Written Answers Nos. 377-397
377. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection the way that her Department and public bodies and agencies under her remit are implementing action 32 of the National Disability and Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021 (details supplied). [38744/22]
View answerMy Department's Disability Consultative Forum was established in 1996. Meetings of the forum are scheduled on a quarterly basis. The forum provides a space for representative organisations to highlight issues from the perspective of people with disabilities; to discuss solutions; and to share views and perspectives on policy and operational matters. The forum includes a wide membership of disability organisations, the National Disability Authority and representatives from the Citizens Information Board.
In addition to the above, my Department hosts an annual Pre-Budget Forum, which disability representative bodies attend. This will take place later this month. The Department invites submissions from disability representative bodies as part of the Forum.
My Department also hosts two meetings of its Community and Voluntary pillar each year, which representatives from the sector attend. The Department is also represented on various groups, such as, the Comprehensive Employment Strategy Implementation Group with representatives from the sector.
As part of its commitment under the National Disability Inclusion Strategy, my Department convenes quarterly meetings of its Disability Consultative Committee. This committee is attended by the Disability Stakeholders Group and a National Disability Authority representative. This committee discusses and monitors delivery of the Department’s commitments under the Strategy. The Disability Stakeholders Group reports twice a year to the National Disability Inclusion Strategy Steering Group on the progress the Department has made.
Furthermore, my Department hosts its Annual Carers Forum as part of its commitments under the National Carers’ Strategy. The purpose of the Forum is to provide carers with a voice at policy level. It also provides an opportunity for engagement between officials and people experiencing care issues first-hand.
My Department also consults widely as part of it review processes. Currently the Department is reviewing its Reasonable Accommodation Fund grants. As part of this review, a public consultation was undertaken from the end of March to mid–May. To reach as many people as possible the consultation was publicised using print, radio and digital media channels.
In addition, my Department presented at two information sessions held by the Disability Participation and Consultation Network. This network has been established by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth as part of an approach to ensure effective consultation with the sector, as required under the UN Convention on the Rights Of People with Disabilities (UNCRPD).
It is worth noting that under the National Disability Inclusion Strategy, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and the National Disability Authority are developing an implementation approach with regard to the UNCRPD, including consultation processes. Once approved, the approaches identified are to be adopted by departments and their agencies as part of their own implementation planning.
378. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing the jobseeker's allowance for those young persons under 25 years of age who are currently on the weekly rate of €117.70 to the maximum personal rate of €208 for those aged 25; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38749/22]
View answerThe estimated full year cost of increasing the rate of payment by an additional €90.30, from €117.70 to €208 per week, is €66.8 million. This includes a proportionate increase for qualified adults and those on an age-reduced rate of Supplementary Welfare Allowance.
This costing is based on the estimated average number of recipients in 2022, and is subject to change in light of emerging trends and subsequent revision of the estimated number of recipients.
Any increase in the rate of payment for Jobseeker's Allowance for those aged under 25, and consequential linked increases, would need to be considered in an overall budgetary and policy context.
379. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing the jobseeker's allowance for those young persons under 25 years of age who are currently on the weekly rate of €117.70 by €45.15 per week to €162.85; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38750/22]
View answerThe estimated full year cost of increasing the rate of payment by an additional €45.15, from €117.70 to €162.85 per week, is €33.4 million. This includes a proportionate increase for qualified adults and those on an age-reduced rate of Supplementary Welfare Allowance.
This costing is based on the estimated average number of recipients in 2022, and is subject to change in light of emerging trends and subsequent revision of the estimated number of recipients.
Any increase in the rate of payment for Jobseeker's Allowance for those aged under 25 would need to be considered in an overall budgetary and policy context.
380. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will examine the feasibility of introducing a second band in the fuel allowance payment in Budget 2023 for persons with incomes just above the thresholds for eligibility; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38767/22]
View answerFuel Allowance is a payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks at an estimated cost of €366 million in 2022. It is a targeted payment to people dependent on specified long-term social welfare payments. The purpose of this payment is to assist those households most in need with their energy costs.
