Written Answers Nos. 844-869
845. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on whether the exclusion of women born before 1 September 1946 from the total contributions approach to contributory pension, which allows for up to 20 years home caring periods, represents discrimination on the grounds of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13729/23]
View answerThe current State Pension (Contributory) system gives significant recognition to those whose work history includes an extended period outside the paid workforce, often to raise families or to provide another full-time caring role.
Applicants for the State Pension (Contributory) have their entitlement assessed under two separate criteria, receiving a payment based on whichever method is most beneficial to the person. The Yearly Average (YA) method has been in place since the introduction of the contributory pension in 1961. The YA method uses all paid and credited contributions divided by time spent in the social insurance system to give an average of Social Insurance contributions per year with payments made on a banded basis.
Under the Yearly Average method, applicants can apply under the Homemaker's Scheme for those years since 1994 spent caring for children under 12 or other dependent relatives to be disregarded in the calculation. Up to 20 years disregard can be applied. This means the pension average does not disadvantage an applicant for the time spent caring.
In January 2018, an interim Total Contributions Approach was introduced which removed the time spent in the Social Insurance system as a factor and simply added paid and credited contributions together. Homecaring periods can be claimed for providing full time care to children under 12 or people aged over 12 who require an increased level of full-time care. Up to 20 years of Homecaring Periods can be claimed. This reform fundamentally changed the entitlement of many who spent time out of the workforce caring for others. For the first time, it acknowledged home caring periods prior to 1994. The Interim Total Contributions Approach arrangement results in a fairer and a more transparent system, as the person’s lifetime contribution is reflected in the State Pension (Contributory) payment received.
People whose pensions were decided under the 2000-2012 rate bands (i.e., those born before 1 September 1946) were subject to a significantly more generous payment regime than those who qualified before or afterwards, as a Yearly Average of only 20 contributions per year (out of a maximum of 52) could attract a 98% pension. If pre-2012 pensioners were also allowed to avail of Homecaring Periods, their arrangements, as a group, would continue to be significantly more generous than those of post-2012 pensioners. There would also be a very significant cost which, in turn, could significantly impact funds for future pension increases with consequential implications for pensioner poverty.
Last September, I announced a series of landmark reforms to the State Pension system. The measures are in response to the Pensions Commission’s recommendations and represent the biggest ever structural reform of the Irish State Pension system. One of the reforms agreed by Government is a phased 10-year full transition to the Total Contributions Approach and the abolition of the Yearly Average approach.
Where a person reaches State Pension age and does not satisfy the conditions to qualify for a SPC or qualifies for less than the maximum rate, he/she may qualify for the means-tested State Pension (Non-Contributory), the maximum rate of which is over 95% of the rate of the State Pension (Contributory). Alternatively, an Increase for a Qualified Adult (IQA) is paid, generally, where a pensioner has an adult dependent who does not have enough contributions to claim a maximum rate State Pension (Contributory) in his or her own right. The payment rate for the IQA is up to 90% of a full contributory pension. The most advantageous payment for a pensioner will depend upon their individual circumstances.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
846. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on whether the exclusion of people not in receipt of a social protection payment from the sale of residence disregard, particularly in circumstances in which the treatment of this disregard has resulted in a large overpayment arising against the estate of a deceased person is unfair; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13735/23]
View answerThe Department operates a range of means-tested social assistance payments. The means test takes account of the income and assets of the person (and spouse / partner, if applicable) applying for the relevant scheme. Income and assets include income from employment, self-employment, occupational pensions, maintenance payments as well as property owned (other than the family home) and capital such as savings, shares, and other investments.
If a social welfare recipient sells their home, the proceeds of the sale are normally taken into account as means. However, social welfare legislation provides for a specific disregard for recipients of the State Pension (Non-Contributory), Disability Allowance or Blind Pension when they sell their home in certain situations.
For these schemes, the means test does not take into account up to €190,500 of the gross proceeds of the sale if the person:
- moves to more suitable accommodation;
- moves in with someone who is caring for them and getting a carer's payment;
- moves to sheltered or special housing in the voluntary, co-operative, statutory or private sectors; or
- moves into a registered private nursing home.
If a recipient of one of these schemes dies, the property is no longer considered their residence as it then becomes an asset of their estate.
