Terence Flanagan
Ceist:174. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her plans to means test children's allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41196/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraSocial Welfare Benefits Eligibility
Ceisteanna (174)
Freagraí scríofa
Child benefit is a universal payment made to families with children. It assists those families with the cost associated with raising children. It is paid to almost 1,200,000 children in over 600,000 families. The estimated expenditure in 2014 will be €1.9 billion.
Child benefit is of crucial importance to families, particularly middle-income families. For that reason, child benefit will be increased by €5 a month, or €60 per annum, from January 2015. This recognises the sacrifices that families made during the economic crisis and the fact that families are continuing to face difficulties. In the Statement of Priorities published earlier this year, the Government promised a new deal on living standards for hard-pressed families, and this increase is in line with that commitment.
It is my intention to retain child benefit as a universal system to assist families with the cost of raising children. A crucial element of a strong and sustainable welfare system is the principle that everybody contributes, and that the system is there in turn to support those contributors at key stages in their lives. Child benefit is one of the few universal payments in the welfare system in that regard, and its universality has an important role to play in maintaining the sustainability of the system.
The Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare examined the structure of child and family income support in Ireland. As part of this examination the Group considered the means testing of child benefit but stated that such a system would have considerable administrative consequences, as the scale of means testing would be greater than anything required by the current system. Instead the Group recommended, among other things, that child benefit should continue to be paid on a universal basis.
Carer's Allowance Appeals
Ceisteanna (175)
Bernard Durkan
Ceist:175. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the progress to date in respect of an appeal for carer's allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41212/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The appeal for the person in question was allowed by the Social Welfare Appeals Office and the application for an increase in respect of a second care recipient was awarded on the 9th September 2014. Arrears of allowance due from 27th March 2014 to 10th September 2014 were issued to the bank on 18th September 2014. The person in question was notified of this decision on 9th September 2014 and the claim is currently in payment for the two care recipients.
Domiciliary Care Allowance Appeals
Ceisteanna (176)
Seán Ó Fearghaíl
Ceist:176. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will expedite an appeal for domiciliary care allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare whose family is in dire financial situation as a result of the loss of this payment; if she will restore this payment as a matter of urgency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41219/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 13th May 2014. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Social Protection. These papers have been received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 2nd October 2014 and the case has been referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing.
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 in relation to social welfare entitlements.
Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility
Ceisteanna (177)
Ruth Coppinger
Ceist:177. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if existing participants of community service programmes are entitled to continue to claim secondary benefits from her Department; if she will outline the rules on eligibility for secondary benefits. [41226/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The community services programme (CSP) is designed to support not-for-profit companies and co-operatives to address identified gaps in service delivery, support disadvantaged communities and ensure that community facilities are utilised. The programme is funded by the Department with day-to-day management of contracts undertaken by Pobal. Around 400 not-for-profit companies and co-operatives shared annual funding of €46m under the programme in 2013, with similar levels of funding being provided this year.
The programme is not intended to represent full funding for any operation. Rather, funding is provided on the basis of a contribution to the cost of full-time staffing positions to support the delivery of the service and can include management and non-management elements. The current range of funding of contracts ranges from 5% to 90% of total turnover with the average estimated as being less than 40% in 2014.
No additional entitlements to secondary benefits apply to a person employed with support from the programme over and above those that might ordinarily apply to any private sector employee.
Question No. 178 answered with Question No. 143.
Job Initiatives
Ceisteanna (179)
Róisín Shortall
Ceist:179. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the work activation measures and schemes provided by her Department which are accessible to individuals who are signing on for credits but who do not qualify for a payment due to their means; if any of these schemes would provide such a person with a payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41290/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Given the scale of unemployment, the key objective of activation policy and labour market initiatives has been to offer assistance to those most in need of support in securing work and achieving financial self-sufficiency. Accordingly the employment services and schemes provided by the Department are focused in the first instance on the cohort of people who are unemployed and in receipt of a social welfare payment (either Jobseekers Allowance or Jobseekers Benefit). There are no plans to make changes to these arrangements at present.
Despite this focus, access to training and employment programmes is also open to other groups under certain circumstances.
Thus, persons who have been signing for credits for three months (78 days) of the last six months are eligible to participate in the JobBridge programme. Interns, who had previously been signing on for credits will receive an allowance of €50. While on an internship, interns can commence casual employment without affecting their entitlements provided that it is not with the host organisation (i.e. not with the same employer) and it does not interfere with their internship. However, those signing for credits are still subject to the normal rules as regards availability for work. 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.
