Written Answers Nos. 572-596
572. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of placements currently available on the Tús scheme; her plans to make changes to this scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11192/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra580. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her departmental officials are currently liaising with a number of Tús scheme management bodies with a view to making a number of supervisors redundant; if so, the redundancy package which will be made available to those supervisors; if the offer that was made is confined to two weeks statutory redundancy; if the offer that was previously made available to those made redundant on the rural transport scheme of two weeks statutory and two weeks additional per year worked will be offered to Tús supervisors; if not, the reason for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11388/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 572 and 580 together.
Tús is one of a range of supports provided by my Department to cater for long-term unemployed jobseekers and those most distant from the labour market. It provides part-time temporary work in local communities, as a stepping-stone back to employment. However, it is important to note that these placements are not full-time sustainable jobs and are designed to break the cycle of unemployment and maintain work readiness, thereby improving a person’s opportunities of returning to the labour market or getting a job for the first time. The scheme commenced operation in 2011 as a response to the high level of unemployment and the large numbers on the Live Register at that time. There are 47 Local Development Companies (LDCs), as well as Údarás na Gaeltachta, involved in the delivery of the Tús programme - known as Implementing bodies (IBs).
The Deputy will appreciate that the reduction in the unemployment rate is a factor in recruitment to all programmes. Long-term unemployment is expected to fall further this year in line with the continuing forecasted fall in overall unemployment.
The Deputy will appreciate that given the welcome improvements in the labour market in recent years with reducing numbers of long-term unemployed on the Live Register, which is the target cohort for Tús, it is proving difficult to fill the number of places available nationwide. However, changes were introduced recently to the selection criteria for Tús which should broaden the availability of Tús to a greater number of people on the live register. This includes an increase in the percentage of assisted referrals from 20% to 30%, as well as permitting someone who has had a break of up to 30 days on the Live Register in the past 12 months to be considered eligible for Tús selection.
In the five years since the end of December 2012, there has been a 48% fall in the numbers on the Live Register who are more than 1 year unemployed. In this context the Department is currently engaging with the Irish Local Development Network – the representative body for the IBs.
The Department keeps all aspects of its activation programmes under review to ensure the best outcomes for participants and communities.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
573. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she has completed a review of the rules governing the participation of older persons on community employment schemes; if so, the outcome of this review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11193/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs replied to the Deputy in Question number 91 answered on Tuesday 20th February 2018 I am currently reviewing the rules governing the provision which allows Community Employment (CE) participants aged 62 or over to apply to extend their participation on CE beyond the standard lifetime participation limits. I expect this review to be completed shortly.
If a particular participant wants to avail of this provision, they should contact their local DEASP Intreo office for more information.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
574. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the average waiting time for a decision on appeal for social protection payments paid on a weekly basis in cases in which there is no oral hearing and an oral hearing respectively in 2018, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11194/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe following table provides the details which have been requested by the Deputy for the period to the end of February 2018. It only includes the appeal processing times for schemes paid on a weekly basis.
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.
All claim decisions taken by the Department’s deciding officers are appealable to the Chief Appeals Officer. In any year about 85% of all claims are awarded and just 1% are appealed. Nevertheless, the Department is concerned that these cases are dealt with as quickly as possible.
Accordingly, significant efforts and resources have been devoted to reforming the appeal process in recent years. As a result, appeal processing times in respect of all schemes improved between 2011 and 2017 from 52.5 weeks for an oral hearing in 2011 to 26.4 weeks in 2017 and from 25.1 weeks for a summary decision in 2011 to 19.8 weeks in 2017.
The time taken to process an appeal reflects a number of factors including that the appeals process is a quasi-judicial process with appeals officers being required to decide all appeals on a ‘de-novo’ basis. In addition, appeals decisions are themselves subject to review by the higher courts and decisions have to be formally written up to quasi-judicial standards.
Other factors that influence appeals processing times include the quality of the initial decision – in this respect the Department has changed the decisions process in respect of medical schemes, in order to provide more information to the claimant. I expect that this will help to reduce the number of appeals over time.
In addition, a number of new appeals officers have joined the Appeals Office over the past year, to replace staff leaving on retirement. Given the complexity of the appeals process it takes some time for new staff to be trained up and develop expertise. This changeover in staff led to longer times to conclude appeals in 2017 and this has continued in the first two months of 2018. However, the Chief Appeals Officer has advised that she is hopeful that processing times will improve over the course of 2018.
