Written Answers Nos. 563-582
563. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the actual spend to date on the Leader programme under the rural development programme 2014 to 2020 in County Cork by animation, administration and project spend; the original budget allocation given to County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41628/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe total amount of funding provided for Ireland's LEADER Programme for the period 2014-2020 is €250 million, of which €220 million has already been allocated. The allocation for County Cork for the period of the programme is just over €13.938 million.
For the purposes of the LEADER Programme, County Cork is divided into three sub-regional areas, with a Local Action Group, LAG, in each area delivering separate Local Development Strategies.
Table 1 outlines the allocation for each of the three LAGs in County Cork, and their respective expenditure to date on combined administration and animation activity. Up to 25% of total expenditure incurred by the LAGs over the duration of the programme may be claimed in respect of administration and animation costs.
No project expenditure has yet been incurred in County Cork. However, a total of 416 Expressions of Interest have been submitted by projects promoters in County Cork and the LAGs are currently working with these promoters to develop and finalise project applications.
Table 1 – LEADER Allocations and Administration and Animation Expenditure, County Cork
|
Local Action Group |
Allocation 2014-2020 |
Administration & Animation Expenditure to date |
|
Cork North |
€5,091,845.73 |
€358,123.12 |
|
Cork South |
€3,831,303.31 |
€197,477.52 |
|
Cork West |
€5,015,674.19 |
€264,929.94 |
|
Total |
€13,938,823.23 |
€820,530.58 |
564. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of the funding process for a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41654/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 2017 CLÁR programme was launched on 31 March last, with a closing date of 5 May. The programme provides funding for small scale infrastructural projects in disadvantaged rural areas that have experienced significant levels of de-population.
Funding for the 2017 CLÁR programme was available this year under four separate Measures:
Measure 1: - Support for School and Community Safety Measures;
Measure 2: - Play Areas;
Measure 3: - Targeted Community Infrastructure;
Measure 4: - First Responder Supports.
More than 500 applications were received across the four Measures, and a total of €7 million was allocated to 231 successful projects.
Applications were assessed on the basis of their eligibility under the scheme criteria and on the quality of the documentation supporting their proposals.
I can confirm that an application was received under Measure 1 of the programme from the school referred to by the Deputy. While full documentation in support of the application was not provided as required by the scheme criteria, the project was, in any event, ineligible as the specific purpose for which the funding was sought was not a fundable intervention as outlined in the criteria for the CLÁR programme. The application was therefore unsuccessful.
All funding available under the 2017 CLÁR programme has been allocated. However, I will keep under review the type of projects which can be considered eligible for funding under future rounds of the CLÁR programme.
565. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the budget allocation for each urban community scheme in operation over the 2010 to 2017 period on an annual basis, in tabular form. [41845/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraRAPID (Revitalising Areas by Planning, Investment and Development) is aimed at funding projects which will enhance the lives of residents in disadvantaged urban areas.
The current RAPID programme is being rolled out by the Local Community Development Committees and each Local Authority administrative area received an allocation of €64,500 for RAPID for 2017. The following table sets out funding provided under RAPID from 2010 to date in 2017, and includes my Department’s contractual commitments under existing RAPID projects, mainly under the Sports Capital Scheme.
|
Year |
Outturn €'000s |
|
2010 |
6,067 |
|
2011 |
2,269 |
|
2012 |
3,062 |
|
2013 |
261 |
|
2014 |
170 |
|
2015 |
317 |
|
2016 |
32 |
|
2017 |
2,508 |
My Department operates a number of other schemes and programmes which are available to both urban and rural communities, such as the Community Facilities Scheme and the Town and Village Renewal Scheme. However, funding provided under these schemes is not categorised according to whether the beneficiary was an urban or a rural community.
566. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing child benefit and the domiciliary care allowance by €5 in 2018; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41329/17]
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 disability. Child Benefit is currently paid to around 619,880 families in respect of some 1.2 million children, with an estimated expenditure of over €2 billion in 2017.
