Written Answers Nos. 160 - 177
160. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the reason determination orders issued by the maintenance recovery unit were not catered for in the legislation for the jobseeker's transitional payment; the reason her Department is failing to pursue liable relatives; if consideration has been given to amending the legislation, in view of this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37179/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department has a legislative basis to issue maintenance assessments to a liable relative where there is a one-parent family payment (OFP) in payment. However, this arrangement does not currently extend to other social welfare schemes.
As a result, once the OFP recipient’s youngest child reaches the age of 7 years, and their entitlement to the OFP payment ceases, the liability assessed under the liable relative provisions that are attached to the OFP scheme no longer applies, and the Department advises the liable relative accordingly. This applies where the contribution is being paid to the Department or to the OFP recipient. However, it is important to note that this does not affect any other maintenance arrangements that may be in place.
The Department is currently considering the current liable relative provisions and their extension beyond the OFP scheme.
161. Deputy David Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the policy and procedure for accessing emergency financial support for rental payments in private rental accommodation, while persons are awaiting assessment under the housing assistance payment scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37192/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off and unforeseen expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. The Government has provided €27.9 million for the ENP scheme in 2015.
There is no automatic entitlement to a payment. The ENP scheme is demand led and payments are made at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case in order to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance.
Where an applicant is awaiting a decision in respect of an application for the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and is unable to meet their rent payment, the applicant should engage in the first instance with the Local Authority. Policy in relation to the processing of and backdating entitlements under the HAP scheme is a matter for the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government.
162. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the reason payment of a jobseeker's allowance to a person (details supplied) ceased. [37231/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person concerned commenced claiming jobseeker’s allowance from this Department on 26 September 2011. Claims for jobseeker’s allowance are subject to periodic reviews in order to establish that there is a continuing entitlement to receive this payment. Following four such review interviews with the person concerned on 31 July 2015, 13 August 2015, 21 August 2015 and 28 August 2015, the Deciding Officer determined that he was not genuinely seeking suitable employment having regard to his age, physique, education, normal occupation, place of residence and family circumstances, and as a consequence his claim was disallowed.
The person concerned then requested a review of this decision. The Deciding Officer, having given due consideration to the contents of the request for a review, found that the information submitted did not warrant a revision of the original decision. On 14 September 2015 the person concerned lodged an appeal against the decision with the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office which will be in contact him in connection with his appeal.
163. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will expedite an application for a disability allowance by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry, given that this application has been prolonged, and all the relevant comprehensive remedial information has been forwarded for some time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37301/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that the Department has received an application for disability allowance (DA) from the person concerned. In order to determine her circumstances, her file was forwarded to a local Social Welfare Inspector. The inspector has been in contact with the person concerned to arrange an interview.
A decision on her entitlement to DA will be given on receipt of the Social Welfare Inspector’s report. The person in question will be notified directly of the outcome.
164. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the total estimated expenditure of her Department in 2015 in tabular form; the budget for expenditure agreed at the start of the year for 2015; the extra expenditure or savings in this budget during the year to date; when and under what process this expenditure and these savings were approved; and her Department's budget for expenditure in 2016. [37268/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 2015 Revised Estimates Volume provided for total current and capital expenditure by the Department of Social Protection (DSP) of €19,378 million in 2015. The Expenditure Report 2016 published by the Department of Public Expenditure on Budget Day forecasts an out-turn of €19,912 million in 2015. This forecast takes account of the costs associated with:
- the announcement on Budget Day that a 75% Christmas Bonus will be paid to over 1.2 million welfare recipients this year,
- the bringing forward into 2015 of certain pension and other payments due on Friday, January 1, 2016, and
- some overspends on certain DSP schemes.
Additional Net Vote expenditure over and above that provided for in the 2015 REV Estimate will need to be provided for by way of Supplementary Estimate later this year and will be subject to approval by the Dáil.
It is too early at this stage to be precise as to the scale of the Supplementary Estimate that will be required given the demand led nature of most DSP expenditure and the amount of the Exchequer subvention to the Social Insurance Fund that will be required, if any, in 2015. The latter is dependent on the overall financial position of the Social Insurance Fund including PRSI income which is currently running over €200 million ahead of profile.
The Budget Day provision for DSP in 2016 is €19,638 million.
165. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the allocation for her Department in 2016 which covers the Lansdowne Road agreement; and the demographic or other inflationary pressures. [37284/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraA provision of €698,000 has been included in my Department’s 2016 Pay Allocation to cover costs arising from the Lansdowne Road Agreement. Any other pressures on the staffing budget that may arise during 2016 will be met from within the Department’s 2016 Pay Allocation unless specific approval is received from the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.
166. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her plans on extending child benefit to be paid to 18 year olds who are still in full time education. [37208/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraChild benefit is a monthly payment made to families with children in respect of all qualified children up to the age of 16 years. The payment continues to be paid in respect of children up to their 18th birthday who are in full-time education, or who have a physical or mental disability. Child benefit is paid to around 619,000 families in respect of some 1.19 million children, with an estimated expenditure of around €1.9 billion in 2015.