Unemployed persons not in receipt of payments may also be eligible to avail of up-skilling opportunities, for example through ETB (formerly FÁS) training for unemployed people, or, if they have been signing for six months or more, through the Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS). In these cases, such participants do not receive a training allowance but may receive travel and lunch allowances from the ETB. Persons signing on for credits for 12 months or longer over the previous 18 months are also entitled to participate on Momentum provided that they have been actively seeking work, however they will not receive any payment.
More generally, a range of services are available to persons who are unemployed but 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.
In short, the Government is committed to supporting as many people as possible to participate more fully in employment and to become more self-sufficient by providing supports that address barriers they may encounter in finding and sustaining employment.
Question No. 180 withdrawn.
Rent Supplement Scheme Administration
Ceisteanna (181, 201, 241)
Brendan Ryan
Ceist:181. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection in respect of her Department's review of rent levels for the purposes of setting the caps for rent supplement, the frequency of when these reviews take place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41299/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraTerence Flanagan
Ceist:201. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the position regarding rent supplement in respect of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41546/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraBernard Durkan
Ceist:241. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the degree to which measures may be put in place to address the ever increasing situation of the homelessness in County Kildare and adjoining counties arising from the increase in the cost of rental accommodation; if she has in mind any further compensatory measure to address the issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42154/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 181, 201 and 241 together.
The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term income support to assist with reasonable accommodation costs of eligible people living in private rented accommodation who are unable to provide for their accommodation costs from their own resources. There are approximately 73,500 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €344 million in 2014.
Rent supplement is subject to a statutory maximum limit on the amount of rent that a recipient may incur and is based on the location of the residence and family composition. The Department is currently reviewing the maximum rent limits, which are generally reviewed every 18 months. The purpose of a rent review is to determine availability of accommodation for rent supplement tenancies and not to provide access to all housing in all areas while ensuring maximum value for money is achieved. Analysis shows that increasing limits at this time will yield only a very marginal increase in available supply for rent supplement recipients with the only certainty that raising limits will increase costs disproportionately for the Exchequer with little or no new housing available to new recipients.
I am aware that in the current market prospective tenants are finding it increasingly difficult to secure accommodation due to the reduced availability of properties particularly in areas of high demand. Raising rent limits may not be the solution to the problem as it is likely to add to further rental inflation and impact, not alone on rent supplement recipients, but also on many lower income workers, their families and students. I plan to keep this matter under close review.
I can assure the Deputy that officers administering rent supplement throughout the country have considerable experience in dealing with customers and make every effort to ensure that their accommodation needs are met, including through the use of their discretionary statutory powers as necessary. A notice reminding staff of their discretionary power to award a supplement for rental purposes in exceptional cases, for example, when dealing with applicants who are at risk of losing their tenancy was circulated earlier this year. The fact that approximately 3,750 people are in receipt of rent supplement in Kildare, of which over 750 were awarded this year, shows that a significant number of persons are being accommodated under the scheme in this region.
In light of a particular concentration of the homelessness problem in the Dublin area, the Department has agreed a protocol with the Dublin local authorities and voluntary organisations so that families on rent supplement who are at risk of losing their accommodation can have more timely and appropriate interventions made on their behalf. Since the launch of this initiative in mid-June 2014, almost 180 families have had their rent supplement claims revised by the Department.
Increasing housing supply and the re-activation of the construction activity is a critical issue for Government and key to restoring stability to the rental market. As part of Budget 2015, Government has announced significant capital investment of over €2.2 billion for social housing for the next three years. In 2015, over €800 million will be invested in a range of housing programmes which represents the first major investment in housing since 2009.
My colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Alan Kelly TD, is also due to publish a Social Housing Strategy shortly which will provide a basis for an improved and sustainable approach to the provision of social housing supports in Ireland.
Community Employment Schemes Data
Ceisteanna (182)
Willie O'Dea
Ceist:182. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide the figure for the number of community employment supervisors currently employed and the number of supervisors expected to retire in year 2015, 2016 and 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41318/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As of 3rd November 2014, there are 1,350 supervisors employed by CE sponsoring organisations.
The number of supervisors estimated to reach State Pension retirement age in each of the following years, (based on the population as of 3rd November 2014) is:
- 2015 - 47
- 2016 - 52
- 2017 - 35
The Department does not provide funding to CE Sponsoring organisations for the employment of supervisors or CE participants who has reached state pension age.
