Tuesday, 4 Apr 2017

Written Answers Nos. 352-364

Carer's Allowance Waiting Times

Ceisteanna (352)

Niamh Smyth

Ceist:

352. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection the current waiting time for processing carer's allowance and carer's benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16259/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Social Protection

My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers. This includes ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible.

The average waiting time for new carer's allowance (CA) applications at the end of January 2017 was 11 weeks, compared to 20 weeks in 2016. At the end of January, there were 2,842 CA applications awaiting decision.

The average waiting time for new carer's benefit (CARB) applications at the end of January 2017 was 7 weeks. The figures for 2016 are unavailable. At the end of January, there were 312 CARB applications awaiting decision.

Applications for CA increased 20% in 2016, compared to 2015. This increase has impacted on the volumes of applications awaiting decision. Furthermore, delays in processing are often caused by the submission of incomplete application forms or the failure to submit required documentation that is requested on the application form.

The processing target that is set for the carer's allowance scheme is 70% awarded within 12 weeks; in January that target was reached with 76% of applications awarded within 12 weeks. Reducing waiting times is a priority for my Department and we are working hard to make this happen.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Treatment Benefit Scheme

Ceisteanna (353)

Clare Daly

Ceist:

353. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to introduce a dental cleaning and payments towards glasses scheme in budget 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16265/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Social Protection

The intention to re-introduce additional treatments and benefits as part of the treatment benefit (TB) scheme was announced in Budget 2017.

The first part of this commitment involves the extension of the existing TB scheme to cover some 450,000 self-employed people and their spouses for the first time. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that this extension is now in place with self-employed contributors, who meet the qualifying conditions, benefitting from the scheme with effect from 27 March 2017. This means that people who work for themselves and pay PRSI at class S can now get the same regular dental and optical examinations, free of charge, that until now were only available to employees. They can also get a grant for hearing aids of 50% of the cost, to a maximum of €500 per aid, every 4 years.

The re-introduction of treatments on the scheme is planned for October 2017. This will include the re-introduction of an annual scale and polish treatment on the dental scheme and the periodic provision of spectacles and associated optical services to all qualified PRSI contributors. The full details of the changes will be advertised closer to the implementation date.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Carer's Allowance Applications

Ceisteanna (354)

Pat Breen

Ceist:

354. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Social Protection when an application for carer's allowance will be processed for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16275/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Social Protection

I confirm that my department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person concerned on 10 February 2017. The application is currently being processed and once completed, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Minister.

Social Insurance

Ceisteanna (355)

Michael Ring

Ceist:

355. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person (details supplied) will receive credited contributions for the period they were in receipt of a carer's allowance. [16282/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Social Protection

I can confirm the person concerned is entitled to credited contributions for the period she was in receipt of Carer’s Allowance. Her social insurance record has been credited for the period 4 December 2003 to 31 December 2016 and the record up to 3 May 2017 will be updated shortly.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Training Support Grant

Ceisteanna (356, 357)

Mick Wallace

Ceist:

356. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Social Protection if one-day fork truck operator renewal or refresher courses are available in County Wexford to experienced fork truck drivers who are currently unemployed or in receipt of social welfare payments via his Department; if one-day fork truck operator renewal or refresher courses were previously available via his Department; if so, the reason the courses are no longer available via his Department; and if he will reconsider the decision to end the courses. [16285/17]

Mick Wallace

Ceist:

357. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost to his Department per person undertaking available fork truck operator training courses for the unemployed or those in receipt of social welfare payments in County Wexford from 2013 to 2016. [16286/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Social Protection

I propose to take Questions Nos. 356 and 357 together.

The Training Support Grant (TSG) funded by my Department is designed to facilitate quick access to short-term training that is identified to assist an individual jobseekers access immediate work opportunities. The scheme is activation focused and the jobseeker is required to provide reasonable evidence of need, in the form of a potential job offer or a requirement to maintain or achieve accreditation.

The one day fork truck operator renewal and refresher courses are eligible for support under the TSG. The cost of fork-lift training courses in the south east (Wexford and Waterford) are in the range of €200 to €450 and the number of courses funded in this area for the years 2013 to 2016 is set out in the table below.

Number of Fork-lift/Warehouse Referral courses funded by TSG 2013 - 2016

Year	No. of Courses
2013	158
2014	263
2015	76
2016	63

Access to the TSG scheme is arranged with the Department’s case officers and a jobseeker who wishes to access training under this scheme should contact their local Intreo Centre where the case officers are located.