Recipients of means tested social protection schemes are obliged, at claim stage, to provide full details of any income(s), assets, savings and investments they (or their spouse/civil-partner/cohabitant) hold and, following award of claim, to notify the Department of any material changes in their circumstances that may affect their entitlement.
If the Deputy would like to contact my Department and provide details of any specific cases where he feels there is an issue, my officials can look into these cases and provide a more detailed response.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
847. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if the case of a person (details supplied) will be examined; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13757/23]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.
I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all the evidence available, disallowed the invalidity pension appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision on 28 February 2023.
Under social welfare legislation the decision of an Appeals Officer is generally final and conclusive and may only be reviewed by an Appeals Officer in the light of new evidence or new facts. I am advised that the person concerned subsequently submitted additional evidence and that the file will be forwarded to the Appeals Officer to review the appeal decision on foot of this additional evidence. The person concerned will be contacted when the review of his appeal has been finalised.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
848. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection whether there are plans to open an Intreo centre in Lucan County Dublin given the population growth in the area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13788/23]
View answerCustomers from the Lucan area currently avail of the Department’s services at the Clondalkin Intreo Centre, including the Community Welfare Service (CWS). The walk-in CWS in Clondalkin Intreo Centre operates alongside the Department’s national CWS contact phone line. This means customers can access CWS services in-person, over the phone and by email. A new online service for accessing Supplementary Welfare Allowance payments will also be available at www.MyWelfare.ie from the end of March 2023. Where it is needed, Community Welfare Officers can also arrange to visit a person’s house by appointment. Customers may also contact the National Intreo Contact Centre (NICC) at 0818 405060 with enquiries about their Jobseeker’s or One-parent Family Payment claims. Customers can speak with Department of Social Protection staff who will work to resolve their query when they contact the NICC.The Clondalkin Intreo Centre was completed in 2015 and it included an extension into the adjoining and former Motor Tax Office. The Department believes that the scale of the operation in Clondalkin is capable of serving the population catchment of the Lucan area and has no plans for an Intreo Centre in Lucan at the present time.
849. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department has a policy of writing to social welfare payment recipients and asking them to change their method of payment from collection at their local post office to electronic fund transfer with their bank; if correspondence from the postmaster (details supplied) has been brought to her attention; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13789/23]
View answerMy Department has not issued any letters to its customers requesting them to switch their payment method from cash collection at a post office to payment by Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) into their account in a financial institution.
My Department provides two main payment options for its customers: payment in cash at post offices or payment directly into customer accounts by Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT). Last year, 70% of all Social Welfare payments were made by EFT and 29.5% were by cash collection at post offices. A small number of ad hoc payments were also made by cheque, which represented 0.5% of all payments.
Customers are offered a choice of payment method for most Social Welfare schemes and their wishes are facilitated where they choose to receive their social welfare payment at a post office. This is a matter of customer choice and preference and my Department has a duty to inform customer's of their rights. However, for control reasons, choice of payment method is restricted for a small number of Social Welfare schemes.
During the Covid pandemic, the rules governing choice of payment method for Social Welfare schemes were greatly relaxed. Customers who previously were required to collect their payment from a post office were given the option to receive their Social Welfare payment directly into an account in a financial institution, whether that be a bank, a credit union or An Post.
This was done to help customers comply with health guidelines on social distancing. The rules around payment collection by an agent were also relaxed.
As the pandemic receded, pre-Covid rules were reinstated on a phased basis. This has led to a migration of Jobseeker payments back to post offices over the last year. There is also currently a review of agent arrangements for customers in receipt of Carer's Allowance payments.
The reinstatement of cash collection at a post office as the default payment method for Jobseekers has resulted in an increase of almost 25% in the number of Jobseeker payments transacted by An Post in the last year.
The current review of agent collection arrangements for those people in receipt of a Carer’s Allowance payment has involved my Department writing out to customers to check whether they still require an agent to collect their post office payment. In the vast majority of cases, these customers have told my officials that they no longer need an agent and can continue to collect their payment themselves at a post office. A very small number of customers have indicated that they still require an agent.
Any carer not able to collect their payment at a post office could indicate an inability to provide care. For this reason, the use of an agent is only allowed in exceptional circumstances. All customers in receipt of Carer’s Allowance who had an agent were also given the option to have their payment made directly into an account in a financial institution.
Payment by EFT is permitted for the Carer's Allowance Social Welfare scheme and my Department has a responsibility to ensure that customers are made aware of all of the payments options available to them.
