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Wednesday, 5 Mar 2014

Written Answers Nos. 40-46

Employment Support Services

Ceisteanna (42)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Ceist:

42. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on extending some of the job search and training activation supports to categories of the unemployed who do not currently qualify for any assistance in their own right but who are searching for work and would like support around same, for example persons who are formerly self-employed and others who do not qualify for any payment due to their partners' income and persons who are deemed qualified adults on their partners' payment. [10343/14]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Any person of working age who does not qualify for jobseeker’s benefit may claim means tested jobseeker’s allowance. Subject to means and other qualifying conditions, self-employed persons may claim jobseeker’s allowance if their business ceases or there is reduced demand for their services. Typically over 80% of jobseeker’s allowance claims from self-employed persons have been awarded over recent years. People who were previously self-employed and are now in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance have access to the full range of activation measures available to other job-seeker’s allowance recipients.

Given the scale of unemployment levels, the key objective of activation policy and labour market initiatives is to offer assistance to those most in need of support in securing work and achieving financial self-sufficiency. This policy objective prioritises scarce resources to those in receipt of qualifying welfare payments. Accordingly the employment services and schemes provided by the Department are focused in the first instance on this cohort of unemployed people. However, many services are available to unemployed people who are not in receipt of a social welfare payment.

For example employment services, such as advice on job-search activities and the use of online job search tools, are available to people if they register with the Department’s employment services offices, regardless of their social welfare status.

Furthermore, unemployed persons not in receipt of payments may also be eligible to avail of up-skilling opportunities, for example through Skillnets or ETB (formerly FÁS) training for unemployed people, but are not eligible to receive a training allowance while undertaking the course.

Springboard courses for unemployed people, funded through the Department of Education and Skills, are open to people who were previously self-employed, regardless of their social welfare status.

The Work Placement Programme is also open to persons not in receipt of a social welfare payment, although the participant will not receive a payment while on the programme.

With reference to qualified adults, the qualified adult dependent of a person who has an existing entitlement to the Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) can qualify for BTEA in their own right for the duration of an approved course of study. This provision applies to all BTEA relevant social welfare payments where there is an increase in respect of a qualified adult dependent in payment.

To qualify under this option, the applicant must be a qualified adult dependant (for the required qualifying period i.e. 3 months for SLO, 9 months for TLO (2 years in case of IB recipients)) of a person who satisfies the eligibility criteria for participation in the BTEA scheme immediately prior to the commencement of the approved course of study.

The qualified adult dependent, in such cases, is entitled to the increased qualified adult rate of the relevant Social Welfare payment that the claimant is in receipt of.

In effect, this provision allows the Social Welfare claimant and his/her qualified adult dependent to qualify independently for participation in the Back to Education Allowance Scheme.

The Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA) has a spousal swap facility. Where a person partaking in the BTWEA ceases self-employment before exhausting entitlement, their qualified adult may avail of entitlement under the scheme for the duration remaining on the original claim.

Qualified adults are also eligible for the Rural Social Scheme (RSS), which is aimed at low-income farmers and fishermen/women through spousal swaps. If a person eligible for the RSS does not wish to participate on the RSS, his/her dependent spouse/civil partner/cohabitant can apply in their place. In these instances, the person originally qualified must give up his/her qualifying DSP payment if his/her spouse/civil partner/cohabitant is accepted on the RSS.

Jobseeker's Allowance Payments

Ceisteanna (43)

Willie O'Dea

Ceist:

43. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection if she received a submission from an organisation (details supplied) regarding reduced social welfare rates for homeless young persons; if she has considered these proposals; if she will take action on these proposals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10448/14]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The organisation concerned, in a submission to the Department, has raised issues in relation to reduced rates of jobseeker’s allowance for younger persons.

