Written Answers Nos. 173-192
173. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of childcare cases awaiting allocation to a social worker in each Tusla local office area, by the priority status of the case and average waiting time, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43195/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can inform the Deputy that there were 26,192 open cases nationally at the end of July which includes children in care. An open case is one which is assessed as needing a dedicated (allocated) social work service. There were 5,524 open cases awaiting allocation of a social worker. Of these, 816 were designated as high priority, 3,609 as medium priority and 1,099 as low priority.
A high priority case can include children needing further child protection assessment and intervention, children involved with child protection court proceedings, children in care for less than 6 months and children with high risk mental health and anti-social difficulties. Many children who are deemed medium and low priority have welfare rather than child protection needs and will engage with family support services.
I am informed by Tusla that a case awaiting allocation may be listed as 'active' on a 'duty' system. This means that there are actions being undertaken by a dedicated duty team or rotating social workers on a duty roster to progress the protection and welfare of the child. Examples of actions being undertaken include telephone calls relating to the concern, visits to see the child, completing initial assessments and, where a child is in care, completing child in care reviews or care plans.
Tusla has provided the following information on the number of cases awaiting allocation to a social worker per administrative area and waiting times. This information is included in the tables below.
|
Cases awaiting allocation to a social worker July 2017 – numbers and priority level (child protection & welfare and children in care) |
||||
|
Area |
Total Cases awaiting allocation |
High Priority awaiting allocation |
Medium Priority awaiting allocation |
Low Priority awaiting allocation |
|
Dublin South East/Wicklow |
102 |
3 |
81 |
18 |
|
Dublin South West/Kildare/West Wicklow |
900 |
312 |
533 |
55 |
|
Dublin South Central |
191 |
0 |
67 |
124 |
|
Midlands |
328 |
48 |
238 |
42 |
|
Dublin North City |
299 |
0 |
151 |
148 |
|
Dublin North |
490 |
3 |
216 |
271 |
|
Louth/Meath |
359 |
63 |
221 |
75 |
|
Cavan/Monaghan |
284 |
21 |
222 |
41 |
|
Kerry |
78 |
12 |
43 |
23 |
|
Cork |
689 |
64 |
547 |
78 |
|
Carlow/Kilkenny/South Tipperary |
384 |
15 |
332 |
37 |
|
Waterford / Wexford |
318 |
112 |
182 |
24 |
|
Donegal |
747 |
89 |
580 |
78 |
|
Sligo /Leitrim/West Cavan |
10 |
1 |
6 |
3 |
|
Mayo |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Galway/Roscommon |
200 |
56 |
125 |
19 |
|
Midwest |
145 |
17 |
65 |
63 |
|
Total Cases |
5,524 |
816 |
3,609 |
1,099 |
|
Cases awaiting allocation to a social worker July 2017 – waiting times by priority level (child protection & welfare and children in care) |
||||||
|
Area |
High Priority waiting < 3 months |
High Priority waiting > 3 months |
Medium Priority waiting < 3 months |
Medium Priority waiting > 3 months |
Low Priority waiting < 3 months |
Low Priority waiting > 3 months |
|
Dublin South East/Wicklow |
2 |
1 |
47 |
34 |
3 |
15 |
|
Dublin South West/Kildare/ West Wicklow |
30 |
282 |
99 |
434 |
10 |
45 |
|
Dublin South Central |
0 |
0 |
37 |
30 |
81 |
43 |
|
Midlands |
38 |
10 |
111 |
127 |
28 |
14 |
|
Dublin North City |
0 |
0 |
64 |
87 |
71 |
77 |
|
Dublin North |
1 |
2 |
70 |
146 |
60 |
211 |
|
Louth/Meath |
61 |
2 |
114 |
107 |
46 |
29 |
|
Cavan/Monaghan |
8 |
13 |
87 |
135 |
14 |
27 |
|
Kerry |
10 |
2 |
43 |
0 |
21 |
2 |
|
Cork |
42 |
22 |
384 |
163 |
37 |
41 |
|
Carlow/Kilkenny/South Tipperary |
15 |
0 |
332 |
0 |
37 |
0 |
|
Waterford/Wexford |
99 |
13 |
155 |
27 |
14 |
10 |
|
Donegal |
53 |
36 |
456 |
124 |
13 |
65 |
|
Sligo/Leitrim/West Cavan |
1 |
0 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
|
Mayo |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Galway/Roscommon |
41 |
15 |
89 |
36 |
17 |
2 |
|
Midwest |
12 |
5 |
40 |
25 |
21 |
42 |
|
Total Cases |
413 |
403 |
2,131 |
1,478 |
476 |
623 |
Addressing the number of children who are awaiting the allocation of a social worker is a priority for me. I secured additional funding for the purpose of addressing this issue in 2017, and Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, is now in the second year of a 3-year plan to provide for the allocation of a dedicated social worker to all children who need one. The Deputy should note that all urgent and emergency cases notified to Tusla are dealt with immediately. Urgent and emergency cases could involve cases of abandonment, allegations of physical and sexual abuse, parental ill health leading to the need for an immediate placement, or threat to the safety or life of a child by a third party.