In Budget 2016, the Government increased child benefit by €5 to €140 per month, at a cost of €72 million. This measure recognises the sacrifices that low- and middle-income families made during the economic crisis and will help families to build a better financial future and will boost the economic recovery.
The previous Government in Budget 2009 reduced the age for eligibility for child benefit from 19 years to 18 years. The Department of Social Protection published a value for money review of child income supports in 2010, which found that the participation pattern of children in education supports this age limit for child benefit. There are no plans to change the eligibility criteria for child benefit.
In addition to child benefit, families on low incomes can avail of a number of social welfare schemes that support children in full-time education until the age of 22, including:
- qualified child increases (QCIs) for recipients of social welfare payments;
- family income supplement (FIS) for low-paid employees with children;
- the back to school clothing and footwear allowance for low income families.
These schemes provide supports for low-income families with children aged 18 – 21 years participating in full-time education that are directly linked with household income.
167. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will clearly outline the process for getting a personal public service number on her Department's website. [37330/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand the Deputy’s query relates to the allocation of a Personal Public Service (PPS) Number in respect of a deceased person. For such cases a copy of the death certificate and a note explaining why a PPS Number is required should be sent to Client Identity Services, Department of Social Protection, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim.
Details are available on the Department’s website at http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/PPSN.aspx.
168. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the entitlement to continue to receive a carer's allowance for a period of time after the care recipient enters a nursing home or dies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37351/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraCarer's Allowance (CA) is a payment made to people who satisfy means and habitual residency conditions and who are providing full-time care and attention to a person or persons who requires such care.
When a care recipient is undergoing medical or other treatment of a temporary nature, in a hospital, convalescent home or an establishment providing residence, maintenance and care for persons with physical or mental disabilities, payment of CA may continue for a period that does not exceed 13 weeks.
However, where the care recipient enters a nursing home on a permanent basis, the CA recipient is no longer providing full-time care and attention and their entitlement to CA ceases.
Where the care recipient dies, CA currently continues to be paid for a period of six weeks immediately following the date of death.
Acknowledging that former carers of working age require an additional period to assess the options open to them in terms of up-skilling and employment opportunities without a perceived threat of loss of payments and secondary benefits, I announced in the Budget an extension of this period to 12 weeks.
The additional 6 weeks, during which carer's allowance will continue to be payable, extends the grace period to 12 weeks to ensure that these carers will have a reasonable period to grieve and reflect before engaging in planning for a return to work or training or claiming an another payment. This change comes into effect from 1 January 2016.
169. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if her Department will facilitate the transfer of a farm assist payment for a farming couple; the issues involved in transferring the payment from one partner to another; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37353/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe farm assist scheme provides support for farmers on low incomes and is similar to jobseeker’s allowance in terms of the retention of secondary benefits. Farm assist recipients can also access a broad range of activation supports available through the Department’s Intreo offices. The 2015 Revised Estimates for the Department provide for expenditure of almost €89 million on the farm assist scheme which will benefit around 9,000 farmers with around 11,000 dependants each week.
All recipients of farm assist benefited from the Christmas Bonus in December 2014 and will receive the increased Christmas Bonus this December. All recipients with children are benefiting from the increases in child benefit announced in both Budget 2015 and Budget 2016.
A person may qualify for farm assist if they are a farmer aged between 18 and 66 years and are engaged in farming and satisfy a means test. A person is considered a farmer if they farm land that they own or lease and use for the purpose of husbandry. Husbandry means working the land with the object of taking produce from the land.
If a person farms land for the purpose of husbandry but does not own or lease that land, then they may still qualify as a farmer as long as the land is not part of a larger holding. The land, which includes commonage, must be within the State. A person will not qualify for farm assist if they lease or let all their land to another person.
It is not possible to transfer a farm assist claim between spouses. However, it is possible for a spouse to apply for farm assist in their own right subject to scheme criteria. The applicant should contact her local INTREO office in this regard.
There are no plans to change the current scheme criteria.
172. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will indicate, in respect of State boards under her Department's remit, the name of each appointee made from 7 March 2011 to date in 2015; the date of appointment; whether or not each appointee came through an advertised public application process; the number of vacancies which currently exist on State boards under her remit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37368/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe statutory bodies operating under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection are the Citizens Information Board, the Pensions Authority, the Pensions Council, the Pensions Ombudsman (which does not have a Board) and the Social Welfare Tribunal.