The reduced rates encourage young jobseekers to improve their skills and remain active in the labour market in order to avoid the risk of becoming long-term unemployed and will help them to progress into sustainable employment on a long-term basis. Where a person is in receipt of a reduced rate of jobseeker's allowance and he or she participates in a course of education, training a higher rate of €160 applies. Similar issues to the ones raised by the organisation concerned have been raised previously by Focus Ireland. Having regard to these issues approval has been given for a pilot community employment programme targeted at young persons in emergency accommodation. This pilot programme is being developed in partnership with Focus Ireland in line with the operating guidelines for community employment schemes.

It is expected that results from this pilot programme will inform wider policy development with regard to young persons in emergency homeless accommodation.

Question No. 44 answered with Question No. 27.

Irish Language

Ceisteanna (45)

John Deasy

Ceist:

45. Deputy John Deasy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide a breakdown of his Department's expenditure on translating and printing Irish language publications, documents, advertisements, notices and bilingual signage in each of the past three years. [11050/14]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

My Department is responsible for two Votes – Vote 28: Foreign Affairs and Trade; and Vote 27: International Cooperation.

Expenditure by my Department on translating and printing Irish language publications, documents and advertisements in each of the past three years is set out in the table below. This expenditure includes the translation and printing of passport application forms and the translation of official publications and documents into Irish. The recent upgrading of Departmental websites and associated online services included once-off translation of a large volume of content on the website from English to Irish. The vast bulk of these costs were incurred in 2013 when website and online translation costs came to €76,706. In addition, 100,000 passport application forms in the Irish language, for distribution in Ireland and abroad, were also printed in 2013 at a cost of €30,134.

Advertising undertaken by my Department relates mainly to notification of changes to passport and consular fees, public office opening hours, and occasional employment opportunities, grants, and other matters, including Irish Aid activities, which require communication to a national audience. The Department places certain public notices in Iris Oifiguil, telephone directories and the press, in compliance with its obligations under the National Languages Act. I regret it is not possible to ascribe a value to the Irish language element in such advertising. This is advertising which would have to be undertaken in any case and it is not considered that the Irish language element adds significantly to the overall costs.

In the time available it was not possible to differentiate the additional costs, if any, arising from bilingual signage.

Purpose

2011

2012

2013

-

Translating and printing Irish language publications and documents

12,525

19,396

123,318

Publication and printing costs for bilingual advertising

51,500

6,854

45,667

Tax Credits

Ceisteanna (46)

Niall Collins

Ceist:

46. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Finance the way a parent can provide proof of a matter (details supplied) regarding one-parent credits. [11113/14]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The One-Parent Family Credit ceased with effect from 31 December 2013 and was replaced by the Single Person Child Carer Credit, (SPCCC), from 1 January 2014.  Only one credit in respect of any qualifying child is available.  This credit will only be granted to a primary claimant who has a qualifying child residing with him or her for the whole or greater part of a tax year; that is, for a period in excess of six months.  However, the primary claimant can surrender the credit to a secondary claimant where the child resides with the latter individual for not less than 100 days in the tax year.

Once the primary claimant has surrendered the credit using Form SPCC1 to do so, the secondary claimant may make a claim for the credit on Form SPCC2 signing the declaration on the form to confirm that the qualifying child resides or resided with him or her for at least 100 days during the tax year. These forms are available for download from www.revenue.ie/en/tax/it/forms/ .

Revenue processes claims for credits on a 'Presumption of Honesty' basis as outlined in their Customer Service Charter.  Taxpayers are expected to deal in an honest way with Revenue by returning the tax and duty which they are due to pay and seeking only those entitlements and credits to which they are due.  A taxpayer will be treated as honest in their dealings with Revenue unless there is clear reason to believe otherwise and subject to Revenue's responsibility for ensuring compliance with tax and customs law.

Therefore, a taxpayer will, generally, not be expected to provide evidence that they satisfy the 'not less than 100 day' requirement unless Revenue has reason to request it.

Where the taxpayer is requested to provide the supporting evidence the onus is on the taxpayer to show his or her entitlement to the credit.  The type of information provided will depend on the circumstances of the case.  

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