The estimated cost of increasing Child Benefit by €5 to €145 per child is in the region of €72 million for a full year. Given that Child Benefit is a universal payment, this would not be a targeted approach. Such a proposal has significant cost implications and would have to be considered in an overall budgetary context.
Domiciliary Care Allowance, DCA, is a monthly payment for a child, aged under 16 with a severe disability, who requires ongoing care and attention substantially over and above the care and attention usually required by a child of the same age.
The cost of the scheme for 2016 was approximately €133 million. If the rate of payment was increased in 2018 by €5 per month, from €309.50 to €314.50 per month, the additional cost would be in the region of €2.22million (based on a claimload of 37,000 children).
567. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing the PRSI credit to €15; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41330/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe tapered PRSI credit was introduced in January 2016 for PRSI class A and Class H employees earning between €352.01 and €424.00 per week.
The maximum weekly credit of €12 applies at gross earnings of €352.01. As earnings increase, the €12 is reduced by one-sixth of weekly earnings in excess of €352.01. At earnings of €424.01, the credit is exhausted.
It is estimated that the cost of increasing the maximum weekly €12 PRSI credit to €15 per week is €18.6 million in a full year. This estimate is based on the assumption that the increased credit will mean that no PRSI is paid up to weekly earnings of €356.45 and that, based on a taper of one-sixth of weekly earnings in excess of €352.01, the credit would exhaust once weekly earnings reach €442.
568. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost of providing a Christmas bonus at 100% and 85%, respectively, to all long-term social welfare recipients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41331/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraLast December, an 85% Christmas Bonus was paid to some 1.2 million long-term social welfare recipients, including pensioners, people with disabilities, carers and the long-term unemployed, in recognition of their financial dependence on their social welfare payments for all or most of their income.
The cost of a 100% or 85% Bonus is estimated at approximately €260 million and €221 million respectively in 2017. It should be noted that this cost is subject to change over the coming months in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients for December 2017.
As the Deputy would be aware, there is no provision in the 2017 Revised Estimates for the payment of a Christmas Bonus. Any decision taken regarding the payment of a Bonus in 2017 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.
569. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a person is unavailable for work for two days a month and those two days, one of which is a Saturday, are being used to enhance their skills and educational qualifications to M.A. level, the reason they are deemed unavailable for work for the entire month rather than two days and jobseeker's payment refused completely rather than for two days; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41421/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraTo qualify for Jobseeker's Allowance, a person must, in general, be both available for and genuinely seeking full-time work. I will ask my officials to contact the Deputy to establish if there are specific enquires that she wishes to have clarified in relation to any particular case.
I trust that this clarified the matter for the Deputy.
570. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of a social welfare appeal by a person (details supplied) in County Kildare. [41457/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that my Department received an application for disability allowance from this man.
On 27 September 2017, the person concerned was requested to supply supporting documentation required by the deciding officer in order to make a decision on his eligibility. On receipt of this information, a decision will be made and the person concerned will be notified of the outcome.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
571. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of a domiciliary carer's allowance application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41475/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department is currently experiencing delays in the processing of Domiciliary Care Allowance, DCA, claims due to an increase in claim volumes and the need for more detailed decisions to be provided following a High Court ruling. Corrective actions have been taken, including assigning additional deciding officers to the scheme. As a result, average processing times have reduced over recent weeks and at present it is taking on average 17 weeks to finalise an application.
Applications are processed in date of receipt order, having regard to the complexity of each individual case. An application for DCA was received in respect of this child on 30 May 2017. While it is not possible to provide an exact date on when a particular application will be finalised, the applications currently being finalised were received in May 2017. This application will be considered by a Deciding Officer and the decision notified as soon as possible.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
572. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if persons who are on the wage subsidy scheme but who are no longer in receipt of the disability allowance and who apply for their new public services card will not lose their free travel pass. [41563/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra573. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if persons employed by a company (details supplied) will be automatically eligible for the free travel pass when they apply for the new public services card. [41564/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 572 and 573 together.