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 a means test and the household composition criteria. This ensures that the Fuel Allowance payment is targeted at 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.
Saying that, I am acutely aware of recent price increases and their impact on households who are dependent on social welfare.
All options, including the suggestion in the question, will be kept under review, together with trends in prices, to inform preparations for the budget later this year. We will, however, have to take account, as always, of the overall budgetary context and the availability of financial resources.
Finally, the Department of Social Protection provides Additional 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 hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
381. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will examine the feasibility of introducing a second band in the carer's allowance in Budget 2023 for persons with incomes just above the thresholds for eligibility; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38768/22]
View answerMy Department provides a range of income supports for full-time carers including Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant. Combined spending on all these payments to carers in 2022 is estimated to exceed €1.5 billion.
Carer’s Allowance is the primary income support through which the Department supports carers in the community. Carer’s Allowance is a payment to people on low incomes who are caring full-time for a person who needs support because of age, disability or illness, including mental illness. The two principal conditions for receipt of Carer’s Allowance are that full time care and attention is required and being provided, and that the means test which applies is satisfied.
The conditions attached to payment of Carer’s Allowance are consistent with the overall conditions that apply to social assistance payments generally. This system of social assistance supports provides payments based on an income need with the means test playing the critical role in determining whether or not an income need arises as a consequence of a particular contingency, be that illness, disability, unemployment or caring.
The Deputy is aware that in setting income limits, as is necessary with all means-tested payments, there are always people whose incomes will just be above that limit. The creation of a second band, as outlined by the Deputy, would naturally lead to another limit that people will just be above.
In Budget 2022, I announced significant improvements to the means test for Carer's Allowance, in recognition of the vital role that carers play in society. These were the first changes to the means test in 14 years.
- The capital and savings disregard for the Carer’s Allowance means assessment was increased from €20,000 to €50,000, aligning it with that which applies for Disability Allowance.
- For carer’s who work, the weekly income disregard was increased from €332.50 to €350 for a single person, and from €665 to €750 for carers with a spouse/partner.
The changes outlined came into effect on 2 June and many Carers who up to now did not qualify for a payment due to means will now be brought into the Carers Allowance system for the first time.
The Carer's Allowance disregards are the most generous income disregards in the social welfare system and mean, in the case of a couple, that earnings of up to €39,000 p.a. are disregarded. By comparison, the income disregard applied to Disability Allowance is €140 per week. For Jobseeker's Allowance, it is €20 per day up to a maximum of €60, and the balance is assessed at 60%. For Jobseeker's Transitional Payment, the weekly income disregard is €165 with 50% of the balance assessed as means.
Any additional changes to the Carer’ Allowance means test would have to be considered in an overall policy and Budgetary context.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
382. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on the meeting arranged between her Department and the representatives of Tús and rural social scheme supervisors in order to progress their requests for improved terms and conditions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38770/22]
View answerMy Department meets regularly with CE, Tús and RSS schemes, sponsors and representatives to discuss and consider ongoing operational issues. As part of this ongoing consultation and exchange of views, officials from my Department are meeting with Tús and rural social scheme supervisor union representatives today, Wednesday 13th July 2022.
As this meeting is taking place today, I am not in a position to provide any update on what took place at this specific meeting. Also as the Deputy is aware individual schemes, not the state, are the employers of persons working on these schemes.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
383. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will examine regulations that exclude persons with disabilities from entering into self-employment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38779/22]
View answer384. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will make the blind pension, disability allowance and or the invalidity pension a secure support for disabled persons in self-employment which would level the playing field with non-disabled persons. [38780/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 383 and 384 together.
My Department provides income supports for those unable to work due to illness or disability. There is a range of schemes available to people who make Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contributions. Entitlement to such schemes is dependent on the individual's social insurance contribution record, the class of social insurance paid as well as satisfying other qualification criteria. Illness Benefit and Invalidity Pension are two such non means tested income supports.
