Written Answers Nos. 281-291
281. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if an application for an invalidity pension now under appeal in the case of a person (details supplied) will be expedited and approved; and if an oral hearing will be arranged to allow the applicant to explain their case. [15544/22]
View answerThe Department received a claim for invalidity pension (IP) from the person concerned on 08 December 2021. He was refused IP on the grounds that the medical conditions for the scheme were not satisfied. He was notified on 24 January 2022 of this decision, the reasons for it and of his right of review and/or appeal.
He requested a review of this decision on 04 February 2022 and submitted further medical evidence in support of his request. Following a review of all the information available it was decided that there was no change to the original decision. He was notified on 18 February 2022 of the outcome of the review and of his right to appeal the decision to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office within 21 days. To date no request for an appeal has been received from the person concerned.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
282. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Social Protection if she can clarify the situation in relation to reports circulating of the possible closure of the Castlepollard, County Westmeath branch office of her Department (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15558/22]
View answerThe Department currently has 58 Branch Offices at various locations throughout the country. Each contracted Branch Office is operated and managed, under a contract for services, by a Branch Manager who is required to act as an agent for the Department in the area served by the office. Branch Office managers operate on a contract for service and are independent contractors.
The contract for the delivery of Branch Office services in Castlepollard was due to expire on the 8th of February 2023. However, the Branch Manager has very recently informed the Department of his intention to retire.
The continued provision of Social Welfare services to Castlepollard customers has been prioritised, both in accessing supports online and in-person, including the Community Welfare Service (CWS) and Activation. The Department will ensure that an efficient and quality public service which properly reflects customer needs is provided for all our customers in the Castlepollard area.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
283. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Social Protection if an undertaking will be given to ensure that the Castlepollard, County Westmeath branch office of her Department remains open and providing the full range of services into the foreseeable future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15559/22]
View answerThe Department currently has 58 Branch Offices at various locations throughout the country. Each contracted Branch Office is operated and managed, under a contract for services, by a Branch Manager who is required to act as an agent for the Department in the area served by the office. Branch Office managers operate on a contract for service and are independent contractors.
The contract for the delivery of Branch Office services in Castlepollard was due to expire on the 8th of February 2023. However, the Branch Manager has very recently informed the Department of his intention to retire.
The continued provision of Social Welfare services to Castlepollard customers has been prioritised, both in accessing supports online and in-person, including the Community Welfare Service (CWS) and Activation. The Department will ensure that an efficient and quality public service which properly reflects customer needs is provided for all our customers in the Castlepollard area.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
284. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason that a citizens information office (details supplied) is closed to the public; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15565/22]
View answerThe Citizens Information Board (CIB), is a statutory independent body as set out in the Comhairle Act 2010 which operates under the aegis of my Department. CIB provides funding to 21 companies in order to deliver services on its behalf. This includes eight CIS companies that operate a national network of Citizens Information Centres, including North Leinster CIS which encompasses Co. Longford.
The Longford Citizen Information Centre office had to close earlier this month for a short period due to staff availability and arrangements were put in place so that any enquiries or information requests could be dealt with by phone or email. The office will reopen to the public again on Monday 28th of March.
285. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of investigations launched in a region (details supplied); the number of these investigations that relate to one staff member alone; the cost to the State of the investigations, including legal advice; if she has concerns in relation to the matter; if she has examined the matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15566/22]
View answerThe Citizens Information Board (CIB), under the aegis of my Department, is the statutory body with responsibility for the Citizens Information Service (CIS). CIB provides funding and support to eight regional CIS companies, including North Leinster CIS. Each of these companies is overseen and governed by a Board of Directors and run by a Regional Manager.
A Service Level Agreement (SLA) governs CIB's relationship with each of the companies. The SLA details the obligations the company has, to both CIB and the public, in providing services. The SLA also describes the various supports available to each company and its employees. This includes access to an independent external company, which provides support and advice on human resources and industrial relations matters to all Citizen Information Service companies.
Individual HR matters are managed by each CIS company. The companies have their own grievance procedures in place and facilitate access to an Employee Assistance Service. Consequently it is not appropriate that I comment on individual HR matters relating to the Citizen Information Service.
286. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Social Protection the total amount allocated to the wage subsidy scheme financial support to employers who employ persons with a disability (details supplied) over the past five years; and the amount of that funding that has been drawn down over the five years by employers specifically for the reason of the grant. [15610/22]
View answerThe Wage Subsidy Scheme (WSS) is an employment support to private sector employers, the objective of which is to encourage employers to employ people with disabilities and thereby increase the numbers of people with disabilities participating in the open labour market. The scheme provides financial incentives to private sector employers to hire people with a disability for between 21 and 39 subsidised hours per week under a contract of employment. Since January 2022, the basic rate of subsidy is €6.30 per hour giving a total annual subsidy of €12,776 per annum based on a 39-hour week. The rate of the subsidy increases when an employer employs 3 WSS participants or more. The subsidy is paid to the employer.
