Written Answers Nos. 135-150
135. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of persons currently in receipt of the State (non-contributory) pension; the extent to which this number is likely to fluctuate in the future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15391/22]
View answerAs at end February 2022, there are 94,551 primary state pension non- contributory recipients.
As the scheme is demand led it is not possible to predict the extent to which this number is likely to fluctuate in the future.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
136. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of recipients of child benefit payments; the extent to which this has fluctuated over the past two years and is likely to so do in the future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15392/22]
View answerThe attached tabular statement outlines the monthly recipients of Child Benefit in February 2020, February 2021 and February 2022, and highlights a gradual year-on-year decrease of approximately 0.5% in recipients over this period.
My Department has taken note of the latest CSO Regional Projections which forecasts a fall in the birth rate for all migration and fertility scenarios between 2017 and 2036.
|
Date |
Amount |
|
February 2020 |
639,128 |
|
February 2021 |
636,010 |
|
February 2022 |
633,803 |
137. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of contracts that her Department has with a company (details supplied); the location, nature, value and type of contract in each case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15415/22]
View answerMy Department has no contracts with the company referred to by the Deputy.
138. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the financial supports that are available for a family that is in inappropriate accommodation which it owns and which is no longer suitable for their child who is a wheelchair user in cases in which the financial circumstances do not allow for the family to purchase a new house; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15443/22]
View answerThe provision of housing supports is a matter for the Department of Housing, Planning, Local Government and Heritage, in conjunction with local authorities, which provide supports such as the Disabled Persons Grant scheme and Improvement Works In Lieu of Social Housing scheme. Furthermore, a range of measures is set out in Housing for All, including delivery of a new National Housing Strategy for People with a Disability (2022 – 2027).
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
139. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason that a person (details supplied) was refused the benefit payment for persons over 65 years of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15489/22]
View answerThe person concerned applied for the Benefit payment for 65 Year Olds (BP65) on 2/11/2021 and was disallowed on the grounds that he was still engaged in self employment
The person concerned was self employed with earned income up to 2016 (S9 contributions). He has SO contributions in 2019 (the Governing Contribution Year) and 2020 which are solely as a result of his Approved Retirement Fund (ARF) but as he continues to draw down annually on this ARF, he is deemed to be still engaged in self-employment. BP65 is based on JB / JBSE legislation and the person concerned does not have the required contributions to qualify under JB. Neither does he satisfy the JBSE eligibility conditions since one of the conditions for receipt of JBSE is that applicants must no longer be engaged in self-employment.
The Department considers that a person cannot be self-employed for the purposes of paying contributions (and by extension establishing a possible entitlement to benefits) and then viewed as not being engaged in self-employment for the purposes of obtaining payment. Indeed, in the absence of the self-employment contributions from his ARF income, he would have no possible entitlement to BP65 (via JBSE eligibility criteria).
The person concerned did appeal the decision and a submission has been sent to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office by the Deciding Officer on 4/2/2022.
I trust this clarifies the position at this time.
140. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to offset the rising cost of living for persons on fixed incomes particularly pensions and welfare payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15494/22]
View answerOn an ongoing basis, as part of the normal budgetary cycle, my Department takes careful note of trends in price and wage levels and also takes account of detailed research data, such as the Minimum Essential Standard of Living research, which is produced the Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice.
Having said that, I am very aware that due to the current geo-political situation, the increase in consumer prices, especially the increase in fuel and other energy prices, has exceeded even the highest forecasts for price increases.
That is why this Government did not await a further budget cycle but has acted early. To help mitigate the effects of these rising costs, the Government announced a package of measures in February, which will have a positive impact on the incomes of all households in our country. This package will cost in excess of half a billion euro.
As part of that package, measures introduced include an additional lump sum payment of €125 to all households in receipt of the Fuel Allowance payment which was paid last week at a cost of approximately €49 million. This, in addition to the €5 weekly Fuel Allowance increase introduced as part of Budget 2022, means that low-income households will see an increase of 41% in Fuel Allowance support provided to qualifying households during this Fuel Allowance season compared to last season.
When added to the Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Payment of €200, which will be paid to each household in April, the combined value is €325, which is the equivalent of just under ten weeks of Fuel Allowance payment.