My Department will continue to closely monitor progress in this regard and I will continue to engage directly with the Tusla Board and senior management team, over the course of the year, to review progress.
174. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the funding Cork County Council has applied for across all available funding lines within his Department; and the amounts that have been drawn down. [43086/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI assume the Deputy is referring to my Department's funding allocations for 2017 under the range of programmes and supports my Department funds.
Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP)
The SICAP allocation to Cork County Council for 2017 is €1,867,129, of which some €1,865,721 has been drawn down to date.
Communities Facilities Scheme
The Local Community Development Committees and Municipal District, under the remit of the local authorities, deliver the Scheme in their own administrative areas. Each local authority received an allocation of €64,500 in 2017.
Public Participation Network
A combination of direct funding by my Department (maximum €50,000 per local authority) to supplement funding provided by each local authority (minimum €30,000 per local authority), is made annually to local authorities to cover the costs associated with running their Public Participation Network (PPN). Cork County Council has received €30,000 this year for their PPN’s operating costs and up to €20,000 remains available based on actual and estimated expenditure incurred by the PPN in 2017.
Rural Broadband
Cork County Council received €35,000 from the Department to part-fund the appointment of a Broadband Officer.
National Rural Schemes
It should be noted that the schemes outlined in the table below refer to contractual arrangements with the Department that detail the timeframes around which the expenditure drawdown is expected. The dates range from end October to mid November 2017 and it is in this context that the drawdown to date remains at €0.
|
Scheme |
Amount requested |
Amount approved |
Amount drawn down to date |
|
Town and Village Renewal Scheme 2017 |
€1,777,827 |
€1,367,827 |
€0 |
|
CLÁR 2017 |
€1,068,838 |
€260,916 |
€0 |
|
Outdoor Recreational Infrastructure Scheme 2017 |
€1,500,020 |
€1,109,520 |
€0 |
|
Local Improvement Scheme 2017 |
€1,305,871 |
€1,000,000 |
€0 |
|
Total |
€5,652,556 |
€3,738,263 |
€0 |
Libraries Development and Community Policy
|
Scheme |
Amount requested |
Amount approved |
Amount drawn down to date |
|
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Grant Aid for Libraries |
€26,418 |
€26,418 |
€0³ |
|
Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) Support |
€104,179¹ |
€66,672² |
€04 |
¹ Max. contribution on basis of application submitted (and if approved in full).
² Max. contribution available for approved application.
³ Full drawdown expected by end October 2017.
4 Full drawdown expected by mid-December 2017.
175. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount of moneys approved for town and village renewal projects in 2017; the deadline for the completion of works under these approvals; the number of applications received; the number approved; his plans to approve further projects in view of the significant underspend of his Department's capital budget in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43093/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 2017 Town and Village Renewal Scheme was launched on 13th April last, with a focus on improving the economic development of our rural towns and villages.
In total, my Department received 333 applications under the scheme, including 20 applications under a separate strand for public art works. Following a detailed assessment process, on 4th October I announced funding of €21.6 million for 281 rural towns and villages which will benefit under the 2017 Town and Village Renewal Scheme. These projects will be delivered over a period of 12-15 months.
The 2017 Town and Village Renewal Scheme is now closed. All projects which reached the qualifying mark for funding eligibility were approved an I have no plans to approve further projects under that scheme at this stage.
176. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the method and criteria used in assessing projects under the town and village renewal scheme; if a scoring system was used; if the county councils and voluntary groups have been advised of the system; the score that needed to be achieved to be approved funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43094/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 2017 Town and Village Renewal Scheme was launched on 13th April last, with a focus on improving the economic development of our rural towns and villages. The scheme forms an important part of the Action Plan for Rural Development.
When the scheme was launched, Local Authorities were given full particulars of how the scheme would operate, including the scheme outline and detailed information regarding the qualifying conditions, assessment criteria and scoring system that would be applied. Local Authorities were also required to advertise for expressions of interest from towns/villages in their area and to select up to 15 proposals for development into detailed applications to be submitted to the Department.
My officials assessed each Town and Village application under 5 separate criteria:
- Economic Development potential;
- Strategic nature of the proposal, in line with Local Economic and Community Plans (LECPs);
- Demonstration of need and potential;
- Realistic nature of the proposal; and
- Value for Money.
In order to reach a minimum qualifying standard, a score of at least 65% had to be achieved under each of the criteria listed above.
On the 4th October last, I published a list of 281 successful towns and villages that will be supported under the 2017 scheme, to a total value of €21.6 million.
177. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the reason an application (details supplied) under the town and village renewal scheme was not awarded funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43095/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 2017 Town and Village Renewal Scheme was launched on 13th April last, with a focus on improving the economic development of our rural towns and villages. Local Authorities were invited to submit a maximum of 15 applications each to the Department for consideration.
In line with the scheme outline, Local Authorities were required to advertise for expressions of interest from towns and villages in their area and to select up to 15 proposals for development into detailed applications to be submitted to the Department.
I can confirm that an application in relation to the case referred to by the Deputy was not submitted to my Department for consideration by the relevant Local Authority. The selection of projects for submission to the Department was entirely a matter for the Local Authorities.
A total of €21.6 million has been allocated to 281 towns and villages throughout the country under the Town and Village Renewal scheme this year.
178. Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when an application by a person (details supplied) will be processed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43045/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn application for carer's benefit (CARB) was received from the person concerned on 31 July 2017.
Additional information was requested from the person concerned on 9 October 2017 in relation to hospital admittance and discharge dates. Once the information is received the application will be processed without delay and she will be notified directly of the outcome.
In the meantime, the person concerned is currently in receipt of a supplementary welfare allowance from her local Intreo Office.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
179. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the fact that insurance premiums for community schemes have increased dramatically from 2016 to 2017; if she will increase the materials grant for community employment schemes as a result of these increases; her views on whether such increases in premiums leave many schemes in danger of collapse; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43061/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is aware that there had been an increase in insurance premiums for Community Employment (CE) schemes. The main reasons cited for this is an increase in claims frequency over recent years by such schemes. In the first instance, my Department recommends that schemes seek alternative quotes to ensure they get value for money. In this context, schemes are asked to be especially mindful of their obligations under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005.
The responsibility for insurance for CE schemes rests with the CE sponsoring organisation (the legal employer). The CE Sponsor is responsible for ensuring that all relevant health and safety requirements are adhered to.
Insurance premium costs are reimbursed from the CE materials budget for the scheme. While my Department is not in a position to allocate additional monies to the materials budget in 2017, if there is a scheme experiencing particular difficulties, the sponsor should contact their local DEASP Intreo Centre and the matter will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
180. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the position regarding temporary staff who are in her Department in County Longford despite permanent positions being available on the panel and persons awaiting appointment to these positions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43062/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraTemporary clerical staff are recruited to provide cover for permanent staff who are absent on maternity leave, long term sick leave, shorter working year scheme and other statutory leave. They are also recruited to clear backlogs and to assist in the roll-out of the Public Services Card project.
These temporary staff are appointed on a fixed-term or fixed purpose contract basis, neither of which carries entitlement to permanency. Once the purpose for which the person is recruited no longer exists the contract is terminated.
181. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when permanent job vacancies that have arisen in her Department will be filled from the panel, which is in place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43063/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department, like all Government departments and agencies is required to operate within a staff ceiling figure and a commensurate administrative staffing budget, which for this Department has involved reductions in staff.
The staffing needs for all areas within the Department are continuously reviewed, taking account of workloads, management priorities and the ongoing need to respond to new increasing demands in a wide range of services. This is to ensure that the best use is made of all available resources with a view to providing an efficient service to those who rely on the schemes operated by the Department.
