Written Answers Nos. 195 - 215
195. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the progress to date in determining an application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21562/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraInvalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions.
The department received a claim for IP for the person concerned on 3 March 2015. The person concerned was refused IP on the grounds that the PRSI contribution conditions for the scheme are not satisfied. He was notified on 10 March 2015 of this decision, the reason for it and of his right of review and appeal.
Disability allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged over 16 and under 66. The disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, a means test and a habitual residency test.
The department received a claim for DA for the person concerned on 20 May 2015. This application is currently being processed and once completed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
196. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will review eligibility for a fuel allowance in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21563/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Fuel Scheme applies to persons in receipt of long term Social Welfare payments. The allowance is subject to a means test and is paid only to those who live alone or with certain exempted people. Full details of the qualifying criteria for the scheme are available on the Department’s website www.welfare.ie.
Claims for fuel allowance were received from the person concerned on 13 January 2015 and 20 February 2015. His claims were disallowed as his weekly household means were assessed as being in excess of the allowable weekly means limit and the household consisted of a person who was in receipt of a non- qualifying Social Welfare payment.
If there has been any change in circumstances it is open to him to reapply for the allowance. A further claim form for fuel allowance has been forwarded and should he wish to reapply, his claim will be processed without delay and he will be notified directly of the outcome.
197. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) in County Kerry will receive a decision on an application for a carer's allowance. [21565/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 12th May 2015. The application was awarded on 4th June 2015 and the first payment is due to issue to the bank on 11th June 2015. The person in question was notified of this decision on 4th June 2015.
198. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will review the case of a person (details supplied) and provide an explanation for the circumstances of the historical confusion over that person's pay related social insurance, PRSI, payments; the benefits the person is now entitled to; the way this would differ if the relevant change had been made to that person's PRSI in 1995; the person's entitlement to partial capacity benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21580/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraNew arrangements relating to PRSI for public servants came into operation in 1995. Public servants, who were in employment before 6 April 1995 and continued to be so employed without a break in service, are insured at the modified rate of PRSI contribution, class D; new entrants recruited after 6 April 1995 pay PRSI class A.
Following on from the 6 April 1995 changes, a number of public sector employers applied the incorrect rate of PRSI in certain situations. This resulted in an overpayment of PRSI contributions and an underpayment of pension contributions. The Scope Section of my Department continues to work with some of the larger employers, such as the Health Service Executive and Department of Education and Skills, to resolve these issues.
In the case referred to by the Deputy, the person concerned was made permanent and formally admitted to the superannuation scheme on 1 September 2006. The employer should have applied class D PRSI from this date but continued to apply class A. In 2013, following a request by the employer for an insurability decision, Scope Section determined that the correct class of contribution effective from 1 September 2006 was class D, when the employee was made permanent and formally admitted to the superannuation scheme. Prior to that, the employee was correctly insured at class A.
The social welfare payments that may be covered by the class D contributions, subject to the particular qualifying conditions for each scheme being met, are carer’s benefit, occupational injury benefit, guardian’s payment, and the contributory widow’s, widower’s or surviving civil partner’s pension.
Partial capacity benefit is a social welfare scheme which allows a person to return to work (if they have reduced capacity to work) and continue to receive a payment from the Department. To qualify for partial capacity benefit a person needs to be currently in receipt of either illness benefit (for a minimum of 6 months), or invalidity pension. Persons paying class D contributions are not eligible for partial capacity benefit as the qualifying schemes, illness benefit or invalidity pension are not covered by class D contributions.
199. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will provide a breakdown, by county, of the number of persons in receipt of the back to work family dividend; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21589/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested relating to the county breakdown of the number of current recipients of the Back to Work Family Dividend at the end of May is detailed in the attached tabular statement.
It should be noted that the county level statistics indicate the number of people signing-on for payment at an office located in the county indicated. As the catchment areas of many local offices cross county borders, this may differ in some cases from the county of residence of the recipients concerned.
