Written Answers Nos. 174 - 184
174. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 301 of 15 May 2012, if she or her Department will facilitate a late appeal in respect of the refusal of an application for invalidity pension in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15653/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraFurther to my response to Parliamentary Question Ref. No. 24048/12 on 15 May 2012, I am advised that the person concerned has not submitted additional or supplementary medical evidence in support of his application. The Deciding Officer’s formal decision disallowing invalidity pension to the person concerned issued in October 2011. I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that in the normal course, an appeal against the decision of a Deciding Officer must be made within 21 days of that decision being notified. Therefore, the acceptance of an appeal at this late stage is not warranted. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions on social welfare entitlements.
175. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection the full cost of ministerial transport and the breakdown of this cost between salaries, mileage allowance and other travel costs for Ministers and Ministers of State in her Department for 2012; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15679/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn taking office the Government reformed the transport arrangements for Ministers which has reduced the costs of travel. The Government decision involved confining the use of State cars from 1 May 2011. As a result, the average cost of providing transport has been reduced by 65% - from an average cost of €280,000 per minister in 2010 to a current annual estimate of €100,000 per annum.
In line with the reformed arrangements, I now use my own car for official business. The travel /mileage rates payable depend on the car engine size and also incorporate a number of expense elements associated with the cost of running a car, such as road tax and insurance. The engine size of my car is 1400cc and the rate applicable is 46.25 cent per kilometre. The mileage costs which I claimed in 2012 amounted to €7,105.89. I have two civilian drivers, both on a remuneration rate of €631.75 per week. The total salary costs involved in 2012 were €65,828.16. They may also claim travel and subsistence allowances, in accordance with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform regulations for necessary absences on official duties from home and headquarters. Total cost of travel and subsistence claimed by my drivers in 2012 was €1,362.56. The total cost incurred in all of the above amounts to €74,296.61 in 2012. There is no Minister of State assigned to the Department.
176. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide, in tabular form, the shortest, longest and average waiting time yearly between 2006 and 2012 for family income support applications. [15694/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra177. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of family income support applicants who are waiting over three months, six months, nine months and 12 months for their claims to be processed. [15695/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 176 and 177 together.
A major initiative to eliminate FIS backlogs has been in progress since November 2012 and is due to complete at the end of this month. FIS claims, both new and renewal, received on or after 5 November 2012 are currently being processed on receipt. At the beginning of November 2012, there were over 15,000 new and renewal claims awaiting decision. At present, processing of renewals is up to date, except for a small number of cases which require further information in order to make a decision. With regard to the new claims backlog which is in the process of being cleared, there are approximately 600 waiting to be examined and it is expected that these will be processed by the end of this month. All these claims date from mid-October 2012 and, therefore, are waiting between 3 and 6 months.
The total number of claims, new and renewal combined which have been processed and are awaiting additional information in order to make a decisions as outlined above is 2,230. The information required in order to finalise these cases is from the claimant or employer, a report from a Social Welfare Inspector or a report on family circumstances and income from another EU country. Of those 2,230 claims, approximately 530 are waiting less than 3 months, 1185 are waiting between 3 and 6 months, 300 are waiting between 6 and 9 months, 115 are waiting 9 to 12 months and 100 are waiting over 12 months. These figures are to be seen in the context of an average of 50,000 new and renewal claims received annually and in excess of 30,000 claims decided in the last 5 months alone.
The average waiting time in weeks for Family Income Supplement applications from 2008 to 2012 is shown in the table. There is currently no waiting time for processing renewals and new claims are processed within two weeks. Information prior to 2008 is not available nor is the shortest/longest waiting times.
|
Year |
New Applications |
Renewal Applications |
|
2008 |
13 |
5 |
|
2009 |
8 |
8 |
|
2010 |
10 |
10 |
|
2011 |
17 |
18 |
|
2012 |
16 |
15 |
|
March 2013 |
2 |
0 |
178. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide, in tabular form, the shortest, longest and average waiting time yearly between 2006 and 2012 for disability allowance applications. [15696/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra179. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of disability allowance applicants who are waiting over three months, six months, nine months and 12 months for their claims to be processed. [15697/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 178 and 179 together.
The DA backlogs are currently being eliminated, following the roll-out of a new service delivery modernisation system and a business process improvement initiative. The target is to have the backlog of disability allowance applications processed by the end of Quarter 2 2013. At present, there are approximately 6,700 applications for disability allowance still awaiting decision.
Of that 6,700, approximately 1,000 have already been processed and are awaiting some further information necessary in order to make a decision. Approximately 3,170 are waiting less than 3 months, 1,780 are waiting between 3 and 6 months, 1,480 are waiting between 6 and 9 months, 188 are waiting between 9 and 12 months and 74 are waiting in excess of 12 months. These figures should be seen in the context of an average annual new claims intake of approximately 24,000 and almost 6,000 claims decided since the beginning of 2013 alone. Statistics on average waiting times from 2006 to 2012 are in the table.
Average Waiting Times for Disability Allowance
|
Year |
Average Weeks to Award |
|
2006 |
14 |
|
2007 |
16 |
|
2008 |
15 |
|
2009 |
15 |
|
2010 |
14 |
|
2011 |
17 |
|
2012 |
17* |
*The figure for 2012 is an estimated figure as the DA scheme was transferred over to a new IT platform (SDM) as part of our modernisation project.
180. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide, in tabular form, the shortest, longest and average waiting time yearly between 2006 and 2012 for carer’s allowance applications. [15698/13]
Amharc ar fhreagra181. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of carer’s allowance applicants who are waiting over three months, six months, nine months and 12 months for their claims to be processed. [15699/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 180 and 181 together.
