Written Answers Nos. 289-300
289. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection if there are guidelines set out for granting illness benefit to workers whose full-time work schedule is based on a four-day week, for example, if the worker is sick four days of the week, if they should get the full week’s benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14466/23]
View answerIllness benefit is the primary short-term income support provided by my Department to insured employees who are unable to work due to illness. Claimants must have a minimum of 104 social insurance contributions and must meet other relevant contribution requirements. There are comprehensive guidelines covering operation of illness benefit and these can be found at gov.ie.
A customer is not entitled to Illness Benefit for the first three days of any period of incapacity for work. These are called "waiting days". Sunday is not counted as a waiting day and waiting days do not apply to subsequent claims that are linked.
The rate of payment of Illness Benefit is not related to the number of days per week a customer works but is calculated using ‘average weekly reckonable earnings.’ The maximum rate of Illness Benefit is payable where the customer satisfies the contribution conditions and has 'average weekly reckonable earnings' equal to or greater than a prescribed amount (currently €300.00) in the relevant tax year. Where the customer's average weekly earnings are less than the prescribed amount (i.e. €299.99 or less) a reduced rate is payable, which is determined by an appropriate earnings band.
Since 1 January 2023, customers have a right to three days’ sick pay a year under the statutory sick pay scheme. Under that scheme, sick pay may be paid by an employer at 70% of a person’s normal pay, up to a maximum of €110 a day for the first three days of an absence due to illness. The Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment has policy responsibility for statutory sick pay.
In circumstances where a person is ill but does not qualify for illness benefit, my Department may provide means tested supports under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme.
My Department will continue to keep its range of supports under review to ensure that they meet their overall objectives. Any changes to the current system would need to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context, taking account of contribution rates and the overall sustainability of the Social Insurance Fund.
290. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection if discussions are expected to provide school lunches to all schoolchildren in all schools (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14501/23]
View answerThe School Meals Programme provides funding towards the provision of food services to some 1,600 schools and organisations benefitting 260,000 children. The objective of the programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children to support them in taking full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement.
Budget 2023 has provided €94.4 million for the programme. The Government has recently approved an additional €14.5m to allow access to the Hot School Meals scheme for all remaining DEIS schools from September 2023.
In recent years entry to the School Meals Scheme has been confined to DEIS schools in addition to schools identified as having levels of concentrated disadvantage that would benefit from access to the School Meals Programme.
I am committed to continuing to expand the school meals programme and building further on the significant extension of the programme that has taken place in recent years. In this regard, I intend to roll out the Hot School Meals to all DEIS primary schools from September 2023, benefiting 64,500 children. I will also bring forward proposals in the coming weeks on commencing the roll out of the Hot School Meals to non-DEIS primary schools.
In addition, the final report from the evaluation of the school meals programme was recently received which I am currently reviewing. This report will help to inform future decisions around this important programme.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
291. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the protocols and-or guidelines she has issued in respect of the use of personal social media accounts by officials in her Department; the number of sanctions imposed by her Department on its own officials in the past ten years to date in respect of social media output by its officials, verbal, written or otherwise; if social media platforms are restricted on her Department’s network; if an application (details supplied) is available to use and-or download onto Department-issued mobile phones; and if not, if it is barred from use. [14520/23]
View answerMy Department's social media access is permitted only where an approved business case is made. My Department has robust guidelines and procedures in place which set out the standards for providing access to social media accounts and the acceptable usage of social media accounts for personal use in so far as such personal use relates to the Department.
Any staff member who requires access to social media sites for official work purposes must complete a business case which is signed off by an official at Principal Officer grade. Staff who have been granted access to social media sites for official purposes must be vigilant regarding their use of such sites and are responsible for always ensuring that their usage is lawful and in keeping with the Department's policies.
In relation to social media output, there have been no sanctions imposed on staff in the past 10 years.
292. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will detail in tabular form the number of public service card applications processed per month, by INTREO office, in Dublin during the period January 2022 to February 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14535/23]
View answer293. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is aware of issues in relation to the provision of a service (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14536/23]
View answer294. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will seek assistance for a person (details supplied) in relation to their wait for a disability allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14555/23]
View answer295. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if domiciliary care allowance granted to a person (details supplied) is payable from the date of application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14613/23]
View answer296. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the position regarding a local community neurorehabilitation team for CHO7; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14387/23]
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.
297. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children waiting for their assessment of need in the Balbriggan, Swords and coastal CDNT teams; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14394/23]
View answer298. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of children waiting for their initial appointment with their CDNT in the Balbriggan, Swords and coastal CDNT teams; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14395/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 297 and 298 together.
As these questions refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
299. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide an update on the status of negotiations between the HSE and a group (details supplied) regarding the provision of services within the CHO6 area, which matter continues to cause uncertainty and distress for service users and their families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14532/23]
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.
300. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when adequate speech and language and other therapies might be made available to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14614/23]
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.