The “Make Work Pay” initiative was introduced on 6 April 2017. This initiative extends a free travel entitlement for a period of five years where people with a long-term disability payment move off the payment to get a job. The following schemes are considered as long-term disability payments and any person who moves directly from these schemes to employment will be entitled to retain their free travel entitlement for a further period of five years, providing all other conditions of the free travel scheme are met:
- Disability Allowance, DA;
- Invalidity Pension, INVP;
- Invalidity Pension to Partial Capacity Benefit;
- Disablement Benefit paid along with Incapacity Supplement,Customers who transferred from DA/INVP to a Community Employment Scheme,Customers who transferred from DA/INVP to a SOLAS Scheme;
- Customers who transferred from DA/INVP to a Back to Work Scheme;
- Customers who transferred from DA/Disablement Benefit and Incapacity Supplement /Blind Pension to a Wage Subsidy Scheme;
- Customers who transferred from DA/INVP to Willing Able Mentoring, WAM;
The Deputy will appreciate that employment with the company concerned does not of itself automatically qualify people to retain their free travel entitlement.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
574. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the amount recovered under sections 345 and 346(1) of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 for each of the past ten years in relation to maintenance recovery; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41571/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe liability to maintain family provisions, contained in sections 345 & 346 (1) of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 are separate to, and do not negate or supersede parents’ obligations under Family Law. Where a lone parent is in receipt of One Parent Family Payment, OFP, the legislation enables the assessment of the liability of the other parent to pay a financial contribution either to the Department or the lone parent.
The Department records overall savings resulting from the operation of the provisions in the Act. These savings are derived from:
- direct payments made to the Department by the liable relative;
- reductions in the rate of OFP paid on foot of commencement or increase in maintenance payments from the liable relative, including estimates of payments avoided for a future period; and
- termination of the OFP claim, where the OFP recipient opts to close the claim, including estimates of payment avoided for a future period.
The amount recovered under sections 345 and 346(1) of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 for each of the past ten years is set out in the following table.
TABLE: Amount recovered under Sections 345 & 346(1) of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 for the years 2008 to end August 2017
|
Year |
Payments received by the Department € |
Estimates in the value of reduced OFP costs € |
Estimates in the value of OFP claims terminated € |
Total Estimated Savings € |
|
2008 |
1,116,072 |
966,025 |
1,402,221 |
3,484,318 |
|
2009 |
848,045 |
545,492 |
1,882,353 |
3,275,890 |
|
2010 |
657,097 |
483,963 |
1,774,875 |
2,915,935 |
|
2011 |
523,717 |
476,542 |
2,772,428 |
3,772,687 |
|
2012 |
436,497 |
564,259 |
2,303,418 |
3,304,174 |
|
2013 |
390,255 |
594,776 |
2,313,224 |
3,298,255 |
|
2014 |
403,243 |
789,178 |
2,702,664 |
3,895,085 |
|
2015 |
349,427 |
696,430 |
2,278,911 |
3,324,768 |
|
2016 |
165,845 |
725,743 |
3,966,181 |
4,857,769 |
|
2017 to end August |
190,005 |
700,222 |
2,212,556 |
3,102,783 |
|
TOTAL for period |
5,080,203 |
6,542,630 |
23,608,831 |
35,231,664 |
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
575. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated amount it would cost to retrospectively apply the homemaker's scheme to 1973 in order to ensure equitable access to the State pension and benefit older women. [41573/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraTo ensure that the individual can maximise their entitlement to a State pension (contributory), all contributions, paid or credited, over their working life from when they first enter insurable employment until pension age are taken into account when assessing their entitlement and the level of that entitlement.
The homemaker's scheme makes qualification for a higher rate of State pension contributory easier for those who take time out of the workforce for caring duties. The scheme, which was introduced in and took effect for periods from 1994, allows up to 20 years spent caring for children under 12 years of age, or caring for incapacitated people over that age, to be disregarded when a person’s social insurance record is being averaged for pension purposes, subject to the standard qualifying conditions for State pension contributory also being satisfied. This has the effect of increasing the yearly average of the pensioner, which is used to set the rate of his or her pension.
In practice, there are a number of factors that make it impossible to be 100% precise regarding the cost of backdating the Homemaker’s scheme. For example, much of the data used in the operation of the scheme at present for periods from 1994, notably child benefit records, is not readily available in computerised form going back to 1973.
