Written Answers Nos. 262-273
262. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will review the case of a person (details supplied) who has been in receipt of a carer's allowance for some time to care for a relative; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47494/17]
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 Department periodically reviews claims in payment to ensure that there is continued entitlement. Following a review in this case it was determined that the evidence did not indicate that the requirement for full-time care was satisfied.
The person concerned was notified on 4 October 2017 of the outcome of this review, the reason for it and of his right of review and appeal. The person concerned requested a review and submitted additional evidence in support.
Following a review of this new information, CA was re-awarded to the person concerned on 6 November 2017 and payment will issue to his nominated bank account on 9 November 2017. Arrears for the period 26 October 2017 to 8 November 2017 will also issue on this date.
The person concerned was notified on 6 November 2017 of this decision.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
263. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons who have received penalties in their social welfare payments as a result of non-compliance with the JobPath programme, by county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47514/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, JobPath is a service that supports people who are long-term unemployed and those most at risk of becoming long-term unemployed to secure and sustain paid employment.
The service commenced operations in mid-2015, and reached full State-wide delivery of the service in July 2016.
It is important to note that the rules and processes for the application of a reduced rate of payment are the same across all of the Department’s activation services, whether they are delivered directly by the Department’s own Intreo service or through its contracted services such as the Local Employment Service (LES) or JobPath service.
Only a departmental official - and not contractor’s staff - can make a decision to apply a reduced rate of payment. Contractors have no role in the decision making process. The process with regards to such decisions includes written / verbal warnings and an opportunity for the jobseeker to re-engage with the services prior to the application of a reduced payment rate.
Up to the end of September approximately 7000, or 5.8% of all clients who engaged with the JobPath service have had, at some point, a penalty rate applied to their payment: some of these clients may have had the penalty rate applied after finishing their engagement period with the JobPath service, so the actual numbers who have had a penalty rate applied while with the JobPath service will be lower. Application of penalty rates is not routinely recorded on a county basis but will be sourced and provided to the Deputy as soon as possible.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the deputy.
264. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when the pensions report will be published (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47527/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt is my intention to introduce a Total Contributions Approach to the calculation of the State Pension (Contributory) from 2020 onwards and I’ll be bringing forward proposals in this regard in the near future.
In the meantime, I have asked my officials to carefully examine approaches that may help to address the issue in relation to the averaging approach as it affects people with a short work period early in their career followed by a long break. We need to ensure that any proposed approach does not cause further anomalies or disadvantages to arise, or hinder the move to a Total Contributions Approach. We also need to determine, as best we can, the cost of any such approach and how that cost can be financed in the future.
It is worth remembering that the 2012 rate bands more closely reflect the social insurance contributions history of a person than those in place prior to that and people with only 20 years of contributions over nearly 50 years will still get an 85% pension.
Reverting to the pre-2012 bands would move additional resources to people who already have means, and it is estimated that it would result in an annual cost of well over €70 million in 2018, and this annual cost would increase by an estimated €10-12 million each following year.
Spending on State pensions has increased rapidly in recent decades. This year, the cost is €7.3 billion. This is estimated to increase by €1 billion every five years due the increased number of pensioners. These projections mean that there are considerable sustainability and affordability challenges in the years ahead and we must start to address them now.
Accordingly, I want to ensure that any approach taken is fair and sustainable in the long term.
I hope that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
265. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the amount spent on consultations for MABS and Citizens Information Services in the context of restructuring plans by the Citizens Information Board; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47531/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn February 2017, the Board of Citizens Information Board (CIB) decided to change the governance model from ninety three local Citizens Information Services (CIS) and Money Advice and Budgeting Services (MABS) companies to a new sixteen regional board model, comprising eight CIS and eight MABS companies.
CIB has established an implementation group to progress the change. The group will have a local rolling membership element in order to harness the necessary skills and expertise as the regional structure is rolled out.
As part of its communications campaign, since the decision was made, CIB has undertaken 14 regional consultations and a series of focus groups, to examine and discuss some of the key aspects of implementing the new sixteen board model. Almost 600 people representative of local company Boards, management, staff and volunteers of local CIS and MABS services have attended. All attendees had an opportunity to raise any concerns they had about service delivery under the new model. CIB reports that the regional consultations were well received and there was considerable support for, and constructive discussion about, the change.