In accordance with relevant Department of Public Expenditure and Reform circulars and guidelines, when a permanent post is approved to be filled, the assignment will be made from either a panel created through a Public Appointments Service competition or from an internal Departmental promotion panel or from the relevant transfer list.
182. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a person's (details supplied) pension will be paid into his or her bank account; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43064/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraInvalidity pension is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions.
The lady concerned is in receipt of invalidity pension from 16 January 2014. A request for a change of payment method was received from her on 2 October 2017. Her payment method was changed to the bank account requested on 3 October 2017 with first payment issuing to her nominated account on 12 October 2017.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
183. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if an application for carer's allowance by a person (details supplied) can be progressed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43068/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person concerned on 22 May 2017.
A person can be considered to be providing full-time care and attention where they are engaged in employment, self-employment or on training courses outside the home for a maximum of 15 hours per week, provided that they can show to the satisfaction of a deciding officer that adequate care has been provided for the care recipient in their absence.
As the applicant is a self-employed taxi driver, the matter was referred to a local social welfare inspector (SWI) on 8 August 2017 to assess the level of care being provided, assess means and confirm that all the conditions for receipt of carer’s allowance are satisfied.
Once the SWI has reported, a decision will be made and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
184. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 242 of 11 October 2016, the amount that would accrue to the State if employers' PRSI was increased by 1%, 1.5% and 2%, respectively, for the 8.5% and 10.75% rates; and the number of employments affected, in tabular form. [43105/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraCurrently, Class A employers pay PRSI at the rate of 8.5% where weekly earnings are between €38 and €376. Once weekly earnings exceed €376, the rate of employer PRSI is 10.75%.
The increase in the PRSI yield to the Social Insurance Fund from increasing the class A employer PRSI rates by 1%, 1.5% and 2%, is provided in the table.
|
% Increase in 8.5% and 10.75% Rate of Employer PRSI |
Total Increased Yield |
Employments Affected |
|
1% |
€707.1m |
2,433,600 |
|
1.5% |
€1,060.6m |
2,433,600 |
|
2% |
€1,414.1m |
2,433,600 |
These estimates are based on the latest available data and reflect macro-economic indicators for 2018 only. It should be noted that the estimates do not take possible changes in employer behaviour arising from increasing the rates of contributions into account.
185. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if child benefit will be extended to persons over 18 years of age until full-time secondary education is completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43106/17]
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 almost 622,000 families in respect of some 1.2 million children, with an estimated expenditure of more than €2 billion in 2017.
Budget 2009 reduced the age for eligibility for Child Benefit from 19 years to less than 18 years. A value for money review of child income supports, published by the Department of Social Protection in 2010, found that the participation pattern of children in education supports the current age limit for Child Benefit.
Extending Child Benefit entitlement to parents of full time students in second level education that are over 18 years of age would not be a targeted approach given the universality of Child Benefit. The adoption of such a proposal would have significant cost implications and would have to be considered in an overall budgetary context.
Families on low incomes can avail of a number of social welfare schemes that support children in full-time education until the age of 22, including:
- qualified child increases (IQCs) with primary social welfare payments;
- the working family payment (formerly Family Income Supplement) for low-paid employees with children; and
- the back to school clothing and footwear allowance for low income families (paid at the full-time second-level education rate).
As part of the measures under Budget 2018, the qualified child payment which is paid each week to families with children will increase from €29.80 to €31.80 for each child. This is an increase of 6.7%, and will benefit over 400,000 children.
The Working Family Payment earnings thresholds were increased by €10 per week for families with up to three children. This will particularly benefit low-income working families.
These schemes provide targeted assistance that is directly linked to household income and thereby support low-income families with older children participating in full-time education.
186. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of an application for carer's allowance by a person (details supplied); if this will be expedited; the waiting times for processing of carer's allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43111/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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. Performance indicators relating to service delivery are set out in detail in the Department’s Customer Action Plan, including processing time targets for the main welfare schemes.
The processing times target for the carer’s allowance scheme is 70% in 12 weeks. This target reflects the fact that there are many questions which have to be considered before a decision can be made on entitlement to carer’s allowance, specifically in relation to habitual residence, the care requirements of the person being cared for, as well as the means of and the level of care being provided by the carer in each case.
There has been an annual increase of 14% in the numbers of applications for carer’s allowance in recent years.