However, it is clear that such a backdating would entail a significant and ongoing cost to the Social Insurance Fund. It is estimated that backdating it in respect of periods before its introduction in 1994 would cost some €290 million per year, and this figure would rise at a faster rate than the overall rise in the cost of State pensions.
Where people do not qualify for a full-rate contributory pension, they may qualify for an alternative payment. If their spouse has a contributory pension, they may qualify for an increase for a qualified adult, amounting up to 90% of a full-rate pension. Alternatively, they may qualify for a means-tested State pension non-contributory, which amounts up to 95% of the maximum contributory rate.
The Actuarial Review of the Social Insurance Fund in 2012 confirmed that the Fund provides better value to female rather than male contributors. This is due to the redistributive nature of the Fund. The average pension payments made by my Department to men and women over 66 years of age are within approximately 1% of each other.
Work is under way to replace the yearly average system with a Total Contributions Approach. Under this approach, the rate of pension paid will more closely reflect the total number of contributions made by people, not when they paid them. The position of homemakers is being carefully considered in developing this new system of calculating the State pension (contributory).
It is hoped that this approach to pension qualification will replace the current one from 2020. Following completion of the current actuarial review of the Social Insurance Fund, a refined proposal will be developed. My Department will conduct a period of consultation with relevant stakeholders, including interest groups, representative bodies and the Oireachtas. Following the consultation period, I will submit a proposal to Government seeking approval for the new approach, and then proceed to introduce legislation to give effect to this reform.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
576. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the timeframe for the introduction of a universal pension scheme; her plans to phase in same over a number of budgets; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41582/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm the Government will publish and commence the implementation of a pensions reform plan in the coming months. Perhaps the most fundamental reform contained within the plan will be a confirmation of the Government’s intention to develop a new automatic enrolment supplementary retirement savings system for employees without pensions coverage. The rate of supplementary pension coverage in Ireland is 47% of the working population and this reduces to 35% when the private sector is considered in isolation. If measures are not taken to address this low rate of supplementary pension coverage, many future retirees will experience unwanted reductions in living standards when they reach retirement.
Automatic enrolment will see a transition from the current and purely voluntary system to one which will, subject to certain parameters, automatically enrol employees into a quality assured retirement savings system. This reform, where the saver will maintain the freedom of choice to opt-out, will encourage long-term saving and asset accumulation among those who may otherwise suffer a reduction in living standards at retirement.
A review of international automatic enrolment retirement systems has confirmed that success is dependent on well-tested design and securing member trust. To this end, detailed evidence building and consultation will be undertaken to inform fundamental choices which are required regarding the preferred operational structure and organisational governance for a new system as well as design elements such as contribution levels, financial incentives and target membership. Correctly positioning/designing each of these will be critical to the success of any system.
Subject to any Government decision regarding the manner in which this project should be progressed, it is my objective that first members would be enrolled in the new system in 2021. This project timeframe, which will not necessarily be dependent on the annual budgetary cycle, reflects the scale of such a programme and its importance as being the most fundamental reform of the Irish supplementary pension system in generations.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
577. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to consider applying the homemaker’s scheme retrospectively in order to ensure equitable access to the State pension and thereby benefit older women who took career breaks prior to 1994; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41583/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe homemaker’s scheme, which was introduced in 1994 and provides for periods since then, makes qualification easier for those who take time out of the workforce for caring duties. It does this by allowing gaps of up to 20 years spent caring for children under 12 years of age, or incapacitated people, to be disregarded when a person’s social insurance record is being averaged for pension purposes.
It is estimated that extending the period covered by this scheme to periods prior to its introduction in 1994 would cost some €290 million per year.