The Partial Capacity Benefit scheme allows a person who is in receipt of Invalidity Pension or Illness Benefit (the latter for 26 weeks) to enter or return to employment or self-employment and continue to receive a partial or full payment. Following a medical assessment, if a person's restriction regarding their capacity for work is rated as moderate, severe or profound their payment continues at 50%, 75% or 100% of their previous payment while in employment. Partial Capacity Benefit has also been designed so there are no restrictions/limits on earnings from employment or on the number of hours a person can work.
A person who has an insufficient PRSI contribution record may apply for the appropriate means-tested social assistance scheme. Disability Allowance and Blind Pension are two such schemes, which are also subject to a medical assessment and habitual residency requirement.
Both Disability Allowance and Blind Pension have been designed to support recipients to pursue employment opportunities, be that self-employment or insurable employment. When a person commences employment, an income disregard of €140 per week is applied. In addition, 50% of earnings between €140 and €375 are also disregarded for the purpose of the means test.
The Back to Work Enterprise Allowance scheme has been designed to support persons, including persons with disabilities, to become self-employed. It allows a person to retain 100% of their payment in year one and 75% in year two. This includes any increases for a qualified adult, and qualified children in payment.
It is worth noting, that under the Roadmap for Social Inclusion and Pathways to Work strategies, the Department has committed to developing and consulting on a ‘strawman’ proposal for the restructuring of long-term disability payments to - simplify the system, remove inconsistencies/anomalies, recognise the continuum of disability and to support employment. Work is currently underway within the Department, with a public consultation process to commence in due course.
385. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated cost to increase the Your Place Your Space Programme youth funding by 40%. [38487/22]
View answerUBU Your Place Your Space Funding Scheme – A single youth funding scheme that targets disadvantaged young people with evidence informed interventions and services that will secure good outcomes. This fund replaces funding previously provided under Special Projects for Youth, Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund 1 &2 and the Local Drug Task Force projects. UBU Your Place Your Space became operational in mid- 2020.
Please note: A 40% funding increase on the overall funding alone may not automatically result in an additional provision of new services as demand may vary or a substantial portion may be absorbed in supporting existing services, e.g. strengthening governance, ancillary or business supports. Under UBU Your Place Your Space there is a mechanism for new services to be provided where funding becomes available. Applications would be open to an existing UBU funded organisation or an organisation new to UBU Your Place Your Space. Consequently, an increase in service provision may not necessarily lead to increased numbers of organisations funded under UBU Your Place Your Space.
Table - Cost of Increasing Funding to UBU Your Place Your Space Scheme by 40% in 2022 .
|
Grant Scheme |
2022 Allocation |
40% Increase on 2022 Allocation |
2022 Allocation incorporating 40% increase |
|
UBU Your Place Your Space |
€44,783,200 |
€17,913,280 |
€62,696,480 |
[1] Paragraph 5.7, UBU Your Place Your Space Policy and Operating Rules (www.UBU.gov.ie)
386. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated cost to employ an additional 300 Tusla social workers. [38488/22]
View answer387. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated cost to employ an additional 50 Tusla social care workers. [38489/22]
View answer388. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated cost to recruit an additional 10 Tusla administrative support staff for social care. [38490/22]
View answer389. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated cost to recruit an additional 10 after-care social care workers. [38491/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 386 to 389, inclusive, together.
I wish to inform the Deputy that my officials have asked Tusla to respond directly to you on these matters.
390. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide a breakdown including early childhood care and education scheme pay and ECCE non-pay, access and inclusion model and so on of the €334.5 million provided for ECCE and AIM preschool in line B.3 of the Revised Estimate for 2021. [38492/22]
View answerMy Department operates a number of early learning and school-age childcare funding schemes. These schemes are administered by Pobal on behalf of my Department.
The allocation under the B3 subhead for 2021 amounts to €334.5m. This subhead provides funding for three programmes.
- Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)
- Access and Inclusion Model (AIM)
- Programme Support Payments (PSPs)
Given the nature of the scheme, ECCE does not incorporate a pay/non-pay split.
The table below shows the 2021 allocation for each of the above-mentioned schemes.
|
Scheme |
Allocation (€m) |
|
|
ECCE |
€ 289.3 |
|
|
AIM |
€ 35.0 |
|
|
PSPs |
€ 10.2 |
|
|
Total |
€ 334.5 |
391. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated cost to increase funding by 10% of the existing sustainability fund for childcare providers. [38493/22]
View answerMy Department oversees a Case Management process through which local CCCs and Pobal work together to assess and provide support to early learning and care and school age care services.
Where there are financial difficulties that contribute to the issues that services are faced wtih, Sustainability Funding can accessed through Case Management under a number of different strands. Sustainability Funding is currently available for community services presenting with sustainability issues following a financial assessment by Pobal.
A new strand will be available in the autumn which will be open to both private for-profit services and community not-for-profit services that are signed up to Core Funding.
In Budget 2022, €2.15 million has been allocated for Sustainability Funding.
The cost of increasing the funding in the existing Sustainability Fund by 10% would result in the existing budget rising to €2.365m.
392. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the cost of the wages part of the early childhood care and education scheme. [38494/22]
View answer393. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the cost of the non-wages part of the early childhood care and education scheme. [38495/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 392 and 393 together.
Disaggregated information with regard to the current cost of ECCE provision across to pay and non-pay elements is not currently available.
The total cost of provision for the sector as a whole is approximately €900m across registered centred based services which breaks down to an estimated €630m for pay related costs and €270m for non-pay related costs.
Pobal, on behalf of the Department, has recently run a data gathering exercise on providers’ costs as part of the annual sector profile. This has now been completed and Pobal are in the process of checking and cleaning data to support analysis and reporting. This information will be available in the coming months and will provide more detailed insight into ECCE-related pay costs, and pay and non-pay costs generally.
394. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated cost to employ an additional 15 childminding officers. [38496/22]
View answerIn 2019 the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth put in place a National Childminding Coordinator, who is located within the Department, along with 6 Childminding Development Officers, who are located within City and County Childcare Committees (CCCs) around the country and who have a regional remit. As part of the implementation of Phase 1 of the National Action Plan for Childminding, Budget 2022 enabled the recruitment of an additional 6 Childminding Development Officer posts within the CCCs as well as a national CCC Childminding Lead whose work includes overseeing and coordinating the team of 12 Childminding Development Officers. As the Childminding Development Officers work on a regional basis in collaboration with the CCCs in each region, the team of Childminding Development Officers provides full national coverage.
In line with commitments in the National Action Plan for Childminding, the role of the Childminding Development Officers is to prepare the childminding sector for the move towards wider regulation and support, while also in the immediate term supporting childminders who are subject to the current regulations but are not yet registered with Tusla to meet Tusla registration requirements, thus enabling more childminders to take part in the National Childcare Scheme and other State supports.
The full-year cost of the 12 Childminding Development Officer posts that are now in place is €843,000 per annum, which includes costs for salaries, PRSI, travel and subsistence and overheads.
The Childminding Development Officers are employed by the City/County Childcare Committees, and the costs of each post vary between counties. Assuming that the average cost of employing a single Childminding Development Officer, including all related employment costs as well as overheads, is approximately €70,000 per annum, the additional cost of employing 15 additional full-time Childminding Development Officers would be approximately €1 million per annum.
395. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated cost to increase funding by 40% to national youth organisations. [38497/22]
View answerThe Youth Services Grant Scheme (YSGS) provides funding to national voluntary organisations with an interest in youth services or youth work. The 2022 YSGS allocation to the National Youth Organisations for 2022 is €12,886,600. The cost of a 40% increase on the 2022 funding allocation funded under the youth service grant scheme would be €5,154,640 approx.