Over the past five years, the Wage Subsidy Scheme was allocated over €124 million and the amount drawn down by employers is over €101 million. The following table provides a breakdown of the Wage Subsidy Scheme funding allocated and the amount drawn down by employers per year
|
Year |
WSS Budget |
WSS Expenditure |
|
2017 |
€25,900,000 |
€20,836,627 |
|
2018 |
€23,160,000 |
€22,321,024 |
|
2019 |
€24,720,000 |
€23,819,491 |
|
2020 |
€24,550,000 |
€18,356,000 |
|
2021 |
€25,980,000 |
€15,899,752* |
* Appropriation accounts not yet complete for 2021
The scheme funding drawn down by employers from March 2020 is significantly reduced due to the Covid Pandemic as employers in receipt of the Revenue Employer Wage Subsidy Scheme could not claim the disability Wage Subsidy Scheme payments concurrently.
I hope this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.
287. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection the transport services and or the financial assistance available to persons on social welfare or a low income with a requirement to travel to hospitals for treatment on a regular basis; if she will address the transport issues and costs associated with such travel arrangements in circumstances in which there is a lack of public transport or simply no public transport; if overnight private accommodation costs are funded for low income patients in circumstances in which hospital appointments span a number of days; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15619/22]
View answerThe supplementary welfare allowance 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 dependents.
Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme my Department may make a single exceptional needs payment to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. This could include payment for costs such as travel and necessary temporary accommodation while attending hospital appointments. In addition, support can be provided through a supplement under the scheme which can be awarded to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from the person's own resources and are deemed to be necessary.
Decisions on essential needs payments and supplements are made at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case in order to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance.
I would encourage any person who considers they may have an entitlement to an exceptional needs payment or a supplement to contact the Community Welfare Service at their local Intreo Centre. There is a national Income Support Helpline in place - 0818-800024 - which will direct callers to the appropriate office.
My Department also administers the free travel scheme, which provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. These include road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann and Iarnród Éireann, as well as Luas and services provided by over 80 private transport operators. There are currently approximately 1,026,000 customers with direct eligibility for free travel.
Funding is provided by the HSE under the National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) for a transportation assistance fund, known as Travel2Care, to assist patients who have a financial difficulty in meeting some of the costs of travelling to appointments. This scheme is administered by the Irish Cancer Society.
The provision of accessible public transport is a matter for the Minister for Transport. My Department provides an annual funding contribution of €1.5 million from the Free Travel budget provision towards the Transport for Ireland Local Link Programme, which is administered by the National Transport Authority under the auspices of the Department of Transport. The Programme provides services to people whose travel needs are not met by existing bus or train services. Services provided include door to door services on certain routes.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
288. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress to date in the determination of an application for invalidity pension in the case of a person (details supplied);; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15720/22]
View answerThe person concerned submitted an application for Invalidity Pension on 26 January 2022. It was decided that the relevant year in this case is 2021. According to the Department’s records there are 0 weeks qualifying contributions paid or credited for her in the contribution year prior to the relevant date (2020) and 0 weeks qualifying contributions paid or credited for her in the second last year prior to the relevant date (2019). This application has been disallowed and the person concerned was notified of the decision on 16 February 2022, the reasons for it and of her right to review and appeal. No appeal request has been received to date.
Following a review of the entitlement of the person concerned to Disability Allowance, their claim was suspended on 13 December 2021, as they failed to supply the information required in order to assess the entitlement.
The requested information was received from the person concerned and their file was sent to a social welfare inspector (SWI) on 22 December 2021 for a full report of their means and circumstances.
Further information was requested by the SWI from this person. On receipt of the report from the SWI a decision will be made on their DA and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
289. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the process to date in the determination of an appeal of a carer’s allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15721/22]
View answerCarer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care.
I can confirm that the person concerned was in receipt of CA in respect of her care recipient from 31 May 2012 to 30 September 2021.
Once claims are in payment, the Department periodically reviews them to ensure that there is continued entitlement.
A review was initiated on this application on 5 March 2020 and the person’s file was subsequently referred to a local Social Welfare Inspector (SWI) to evaluate means and to confirm that all the conditions for receipt of CA are satisfied.
On foot of the SWI report, correspondence issued to the person concerned on 21 September 2021 to advise that her CA and Carer’s Support Grant (CSG) payments were under review as she failed to submit information requested by a SWI. In the absence of the requested information, it was not possible to determine whether the conditions for the receipt of CA were satisfied and payment to the person concerned was suspended from 30 September 2021.
On 14 March 2022 a Deciding Officer reviewed all the available information and decided that the person concerned was no longer entitled to CA as she had failed to show that she satisfied the conditions for CA and had failed to supply documentation that was requested from her. In addition, her entitlement to CA from 31 May 2012 to 30 September 2021 is also being investigated
The person concerned was notified on 14 March of this decision, the reason for it and of her right of review and appeal.