It is not proposed to limit the freedom of Social Welfare customers to be paid directly at a post office. Neither is it Departmental policy to advise or encourage customers to favour one financial institution over another.
With the exception of a small number of schemes, due to control reasons, my Department remains committed to providing social welfare recipients with a choice of payment method. My Department will respect customer choice as appropriate and make payments in line with customer preference where choice is available.
I am aware of the correspondence from the postmaster (details supplied) and can confirm that my officials have contacted this individual directly to explain the situation.
850. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Social Protection if people who did not qualify for the fuel allowance in advance of starting a community employment scheme can now access the payment as the thresholds have changed, or if there is a mechanism in place to allow this to happen; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13806/23]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the purpose of the Fuel Allowance payment is to assist households with their energy costs. The Fuel Allowance payment is targeted towards those who are more vulnerable to energy poverty, including those reliant on social protection payments for longer periods and who are unlikely to have additional resources of their own.
If a participant on a Community Employment (CE) scheme was in receipt of Fuel Allowance prior to going on the scheme, they continue to receive the Fuel Allowance payment while participating on the scheme, once they continue to satisfy the qualifying conditions.
If the CE participant was not in receipt of the Fuel Allowance payment prior to starting on CE they may still apply for and potentially qualify for Fuel Allowance.
From 1st September 2022, the period a person must be in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance or Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) to access the Fuel Allowance scheme, was reduced to 12 months. This will also benefit people on CE who previously have been in receipt of the above payments for greater than 312 days but who did not meet the 390-day requirement.
If a person wishes to apply for a Fuel Allowance they should complete an application form and forward it to the DSP scheme area they receive payment from. In the case of a participant on CE the completed application form should be forwarded to the participants underlying payment area, that is the office administering the payment they were on immediately prior to commencing on CE. Alternatively a person can apply online through their MyGovID account. A deciding officer will then review their entitlement to the allowance.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
851. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection if any funding for the local area employment services in Dún Laoghaire has changed in recent weeks or months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13808/23]
View answer852. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection if there have been any contract changes between the local area employment services in Dún Laoghaire and the Southside Partnership in recent weeks or months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13809/23]
View answer853. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide a copy of the original tender document to run the local area employment services in Dún Laoghaire; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13810/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 851, 852 and 853 together.
The Intreo Partners Local Area Employment Service (IPLAES) provides support to long-term unemployed people, especially those most distant from the labour market and others considered by the Department to warrant the provision of intensive employment support services.
A Request for Tenders (RFT) for the IPLAES was published on eTenders on 21st December 2021 with a tender submission deadline of 19th April 2022. Preferred bidders were notified on 14th July 2022. Access to the tender documents required registration at the time. I have asked that a copy of the tender be forwarded to the Deputy, as requested.
Southside Partnership Dún Laoghaire Rathdown was the successful bidder for Lot 13 of the IPLAES tender. It is the sole contracted organisation that currently provides this employment service in the Dún Laoghaire and Rathdown area, including Loughlinstown, Ballyogan, Dundrum and Ballinteer.
The funding model of IPLAES is based on a fee structure. This includes a fee at the start of the engagement period, a fee at the completion of a personal progression plan and a performance fee where the client completes a 17 week full time employment period. There has been no change to the funding structure as contracted.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
854. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people with direct eligibility for free travel under the free travel scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13816/23]
View answer855. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Social Protection the average annual cost per pass under the free travel scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13817/23]
View answer857. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people who would newly qualify for free travel if the free travel scheme were to be extended to all recipients of the carer support grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13819/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 854, 855 and 857 together.
The Free Travel scheme provides free travel on the main public and private transport services for those eligible under the scheme. The number of people currently with direct eligibility is approx. 1,056,984. Obviously, this number changes regularly. The estimated expenditure on free travel in 2023 is €95 million.
The Free Travel Scheme is not costed on the basis of an average cost per pass but rather on the usage. Therefore, the costing of additional passes is more complex and should take into account the needs of the user, the likely level of usage, the nature of the pass - whether it includes spousal or companion passes, and how extensively they are used - and availability of public transport services. My Department does not keep data on the usage and cost of free travel passes by type and therefore cannot provide an accurate average cost per pass.
Based on figures from the end of February 2023, the number of people who would newly qualify for free travel if the Free Travel Scheme were to be extended to all recipients of the Carer's Support Grant, irrespective of conditions or means, is 27,366.