The regional consultation costs incurred by CIB amounted to € 28,263. This includes €17,348 in respect of room hire costs and independent facilitator costs of €10,915. Where incurred, the costs of travel and subsistence of attendees is borne by respective local CIS or MABS services, which are in turn entirely funded by CIB. Details of such costs in respect of individual companies are not readily available.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
266. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a person (details supplied) will receive a decision on a social welfare appeal. [47551/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 27 September 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.
267. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a person (details supplied) qualified for payment of disability allowance for six weeks after death with a view to meeting funeral costs; if an exceptional needs payment can be made for funeral costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47571/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIf a person in receipt of disability allowance (DA) dies and he/she was claiming qualified adult allowance then six weeks after death payment at personal and qualified adult rate is made to the surviving spouse. Also if a person in receipt of DA dies and his/her surviving spouse/partner is in receipt of a Social Welfare payment in their own right, then the spouse is entitled to receive six weeks of their deceased spouse/partners payment in addition to their own. There is no provision in Social Welfare legislation for friends and neighbours to be entitled to six weeks payment after death.
Under the supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme, the Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off and unforeseen expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. An application can be made under the ENP scheme for assistance with funeral and burial expenses where there is an inability to pay these costs, in part or in full, by the family of the deceased person without causing hardship. Any persons who consider that they have an entitlement to an ENP under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme should contact the Department.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
268. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the decision to refuse disability allowance in the case of a person (details supplied) will be reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47573/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis lady submitted an application for disability allowance on 23 August 2017.
The application, based upon the evidence submitted, was refused on medical grounds and this lady was notified in writing of this decision on 23 October 2017. She was also notified the reason for it and of the option to submit further medical evidence in support of her application for review and of her right to appeal the decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO).
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
269. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a person (details supplied) qualifies for invalidity pension in view of their serious condition following a fire some years ago and the fact they have been in receipt of disability allowance in the interim; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47579/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraInvalidity pension (IP) 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 gentleman concerned is in receipt of IP at the maximum weekly personal rate since 05 March 2015. In addition, he receives an increase for a qualified adult payable at the maximum rate and an increase for a qualified child. He is also in receipt of the fuel allowance and a travel pass.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
270. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the case of a person (details supplied) will be reviewed in view of the fact that they have submitted a reasonable explanation in respect of their means and have a dependent spouse and son; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47580/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFollowing a review of this gentleman’s entitlement to disability allowance (DA), payment was stopped as he failed to show that his means did not exceed the statutory limit and failed to disclose to my Department that he was out of state on several occasions. Notification of this decision issued to him on 19 October 2017.
This gentleman has lodged an appeal with the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO). All the relevant papers requested by that Office recently were submitted by my department and the SWAO will be in touch with the person in due course in relation to the progress of the appeal.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
271. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of applications for a domiciliary care allowance declined at first instance; the number appealed; the outcome of those appeals; and the average time for applications under the domiciliary care allowance from initial application to final decision. [47608/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn 2016, the last complete year for which total figures are available, the Domiciliary Care Allowance section received 7,434 applications of which 1,683 were disallowed. This represents 22.5% of the total received. There were 319 appeal submissions to the Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO) in 2016, 162 appeals were allowed and 6 other cases were partially allowed.
The current processing time for Domiciliary Care Allowance is approximately 17 weeks. It is hoped to reduce this further over the coming weeks.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
272. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government when the increase to the vacant site levy from 3% to 7% announced on 10 October 2017 as part of the budget statement 2018 will be introduced; if the levy is a general increase from 3% to 7%; and if a 3% levy remains for the first year and the announced 7% increase will only be applied on the second and subsequent years a site remains vacant. [47545/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 introduced a new measure, the vacant site levy, which is aimed at incentivising the development of vacant, under-utilised sites in urban areas. Under the Act, planning authorities are required to establish a register of vacant sites in their areas, beginning on 1 January 2017, and to issue annual notices to owners of vacant sites by 1 June 2018 in respect of vacant sites on the register on 1 January 2018. The levy will be applied by planning authorities, commencing on 1 January 2019 in respect of sites which were vacant and on the vacant site register during the year 2018 and will subsequently be applied on an annual basis thereafter, as long as a site remains on the vacant site register in the preceding year.
