in 2019. My department understands the many pressures faced by carers and always seeks to ensure that claims are handled quickly and efficiently.Decisions regarding the means test are taken in a budgetary context and are therefore subject to discussions with other relevant departments in the usual way. I have made sure to speak to carer representatives myself to understand their concerns, and my Department engages with carer groups regularly. This level of engagement has helped inform some considerable improvements that have been introduced for carers in recent years, including:
- In Budget 2020, the number of hours a carer could engage in education, training or employment was increased from 15 to 18.5 hours.
- In Budget 2021, the Carer’s Support Grant was increased by €150 from €1,700 to €1,850 per year.
The current income disregard and means test for Carer’s Allowance is the most generous within the social welfare system in that €332.50 of gross weekly income is disregarded in the calculation of means for a single person. The equivalent for someone who is married, in a civil partnership or cohabiting is €665 of combined gross weekly income. From June, as a result of the measures I announced in Budget 2022, the following improvements will be made to the carer means test:
- An increase in the weekly income disregard for Carer’s Allowance to €350 a week for single carers and to €750 for carers with a spouse/partner.
- An increase in the Capital/Savings disregard for Carer’s Allowance from €20,000 to €50,000.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
12. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on reports in the media that an Irish subsidiary of a multinational company is scoping out bidding on State contracts to run community employment support schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5347/22]
View answerMy Department is committed to providing high quality services to help people who are long term unemployed prepare for and secure employment. It does this through a combination of directly provided services and contracted services. Under national and EU procurement rules, and as advised by the Attorney General and the Chief States Solicitor's Office, contracted services must be procured via open and competitive procurement. My Department is therefore procuring a new Local Area Employment Service over two distinct phases. Phase one of the process for procuring new employment services involved seven counties in the Midlands and North West who did not have a Local Employment Service. Contracts were signed last December and services are in the process of being mobilised.Phase two of the process has now commenced, with the publication of the request for tender in December for seventeen lots covering 19 counties. Services for this phase will begin in July 2022.While I am aware of the media reports the Deputy is referring to, I obviously cannot comment on potential bids to what is a live procurement process. I can however say that, as with every open competitive procurement, it is open to any entity to submit a tender. Of course any tender submitted must meet certain qualifying criteria laid out in the tender documents. Provided it does so it will then be considered on its own merits, in line with procurement law. This does not mean that the tender submitted must succeed but it does mean that it has the opportunity to be considered. This is how legal procurement works. I would emphasise that under the procurement process for Local Area Employment Services now underway, 80% of the award criteria marks are related to the quality of the service, its community linkages, and its impact on social value. The experience from Phase 1 shows that community and voluntary groups can and did succeed, securing contracts in two of the three lots where they submitted a tender. I am therefore confident that community and voluntary based providers who work collaboratively and submit high quality bids will be in a strong competitive position to secure a contract.
13. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to introduce supports for persons who experience hair loss due to alopecia, cancer treatment or other similar illnesses. [5099/22]
View answerThe Treatment Benefit schemes, which include dental, optical and hearing services are available to insured workers, the self-employed and retired people who have the required number of PRSI contributions. These treatments are also available to their dependent spouse or partner if applicable. €109 million was spent on the scheme in 2021.As part of Budget 2022, I announced an expansion to the range of services available under the scheme. A new grant will be provided from 28 May 2022 towards the cost of wigs and hairpieces for people who suffer from hair loss due to disease.A grant of up to €500 will be available once every calendar year to support people towards the cost of non-surgical hair replacement. This amount can be added to by the person if they wish to purchase a more expensive product.
Hair loss is a common issue among people that can be caused by a variety of medical conditions including autoimmune diseases such as alopecia or systemic conditions like cancer. I recognise not only the physical impact, but also the psychological impact, that sudden hair loss can have on a person’s life. I hope that this new grant will contribute to improving the quality of life of those who need it. It will only be available for hair loss in respect of a disease and not due to ageing or other natural causes. Approximately 2.25 million people qualify for Treatment Benefit. It is difficult to estimate the level of take-up of this new benefit. For example, 25,000 people get diagnosed with invasive cancer annually and it is anticipated that up to 2,000 of them may apply for the grant. The estimated cost of the new grant is €1 million per year.
18. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of her Department's engagement with private multinational companies tendering for local employment services. [5351/22]
View answerThe legal advice from the Chief State Solicitor’s Office and the Attorney General was unequivocal that there needs to be competitive procurement for future public employment services. In addition, my Department is responsible for ensuring good governance of employment service provision, which requires greater oversight and enhanced visibility of service provision.I can say that, as with every open competitive procurement, it is open to any entity to submit a tender. Of course any tender submitted must meet certain qualifying criteria laid out in the tender documents. Provided it does so it will then be considered on its own merits, in line with procurement law. This is how legal procurement works. I would emphasise that under the procurement process for Local Area Employment Services now underway, 80% of the award criteria marks are related to the quality of the service, its community linkages, and its impact on social value.The experience from Phase 1 shows that community and voluntary groups can and did succeed. I am therefore confident that community and voluntary based providers who work collaboratively and submit high quality bids will be in a strong competitive position to secure a contract. The publicity relating to the possibility of new market entrants shouldn't distract from the ability of existing service providers to submit high-quality bids for the new service, particularly as my Department has worked hard to take on board feedback from phase 1 of the process. As part of this feedback process, and prior to issuing the request for tender, the Department met with existing service providers and representative bodies and also took a number of brief introductory video call with interested parties at their request. The purpose of these was to outline the proposed tender process and timelines.I am sure that the quality-first approach which is now part of the phase 2 tender will ensure that, as we expand employment services throughout the State, we retain a focus on providing the best possible service to the long-term unemployed.
19. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on and response to a key conclusion in the Cost of Disability in Ireland research report that measures to address the additional costs of disability should be based on a multi-faceted approach involving increased cash payments, enhanced access to service provision and specific targeted grant programmes. [5145/22]
View answerThe Cost of Disability research findings are significantly broader than income supports and it is clear that this issue will not be addressed through income support alone. The research has implications for many areas of public policy including the delivery of care services, health, housing, education, transport and income supports. In order to implement an all-Department response, the Government has referred the report to the National Disability Inclusion Strategy Steering Group, chaired by the Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, Anne Rabbitte. This Group has oversight of monitoring the key frameworks for policy and action to address the needs of persons with disabilities in Ireland and it is in this regard that the Government saw it fitting that this group would be the appropriate monitoring vehicle.
It will consider and monitor actions required by the various Government Departments on foot of this report on a bi-annual basis. All Departments have been asked to consider actions that are currently being implemented and any proposed new actions that they will be undertaking in the context of the findings of the Report.From the perspective of my Department, it is worth noting that a number of measures were introduced as part of Budget 2022 in relation to people with disabilities and their carers, which will go towards alleviating the financial costs experienced. These include a combination of core weekly payment rate increases, increases in earnings disregards as well as supports to employers. Furthermore, under the Roadmap for Social Inclusion my Department has a commitment to develop and consult on a ‘strawman’ proposal for the restructuring of long-term disability payments. I have asked my officials to revisit the ‘strawman’ proposal to take on board the findings in the Cost of Disability research.I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
20. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps she is taking to safeguard the jobs including the terms and conditions of the workers in jobs clubs now run by Turas Nua; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5311/22]
View answerLast May my Department under a Phase 1 expansion of employment services, and in accordance with its legal obligations, sought tenders for the provision of the new Local Area Employment Service in Laois/Offaly. I understand that existing Job Club providers in Laois/Offaly did not submit a tender for these counties, removing any chance of them continuing to provide employment services in the area after the end of 2021. The outcome of this open and transparent procurement process was not contested by any party. I understand that all former Job Club staff in Laois/Offaly were offered employment on their existing terms and conditions by the new service provider, I also understand that early last month the staff commenced training with the successful new provider. Accordingly, no person has lost employment or has seen any reduction in their terms and conditions.I am not aware of any Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) recommendation on this matter. However, on 15 December 2021, the WRC did write to my Department regarding ongoing work stoppages in Job Clubs in Offaly and Laois. I understand that these stoppages related to the protests regarding the procurement process generally and that no formal dispute has been registered with the new service provider.My Department is not the employer of any of its service partners' staff. Neither is it a party to an industrial dispute with any of its service partners or their employees. It would therefore be inappropriate for the Department to engage in discussions at the WRC, which is a forum to resolve disputes between an employer and their employees. However, the Department has advised the WRC that it is available to provide any information or clarification directly to the WRC if required.