The cost of extending the Free Travel scheme to those in receipt of the Carer's Support Grant would be very difficult to quantify properly, as the cost is determined by the usage of the extra passes provided and not by the number of newly qualified people. The cost of the measure would also depend on the type of Free Travel pass issued and the duration any such pass is issued for.
It is important to note that, in general, access to a Free Travel pass for those aged under 66 is a secondary benefit linked to a person being in receipt of certain primary Social Protection payments such as Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, Carer’s Allowance, Blind Pension and Partial Capacity Benefit.
The Carer’s Support Grant is an annual payment made to carers who get Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit or Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA). It can also be paid to certain other carers providing full-time care. The Carer's Support Grant is therefore not a primary Social Protection payment and is in many cases linked to the payment of other Social Protection payments.
Any decision to extend the Scheme in the manner suggested by the Deputy would have to be considered in the overall budgetary context.
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 and include help towards recurring travel costs that cannot be met from the person's own resources and are deemed to be necessary.
I hope this helps to clarify the matter for the Deputy.
856. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of recipients of domiciliary care allowance who are not in receipt of carers allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13818/23]
View answerDomiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is a monthly allowance payable to a parent/ guardian in respect of a child aged under 16, who has a severe disability or condition and requires ongoing additional care and attention substantially in excess of that normally required by a child of the same age and the child must be likely to require this level of care and attention for a at least 12 months.
DCA is not means or income tested and is payable at a standard rate of €330.00 per month in respect of each qualified child. DCA recipients are not subject to employment or self-employment restrictions.
Carer's Allowance (CA) is a means tested weekly payment for carers who are providing full time care and attention, to person(s) who require support and assistance because of age, physical or learning disability or illness, including mental illness. In cases where the person receiving the care is a child aged under 16, DCA must be payable in respect of the child. CA recipient(s) must not be engaged in employment or self-employment for more than 18.5 hours per week.
There are in excess of 50,500 persons in receipt of a DCA payment, over half of whom (approx. 26,000) are not in receipt of a CA payment.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
858. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if an appeal for invalidity pension will be expedited and approved in the case of a person (details supplied) based on the medical evidence provided. [13870/23]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an invalidity pension appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 18 January 2023. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. These papers were returned to the Appeals Office on 24 February 2023 and referred on 16 March 2023 to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if necessary, hold an oral hearing.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
859. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of letters issued to recipients of any payments authorised by her Department, per month in the years 2022 to date in 2023, and all associated costs, requesting the recipient transfer to bank payment from collection via the Post Office Network, in tabular form. [13875/23]
View answerMy Department has not issued any letters to its customers requesting them to switch their payment method from cash collection at a post office to payment by Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) into their account in a financial institution.
My Department provides two main payment options for its customers: payment in cast at post offices or payment directly into customer accounts by Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT). Last year, 70% of all Social Welfare payments were made by EFT and 29.5% were by cash at post offices. A small number of ad hoc payments were also made by cheque, which represented 0.5% of all payments.
Customers are offered a choice of payment method for most Social Welfare schemes and their wishes are facilitated where they choose to receive their social welfare payment at a post office. This is a matter of customer choice and preference and my Department has a duty to inform customer's of their rights. However, for control reasons, choice of payment method is restricted for a small number of Social Welfare schemes.
During the Covid pandemic, the rules governing choice of payment method for Social Welfare schemes were greatly relaxed. Customers who previously were required to collect their payment from a post office were given the option to receive their Social Welfare payment directly into an account in a financial institution, whether that be a bank, a credit union or An Post.
This was done to help customers comply with health guidelines on social distancing. The rules around payment collection by an agent were also relaxed.
As the pandemic receded, pre-Covid rules were reinstated on a phased basis. This has led to a migration of Jobseeker payments back to post offices over the last year. There is also currently a review of agent arrangements for customers in receipt of Carer's Allowance payments.
The reinstatement of cash collection at a post office as the default payment method for Jobseekers has resulted in an increase of almost 25% in the number of Jobseeker payments transacted by An Post in the last year.
The current review of agent collection arrangements for those people in receipt of a Carer’s Allowance payment has involved my Department writing out to customers to check whether they still require an agent to collect their post office payment. In the vast majority of cases, these customers have told my officials that they no longer need an agent and can continue to collect their payment themselves at a post office. A very small number of customers have indicated that they still require an agent.