Recipients of Back to Work Family Dividend at 31 May 2015
|
County |
Back to Work Family Dividend |
|
Carlow |
32 |
|
Cavan |
12 |
|
Clare |
13 |
|
Cork |
75 |
|
Donegal |
25 |
|
Dublin |
116 |
|
Galway |
32 |
|
Kerry |
4 |
|
Kildare |
19 |
|
Kilkenny |
9 |
|
Laois |
16 |
|
Leitrim |
14 |
|
Limerick |
25 |
|
Longford |
6 |
|
Louth |
32 |
|
Mayo |
15 |
|
Meath |
28 |
|
Monaghan |
4 |
|
Offaly |
24 |
|
Roscommon |
5 |
|
Sligo |
15 |
|
Tipperary |
24 |
|
Waterford |
33 |
|
Westmeath |
19 |
|
Wexford |
29 |
|
Wicklow |
24 |
|
Total |
650 |
200. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if contributions accruing from employment from 1974 to 1976 have been taken into consideration when deciding eligibility for a widow’s, widower’s or surviving civil partner’s pension in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare, in conjunction with an established entitlement to payment from the United Kingdom, noting that the person had a different personal public service number at the time but was known by the same name; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21591/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person concerned was awarded a pro-rata widow’s contributory pension with effect from 3 April 2015.
The pension awarded is based on the combined social insurance contributions paid and credited by her late spouse in Ireland and in the United Kingdom.
The Department holds no record of social insurance contributions paid by the person concerned in the period from 1974 to 1976. If the person concerned has evidence to the contrary it should be furnished to the Department for examination.
201. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will reinstate the 20% reduction to the respite care grant; if she will increase the grant in the upcoming budget; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21625/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe financial supports available to carers in Ireland, are among the highest rates of income support in Europe. Expenditure on carers has increased significantly in recent years and it is estimated that the overall expenditure for 2015 will be €822 million which is € 11million higher than the expected outturn for 2014. This does not include the value of other welfare payments which over 25,000 recipients of half-rate carer’s allowance also receive.
I fully appreciate the important and difficult role that carers undertake in this country and that carers need our support. The annual respite care payment is a single lump sum with no requirement to satisfy a means test. There is no equivalent payment for carers in any other country in Europe.
In excess of €118 million was spent on the respite care grant in 2014 and any change to the rate of the grant can only be considered in the context of the overall economic and budgetary position in the current year.
202. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her plans to re-introduce the dietary allowance for coeliac food; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21634/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraDiet supplement, administered under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, is payable to qualifying persons, in receipt of the supplement prior to February 2014, who have been prescribed a special diet as a result of a specified medical condition.
During 2013, the Department commissioned the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute (INDI) to update their previous research published in 2006 and updated in 2007 on the costs of healthy eating and specialised diets. Pricing for a selection of foods based on branded and own label foods was surveyed in a sample of retail outlets for each diet. These outlets included large stores, large low cost stores, medium sized stores and convenience stores.
The research showed that the average costs across all of the retail outlets of the diets supplemented under the scheme can be met from within one third of the minimum personal rate of social welfare payment, i.e. the SWA rate of €186 per week. The scheme was discontinued on the basis of this evidence and I have no plans to reverse this decision.
Payment of the supplement will continue to be made to the existing 4,560 recipients for as long as they continue to be entitled to the payment. In cases of particular hardship that may present, officials have the legislative power to award a payment under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme in cases of exceptional need.
203. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the total amount paid to the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in respect of compensation for free television licences issued by her Department in each of the years 2011 to 2014 and in 2015 to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21648/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe total amounts paid to the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in respect of Free Television Licences for the period 2011 to 31 May 2015 are set out in the table below.
