Written Answers Nos. 157 to 165
157. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost of restoring the Christmas bonus to all eligible social welfare recipients in December 2016; the number of persons who will qualify; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28871/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Christmas Bonus was abolished in 2009. It was partially reintroduced in 2014 with a 25% Bonus payment. A 75% Bonus was paid in December 2015.
It is estimated that the cost of the Bonus in 2016 (as was paid in 2015) to over 1.2 million long-term social welfare recipients such as pensioners, people with disabilities, carers and the long-term unemployed would be approximately €195 million. The cost of a 100% Bonus would be in the order of €260 million.
I will shortly be seeking approval from my Government colleagues for the payment of a Bonus this year. Any decision taken regarding the payment of a Bonus will have to be consistent with the legal requirements set out in the Fiscal Responsibility Acts 2012 and 2013, and within the context of achieving the targets set for Ireland by the EU rules.
158. Deputy Pat The Cope Gallagher asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to increase the number of participants and positions available on the rural social scheme from the present number of 2,600; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28902/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Rural Social Scheme (RSS) provides income support for farmers and fishermen who have an entitlement to specified social welfare payments. Eligibility for the scheme is on the basis that the participant is underemployed in their primary activity, either farming or fishing, and that their earnings are insufficient to support their family circumstances. The scheme currently provides work opportunities for 2,600 participants and 130 supervisory staff to provide certain services of benefit to rural communities.
The budget allocated to the RSS for 2016 is €44.3m. This allows the scheme to continue as in previous years but does not allow for the recruitment of additional participants over the numbers stated above.
The appropriate level of expenditure and the number of places on employment schemes, including RSS, will be considered in the context of Budget 2017 and subsequent budgets.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
159. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28922/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person concerned has been awarded disability allowance with effect from 26 July 2016. The first payment will be made by his chosen payment method on 12 October 2016.
Arrears of payment due will issue as soon as possible once any necessary adjustment is calculated and applied in respect of any overlapping payments or in respect of outstanding overpayments (if applicable).
161. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of persons outside the payroll shared service centre, in increments of €5,000, in receipt of lump sums on retirement from the public service; and the corresponding amount of the lump sum in each of the years 2013 to 2015 granted by his Department. [28768/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe only persons outside the Payroll Shared Service Centre, under the aegis of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, are locally engaged staff employed in our Missions abroad. Locally-engaged staff are not Irish civil or public servants. They are staff employed directly by our Missions under terms and conditions set in accordance with local laws.
I have set out the details requested by the Deputy in the table.
|
€ |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
|
0-5000 |
3 |
1 |
|
|
5000-10,000 |
|
|
|
|
10,000-15,000 |
2 |
|
2 |
|
15,000-20,000 |
|
1 |
2 |
|
20,000-25,000 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
25,000-30,000 |
|
1 |
|
|
30,000-35,000 |
|
|
2 |
|
35,000-40,000 |
1 |
|
|
|
40,000-45,000 |
|
|
2 |
|
45,000-50,000 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
50,000-55,000 |
1 |
|
|
|
55,000-60,000 |
|
|
1 |
|
60,000-65,000 |
|
|
|
|
65,000-70,000 |
1 |
|
|
|
70,000-75000 |
|
|
|
|
75,000-80,000 |
|
|
1 |
|
80,000-85,000 |
|
|
|
|
85,000-90,000 |
|
|
|
|
90,000-95,000 |
|
|
|
|
95,000-100,000 |
|
|
|
|
100,000-105,000 |
|
|
|
|
105,000-110,000 |
|
|
|
|
110,000-115,000 |
1 |
|
|
|
Total number of retirees |
11 |
5 |
12 |
|
Total of lump sums paid out* |
€364,665.50 |
€119,793.18 |
€412,911.54 |
*Local staff lump sums are calculated based on years of service and final salary, which will vary depending on the Mission location. The figures above may include severance payments required under local labour law.
162. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his plans to publish the national action plan on business and human rights. [28806/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn the occasion of Human Rights Day, 10 December 2015, I was pleased to publish the Working Outline of the National Plan on Business and Human Rights, which was the result of extensive consultation and engagement by officials from my Department with other Government Departments, representatives of civil society, academics and the business community. The Working Outline provided a basis for further consultations on the development of the National Plan.