Any carer not able to collect their payment at a post office could indicate an inability to provide care. For this reason, the use of an agent is only allowed in exceptional circumstances. All customers in receipt of Carer’s Allowance who had an agent were also given the option to have their payment made directly into an account in a financial institution.
Payment by EFT is permitted for the Carer's Allowance Social Welfare scheme and my Department has a responsibility to ensure that customers are made aware of all of the payments options available to them.
It is not proposed to limit the freedom of Social Welfare customers to be paid directly at a post office. Neither is it Departmental policy to advise or encourage customers to favour one financial institution over another.
With the exception of a small number of schemes, due to control reasons, my Department remains committed to providing social welfare recipients with a choice of payment method. My Department will respect customer choice as appropriate and make payments in line with customer preference where choice is available.
860. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection how reviews are carried out for those in receipt of disability allowance or blind pension who are self-employed (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13895/23]
View answerDisability Allowance is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged 16 or over and under the age of 66. This disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, a means test and Habitual Residency conditions.
Disability Allowance and Blind Pension have been designed to support recipients pursuing employment opportunities, be that self-employment or insurable employment. When a person is in employment, an income disregard of €165 per week is applied. In addition, 50% of earnings between €165 and €375 are also disregarded for the purpose of the means test.
If a person in receipt of Disability Allowance or Blind Pension is self-employed, their income is taken to be their gross profit, less permissible work-related expenses, but not drawings. Where the person has taken drawings from their business which are greater than the level of income thus calculated, the drawings are assessed as cash income. All expenses directly related to self-employment can be offset against income from self-employment. Expenses vary with the nature and extent of the self-employment but may include materials, depreciation of machinery or equipment, telephone, lighting and heating (for business and not domestic use) and other costs associated with running a business.
Income is assessed on an annual basis, and then divided by 52 to ascertain a person’s weekly means. The means assessment is intended to reflect the income the person may reasonably be expected to receive during the coming 12 months. Where this is not ascertainable, the income for the last 12 months can be taken as a guide, allowing for any factors which it is known will vary. Assessing a person’s income in this manner takes account of the fact that some people’s income is irregular, and that they will earn more during some periods than others.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the deputy.
861. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is aware of the backlog of up to 15 weeks for applications for the working family payment; and if measures will be put in place to amend same (details supplied). [13897/23]
View answerWorking Family Payment (WFP), formerly Family Income Supplement, is a weekly in-work support which provides an income top-up for employees on low earnings with children. To qualify for Working Family Payment, the customer must have at least one qualified child who normally resides with them and be working a minimum of 38 hours per fortnight in ongoing insurable employment.
The average processing time for a WFP application is 4 weeks.
An application for WFP was received on 7th February 2023 for the person concerned. Details in relation to employment were not included with the application and, therefore, a decision on entitlement could not be established.
A letter issued to the person concerned on 8th March 2023 requesting completion of an employment certificate by the employer. The certificate has not been returned and the request for information was reissued on 16th March 2023.
On receipt of the requested documentation from the person concerned, their WFP application will be processed without delay and they will be notified of the outcome.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
862. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of PPS numbers issued in Ireland from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2022, the breakdown by nationality that each of the PPS number was issued to, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13954/23]
View answerThe Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) is the unique reference number for transactions between individuals and Government Departments and other public service bodies. A person may need a PPSN for a number of reasons.
For the period, 1st January to 31st December 2022, an overall total of 305,889 Personal Public Service Numbers (PPSNs) have been issued by my Department.
Of this overall total, 56,954 PPSNs were allocated for children whose births were registered with the General Register Office.
Details on PPSN allocations by nationality to the end of December 2022 can be viewed at www.gov.ie/en/collection/a78027-statistics-on-personal-public-service-pps-numbers-issued/#2022
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Tabular Statement
TABLE 1 – PPSNs Allocated in 2022 by Nationality
863. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 396 of 14 February 2023, if she will report the recommendations of the Irish Sign Language pilot scheme; the timeframe for the implementation of a permanent scheme for users of Irish Sign Language; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13972/23]
View answerThe Sign Language Interpreting Service (SLIS), funded and supported by the Citizens Information Board (CIB), a statutory body under the aegis of my Department, provides a range of Irish Sign Language (ISL) interpreting services to individuals and organisations, including:
- The Irish Remote Interpreting Service which provides a live video-link to an ISL interpreter;
- A 24/7 emergency service to arrange for ISL interpreters in crisis situations;
- A service to enable access to GP and HSE primary care services;
- A support and access service to help service providers reduce barriers and become more accessible;
- A Social Interpreting Fund to cover interpreting costs for funerals and hardship cases.
