Written Answers Nos. 81-86
81. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of roles that have been filled in the Work Placement Experience Programme; the cost of the scheme to the Exchequer since its inception; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7060/22]
View answerThe Work Placement Experience Programme (WPEP) is a key policy initiative under the Government's new national employment services strategy; Pathways to Work 2021-2025. WPEP is a funded work placement scheme to provide work experience opportunities for up to 10,000 jobseekers who are unemployed for more than six months, including time spent on the pandemic unemployment payment (PUP). Participation on WPEP is entirely voluntary. All participants are paid €311 per week plus any social welfare increases for qualified adults and children.
As of 11th March 2022, 276 participants have been approved for a placement on WPEP, with 174 currently participating and 20 placements are approved to start shortly. 29 participants have completed the 6 month programme with another 51 participants finishing early due to a variety of reasons, including 19 who found employment while on the programme. There are 108 WPEP opportunities currently advertised on JobsIreland.
Of those approved 45% are male and 55% are female. The Sector with the largest percentage of WPEP placement(s) for those approved is Health and Social Work at 19% followed by Wholesale and Retail Trade at 17%. The largest age cohort are those under 30 years of age which accounts for 50% of participants.
The cost to the Exchequer since the programme commenced is €1.153m.
The scope of the work experience on offer for each placement is reviewed in advance to ensure that the roles are training and learning opportunities consistent with the objectives of the programme. To assist participants to achieve the requirement for 20 hours accredited training work, a new WPEP Work Placement award designed and delivered by the Education and Training Boards is available to participants. All host organisations must also demonstrate that they can provide supervision and mentoring to participants and Case Officers liaise with the host and the participant to ensure progress is being made by the participant in the personal learning plan agreed with the host. The Case Officer is also available to provide advice and support to both the host and the participant during the placement.
As the economy and labour market continues to recover from COVID, work is ongoing to encourage take-up on this programme by employers and jobseekers. A particular focus is on jobseekers whose previous employment has not returned post COVID - who will require support to reskill and retrain to find new jobs, at times in new sectors. I am pleased to see that post COVID labour market trends and unemployment levels are much more positive than had been forecast.
I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
82. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration will be given to including assistance for broadband connection as part of the household benefits package; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14847/22]
View answerThe Household Benefits package (HHB) comprises the electricity or gas allowance, and the free television licence. The package is generally available to people living in the State aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment or who satisfy a means test. The package is also available to some people under the age of 66, who are in receipt of certain welfare type payments. My Department will spend approximately €273 million this year on HHB.
All proposals, including any proposal to introduce a new broadband allowance as part of the HHB package could only be considered while taking account of overall Government policy and budgetary considerations.
Given the many competing demands for the limited funding available to my Department, recent Budget spending increases have been targeted to ensure that it goes to those people who need help the most. Therefore, as well as increasing Social Welfare payments weekly rates, the Government has increased the rate of targeted “household” based schemes such as the Living Alone Allowance and the Fuel Allowance. These supports are targeted towards households that are at a higher risk of poverty, as evidenced by recent ESRI research.
HHB is only one of my Department’s schemes. My Department also pays the Telephone Support Allowance (TSA) to over 137,000 customers weekly. TSA is an allowance of €2.50 per week which supports recipients by assisting them with the cost of communications and/or home security solutions. The primary objective of the TSA is to support the most vulnerable people at risk of isolation, including the elderly and those with disabilities, to have access to critical communications infrastructure. In order to receive the allowance, a customer of the Department must be in receipt of a qualifying payment and also in receipt of both the Living Alone Allowance and the Fuel Allowance – this means that the scheme is very specifically targeted at those people who need it the most.
Furthermore, my Department operates both Exceptional and Urgent Needs Payments as part of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme for people who have an urgent need, which they cannot meet from their own resources. These payments are available through our Community Welfare Officers.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
83. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans for the implementation of the recommendations of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands, as outlined in the Committee’s response to the Report of the Commission on Pensions, February 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14849/22]
View answerThe Pensions Commission’s Report was published on 7th October 2021. It established that the current State Pension system is not sustainable into the future and that changes are needed. The report set out a wide-range of recommendations in relation to the State Pension system and Social Insurance Fund.