The increase of €10 to the weekly income threshold of the Working Family Payment is also being brought forward. This measure will now take effect from early April 2022 rather than from June.
These measures are in addition to those introduced as part of Budget 2022, which included the largest social welfare Budget package in 14 years. In January, around 1.4 million people received a €5 increase in weekly payments, and more if they have dependents.
In addition to improvements in core social welfare rates, there were a number of targeted measures designed to protect the most vulnerable from poverty. These included further increases to the rates of fuel allowance, qualified child payments and the Living Alone Allowance.
My Department also gives support through the supplementary welfare allowance scheme to provide discretionary payments to people who face difficulties in meeting energy bills.
The Committee on Budgetary Oversight recently reported that the current high rate of inflation is mainly due to external factors.
While, given these factors, there is a limit to what any Government can do, we will continue to monitor this evolving situation very closely.
141. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department has or will pay full PRSI contributions for all those who were in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment over the course of the past two years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15495/22]
View answerAmongst the actions taken by Government to mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic was a provision to attribute social insurance contributions, for a period that may be prescribed, to employed contributors who were beneficiaries of certain Covid-19 income support payments including the pandemic unemployment payment. Such contributors have social insurance contributions attributed to them at the same value as they were paying while employed immediately before going on that payment.
The legislation underpinning the measure makes provision for the Minister for Social Protection, with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and having considered certain matters set out in the legislation, to prescribe the number of self-employment contributions to be attributed to self-employed contributors who were entitled to and in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment.
Self-employed contributors have a period of time following the end of the contribution year to remit and pay their social insurance liability for that contribution year. For example, self-employed contributors have until the end of October 2022 to file their self-assessment tax returns for 2021, including the payment of social insurance contributions where they are liable to do so for that year.
Contributions have been attributed for the 2020 contribution year in respect of employed and self-employed contributors who were entitled to and in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment in 2020. The process to attribute contributions to employed contributors who were entitled to and in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment in 2021 is scheduled to be undertaken in the coming months. The matter of the attribution of contributions in respect of self-employed contributors for the 2021 contribution year will be considered, taking account of the matters set out in the underpinning legislation, towards the end of this year.
I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
142. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps she is taking to address the barriers for individuals applying for parent’s benefit including digital literacy issues, necessity for a public services card to apply via MyGovID.ie and attendant difficulties in accessing paper application forms for applicants who are unable to apply online. [15506/22]
View answerParents leave and benefit was introduced in 2019 and is available to parents of new babies born or children adopted from 1st November 2019. This benefit covers five weeks' paid leave from employment/self-employment for each parent within the first two years of the child’s life or adoption, which can be taken as either consecutive weeks or in one-week blocks in order to provide the family with full flexibility. This benefit is in addition to existing maternity, adoptive and paternity benefit entitlements.
Provision was made in Budget 2022 to increase the number of weeks of Parents Leave and Benefit available to eligible parents from five weeks to seven weeks with effect from July 2022. The additional two weeks leave and benefit will apply to parents of children who are under age two years in July 2022 (or adoptive children who have been with their parents for less than two years at that point).
An application for Parents Benefit can be submitted either in paper format or via MyWefare depending on the individual’s preference.
Parents Benefit is one of the many schemes the Department has made available via our online platform and our rationale for doing so was to meet growing customer demand and expectations. The Department is committed to inclusive design, enabling online portals which can be used by all users including those who may have cognitive or physical impairments, such as blindness. This means that our sites, including MyWelfare.ie, can be used with assistive technologies such as screen readers or by using a keyboard for navigation, but also that the design of our sites supports cognitive and visual impairments such as dyslexia, colour blindness or those short of sight, to ensure that for all users there is a smooth journey and experience through our online portals.
In order to access the Department’s services via MyWelfare a customer must complete the SAFE registration process, this is the process through which a person satisfies the Minister as to their identity. Once their identity is verified in this way, they are issued with a Public Services Card which can be used as proof of their identity when dealing with many public service bodies.
The Department continues to promote and increase awareness on the availability of the online claim method through MyWelfare, highlighting the availability of services and the potential for a decision within minutes where all conditions are fulfilled. Approximately 75% of all Parents Benefit claims are made online and over 80% of those which fulfil all eligibility conditions are auto awarded within minutes.