At the end of September 2017, the average processing time was 15 weeks and there were 4,844 applications awaiting decision.
Frequently, delays in processing are outside the control of the Department and are caused by the customer failing to fully complete the claim form or failing to attach the supporting documentation that is requested on the application form.
Operational processes, procedures and the organisation of work are continually reviewed to ensure that processing capability is maximised.
I confirm that my department received an application for carer’s allowance from the person concerned on the 2 August 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 Deputy.
187. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the waiting times for processing maternity and paternity applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43113/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am pleased to inform the Deputy that the delays experienced earlier this year with the processing of maternity and paternity claims have been eliminated and that all applicants who submit a fully completed claim on time now receive a decision in advance of commencing their leave.
Maternity benefit and paternity benefit claims are processed in order of commencement of leave date. As of Monday 9th October 2017, the Department is processing maternity benefit claims with a commencement date of 24th November 2017 and paternity benefit claims with a commencement date of 1st January 2018, respectively. The average time to process a paper claim is 6 weeks and processing claims by leave commencement date order ensures that those whose maternity or paternity leave is impending or has already started receive priority.
The Department also facilitates online applications for both maternity and paternity benefit and an automated decision is made where the applicant submits all necessary information and where the detail provided can be validated. I would encourage applicants who are planning maternity leave or paternity leave to use this channel, if possible, as it provides the most effective method of applying for both maternity and paternity benefit.
188. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the waiting times for processing carer's allowance and carer's benefit applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43114/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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. Performance indicators relating to service delivery are set out in detail in the Department's Customer Action Plan, including processing time targets for the main welfare schemes.
The processing times target for the carer’s allowance scheme is 70% in 12 weeks. This target reflects the fact that there are many questions which have to be considered before a decision can be made on entitlement to carer's allowance, specifically in relation to habitual residence, the care requirements of the person being cared for, as well as the means of and the level of care being provided by the carer in each case.
There has been an annual increase of 14% in the numbers of applications for carer’s allowance in recent years.
At the end of September 2017, the carer’s allowance average processing time was 15 weeks and there were 4,844 applications awaiting decision. The carer's benefit average processing time was 10 weeks and there were 677 awaiting decision.
Frequently, delays in processing are outside the control of the Department and are caused by the customer failing to fully complete the claim form or failing to attach the supporting documentation that is requested on the application form.
Operational processes, procedures and the organisation of work are continually reviewed to ensure that processing capability is maximised.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
189. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the waiting times for processing jobseekers' applications in counties Cavan and Monaghan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43115/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy is detailed in the attached tabular statement.
Average time to award claims in the Department’s offices in Cavan and Monaghan at the end of September 2017
|
Office |
Jobseeker’s Allowance - (Weeks) |
Jobseeker’s Benefit - (Weeks) |
|
Cavan INTREO |
2 |
1 |
|
Ballyconnell Branch Office |
3 |
3 |
|
Carrickmacross Branch Office |
6 |
4 |
|
Castleblaney Branch Office |
5 |
3 |
|
Monaghan Branch Office |
5 |
4 |
190. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a date for an oral hearing with an appeals officer on a disability allowance claim by a person (details supplied) will be confirmed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43171/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that the appeal from the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer who has decided to hold an oral hearing in this case on 31st October 2017. The person concerned will be notified of the arrangements for the hearing.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Employment Affairs and 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.
191. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the social welfare payments issued to a person (details supplied) in 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43176/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person concerned has been in receipt of Jobseekers Allowance since 7th July 2016 to date.
A detailed statement in relation to payments made in 2016 is available on request on the Department's website at the link listed below. The statement will then be sent to the person concerned in the post.
https://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/secure/StatementOfJAJB.aspx.
192. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if he will address a matter regarding the case of a person (details supplied); the section responsible for the administration of fire service pensions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43173/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraWhile my Department has overall responsibility for the Local Government (Superannuation) (Consolidation) Scheme 1998, the payment of pensions under the terms of the scheme is a matter for each local authority and queries should be directed to the relevant local authority in the first instance.
I am aware that in this case an internal review procedure has taken place, the outcome of which was that the original decision of the local authority was upheld. There is a right to appeal this decision to the Pensions Ombudsman. I understand that the process of appeal has been explained to the individual in question.