There are 30 national and major regional voluntary organisations which receive annual funding for the growth and development of youth organisations with the aim of the social education of young people
The Youth Services Grant Scheme is currently in a reform process and is not open to applications from new organisations at this time.
Table 1 - YSGS Allocation to National Youth Organisations for 2022 & cost of 40% increase
|
National Youth Organisation |
2022 Allocation |
2022 Allocation incorporating 40% increase |
|
An Oige |
€213,418 |
€298,785 |
|
Belong To |
€225,490 |
€315,686 |
|
Catholic Guides of Ireland |
€306,208 |
€428,691 |
|
Church of Ireland Youth Department |
€212,673 |
€297,742 |
|
Crosscare |
€1,118,170 |
€1,565,438 |
|
Eco Unesco |
€144,719 |
€202,607 |
|
Experiment in International Living |
€34,083 |
€47,716 |
|
Feachtas |
€105,408 |
€147,571 |
|
Foroige |
€3,313,478 |
€4,638,869 |
|
Girls Brigade |
€53,788 |
€75,303 |
|
Girls Friendly Society |
€37,474 |
€52,464 |
|
Involve |
€270,802 |
€379,123 |
|
Irish Girl Guides |
€452,071 |
€632,899 |
|
Irish Methodist Youth and Children Dept |
€35,194 |
€49,272 |
|
Junior Chamber Ireland |
€20,031 |
€28,043 |
|
Localise |
€152,296 |
€213,214 |
|
Macra Na Feirme |
€523,631 |
€733,083 |
|
National Federation of Arch Clubs |
€61,803 |
€86,524 |
|
National Youth Council of Ireland |
€762,953 |
€1,068,134 |
|
No Name Club |
€230,749 |
€323,049 |
|
Ogras |
€220,341 |
€308,477 |
|
Order of Malta Cadets |
€57,246 |
€80,144 |
|
Scouting Ireland |
€1,305,759 |
€1,828,063 |
|
SpunOut |
€114,914 |
€160,880 |
|
The Boys Brigade |
€67,942 |
€95,119 |
|
Voluntary Services International |
€95,396 |
€133,554 |
|
Young Irish Film Makers |
€69,125 |
€96,775 |
|
Young Men's Christian Association |
€178,923 |
€250,492 |
|
Youth Theatre Ireland |
€120,421 |
€168,589 |
|
Youth Work Ireland |
€2,382,094 |
€3,334,932 |
|
Total |
€12,886,600 |
€18,041,240 |
396. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated cost of increasing funding by 33% to the local youth club grant scheme. [38498/22]
View answerFunding allocated to the Local Youth Club Grant Scheme in 2022 was €2.5 million. A 33% increase in funding for this scheme would represent €832,500 approx.
Funding under the Local Youth Club Grant Scheme (LYCGS) is provided to Education and Training Boards to manage the development and provision of youth clubs locally.
This supports volunteer-led youth club/group activities at a local level. ETBs advertise the Scheme locally on an annual basis, outlining the purpose of the grant and the eligibility criteria. ETB administer funding allocations to clubs within their functional area. The annual funding allocation is distributed between the 16 ETBs based on the youth population of each ETB.
Table - Cost of Increasing Funding to Local Youth Club Grant Scheme by 40% based on funding provided in 2022 .
|
Grant Scheme |
2022 Allocation |
33% Increase on 2022 Allocation |
2022 Allocation incorporating 33% increase |
|
Local Youth Club Grant Scheme |
€2,500,000 |
€832,500 |
€3,332,500 |
397. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated cost to increase Tusla family resource centre funding by 20%. [38499/22]
View answerTusla, the Child and Family Agency, administers the Family Resource Centre programme which provides funding to 121 centres across the country.
My Department allocates core funding for the Family Resource Centre programme which has amounted to some €18m in 2022. Therefore, the estimated cost to increase funding by 20% for the Family Resource Centre programme would be approximately €3.6m.
Various family resource centres may avail of other programmes and have other financial supports from elsewhere.