As with any of the Department’s schemes, if a customer does not wish to avail of the online service available a paper application form is available on request by contacting the Parents Benefit section directly.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
143. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he has engaged a company (details supplied) in respect of the services it provides from 2011 to date in 2022; the number of times he has engaged this company; the services used; and the total cost of all engagements with this company. [15175/22]
View answerThe information sought by the Deputy is being compiled and will be forwarded directly in due course.
144. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to establish a working party to investigate the needs of persons living with Huntington’s disease and their families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15203/22]
View answerIn the context of existing work addressing the needs of people with disabilities in a coordinated and comprehensive fashion, there are no plans to establish a specific working group related to Huntington’s disease.
Ireland currently has two whole-of-government strategies in place, the National Disability Inclusion Strategy (NDIS), now extended until the end of 2022, and the Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities (CES), 2015-2024. I chair the National Disability Inclusion Strategy Steering Group and the Comprehensive Employment Strategy Implementation Group is independently chaired by Fergus Finlay. Both strategies are aimed at supporting all people with disabilities in Ireland in all aspects of their lives, and this includes people with Huntington’s Disease.
Various working groups have been established under the NDIS and the CES to address cross-disability issues related to transport and personal mobility supports, assistive technology, and establishing seamless inter-departmental supports for people with disabilities who want to work, remain in work, or return to work. Both strategies are also progressed in close consultation and collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders, in particular the Disability Stakeholder Group which encompasses disability experts include experts by experience, representatives of disability organisations and disabled persons organisations (DPOs).
145. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if sufficient considerations have been given to inflationary pressures being experienced by the childcare sector; the measures and supports that will be in place to assist providers facing rising costs of providing childcare; if his attention has been drawn to the challenges facing childcare providers in terms of inflation if funding for the sector is benchmarked at 2021 levels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15259/22]
View answerEnsuring improved quality, affordability and sustainability of Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare (ELC and SAC) services is a key priority for Government. My Department has undertaken detailed analysis of providers' operating costs and has in-depth understanding of the cost breakdown and cost drivers of ELC and SAC delivery.
As part of Budget 2022, I was pleased to announce that Government's allocation for investment in ELC and SAC this year is €716 million.
From September 2022, a major new funding stream - Core Funding - will be introduced. Under the new funding stream, in return for a commitment that fees to parents will not increase, providers will be supported in meeting their operating costs, including increased costs related to improved quality measures.
In a full year, €221 million will be available for providers under this new funding stream, allocated to services based on the capacity they indicate they will offer and the qualifications of those working in a service.
€183 million of the €221 million will be distributed based on the capacity that the service is offering to provide (child places, age groups, hours and weeks). This includes allocations for improvements in staff pay and conditions (€138 million), for administrative staff/time (€25 million), and for a contribution to non-staff overhead costs (€20 million).The remaining €38 million will be distributed in line with ELC graduate qualifications of ELC Lead Educators and Managers in ELC or combined ELC and SAC services.
Budget 2022 also announced that the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) would continue to be available to the ELC and SAC sector. Employers in the sector have been entitled to access the EWSS, with an exemption from the requirement to demonstrate the 30% drop in turnover that applies to other sectors since August 2020. Between October 2020 and January 2022, the enhanced rate of EWSS equalled €34 million per month for ELC and SAC employers, covering, on average, 80% staff costs or 50% total operating costs. From 1 February 2022, the original two-rate structure of €203 per week and €151.50 per week applied; amounting to €22 million per month for ELC and SAC employers, covering, on average, 50% staff costs or 38% total operating costs. For March and April 2022 the flat rate subsidy of €100 per week apply and the scheme will end on 30 April 2022; this amounts of €11 million per month in the sector, and will cover, on average, 25% staff costs or 11% total operating costs.
Between the end of the EWSS and the introduction of Core Funding, a Transition Fund will be in place to support providers. The main conditionality of access to the Transition Fund will be that services do not increase the fees charged to parents above September 2021 levels. The sum paid to each service under the Transition Fund will depend on the service’s capacity, location, and service type.