According to the records of the Department, the person concerned has not exercised either right to date.
If the person concerned wants a review of the decision to disallow CA, it is open to them to submit the evidence to demonstrate they satisfy the conditions for receipt of the payment.
Alternatively, they may appeal the decision directly to the Social Welfare Appeals Office.
The time-limit for submitting an appeal of the statutory decision is within 21 days of the decision date.
However, the right of review is not time limited.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
290. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps she is taking to address delayed processing of carer’s allowance applications. [15747/22]
View answerMy Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers, ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible.
There are no delays in processing claims once all of the necessary information is provided to establish entitlement to Carer's Allowance. The average number of weeks to award new Carer's Allowance applications has remained on average at 4 weeks since September 2020.
Significant improvements have been achieved in reducing the average time to process claims over the last few years. In 2021 the average number of weeks to award a new Carer's Allowance claim was 4 weeks, compared to 7 weeks in 2020 and 14 weeks in 2019.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
291. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for farm assist received by quarter; the number declined; the reason for such by quarter in each of the years 2016 to 2021 and to date in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15756/22]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, Farm Assist is a form of Jobseekers Allowance. It is a means-tested payment for low-income farmers. To qualify, a customer must be a farmer in the State, be aged between 18 and 66, and satisfy a means test (as is the case for all Jobseeker’s Allowance claims).
To enable the accurate enumeration of recipients of Farm Assist, the Department uses a unique administrative code which is only applied to a claim that has already been awarded. Statistics are maintained on the total applications, awards, refusals, and withdrawals for Jobseeker’s Allowance but such detailed data is not separately collated in respect of Farm Assist. Accordingly, the data sought cannot be provided in the manner referred to by the Deputy.
Farm Assist recipients by month from January 2016 to February 2022 is provided beneath.
Table 1: Farm Assist recipients by month from January 2016 to February 2022.
|
Month |
Recipients |
|
Jan-16 |
8,790 |
|
Feb-16 |
8,593 |
|
Mar-16 |
8,039 |
|
Apr-16 |
8,293 |
|
May-16 |
8,225 |
|
Jun-16 |
8,177 |
|
Jul-16 |
8,105 |
|
Aug-16 |
8,058 |
|
Sep-16 |
7,955 |
|
Oct-16 |
7,886 |
|
Nov-16 |
7,831 |
|
Dec-16 |
7,828 |
|
Jan-17 |
7,736 |
|
Feb-17 |
7,576 |
|
Mar-17 |
7,290 |
|
Apr-17 |
7,421 |
|
May-17 |
7,391 |
|
Jun-17 |
7,366 |
|
Jul-17 |
7,380 |
|
Aug-17 |
7,346 |
|
Sep-17 |
7,290 |
|
Oct-17 |
7,246 |
|
Nov-17 |
7,219 |
|
Dec-17 |
7,234 |
|
Jan-18 |
7,173 |
|
Feb-18 |
7,068 |
|
Mar-18 |
6,817 |
|
Apr-18 |
6,900 |
|
May-18 |
6,866 |
|
Jun-18 |
6,816 |
|
Jul-18 |
6,772 |
|
Aug-18 |
6,744 |
|
Sep-18 |
6,679 |
|
Oct-18 |
6,610 |
|
Nov-18 |
6,557 |
|
Dec-18 |
6,535 |
|
Jan-19 |
6,435 |
|
Feb-19 |
6,336 |
|
Mar-19 |
6,171 |
|
Apr-19 |
6,151 |
|
May-19 |
6,161 |
|
Jun-19 |
6,132 |
|
Jul-19 |
6,089 |
|
Aug-19 |
6,059 |
|
Sep-19 |
6,011 |
|
Oct-19 |
6,000 |
|
Nov-19 |
5,966 |
|
Dec-19 |
5,971 |
|
Jan-20 |
5,935 |
|
Feb-20 |
5,840 |
|
Mar-20 |
5,789 |
|
Apr-20 |
5,723 |
|
May-20 |
5,700 |
|
Jun-20 |
5,685 |
|
Jul-20 |
5,651 |
|
Aug-20 |
5,627 |
|
Sep-20 |
5,568 |
|
Oct-20 |
5,532 |
|
Nov-20 |
5,503 |
|
Dec-20 |
5,511 |
|
Jan-21 |
5,254 |
|
Feb-21 |
5,211 |
|
Mar-21 |
5,303 |
|
Apr-21 |
5,291 |
|
May-21 |
5,238 |
|
Jun-21 |
5,184 |
|
Jul-21 |
5,140 |
|
Aug-21 |
5,089 |
|
Sep-21 |
5,029 |
|
Oct-21 |
5,000 |
|
Nov-21 |
4,962 |
|
Dec-21 |
4,945 |
|
Jan-22 |
4,908 |
|
Feb-22 |
4,864 |