As part of Budget 2018, an increase in the rate of the levy was announced. Under the new arrangements, the levy will be applied at the rate of 3 per cent of the market value of a vacant site from January 2019 for sites entered on the vacant site register of a local authority in 2018. For vacant sites on the register in 2019, an increased 7 per cent rate of levy will be applied from January 2020, with the same arrangements applying annually thereafter.
The increase in the rate of the levy will require changes to the levy provisions in the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015. I will bring forward the necessary legislative amendments in this regard in due course.
273. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the extent to which he expects to be in a position to offer continued scope for recovery towards resolution of the housing crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47553/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government recognises the serious challenge we face in terms of housing. For that reason housing has been made a top priority through the development and implementation of the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness. This priority has been reinforced further through increased capital and current funding for housing. Following Budget 2018, over €6bn has been ringfenced for housing between 2016 and 2021.
Under the Action Plan we have set clear, measurable and ambitious targets, including to:
- Double the annual level of new homes built to 25,000 by 2020;
- Deliver an additional 50,000 social housing units in the period to 2021; and
- Meet the housing needs of some 87,000 households through the Housing Assistance Payment.
Significant progress has been made since Rebuilding Ireland was in the programme of social house building. All the relevant indicators – including planning permissions, construction commencement notices and connections to the ESB grid - are showing very significant upward trends. Planning permissions are up almost half on the same period last year and commencements are also up over 40%.
The rent pressure zones introduced at the beginning of this year have led to a capping of rent inflation below 4%, which is a significant decrease when compared with the increase of more than 8% last year.
Over 19,000 new social housing solutions were provided in 2016, with a further 21,000 such supports to be delivered in 2017.
Strong supply-side measures are also beginning to have a positive impact, such as the €226m Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF); a streamlined planning process for large-scale housing developments; and other planning reforms to provide flexibility to deliver viable housing schemes and apartment developments in the right locations.
Notwithstanding this wide-ranging platform of action, significant challenges remain and, one year on from Rebuilding Ireland’s publication, I initiated a focused review of the Action Plan. A number of themed initiatives have already been announced as part of the review.
In relation to social housing and homelessness, these include -
- The increase in social housing build, with the target for 2018 of c.3,000 newly built homes increasing by almost 30% to 3,800 new homes;
- Additional emergency accommodation and family hubs to meet the short-term needs of homeless households; and,
- The establishment of a new Homeless Inter-Agency Group.
Further measures have also been signalled in relation to the rental sector, including:
- A further extension of Rent Pressure Zones;
- An enhanced regulatory role for the Residential Tenancies Board;
- A reinforced awareness campaign to ensure wider awareness by tenants of their rights, an important measure in terms of homelessness prevention; and
- Additional legislative and other measures to strengthen the protections available to tenants and to address issues in relation to short-term lettings.
The Government re-inforced its commitment to delivering on housing through the allocation of very significant funding under Budget 2018. In total, I have secured €1.9 billion for housing next year, an increase of €600 million, or 46%, on 2017. This represents an increase of 62% on the capital side to build new homes and 35% on the current side to support homelessness, as well as supporting households into new social housing tenancies.
Looking beyond 2018, I have secured an extra €500 million for capital investment in social housing in the years 2019 to 2021 allowing the Rebuilding Ireland social housing target to be increased from 47,000 to 50,000 homes.
Budget 2018 removes the remaining significant obstacles to building more homes, more quickly and at more affordable prices: by investing more in direct house building by the State; by removing the capital gains tax incentive to hold on to residential land; by escalating penalties for land hoarding; by introducing new affordability measures; and by providing a new, more affordable finance vehicle for housebuilding, through Home Building Finance Ireland (HBFI), which will provide finance at commercially competitive rates to developers with sites ready to go but who are experiencing difficulty in obtaining funding.
A second phase of LIHAF supported by €50 million in funding will unlock even more sites. A new fund of €25 million will be provided over 2018 and 2019 to unlock local authority-owned land specifically to deliver affordable housing on those sites using models such as co-operative housing that have already proven to be successful but are now needed on a much greater scale. My Department is currently drawing up the criteria for access to this scheme, to be announced in the coming weeks.
I believe that this Government's commitment to tackling housing has been clearly demonstrated in terms of the delivery on Rebuilding Ireland and the resources that have been allocated. My focus and that of all delivery agents will remain firmly on implementation and delivery to maintain and accelerate housing output.
