Thursday, 25 Jun 2015

Written Answers Nos. 53-65

Social Welfare Schemes

Ceisteanna (53, 58, 65)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Ceist:

53. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the cost of increasing the respite care grant by €325 in 2016. [25514/15]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Ceist:

58. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of children with respect to whom a qualified child increase is being paid. [25519/15]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Ceist:

65. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of adding €9.50 per month to the living alone increase in 2016. [25526/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection

I propose to take Questions Nos. 53, 58 and 65 together.

The cost of increasing the Respite Care Grant by €325 in 2016 is €29.4 million.

At end May 2015, the total number of children with respect to whom a qualified child increase is being paid is 461,553 (339,406 Full Rate and 122,147 Half Rate).

The estimated cost of adding €9.50 per month (weekly equivalent of €2.19) to the Living Alone Allowance in 2016 is €21.65 million.

It should be noted that the costings are subject to change over the coming months in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients for 2016.

Back to Education Allowance

Ceisteanna (54)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Ceist:

54. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the cost of increasing the rate of back to education allowance for young persons aged under 26 to €188 per week. [25515/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection

The Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) provides income support for jobseekers and others in receipt of certain social welfare payments that pursue courses of education at second or third level. The value of the BTEA weekly payment is equivalent to the weekly rate on the underlying qualifying payment, except in the case of jobseekers who are on an age-related jobseeker allowance payment. Jobseekers who on such payments receive a weekly payment of €160 if approved for BTEA, subject to any deductions for means.

The Department estimates that some 6,000 jobseekers are currently in receipt of an age-related BTEA payment. The cost of increasing the rate of the allowance from €160 to €188 per week (an increase of €28 per week for each affected participant) would be of the order of €6.6 million per year.

PREVIOUS QUESTION ON SAME ISSUE FROM 26 MAY 2015

the cost of increasing the back to education allowance to €188 for persons under 26 years of age. [20299/15]

The Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) provides income support for jobseekers and others in receipt of certain social welfare payments that pursue courses of education at second or third level. The value of the BTEA weekly payment is equivalent to the weekly rate on the underlying qualifying payment, except in the case of jobseekers who are on an age-related jobseeker allowance payment. Jobseekers who on such payments receive a weekly payment of €160 if approved for BTEA, subject for any deductions for means.

The Department estimates that some 6,000 jobseekers are currently in receipt of an age-related BTEA payment. The cost of increasing the rate of the allowance from €160 to €188 per week (an increase of €28 per week for each affected participant) would be of the order of €6.6 million per year.

Fuel Allowance Data

Ceisteanna (55)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Ceist:

55. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the cost of extending the fuel allowance season by three weeks. [25516/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection

The cost of extending the Fuel Allowance season by three weeks is circa €23.65 million.

It should be noted that this costing is subject to change over the coming months in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients for 2016.

Social Welfare Schemes Expenditure

Ceisteanna (56, 57)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Ceist:

56. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the total cost of the €50 top-ups paid to JobBridge participants in 2014; and the expected cost for 2015. [25517/15]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Ceist:

57. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of persons who are currently on a JobBridge placement and the average number who conclude or leave their JobBridge placement each month. [25518/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Social Protection

I propose to take Questions Nos. 56 and 57 together.

In 2014, the average number of interns on JobBridge each week was 6,558, giving an annual expenditure on the €50 weekly top-up of €17,050,800.

In 2015 to a current date of 18th June, an average of 5,987 interns were on JobBridge each week, and based on these figures this would give an estimated annual expenditure on the €50 weekly top-up of €15,566,200.

As at 18th June, 2015, there were 5,409 individuals on JobBridge internships. On average, a total of 692 individuals finish their internship each month.

Question No. 58 answered with Question No. 53.

Community Employment Schemes Data

Ceisteanna (59)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Ceist:

59. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the cost of the average community employment place for one year, including income support and all other costs, such as training fees and materials, incurred by her Department and the Exchequer generally; and if she will specify same. [25520/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Social Protection

The average cost of a Community Employment place in 2015 (inclusive of supervision, materials, training and allowances), based on the 2015 Budget, is €14,705 per annum.

Community Employment Schemes Data

Ceisteanna (60)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Ceist:

60. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of introducing 4,000 additional community employment scheme places in 2016. [25521/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Social Protection

The estimated total costs of 4,000 additional CE places, for full year participation, would be approximately €58.8 million.

Family Income Supplement Data

Ceisteanna (61)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Ceist:

61. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing the family income supplement by 10% in 2016. [25522/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection

The estimated cost of a 10% increase in Family Income Supplement (FIS) expenditure in 2016 is €40 million.

It should be noted that costings are subject to change over the coming months in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients for 2016.

Family Income Supplement Data

Ceisteanna (62)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Ceist:

62. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the number of households in receipt of a family income supplement payment; the total number of children this involves; and the size of the average payment. [25523/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection

The Family income supplement (FIS) is designed to provide support for employees on low earnings with families. The following table gives the number of FIS recipients and the average payment per family at the end of May 2015.

FIS recipients May 2015

FIS	Recipients children	Recipients families	Average payment per family
May 2015	113,349	51,372	€118

Questions Nos. 63 and 64 answered with Question No. 33.

Question No. 65 answered with Question No. 53.