The case officer will identify appropriate support interventions required with a customer, particularly where a job opportunity has been identified by the customer or where an intervention will enable an application for work to be made. The maximum fund available to jobseekers under the scheme is €500 per annum.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Jobseeker's Benefit Eligibility

Ceisteanna (358, 359)

Pearse Doherty

Ceist:

358. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to amend the number of contribution requirements needed by seasonal and part-time workers in order to be eligible for the jobseeker's benefit payment and in order to make it much more accessible to this category of worker; his views on whether the present contribution requirements prevent many seasonal and part-time workers from qualifying for the payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16307/17]

Pearse Doherty

Ceist:

359. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will revise the current subsidiary income threshold of €12.70 per day with a view to extending entitlement to social protection payments to a larger number of seasonal and part-time workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16308/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Social Protection

I propose to take Questions Nos. 358 and 359 together.

I gave a commitment at Dáil report stage of the Social Welfare Bill 2016 that I would ask my officials to examine the issue of jobseeker’s benefit and the treatment of part-time and seasonal workers, including those categorised as having subsidiary employment.

My Department is currently undertaking two reports – one in relation to the subsidiary employment daily earnings limit of €12.70 and the second in relation to jobseeker’s benefit duration and the issues raised by the Deputy are being considered in the context of these reports.

My intention is to present these reports to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Social Protection for its consideration shortly. The timeframe is ambitious but I am committed to producing the reports as quickly as possible so that they can inform Budget 2018 discussions.

Domiciliary Care Allowance Applications

Ceisteanna (360)

Pat Breen

Ceist:

360. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application for a domiciliary care allowance by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16311/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Social Protection

An application for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) was received from this lady on the 22nd February 2017. The application will be considered by a Deciding Officer and the decision notified 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.

Departmental Information

Ceisteanna (361)

Colm Brophy

Ceist:

361. Deputy Colm Brophy asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of requests his Department received for material to be made available in Braille format in each of the years 2014 to 2016; the number of these requests which were accommodated by his Department; and the cost implication and the person or body which provided the translation service. [16385/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Social Protection

My Department’s Customer Charter and Action Plan 2016-2018, published on www.welfare.ie, sets out its commitments to providing a professional, efficient and courteous service to all its customers. Specific commitments are included in relation to the provision of interpretive and translation services and the provision of information in alternative formats such as Braille or Audio. The details requested are set out in the following table.

	Number of requests received for material in Braille	Number of requests accommodated	Total Cost incurred	Person/body that provided the Braille service
2016	2	2	€ 46.05	National Council for the Blind Ireland
2015	3	3	€ 690.50	National Council for the Blind Ireland
2014	1	1	€ 28.00	The Braille Unit, Arbour Hill Prison

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Invalidity Pension Appeals

Ceisteanna (362)

Fiona O'Loughlin

Ceist:

362. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16390/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Social Protection

The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 28th March 2017, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing.

The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Humanitarian Assistance Scheme

Ceisteanna (363, 364)

Eugene Murphy

Ceist:

363. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount of money paid out under the humanitarian assistance scheme per annum from 2010 to 2016 and to date in 2017 in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16530/17]

Eugene Murphy

Ceist:

364. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the average waiting times for payment under the humanitarian assistance scheme in 2016 and to date in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16531/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Social Protection

I propose to take Questions Nos. 363 and 364 together.

The Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government is the lead Department for severe weather emergencies and the Office of Public Works (OPW) has responsibility for capital flood relief activities. However, my Department has an important role to play in assisting households in the immediate aftermath of emergency events such as flooding.

The purpose of the humanitarian assistance scheme is to prevent hardship by providing income tested financial support to people whose homes are damaged from flooding and severe weather events and who are not in a position to meet costs for essential needs, household items and in some instances structural repair.

Expenditure under the scheme for the period from 2010 to 2016 is some €5 million and a yearly breakdown of this expenditure is provided in the attached tabular statement. Expenditure to date in 2017 is €85,500. There was expenditure of some €2 million to assist householders affected following the flooding in the 2015/16 winter, which was the wettest winter ever recorded in Ireland.

Following a severe weather event staff, in my Department’s Community Welfare Service, closely monitor the situation on the ground and engage with the relevant local authorities and other agencies to ensure supports are provided to those affected as swiftly as possible. Emergency income support payments to cover essential items such as food, clothing and personal items are quickly issued in the immediate aftermath of the event. Financial supports towards the replacement of white goods, basic furniture items and other essential household items may take longer as it is not until the flood water abates and houses dry out that the full extent of the damage to homes will become known. The longer term financial support covers necessary remedial works and can include plastering, dry-lining, relaying of floors, electrical re-wiring and painting. It could take several months before this stage of the response is completed and final payments issue. Statistics are not maintained on the average waiting times for payment.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Expenditure under the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme 2010 - 2016

Year	Outturn €000
2010	1,045
2011	1
2012	714
2013	118
2014	1,189
2015	233
20161	1,682

1. Provisional Outturn