During the first quarter of 2016 my Department hosted consultations on the Working Outline of Ireland’s National Plan and also issued an invitation for written submissions on the Working Outline. The outline plan and the written submissions are available on my Department’s website.
The input received through these discussions and the submissions is being reviewed with a view to producing a National Plan within the first quarter of 2017.
163. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will raise concerns regarding the dismantling of the refugee camp in Calais with his French counterpart and at an EU level; if he will make representations concerning the safety of unaccompanied minors in this camp going forward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28823/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe case of unaccompanied minors is a very distressing aspect of the ongoing Migration crisis and the situation in Calais is particularly so.
According to French estimates there are some 7,000 migrants living in the Calais area. Of these, 900 are estimated to be unaccompanied minors. On a visit to Calais on 26th September, President Hollande announced the definitive closure of the Camp and the redistribution of its inhabitants to centres throughout France. The President described the planned closure as a “full and final” dismantlement which will be completed by the end of this year.
The French Government is to provide for 9,000 places in the centres throughout the country. Migrants will be offered the chance to apply for asylum in France, and those who do not qualify will be sent home. For unaccompanied minors, there will be specific accommodation arrangements.
President Hollande said that the objectives of these actions are to “guarantee the security of the people of Calais, to maintain public order and to ensure for the migrants and refugees that conditions are dignified”.
It should be noted that persons who are currently in another EU Member State - including those in the camps in Calais - and who are in need of international protection, are entitled to make an application for asylum in that country, should they wish to do so.
The Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP) was established by Government Decision on 10 September 2015 as a direct response to the humanitarian crisis that developed in Southern Europe as a consequence of mass migration from areas of conflict in the Middle East and Africa. In announcing the IRPP, the Government recognised the importance of prioritising family groups and in addressing the position of unaccompanied children. A significant number of those who have arrived to date are children with one or two parents. With regard to unaccompanied minors Ireland has formally indicated to Greece its desire to accept unaccompanied minors under the relocation mechanism and we now have a commitment from the Greek authorities that Ireland will be receiving the first group of unaccompanied minors later this year.
Matters relating to Asylum and Refugees in Calais are a matter for France in the first instance, acting in conformity with applicable EU agreements and processes, and I have confidence in the French authorities to manage this issue.
Of course I share the concerns expressed by the Deputy in relation to unaccompanied minors as an especially vulnerable group.
164. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views on reports showing that Irish employees of American multinationals based here can receive a monetary reward for reporting fraud offences within their workplace; his views on the fact that 51 Irish citizens have provided information under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act 1977 between 2011 and 2015; his views on the fact that financial incentives based on this scheme have been paid to 21 Irish citizens; if he will replicate this US anti-corruption innovation in keeping with some of his other strategic decisions; and if his officials have produced any reports, analysis or projections pertaining to such a scheme. [28860/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am aware that the legal framework in some countries, notably the United States, provides monetary rewards in certain circumstances for whistle-blowers. In so far as this is intended to compensate for the likely financial losses that whistle-blowers face because of their disclosures, our legislation has a different emphasis. In the Protected Disclosures Act 2014, we have provided a range of robust protections against any penalisation, financial or otherwise, suffered as a result of having disclosed wrongdoing observed in the workplace. Our approach has been to create a supportive environment to allow for disclosures of wrongdoing to be made in the public interest rather than providing financial incentives for whistle-blowing, which may lead to moral or other hazards such as, for example, malicious reporting, entrapment and conflicts of interest in court proceedings.
Section 2 of the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 provides for the legislation to be reviewed after three years of operation and my Department will commence such a review in 2017. This will be a suitable opportunity to further consider the matters referred to in the Deputy's question, in particular whether direct financial incentives for whistle-blowers are appropriate in an Irish statutory context.
165. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of persons outside the payroll shared service centre, in increments of €5,000, in receipt of lump sums on retirement from the public service; and the corresponding amount of the lump sum in each of the years 2013 to 2015 granted by his Department. [28772/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn my response to question 27235/16 answered on 27 September, 2016, I provided the Deputy with the number of lump sums paid centrally to civil servants on retirement in 2013, 2014 and 2015, broken down by the bands requested by the Deputy, and the corresponding total value of lump sums paid centrally in each of those years. The details of lump sums which were not paid centrally are held in a range of databases by a number of Government Departments and I consider that initiating a trawl of this data would not add to the sum of knowledge imparted by my previous answer and would give rise to considerable administrative cost.