In the interests both of older people and future generations of older people, the Government intends to consider the comprehensive and far reaching recommendations in the Pensions Commission’s Report very carefully and holistically.
The Government agreed in October 2021 that the Commission’s report and recommendations would be referred to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands and also to the Commission on Taxation and Welfare for its views. The Committee published its views on the 2nd February 2022 and the Commission on Taxation and Welfare submitted its comments on the PRSI related recommendations at the end of February. These various views will be considered carefully as part of the Government’s deliberations over the coming weeks.
My officials are examining each of the recommendations and consulting across Government through the Cabinet Committee system. I think it is really important that we complete that work before reaching conclusions on any one recommendation or perspective. In this regard, I intend bringing a holistic recommended response and implementation plan to Government in the near future.
As the bedrock of the pension system in Ireland, the State Pension is extremely effective at ensuring that our pensioners do not experience poverty. This Government is committed to ensuring that this remains the case for current pensioners, those nearing State Pension age and today’s young workers including those who are only starting their careers.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
84. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount paid by her Department in 2021 and to date in 2022 under the heading of medical equipment; and the breakdown by county of such payments. [14858/22]
View answerMedical Appliance benefit can be paid to those PRSI contributors and their dependent spouses with the required number of recorded contributions. The scheme provides for a grant towards the provision of hearing aids and contact lenses required for medical reasons.
The amount paid by the Department in respect of the Medical Appliance scheme in 2021 was €20.003m and to date in 2022 it is €4.88m.
Details of payments by county are detailed below:
|
|
Year |
2021 |
|
2022 to date |
|
|
|
County |
Claims : |
Expenditure: |
Claims: |
Expenditure: |
|
Medical |
Carlow |
308 |
€282,106.00 |
73 |
€67,500.00 |
|
Appliance |
Cavan |
260 |
€229,130.00 |
73 |
€60,100.00 |
|
Benefit |
Clare |
372 |
€350,020.00 |
92 |
€85,690.00 |
|
Claims |
Cork |
2276 |
€2,087,737.50 |
633 |
€561,110.00 |
|
|
Donegal |
497 |
€438,759.00 |
118 |
€99,500.00 |
|
|
Dublin |
5567 |
€5,071,681.00 |
1281 |
€1,172,690.00 |
|
|
Galway |
758 |
€696,818.50 |
202 |
€186,550.00 |
|
|
Kerry |
632 |
€589,495.00 |
118 |
€112,800.00 |
|
|
Kildare |
898 |
€827,097.50 |
218 |
€201,059.00 |
|
|
Kilkenny |
443 |
€415,660.00 |
118 |
€106,700.00 |
|
|
Laois |
277 |
€262,240.00 |
70 |
€63,643.00 |
|
|
Leitrim |
92 |
€84,500.00 |
31 |
€28,300.00 |
|
|
Limerick |
749 |
€711,084.00 |
201 |
€191,552.45 |
|
|
Longford |
130 |
€122,940.00 |
30 |
€26,600.00 |
|
|
Louth |
699 |
€628,444.23 |
162 |
€146,497.00 |
|
|
Mayo |
590 |
€551,330.00 |
101 |
€91,895.00 |
|
|
Meath |
726 |
€654,037.50 |
202 |
€189,710.00 |
|
|
Monaghan |
243 |
€213,850.00 |
64 |
€50,200.00 |
|
|
Offaly |
323 |
€292,106.00 |
96 |
€89,399.00 |
|
|
Outside RoI |
2704 |
€2,485,371.68 |
650 |
€597,169.50 |
|
|
Roscommon |
240 |
€223,800.00 |
64 |
€61,300.00 |
|
|
Sligo |
240 |
€228,520.00 |
72 |
€66,400.00 |
|
|
Tipperary |
623 |
€574,715.00 |
178 |
€168,240.00 |
|
|
Waterford |
467 |
€422,388.00 |
110 |
€91,000.00 |
|
|
Westmeath |
340 |
€305,997.50 |
91 |
€82,499.00 |
|
|
Wexford |
674 |
€624,844.00 |
149 |
€135,700.00 |
|
|
Wicklow |
687 |
€628,788.50 |
159 |
€148,600.00 |
|
|
Total |
21815 |
€20,003,460.91 |
5356 |
€4,882,403.95 |
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