The Department pays for Free Television licences for people who qualify for the Household Benefits Package.
|
Year |
Amount |
|
2011 |
€57,184,560 |
|
2012 |
€57,184,560 |
|
2013 |
€57,184,560 |
|
2014 |
€52,184,556 |
|
2015 (up to 31/5/2015) |
€21,743,565 |
|
Total: |
€245,481,801 |
206. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection pursuant to changes made under the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013 with regard to retained fire fighters accessing jobseeker's allowance and jobseeker's benefit, if those fire fighters, in training where a new fire station is due to open in the autumn (details supplied), may benefit from these changes now that they have commenced training; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21699/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFor jobseeker’s benefit purposes, legislation was introduced in 2013 whereby employment as a retained part-time firefighter is considered subsidiary employment at all times and they are also exempt from the substantial loss condition if they are not otherwise employed. Consequently, a day on which a retained firefighter is not otherwise employed or self-employed is deemed to be a day of unemployment for jobseeker’s benefit purposes. Retained part-time firefighters who qualify for jobseeker’s benefit do not have to sign off for days on which they are in training or working as a firefighter.
Jobseeker’s allowance is a means tested payment and earnings are taken into account in determining means. A disregard of €20 a day (up to a maximum of €60) applies up to a maximum of 3 days and the balance is assessed at 60%. In determining the assessable income from insurable employment, the following deductions are allowed: superannuation, additional voluntary contributions, PRSI, the pension levy and trade union subscriptions. Jobseeker’s allowance is not payable where the average means are equal to or in excess of the relevant family rate of payment.
Part-time firefighters are subject to the conditions of being available for and seeking full-time work as are all other jobseekers.
207. Deputy John O'Mahony asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) in County Mayo will receive a decision on an appeal in respect of a family income supplement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21703/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that in appeals for Family Income Supplement, where it appears that the reason for the decision may not have been fully understood, the letter of appeal is referred to Family Income Supplement section requesting that the decision be clarified to the appellant. The person is advised that if he is still not satisfied following receipt of this clarification that the appeal will be formally registered and processed.
In the case of the person concerned his letter of appeal was forwarded to Family Income Supplement section for clarification on 2 June 2015. The additional correspondence submitted by the T.D. has now been forwarded to Family Income Supplement section.
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.
208. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the reason all applications for social protection payments have electronic bank transfer as the preferred payment option; if she considers this to be a blatant attempt to take business away from our post office network; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21709/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra247. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection in view of the fact that it is Government policy that An Post remain a strong and viable company, which will be in a position to provide a high-quality postal service and maintain a nationwide customer focused network of post offices in the community, if her Department's policy and practice of promoting financial institutions outside the post office network is incompatible with, or contrary to, overall Government policy in this area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22167/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra248. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection in view of the fact that seven out of the eight of her Department's payment application forms delivered to An Post postmasters recently, as part of their stationary deliveries, recommend that prospective payment recipients should have their payments paid directly into accounts in financial institutions instead of to the local post office, her views on this policy's compatibility with overall Government policy in this area, which when most recently articulated stated that it is Government policy that An Post remain a strong and viable company which will be in a position to provide a high quality postal service and maintain a nationwide customer focused network of post offices in the community; her views on this inherent policy contradiction; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22168/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra249. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her views on the fact that part three, on page six of her Department's pension application form (details supplied), positively recommends that prospective pension recipients should have their pensions paid into current, deposit or savings accounts in financial institutions, to the exclusion of the local post office; her views on her Department's assertion that this is the best payment option for recipients, notwithstanding the possibility that those recipients who accept her Department's advice may incur bank account fees, transaction charges, Government duties and be physically unable to get to a financial institution or an automated teller machine if they live in rural Ireland or in one of the many small towns and villages in which no such financial institution chooses to locate; her views as to her Department's views on continuing use of the local post office in both rural and urban areas alike; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22169/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra263. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her views on a matter (details supplied) regarding the post office network; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22354/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 208, 247 to 249, inclusive, and 263 together.