Where people do not qualify for a maximum-rate contributory pension in their own right, the social protection system provides alternative methods of supporting such pensioners in old age. Where their spouse has a contributory pension, they may qualify for an Increase for a Qualified Adult amounting up to 90% of a full-rate pension, which by default is paid directly to them, and is subject to a personal means-test. Alternatively, they may qualify for a State pension (non-contributory), based on their household means, amounting up to 95% of the maximum contributory pension rate. There are very significant income and capital disregards in the means tests for these payments, which result in the large majority of payees – most of whom are women – being paid at the maximum rate.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
578. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to suspend the charges to contribution cards for receipt of a State pension in 2012 until the promised total contribution reward system has been gender proofed and introduced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41584/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra579. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the amount of resources required to reverse to charges to the contribution cards for State pension in 2012 in cases in which increasing contributory thresholds impact disproportionately on women; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41585/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 578 and 579 together.
Each year, more people are living to pension age and living longer in retirement. As a result of this demographic change, the number of State pension recipients is increasing year on year. This has significant implications for the future costs of State pension provision, and demographic change alone is expected to increase spending on pensions by over €220 million this year, not including the impact of rate increases.
The current rate bands applying to the State pension (contributory) were introduced from September 2012, replacing previous rates introduced in 2000. These rate bands more accurately reflect the social insurance contributions history of a person.
It is estimated that to revert to the previous bands would result in an annual cost at least €60 million in 2018 and this annual cost would increase by an estimated €10 million each following year as a greater number of pensioners qualify under post-2012 rules, i.e., €70 million in 2019, etc. The main beneficiaries from such a decision would be better off pensioners who do not qualify for means-tested pension payments (most of which are at 95% the maximum rate of the contributory pension), and who did not make sufficient contributions into the Social Insurance Fund to qualify for a full rate or 98% rate contributory pension.
While some 60% of these are women, it would be of no benefit to the most vulnerable pensioners, notably widows and those in receipt of non-contributory pensions, a higher percentage of whom are women, and who would face reduced increases in the rate of their payments, if that level of funding was re-allocated to pay for reverting to the rate-bands in place from 2000 to 2012.
While I have no plans to make the changes suggested by the Deputy, the issue of homemakers and gender will be considered very carefully in the context of developing the Total Contributions Approach reform that I am planning.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
580. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to repeal the homemaker’s disregard with credits with the credit applicable for up to ten years and applied retrospectively to 1973; if in that context, this credit could also act as a re-entry credit which would accommodate persons that wish to re-enter the workforce after a period spent caring can access to training, educational or employment supplements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41590/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe home-makers scheme makes qualification for a higher rate of State pension (contributory) easier for those who take time out of the workforce for caring duties. The scheme, which was introduced in and took effect for periods from 1994, allows up to 20 years spent caring for children under 12 years of age (or caring for incapacitated people over that age) to be disregarded when a person’s social insurance record is being averaged for pension purposes, subject to the standard qualifying conditions for State pension contributory also being satisfied. This has the effect of increasing the yearly average of pensioners, which is used to set the rate of their pension.
My Department has estimated that the annual cost of extending the Homemakers scheme to allow people to avail of the full 20 years currently allowed under the scheme, encompassing periods prior to 1994, could cost some €290 million in 2017, and this figure would rise at a faster rate than the rate of the overall cost of State pensions. This is a very significant cost, and the main beneficiaries would be people who already have significant household means, and who do not therefore qualify for a means-tested payment.
Changing the Homemakers scheme from one of disregarded years under calculation of the SPC’s Yearly Average calculation, to one of reckonable credits for the purposes of use in qualifying for other schemes under my Department’s responsibility, would have to be considered in the context of the Budgetary process, the available resources, and the competing demands for funds in my Department.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
581. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons that have been refused carer's allowance in 2016 and to date in 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41604/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraTo qualify for a carer’s allowance, CA, an applicant must show that they are habitually resident in the State, are providing full-time care and attention to people who have such a disability that they require full-time care and attention and that their means are less than the statutory limit. An application may be disallowed on the grounds that one or more of these conditions are not met.
In 2016, 31,881 applications were processed, and of these, 19,308 were awarded and 12,573 were disallowed.
To the end of August 2017, 18,905 applications have been processed, and of these, 12,397 have been awarded and 6,508 were disallowed.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
582. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a decision will issue to a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41613/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence including that adduced at the oral hearing, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision
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 trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