A major initiative to eliminate carer’s allowance backlogs has been in progress and is due to complete at the end of this month. Back at the beginning of September 2012, when the initiative started, there were over 10,000 carer’s allowance applications awaiting decision. At present, carer’s allowance applications being received are being processed without delay and none of these is waiting in excess of 3 months.
With regard to the backlog which is in the process of being cleared, there are approximately 430 applications still waiting to be examined and it is expected that these will be processed by the end of this month. All these applications date from mid-July 2012 and, therefore, are waiting between 6 and 9 months. The total number of applications which have already been processed and are awaiting additional information in order to make a decision is 1,725. The information required to finalise these cases is, generally, from the claimant or a report from a Social Welfare Inspector.
Of those 1,725 applications, approximately 310 are waiting less than 3 months, 50 are waiting between 3 and 6 months, 1,070 are waiting between 6 and 9 months, 228 are waiting 9 to 12 months and 67 are waiting over 12 months. These figures are to be seen in the context of an annual average intake of 15,000 new applications and in excess of 8,000 applications decided since the start of 2013 alone. The average waiting time in weeks for carer’s allowance applications from 2008 to 2012 is contained in the table.
Carer’s Allowance Average Waiting Time Yearly
|
Year |
Average Weeks To Award |
|
2006 |
10 |
|
2007 |
12 |
|
2008 |
15 |
|
2009 |
9 |
|
2010 |
8 |
|
2011 |
14 |
|
2012 |
22 |
182. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if there is funding available for heritage-conservation grants of non-public buildings for 2013; the allocation for each county; when decisions will be made on applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15452/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraA number of State financial supports provide for the conservation and restoration of non-public heritage structures in general. As the Deputy can appreciate, however, the scope for funding for the conservation of the built heritage is currently constrained by the significant reduction in the public finances. Shortly, I will announce details of the 2013 Structures at Risk Fund, which has been set up to assist with urgent works to safeguard structures, in private and civic ownership, protected under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, and in certain cases, works to structures within Architectural Conservation Areas. Such structures include private houses, follies and places of worship. Typical works funded include roof repairs, structural consolidation and measures to halt water ingress. This scheme, which is administered by the local authorities on behalf of my Department, has been in operation since 2011. It has encouraged regeneration and reuse of heritage properties, and helped to secure the preservation of protected structures which may otherwise have been lost. Since 2011, over 70 structures have been funded under this scheme.
The Heritage Council, which my Department funds, administers a number of heritage grants schemes. It is a matter for the Heritage Council to allocate its funding appropriately, given competing priorities within the heritage sector. In addition, the Heritage Council, in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, also administers a grants scheme to REPS 4 participants on the conservation and repair of traditional farm buildings, known as the Traditional Farm Buildings Grant Scheme. I am advised that grants are available under this scheme to carry out approved conservation works to the exterior of farm outbuildings, including roofs. I am also advised that the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government administers a grant scheme for the renewal or repair of thatched roofs of owner occupied houses.
183. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the current cut off date for the burning of scrub and gorse in the Cooley Mountains; if the same rules apply in other areas; if he has given any consideration to changing the cut-off dates for burning; if he has given any consideration to changing the cut-off dates for this year in view of the particularly wet summer in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15482/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder Section 40 of the Wildlife Acts, the cutting, grubbing, burning or destruction by other means of vegetation growing on uncultivated land or in hedges or ditches, including scrub and gorse, is prohibited during the nesting and breeding season for birds and wildlife, from 1 March to 31 August subject to certain specific exceptions. These provisions are not geographically specific and apply to all areas in the State. The purpose of these provisions is to protect bird life during the nesting season, to prevent forest fires, and to protect vegetation and wildlife habitats during the months of growth and reproduction. I have no current plans to extend the period for hedge cutting.
While hedgerows and scrub are important as wildlife habitats, they need to be managed in the interests of both farming and biodiversity. Accordingly, I included a commitment in the National Biodiversity Plan 2011-2016 to review the overall policy in this area. The commitment is to review, in co-operation with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, both hedgerow and scrub regulation with a view to producing guidelines to encourage best practice for hedgerow and scrub management for wildlife. As part of that review, the potential for setting the relevant dates by statutory instrument, rather than in primary legislation, as is the position currently, will be examined.
184. Deputy Shane Ross asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the total cost to the taxpayer of paying the aggregate fees, salaries and any other remuneration to directors of all State bodies, to include majority State owned banks, all public interest directors, all semi-State bodies, all State agencies and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15403/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI assume the Deputy is referring to members of boards of the bodies funded from my Department's Vote Group. The total cost of all applicable fees for the bodies funded by my Department's Vote Group for the most recent full year for which figures are available - 2012 - is approximately €468,000.
I am working to reduce this figure and, in this context, have taken a number of actions including the introduction of a significant reform to end the payment of fees for all organisations under the aegis of my Department which were comprehended by the Government's Public Service Reform Plan. Arising from the Government decision of October 31st last, fees for membership of boards, committees and advisory councils at these organisations - where they previously applied - will not apply in the future and members will serve pro bono. Whilst legislative change will be required to implement this decision in a number of cases, I have written to all organisations to ask them to implement this decision on an administrative basis pending statutory implementation. In addition, from January 2013 there has also been a reduction of 100% in fees for membership of the Irish Film Board.
The Deputy should note that the figure above does not include the cost of fees applicable to board members in two bodies, Foras na Gaeilge and the Ulster Scots Agency, operating under the aegis of the North South Ministerial Council where the total cost of funding the bodies is shared with the Northern Ireland Executive. In the case of Foras na Gaeilge, 75% is paid by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and 25% is paid by the Department of Culture Arts and Leisure in Northern Ireland. In the case of the Ulster-Scots Agency, 25% is paid by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and 75% is paid by the Department of Culture Arts and Leisure in Northern Ireland.