Where providers require further financial assistance in addition to current supports available, the Department operates a Sustainability Fund for providers experiencing sustainability challenges Providers facing these challenges should contact their local City/County Childcare Committee.
146. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he plans to establish a standalone Ombudsman to investigate breaches of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15260/22]
View answerThere are no immediate plans to establish an Ombudsman on the lines suggested by the Deputy, in view of the existing powers and functions of the Ombudsman and the Children's Ombudsman, both of whom have conducted very important, effective and valuable examinations and reviews of disability issues to date.
In addition to the existing powers of the Ombudsman and Ombudsman for Children, the Disability Act places obligations on public bodies to provide accessible services, information, and to the extent to which it is practicable, also to physical spaces. The Act also sets out a specific complaints process. In addition, the provisions of the Equal Status Acts prohibit discrimination on ten equality grounds, including disability status, in relation to employment, goods and services. Redress is available under the Acts through a complaints mechanism that is administered by the Workplace Relations Commission .
Ireland ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) on 20 March 2018. This marked an important milestone in a process to strengthen the rights of people with disabilities in Ireland that has gathered momentum since Ireland became a signatory to the Convention in 2007.
Ireland's approach to meeting the obligations of the UNCRPD is one of progressive realisation - each year moving forward on key reforms, with the obligations arising from the Convention being met over time. Initial priority has been given to meeting legislative commitments and requirements.
Following ratification of the Convention, my Department is in the process of examining the requirements for ratification of the Optional Protocol, which concerns redress mechanisms. This process will encompass a robust review of present redress mechanisms for breaches of rights under the UNCRPD. Ratification of the Protocol is a commitment in the Programme for Government and if any further action on redress mechanisms is required this will identified and pursued.
147. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the action being taken to reduce the waiting time for cases being dealt with by social workers at Tusla relative to those seeking information on their details of birth; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that persons are being informed that the wait time could be two years or more; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15290/22]
View answerAs the subject matter of the Deputy's question relates to an operational matter for Tusla, Child and Family Agency, I have referred the matter to them for a direct reply.
I would like to inform the Deputy that upon enactment, the provisions of the Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022 will greatly improve waiting times for information and tracing services. The Bill was published in January 2022 and completed committee stage earlier this month. In anticipation of enactment of the legislation, Tusla Child and Family Agency is currently recruiting for a number of posts to ensure a swift and efficient service will be provided.
148. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the timeframe for granting access to the original birth certificates of those seeking information on the details of their birth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15291/22]
View answerI am taking it that the Deputy's question relates to the timeframe for the Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022, a core aim of which is to provide for access to original birth certificates for adopted people and others.
I published the Birth Information and Tracing Bill in January of this year. The Bill completed committee stage in the Dáil earlier this month and will now progress to report stage. The legislation remains a priority of mine and I am committed to its progression through the Houses of the Oireachtas to ensure timely enactment and commencement later this year.
149. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on the Hungarian policy of the grandparent's childcare fee (details supplied); if his Department plans to introduce such a scheme here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15111/22]
View answerThere are currently no plans to introduce a scheme, similar to the scheme in Hungary, whereby grandparents are funded to provide early learning and childcare to grandchildren under age 3.
My Department’s main funding schemes to directly support families with the cost of early learning and childcare are the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) and the National Childcare Scheme (NCS).
Only early learning and childcare services registered with Tusla can operate these funding schemes. This requirement to be registered with Tusla is a critical quality assurance measure associated with the provision of State funding for early learning and childcare supports.
In April 2021, I published the National Action Plan for Childminding - which sets out a phased approach to bringing childminders within the scope of regulation over the period 2021-2028.
The extension of regulation to childminders, which is expected to happen within the first 2-3 years of the National Action Plan, will allow parents who use childminders to also access subsidies under the National Childcare Scheme - further supporting parental choice in relation to early learning and childcare options.
In developing the plan, regulating early learning and care by relatives was considered to be out scope. This decision was informed by recommendations of an independently chaired Working Group on Reforms and Supports for the Childminding Sector.
150. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of contracts that his Department has with a company (details supplied); the location, nature, value and type of contract in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15402/22]
View answerMy department does not have any contracts with Roadbridge.
