Written Answers Nos. 105-114
105. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application for a domiciliary care allowance by a person (details supplied) in view of the fact that this application was submitted to his Department at the end of October 2016; if same will be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3679/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn application for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) was received from this lady on the 27th October 2016. An opinion on the child’s eligibility for the scheme has been requested from one of the Departments Medical Assessors. The application will then be considered by a Deciding Officer and the decision notified to this lady as soon as possible. Applications are processed in date of receipt order; it can currently take 14 weeks to process an application for DCA.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
106. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if rent support is available in the case of persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3685/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department has not, to date, received an application for Rent Supplement from the client concerned. The client should forward an application to be assessed for entitlement to Rent Supplement to the Mid-Leinster Rents Unit, PO Box 11758, Dublin 24.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
107. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if arrears of rent support will be paid in the case of persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3687/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe client concerned has been requested to provide the Department with up to date documentation. On receipt of same, the claim will be re-assessed with regard to entitlement.
I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
108. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will undertake a review of the refusal of rent support in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3692/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs detailed to the Deputy in reply to Parliamentary Question No 31509-16 and several related Parliamentary Questions, the client concerned received a large family financial settlement relating to a formerly co-owned property in late 2013. Failure to produce the required financial information relating to these monies resulted in her previous claim for Rent Supplement, being closed on 08/12/16.
The Department received a new application for Rent Supplement on the 06/01/17 from the client concerned. Rent Supplement is a means tested payment and an assessment cannot be made, until all documentary evidence requested on 6th January 2017, in the form of a statement of withdrawn monies and remaining balance relating to her financial settlement are received by the Department. A further letter issued to the client on 24/01/17 for the requested information to be supplied by 07/02/17.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
109. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if refusal of jobseeker's allowance will be urgently reviewed in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3694/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs part of a normal review to entitlement of jobseeker’s allowance, information was sought from the person concerned pertaining to lodgements in his bank account. To date the requested information is still outstanding and payment of jobseeker’s allowance in the case of the person concerned was suspended. The person concerned was advised in writing on 4 January 2017 that the requested information, required in order to complete this review, was still outstanding. It is open to the person concerned to submit the relevant information to his Local Office so that the review may be completed. He will be informed of the outcome on completion of the review.
The activities of illegal money lenders fall within the remit of An Garda Síochána.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
110. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if PPS numbers and old insurance numbers are recorded in the case of persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3695/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFollowing a search by my officials, I can confirm that there is no record of either Insurance Numbers or Personal Public Service Numbers for either of the named individuals.
I would advise that the individuals concerned should enquire with the HR area of their respective employers at that time in order to locate any records that may exist. My officials will be available to provide any further assistance then required.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
111. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the maximum carer's allowance payable in the case of a person providing care for two parents and one neighbour; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3699/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraCarer's Allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment, made to a person who is providing full-time care and attention to a person who has a disability such that they require that level of care.
The maximum rate of CA payable to a carer who provides full-time care and attention to one person is €204.00 weekly. If a carer is caring for a second person and is assessed with no means, they could qualify for a 150% CA which is payable at the weekly rate of €306.00.
This is the highest rate payable. There is no higher rate payable if the carer is caring for a third or more care recipients.
However, an annual carer’s support grant (CSG) of €1,700 is payable for each person being cared for if the qualifying conditions are satisfied. Accordingly, a carer who cares for three people may have an entitlement to a CSG of €5,100 when it is paid in June.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy
112. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of the election observation roster; if he plans to open it up for a public call for applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3542/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraInternational election monitoring missions play an important role in the promotion of democracy and human rights. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade maintains and administers a roster of observers for such missions. The aim is to ensure that Ireland is represented at an appropriate level in international election observation missions organised in the main by the European Union and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
The current roster was established in May 2013 for a period of five years following a review of the previous roster and a public call for applications. Following the independent appraisal and ranking of the 263 eligible applications, the 200 individuals who achieved the highest scores were selected to serve on the new roster and a reserve panel of the next 10 highest scoring individuals was also established, from which replacements would be drawn should any members leave the roster during the five year period.
In 2016, roster members observed 15 different elections under the auspices of the EU and OSCE.