Details relating to the Boards, as requested by the Deputy, are outlined in the following tables:
Appointments to State Boards from March 2011 to date in 2015
|
Name of Board or Agency |
Name of appointee |
Date of appointment |
Date of re-appointment |
Did appointee come through an advertised public application process? |
|
Citizens Information Board |
Eugene McErlean |
7 September 2011 |
27 April 2014 |
Yes |
|
Fiona Ward (DSP) |
1 November 2011 |
1 September 2012 |
No |
|
|
David Stratton |
5 November 2012 |
No |
||
|
Simonetta Ryan (DSP) |
14 March 2014 |
Replaced by Tim Duggan (DSP) |
No |
|
|
Noeline Blackwell |
4 March 2015 |
-- |
No |
|
|
Josephine Henry |
4 March 2015 |
-- |
No |
|
|
Tim Duggan (DSP) |
12 June 2015 |
-- |
No |
|
|
Ita Mangan |
12 June 2015 |
-- |
No |
|
|
Anne Marie Cassidy (DSP) |
21 September 2015 |
-- |
No |
|
Name of Board or Agency |
Name of appointee |
Date of appointment |
Did appointee come through an advertised public application process? |
|
Pensions Authority |
Dr. Orlaigh Quinn, (DSP) |
7 March 2014 Replaced by Anne Vaughan (DSP) |
No (ex-officio appointment) |
|
Anne Vaughan, Department of Social Protection (DSP) |
14 May 2014 |
No (ex-officio appointment replacing Dr. Orlaigh Quinn) |
|
|
Ann Nolan, Department of Finance |
7 March 2014 |
No (ex-officio appointment) |
|
|
Pensions Council |
Jim Murray, Chairperson |
3 February 2015 |
No |
|
Roma Burke |
3 February 2015 |
Yes |
|
|
Kirsty Flynn |
3 February 2015 |
Yes |
|
|
Anthony Gilhawley |
3 February 2015 |
Yes |
|
|
Brendan Keenan |
3 February 2015 |
Yes |
|
|
Shane Whelan |
3 February 2015 |
Yes |
|
|
Sandra Rockett |
3 February 2015 |
Yes |
|
|
Sinead Ryan |
3 February 2015 |
Yes |
|
|
Brendan Kennedy, Pensions Regulator |
3 February 2015 |
No (ex-officio member) |
|
|
Peter Brazel, Department of Public Expenditure and Reform |
3 February 2015 |
No (ex-officio member) |
|
|
Marie Louise Delahunty, Central Bank |
3 February 2015 |
No (ex-officio member) |
|
|
Helen McDonald, Department of Social Protection |
3 February 2015 |
No (ex-officio member) |
|
Name of Board or Agency |
Name of appointee |
Date of appointment |
Date of re-appointment |
Did appointee come through an advertised public application process? |
|
Social Welfare Tribunal |
Chris Rowland |
24 October 2011 |
5 October 2012 5 October 2015 |
No |
|
Colin Walker, Chairperson |
5 October 2012 |
5 October 2015 |
No |
|
|
Don O’Higgins |
5 October 2012 |
5 October 2015 |
No |
|
|
Michael Carr |
5 October 2012 |
Replaced by Mary Connaughton |
No |
|
|
Fergus Whelan |
5 October 2012 |
5 October 2015 |
No |
|
|
Mary Connaughton |
5 October 2015 |
No |
Board vacancies
There are currently 7 vacancies on the Citizens Information Board. There are none on the Boards of the Pensions Authority, the Pensions Council and the Social Welfare Tribunal.
173. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will examine and expedite an application for a carer's allowance by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry, as all relevant documentation has been submitted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37372/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe application for carer’s allowance in respect of the person concerned was awarded on 28 October 2015 and the first payment was issued to the person’s nominated Post Office on 29 October 2015.
Arrears of allowance due from 20 August 2015 to 28 October 2015 were issued by cheque on 29 October 2015.
The person concerned was notified on 28 October 2015 of the outcome.
175. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the reason payment on submission of medical certificates is not being made in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Carlow; and if the claim will be reviewed as the person is being admitted to hospital this week and is in financial hardship, with arrears in a mortgage and the care of three children. [37458/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraIllness benefit is a payment for people who cannot work due to illness and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions. Only PRSI contributions paid at class A, E, H, and P are reckonable for illness benefit purposes.
The person concerned was previously self-employed and paying PRSI contributions at class S, which are not reckonable for illness benefit purposes.
The person concerned may apply for disability allowance or supplementary welfare allowance, subject to the qualifying conditions of these schemes. Further information on these schemes is available on my department’s website www.welfare.ie.
176. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the reason for the delay in paying illness benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; and if she will expedite the matter. [37461/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person concerned made an application for illness benefit for the period from 7 Sept 2015 to 17 Oct 2015. The claim could not be paid as the person concerned was being claimed for as an adult dependant on their partner’s jobseekers allowance claim.
It was necessary to ascertain the amount of adult dependant increase paid in respect of the person concerned before payment of illness benefit could be made. This amount was confirmed to illness benefit branch on 29 Oct 2015 and I am pleased to inform the Deputy that payment of illness benefit issued to the bank account of the person concerned on 2 November 2015.