Ministerial Meetings
Ceisteanna (183)
Colm Keaveney
Ceist:183. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of meetings she or officials from her Department had with a person (details supplied); the purpose of each of those meetings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41334/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I have not had any meetings with Mr. John Tierney, the managing director of Irish Water. Officials from my department have not had any bilateral meetings with Mr Tierney.
However, advisers from my office attended two meetings with Mr Tierney and other Irish Water employees as well as officials from the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government to discuss general issues relating to the introduction of water charges.
Departmental Correspondence
Ceisteanna (184)
Mary Lou McDonald
Ceist:184. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) in Dublin 22 has not yet received a reply from her Department to a letter sent on 29 August 2014 regarding the person's alleged mistreatment on a community employment scheme; and if she will provide a full response to the issues raised in the letter issued by the individual to her Department. [41337/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
A letter dated the 29th of August 2014 was received from the person concerned by the Department on the 2nd of September 2014 and acknowledged on the 5th of September 2014. A similar letter was also received by the Community Employment (CE) sponsor and employer of the person concerned. The Department wrote to the CE sponsor on the 5th of September 2014 requesting that they, as the employer, address the issues raised by the person concerned which related to his employment. A letter dated the 9th of September 2014 was received by this Department from the CE sponsor which confirmed that the issues raised had been addressed and that they had written to the person concerned.
Carer's Allowance Eligibility
Ceisteanna (185)
Dessie Ellis
Ceist:185. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her plans to implement recommendations from the European Commission that Ireland should be paying carer's allowance to people paying their contributions here even if they reside in another EU state such as in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 11 who had to give up carer's allowance due to the State's refusal to pay it while the person is living in Spain. [41348/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Carer’s allowance is a means tested income support payment that seeks to assist full-time carers on low incomes living within the jurisdiction who satisfy the habitual residence condition and who are providing full time care and attention to a person in need of such care.
On 10th July 2014 the European Commission issued a reasoned opinion which called into question the restriction of carer’s allowance to persons who are habitually resident in the State. The basis of the Commission’s contention is that carer’s allowance is a sickness benefit paid in cash and that under Article 3(1) of the Regulation 883/2004 this payment should be exportable.
The Government does not accept the view of the European Commission on this issue and has responded accordingly.
I should clarify that where a carer has paid the necessary social insurance contributions, carer’s benefit payment is available and this payment is exportable.
Questions Nos. 186 to 188, inclusive, withdrawn.
Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility
Ceisteanna (189)
Patrick O'Donovan
Ceist:189. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the social welfare entitlements available to persons who were previously self-employed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41392/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Self-employed persons are liable for PRSI at the class S rate of 4% which entitles them to access long-term benefits such as State pension (contributory) and widow's, widower's or surviving civil partner's pension (contributory) and maternity benefit. Ordinary employees who have access to the full range of social insurance benefits pay class A PRSI at the rate of 4%. In addition, their employers make a PRSI contribution of 10.75% in respect of their employees, resulting in the payment of a combined 14.75% rate per employee under full-rate PRSI class A. (For employees earning less than €356 per week, the rate of employer’s PRSI is 8.5%).
Self-employed workers may access social welfare supports by establishing eligibility to assistance-based payments such as jobseeker’s allowance and disability allowance. In the case of jobseeker’s allowance they can apply for the means-tested jobseeker’s allowance if their business ceases or if they are on low income as a result of a downturn in demand for their services. In assessing means from self-employment, income from the previous twelve months is used as an indicator of likely future earnings. Given the variety of self-employment situations, the means assessment procedures are applied in a flexible manner to ensure that any circumstances that would be likely to lead to a significant variation, either upward or downward, in the level of a person’s income from one year to the next are taken into consideration. It is recognised that the downturn in the economy had an impact on many self-employed persons with a consequent reduction in their income and activity levels. This may be reflected in any assessment of their means from self-employment for jobseeker’s allowance purposes. As in the case of a non-self-employed claimant for jobseeker’s allowance or disability allowance, the means of husband/wife, civil partner or co-habitant will be taken into account in deciding on entitlement to a payment.
Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications
Ceisteanna (190)
Tom Fleming
Ceist:190. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will examine the application for domiciliary care allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry in view of the fact that medical information in respect of the entitlement has been submitted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41398/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
An application for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) was received from the person concerned on the 20th August 2014. This application has been forwarded to one of the Department’s Medical Assessors for their medical opinion. Following receipt of this opinion, a decision will be made by a Deciding Officer and notified to the person concerned. It can currently take 10 weeks to process an application for DCA.