I am confident that the current roster is well equipped to deal with the requirements of the EU and OSCE. It is envisaged that the current roster will operate until May 2018, but we are keeping it under review. Details regarding the next call for roster members will be published later this year on the Irish Aid website.
113. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the proposals he has to discuss with the new United States Administration immigration reform in view of the concerns of the undocumented Irish; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3613/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAchieving relief for undocumented Irish migrants in the US and agreement on a facility for future migration between Ireland and the US are longstanding Government objectives. We continue to be committed to these aims notwithstanding the changed political context in the United States. The Government has raised the issue of immigration reform with US interlocutors – including at the highest levels – on many occasions. I personally raised the issue when I met then-Secretary of State John Kerry in Co. Tipperary, on 30 October 2016. I also raised it when I spoke to Speaker Paul Ryan by telephone on 23 November 2016. The Government has also availed of every opportunity to sensitise the new Administration to our concerns and interests regarding immigration reform, and the plight of the undocumented Irish in particular. The Taoiseach raised the matter in his separate telephone conversations with then President-elect Trump and Vice-President-elect Pence in the days following the Presidential election. The issue will also feature high on the agenda for my planned visit to Washington DC in early February. The upcoming St. Patrick’s Day engagements will provide a further opportunity to express to senior figures in the new Administration and Congress our aims and concerns in relation to the undocumented.
In addition to these political efforts, our Embassy in Washington and our Consulates throughout the United States will continue to engage with Irish community groups in relation to their concerns. Ambassador Anderson convened a meeting of senior immigration stakeholders at our Embassy in Washington on 12 January in order to hear directly from those who work most-closely with the undocumented Irish.
We are continuing to support organisations that deliver frontline advisory services and community care to Irish emigrants through the Emigrant Support Programme. More than 70% of the funds allocated through this programme are directed towards welfare services, including in support of the undocumented Irish in the U.S. In the last funding round of the Emigrant Support Programme, organisations in the U.S were allocated more than €2.3 million in funding. The Government, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and our Embassy in Washington will continue to work closely with Irish-American community leaders in actively pursuing all viable opportunities to advance immigration reform. We will encourage and promote any realistic possibilities for a solution that may arise.
114. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the progress his Department has made on social benefit clauses; and the timeframe for inclusion into the public tendering process. [3626/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraWhilst the primary focus of public procurement reform has been on achieving value for money and encouraging SME access to procurement opportunities, the Government is also keen to explore to scope for supporting wider policy objectives including social and environmental clauses in public contracts.
Social clauses can be used where they are targeted at factoring into the procurement process consideration of issues such as employment opportunities, equal opportunities, social inclusion and sustainability. In order to be compatible with EU law, these conditions must be made known to all interested parties and must not restrict participation by contractors from other Member States.
This is a complex area and challenges arise from the need to ensure that:
- value for money is not adversely affected;
- additional costs are not placed on domestic suppliers relative to other potential suppliers;
- contracts are of a minimum scale to absorb the increased administrative requirements; and
- the targeted benefit is capable of being measured and monitored during execution of the contract.
Care must also be taken not to disproportionately impact on SME's bidding for public contracts. If a blanket suite of social benefit clauses was attached to all public procurement opportunities it is likely that this would be ineffective and disproportionately favour larger enterprises and reduce competition in supplying goods and services to the State.
In general, the inclusion of social clauses in a procurement process would appear to be most effective where the benefit could be considered a core requirement and can be directly linked to the contracting authority's policy or strategic plan. A further consideration is the ability of contracting authorities to effectively monitor compliance with the social clause. This may be more difficult where some of the work is to be performed in another Member State.
The Deputy may be aware that a revised set of EU Directives governing public procurement was transposed into Irish law last May. There is now greater scope and legal clarity in relation to the use of social criteria in the context of an open, competitive and non-discriminatory public procurement regime which delivers best value for money. Contracting Authorities are therefore already free to include social benefit clauses in public procurement processes.
In relation to sustainability, comprehensive guidance is available to public authorities assist them in this regard in the "Action Plan on Green Public Procurement", published on 2012, and "Green Procurement Guidance for the Public Sector", published in 2014. In addition, the Office of Government Procurement is assessing the scope for the use of such clauses and is developing practical guidance to assist contracting authorities using procurement as a driver of wider public policy goals such as sustainability, where appropriate. This practical guidance will be issued shortly.