As you are aware, Section 9 of the ISL Act 2017 assigns responsibility to the Minister for Social Protection for the provision of funds to facilitate ISL users with access to social, educational and cultural events and services (including medical) and other activities as specified in guidelines, and I have assigned the implementation of this responsibility to CIB.
The establishment by SLIS, with the support of CIB, of the Register of Irish Sign Language Interpreters (RISLI) in 2020, in line with requirements assigned to the Minister for Social Protection under Section 7 of the ISL Act, was a fundamental prerequisite for Section 9, in order to ensure a high quality of ISL interpreting for any such scheme of supports.
Building on from the establishment of RISLI, with the support of CIB, SLIS has been progressing the implementation of Section 9 of the ISL Act. In 2021, a pilot scheme was launched for a four-month period, providing users of Irish Sign Language with access to free interpretation for eligible activities in accordance with developed guidelines.
An evaluation of the pilot was completed in July 2022, the recommendations of which will be considered as part of any future scheme, to ensure it meets the needs of the Deaf community in Ireland and meets the obligations under the Irish Sign Language Act 2017. 272 booking requests were made to SLIS during the four-month pilot period, resulting in 160 unique users and 66 users using the service more than once.
The key recommendation from the evaluation report includes that the pilot scheme should continue as a ‘permanent and expanding service-offering for the Irish Deaf Community ’.
Other recommendations from the evaluation report include the following:
- ‘To identify an appropriate budget’ and ‘timeline’ for ‘setting up a permanent scheme’ ;
- ‘To identify barriers and enablers to social inclusion within the Deaf Users’ community’ through support for the development of a scheme;
- ‘ To identify those areas in the programme which have shown room for improvement, and which may require improvement prior to the establishment of a permanent scheme’;
- ‘To identify and resource the limited availability of interpreters in Ireland’;
- ‘To promote Participative Decision-Making with all relevant stakeholders involved in the process’;
- To improve the amount of access Deaf Users can have ’.
CIB and SLIS are currently engaging on proposals as to how such a future scheme can be implemented, based on the findings and above-mentioned recommendations of the evaluation report, as well as other important considerations, including, for example, current ISL services provided by SLIS, service delivery models, managing future demand in tandem with the limited supply of ISL interpreters in Ireland.
As Minister, I remain committed to progressing this work in order to fulfil our commitments in the ISL Act and to ensure that our Deaf citizens can take part in Irish society as full and equal citizens. I am confident that SLIS, working with its funding body CIB, has the skills and experience to deliver this.
864. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the way he plans to deal with an issue in relation to autism (details supplied); the steps he is taking to reassure persons with autism and their families in this situation; if the diagnosis continues to be accepted by State authorities; if are there are plans to reassess those who were diagnosed by a psychologist; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12684/23]
View answerAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
865. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if respite care can be provided for a child (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13781/23]
View answerAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
866. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the options available for a child (details supplied) in the Balbriggan area who has been told by the children's disability network team that they cannot even access the waiting lists due to a lack of staffing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13848/23]
View answerAs this refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
867. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of persons with disabilities on waiting lists for residential placements in each county in the State, in tabular form. [13934/23]
View answerI wish to thank the Deputy for raising this query,
Residential places are provided based on need and within available resources. Residential services are provided by the HSE, S38 and S39 organisations, as well as private providers.
In 2023, the HSE budget provides for the funding of 8,305 residential places, which includes an additional 43 places in response to current and demographic need.
It is important to note that the HSE manages requests for residential placement funding through a system called the Disability Support Application Management Tool (DSMAT), which serves to ensure that the application process is equitable and transparent. The process involves a prioritisation of funding applications for approval based on the funding available and the complexity of the cases presenting, within the resources available.
As the question raised relates to residential placement , I am referring it to the HSE for direct response to the Deputy.
868. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will ensure that a child (details supplied) receives the necessary therapies from their CDNT in a timely manner. [14009/23]
View answerAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
869. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the locations within CHO7 where HSE respite centres are located that cater for both adults and children; and the capital of each facility, in tabular form. [14034/23]
View answerAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
