Written Answers Nos. 30-38
30. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the extent to which he has identified any particular or specific skills requirements and deficiencies which need to be addressed in order to maximise the filling of job opportunities in the manufacturing and service sectors; if any such shortfalls will be met in order to facilitate and enhance economic recovery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41669/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) plays a key role in advising the Government on the current and future skills needs of the economy. The EGFSN provides information on employment trends, job opportunities and demand for skills through the annual “National Skills Bulletin” and the “Vacancy Overview” reports. It also provides information on the supply of skills from the Irish education system through the “Monitoring Ireland’s Skills Supply” publication. The EGFSN also publishes reports on specific sectoral, or cross-sectoral skills needs, as well as “Regional Labour Markets Bulletins” which assist in informing regional education and training provision. Recent EGFSN reports have anticipated future job opportunities arising from both expansion and replacement demand for a range of occupational roles, including in ICT, data analytics, manufacturing, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, international sales and marketing, project management, freight transport, distribution and logistics, and in the hospitality sector.
ICT skillsets are important in both the manufacturing and services sectors. The 2013 EGFSN report on “Addressing Future Demand for High-Level ICT Skills” indicated that the continuing strong demand from employers for people with high-level ICT skills across the economy could lead to 44,500 new job openings arising from expansion and replacement demand over the period to 2018. To achieve this jobs potential, the report noted that all available policy levers would need to be utilised to increase high-level ICT skills supply.
In this context, the Government has initiated an ICT Action Plan which provides an integrated response within the education system to increasing the domestic supply of high level ICT skills. The aim of the Plan is to support the flow of people into ICT education, training and careers. Overall implementation of the Plan is driven by a High Level Steering Group which my Department co-chairs with the Department of Education and Skills.
The skills needs in other areas of the economy are being addressed through the Further and Higher education system, through Springboard and Momentum training courses which help to upskill or re-skill unemployed people, and through the enterprise-led Training Networks Programme run by Skillnets. Earlier this year, the Minister for Education and Skills, Jan O’Sullivan, TD, announced the development of 25 new Apprenticeships which cover a wide range of sectors such as manufacturing and engineering, tourism and sport, financial services, information technology, transport distribution and logistics, and business administration and management.
Co-operation between employers and the education and training system has proven to be crucial in developing effective responses to skills needs, and this co-operation is being strengthened through the Further and Higher education and training systems, including via the new Regional Skills Fora which are being put in place by the Department of Education and Skills to connect employers, enterprise development agencies and education and training providers.
31. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will indicate, arising from job opportunities in the past three years, the extent to which such positions have been filled by young unemployed persons; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42245/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraEurostat, the EU’s statistical service, has recently commenced the publication of experimental statistics on the number of people moving from non-employment to employment. They are based on comparisons of individual people’s situation in successive quarters in the Labour Force Survey (in Ireland, the Quarterly National Household Survey or QNHS). Non-employment here includes both unemployment and inactivity (e.g. being a student or carer who is not available for or seeking work) in the first quarter covered by the comparison.
These data give an indication of the number of job opportunities taken up in each quarter (although it will not be complete as it will not, for example, include people moving directly from one job to another without an intervening period out of work).
Aggregating the Eurostat data for each of the last three years yields the following overall results for Ireland.
Persons aged 15-74 years#: - Quarter-to-Quarter Transitions to employment from:-
|
- |
Unemployment |
Inactivity |
Total |
|
12 months ended:- |
|||
|
June 2013 |
137,000 |
146,000 |
283,000 |
|
June 2014 |
128,000 |
144,000 |
272,000 |
|
June 2015 |
126,000 |
147,000 |
273,000 |
Based on an examination of the underlying data in the QNHS, the Department of Social Protection estimates that the figures for people aged under 25 years in Ireland for the same periods were as set out in the following table.
Persons aged 15-24 years#:- Quarter-to-Quarter Transitions to employment from:-
|
Unemployment |
Inactivity |
Total |
|
|
12 months ended:- |
|||
|
June 2013 |
32,000 |
76,000 |
108,000 |
|
June 2014 |
27,000 |
62,000 |
89,000 |
|
June 2015 |
32,000 |
65,000 |
97,000 |
#Based on age in the first quarter covered by the comparison
The data indicate that, as in other countries, young people in Ireland move between employment, unemployment and inactivity more frequently than is the case with older workers. The large flow of young people from inactivity to employment is likely to reflect the fact that many young people enter employment directly from education with only a short, if any, intervening period of unemployment.
32. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she is satisfied that it is equitable that persons on the gateway scheme must wait for six waiting days before receiving any payment of illness benefit, given that such persons will be at the loss of their gateway payment for those six days, resulting in a significant net loss of income in cases of illness. [42053/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra33. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the steps she will take to place payments under the gateway scheme within the category of social protection payments to which six waiting days for illness benefit do not apply. [42054/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 32 and 33 together.
Gateway is an initiative with local authorities to provide short-term quality and suitable work opportunities for those who are unemployed for more than 24 months. Local authorities are the employers for all participants on the scheme. As employees, participants are subject to standard income tax, payroll deductions and they pay a Class A PRSI contributions which assists in establishing an entitlement to a full range of short-term benefits, including jobseeker’s benefit, illness benefit, and maternity benefit and to long-term benefits including state pension (contributory).
Gateway provides employees with a maximum of seven days paid leave in respect of certified illness-related absences in any 12 month period and no more than two days uncertified sick leave. If an instance of sick leave extends beyond 6 consecutive days, employees may have an entitlement to Illness Benefit in the same manner as any other employees in the State, with similar PRSI contribution status. Where employees are not covered by an occupational sick pay scheme or illness benefit and they have an income need to cover a period of illness, they may have recourse to supplementary welfare allowance.
Given the nature of Gateway as employment, the same waiting day arrangements (i.e. 6 days) apply as in other insurable employments.
35. Deputy John Perry asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the status of an application for illness benefit by a person (details supplied) in County Sligo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42061/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person in question appealed to the independent social welfare appeals office (SWAO) a decision by a deciding officer to disallow his application for disability allowance (DA).
Following due consideration, the appeal of the person in question was disallowed by an appeals officer (AO) on 16 November 2015. He was notified of this decision in writing by the SWAO on the same date.
An AO’s decision is final and conclusive in absence of any fresh facts or evidence.
It is open to the person in question to reapply for DA.
37. Deputy Michael Colreavy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection a breakdown of the payment supports for funeral costs under supplementary welfare in excess of €2,500 per recipient, by county, in 2014 and in 2015 to date. [42083/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department of Social Protection 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.
An application can be made under the ENP scheme for assistance with funeral and burial expenses. An ENP is a means tested payment payable at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the applicant and that of the deceased person including any savings, property, insurance policies, etc. The Department official will also consider if a bereavement payment is available from any other source including former employer, credit union or trade union.
In 2014, the Department supported approximately 3,000 applicants with financial assistance towards funeral and burial expenses. Of these payments, 154 were in excess of €2,500. To the end of October 2015, assistance has been provided in some 2,400 cases with payment in excess of €2,500 in 136 of these cases.
The tabular statement below provides a breakdown by county of payments in excess of €2,500 in cases where 5 or more payments were made.
Number of payments for assistance with funeral and burial expenses in excess of €2,500 in 2014 and October 2015.
Counties with less than five payments have not been included.
|
County |
2014 |
2015 (end October) |
|
CORK |
9 |
12 |
|
DUBLIN |
11 |
12 |
|
KILKENNY |
9 |
|
|
LAOIS |
18 |
14 |
|
LIMERICK |
35 |
39 |
|
LONGFORD |
13 |
13 |
|
OFFALY |
11 |
9 |
|
ROSCOMMON |
6 |
|
|
TIPPERARY |
9 |
16 |
|
WESTMEATH |
17 |
13 |
|
Total |
132 |
134 |
38. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her views on a matter (details supplied) regarding community employment scheme supervisors and payment on retirement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42087/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe terms of employment for persons employed as supervisors on Community Employment (CE) schemes are a contractual matter between the employer (CE Sponsor) and the employee (supervisor).
Employers (including CE Sponsoring Organisations) are legally obliged to offer access to at least one Standard Personal Retirement Savings Account (PRSA) under the Pension (Amendment) Act 2002. All CE sponsoring organisations were informed of their responsibilities under this Act at that time.
CE supervisors may also qualify for the State Pension at 66 years of age. If they have accrued sufficient PRSI contributions (520 contributions at full rate, equivalent to 10 years contributions) they will qualify for the State Pension (Contributory), which is not means-tested. In the event that there are insufficient contributions, the person may qualify for the State Pension (Non-Contributory), provided they satisfy the means test.
There is no legal obligation on employers to provide occupational pension schemes for employees.
The Deputy will be aware that CE supervisors are employees of private companies in the community and voluntary sector. In the circumstances, it is not possible for the State to take over responsibility for funding pension arrangements for employees of private companies, even where those companies are reliant on State funding. The Department of Public Expenditure & Reform (D/PER) confirmed this position to this Department in March 2015.
However, D/PER has reconvened the Community Sector High Level Forum and has arranged for this Department and the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, together with both SIPTU and IMPACT, to meet at the end of November to discuss the issue.