Successive Governments and this one most notably, have consistently stated their commitment to maintaining the post office network as set out in the Programme for Government. The post office is seen as a key piece of financial and social infrastructure for both urban and rural areas. Part of the strength of the post office brand, and one of its chief selling points, is that it reaches all parts of the country and can be assessed by anyone.
My Department’s continuing support for An Post is apparent, both in terms of the cost of postage services and the value of the contract for welfare payments. In this regard, we anticipate this year that we will pay over €50 million to An Post under a contract for cash payment services to welfare customers. This contract is very substantial in terms of its reach, value and impact.
It is Government policy that An Post remains a strong and viable company in a position to provide a high quality postal service and maintain a nationwide customer focussed network of post offices in the community.
In February 2015, the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Mr Alex White, T.D., formally launched the Post Office Network Business Development Group under the independent Chairmanship of Mr Bobby Kerr.
The Group was established after a review by the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy to explore potential commercial opportunities available to the post office network. The Group will engage with a variety of stakeholders including those in the public sector, commercial bodies, post office customers and other interested parties.
The Group’s membership is drawn from the Irish Postmasters Union (IPU), An Post, the Department of Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht Affairs, the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources.
The Terms of Reference for the Group are to:
- examine the potential from existing and new Government and commercial business that could be transacted through the post office network;
- identify the new business opportunities for the post office network, taking account of international experience;
- engage as necessary with the public sector, commercial bodies and other interested parties in pursuit of the above objectives;
- prepare an interim and final report for the Minister in accordance with an agreed timetable.
The Group’s work will be of strategic importance to the future of the post office network. The final report of the Group will be available later this year.
An Post has a contract with the Department of Social Protection for cash payment services to welfare customers. In order to recognise the general societal trend to electronic payments the Department has been changing some of its application forms. The option to be paid at the post office remains on the forms.
I want to emphasise that the amendments do not remove the option to be paid at the post office. This option still remains on the forms. Therefore, customers are free to opt to receive their payment at the post office if they wish.
The Department of Social Protection is conscious of the important role of the post office around the country, not only in respect of social welfare payments but also in offering other financial services such as paying bills and carrying out a range of banking services. The Government has consistently stated its commitment to maintaining the post office network as set out in the Programme for Government.
209. Deputy Noel Coonan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when an application for farm assist will be finalised in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21714/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person in question on the 3rd February 2015. The application was awarded on 19th May 2015 and the first payment is due to issue to the bank on 18th June 2015. Any arrears of allowance due (less any overlapping social welfare payment and/or outstanding overpayment) will issue in due course. The person in question was notified of this decision on the 19th of May 2015.
210. Deputy Noel Coonan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when an application for a carer's allowance will be finalised in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21716/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI confirm a disability allowance application was received on 9 February 2015. The application was refused on 30 March 2015 as he was deemed unsuitable for the scheme.
The Department of Social Protection received notification from the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office on 6 May 2015 that an appeal had been opened in this case.
The case file for the person in question has been sent to the Social Welfare Appeals Office together with the required deciding officer submission.
211. Deputy Noel Coonan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when an application for a disability allowance will be finalised in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21718/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraFollowing a review on the entitlement of the person in question, she was awarded full rate disability allowance and a fuel allowance during the fuel season from 14 January 2015. First payment at the increased rate issued on 4 March 2015.
212. Deputy Noel Coonan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when an appeal regarding a disability allowance will be finalised in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary. [21719/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraWe have written to the person in question, asking her to complete an application form for child dependant allowance for child who is aged 18 or over.
A final decision will be made on her application for disability allowance upon the receipt of the above requested information.
214. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the progress, to date, in the determining an application for a disability allowance in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21772/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraWe have written to the person in question requesting information from his solicitors regarding the status of his pending compensation claim.
A final decision will be made on his application for disability allowance upon the receipt of the above requested information.
215. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kildare has a debt registered against her; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21777/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person in question incurred an over payment as all conditions of entitlement for a one parent family payment were not satisfied over the period from 27/02/2003 to 22/06/2005.