Finally, it should be noted that an appellant can claim supplementary welfare allowance pending the outcome of their appeal and that any favourable decisions are backdated to the original date of the claim.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Appeal Processing Times by Scheme 01 January 2018 - 28 February 2018
|
- |
Average processing times (weeks) Summary Decisions |
Average processing times (weeks) Oral Hearings |
|
Carers Allowance |
23.8 |
27.8 |
|
Carers Benefit |
22.4 |
30.8 |
|
Disability Allowance |
20.4 |
25.5 |
|
Illness Benefit |
30.5 |
43.3 |
|
Partial Capacity Benefit |
26.3 |
22.2 |
|
Farm Assist |
26.8 |
53.1 |
|
Working Family Payment |
28.7 |
28.4 |
|
Invalidity Pension |
26.5 |
24.6 |
|
Maternity Benefit |
20.7 |
51.3 |
|
Paternity Benefit |
29.8 |
- |
|
One Parent Family Payment |
30.5 |
34.9 |
|
State Pension (Contributory) |
38.9 |
50.7 |
|
State Pension (Non-Contributory) |
31.9 |
45.2 |
|
Occupational Injury Benefit |
39.4 |
44.0 |
|
Guardian's Payment (Con) |
36.8 |
- |
|
Guardian's Payment (Non-Con) |
4.7 |
- |
|
Jobseeker's Allowance (Means) |
30.4 |
37.4 |
|
Jobseeker's Allowance (Payments) |
24.6 |
32.6 |
|
Back To Work Family Dividend |
29.9 |
- |
|
Jobseeker's Transitional |
- |
38.3 |
|
Pre-retirement Allowance |
- |
29.9 |
|
Jobseeker's Benefit |
22.7 |
26.0 |
|
Supplementary Welfare Allowance |
23.8 |
25.5 |
|
Survivor's Pension (Contributory) |
34.2 |
- |
|
Survivor's Pension (Non-Con) |
- |
32.7 |
575. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the meetings she or her departmental officials have had with her British counterpart regarding Brexit and reciprocal rights; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11195/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy UK counterpart, Secretary of State Esther McVey, was recently appointed to her post in the Department for Work and Pensions. I have arranged to meet with her in London on Monday 23rd April.
A key area of concern is the impact of Brexit on the current reciprocal arrangements for social insurance and social assistance schemes and child benefit between Ireland and the UK, including Northern Ireland.
At that meeting I will emphasise my objective to ensure that the reciprocity of civic rights and social welfare rights and entitlements, which currently exist for Irish and UK citizens moving within Ireland and between Ireland and Britain under the Common Travel Area (CTA), are safeguarded and maintained. The importance of maintaining the CTA has been acknowledged in Prime Minister May’s letter of 29 March 2017 triggering Article 50 of the TEU, in the Joint EU/UK Progress report agreed at the European Council on 15th December and it is reflected in the Protocol to the draft Withdrawal Agreement published by the Commission on 28 February.
576. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if there are circumstances in which a person in receipt of a disability allowance can engage in part-time work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11196/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn Ireland, people with disabilities of working age are only half as likely to be in work as their non-disabled peers. Employment is central to independence and social integration and offers the best protection against poverty. This Government is committed to helping more people with disabilities to enter the workforce. To this end recipients of disability allowance (DA) can retain a proportion of their income support payment as they move from welfare to work.
DA is a means-tested payment for people with a specified disability whose income falls below certain limits. To qualify for DA a person must, among other conditions, have an injury, disease or physical or mental disability that has continued or may be expected to continue for at least one year and as a result of this disability be substantially restricted in undertaking work that would otherwise be suitable for a person of their age, experience and qualifications.
The means disregard for DA is important in the context of ensuring that people with disabilities can participate in work while retaining a proportion of their social welfare payment. The current disregard provides that people with disabilities can earn up to €120 per week from employment without their payment being affected while earnings between €120 and €350 are assessed at 50%.
Currently, some 10% of DA recipients avail of this provision. Recent Government decisions have sought to increase the number of DA recipients availing of this arrangement. In line with the recommendations of the Make Work Pay report published last April, the Government has dispensed with the requirement that work be of a ‘rehabilitative nature’ for the DA earnings disregard. This means that a report from a doctor is no longer required before commencing work and that the focus is on capacity rather than incapacity.
Furthermore, procedures have been put in place with regard to fast-tracking the reinstatement of DA to people with disabilities who have returned to work, and have subsequently had to leave their job within one year.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
577. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the considerable numbers of businesses and persons operating as fitters of new car parts, for example, exhaust engines or tyres that are not adequately trained or equipped to provide these services and the considerable consumer protection and road safety concerns that arise from this; and the steps she is considering to address this. [11212/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis matter is not proper to the Minister of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.
578. Deputy Margaret Murphy O'Mahony asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons that have been transferred from the rent supplement scheme to the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government's housing assistance payment scheme in 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11357/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra579. Deputy Margaret Murphy O'Mahony asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of rent supplement in County Cork by each local electoral area in tabular form at 31 December 2017 and to date in 2018; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11358/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 578 and 579 together.
Rent supplement plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme supporting some 32,450 recipients for which the Government has provided €180 million for 2018. The number of rent supplement recipients as at end of December 2017 and February, 2018 is provided in the following tabular statement. Recipient numbers for Cork are also provided, however analysis of rent supplement tenancies by local electoral area is not maintained.
The Deputy will be aware that the strategic policy direction of the Department is to return rent supplement to its original purpose of being a short-term income support with the introduction of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme. HAP is available nationwide from 1 March 2017, and there are currently some 33,750 active HAP tenancies in place of which over 9,240 were direct transfers from rent supplement. The number of rent supplement tenancies transferred to HAP during 2017 is not maintained by the Department.
Officials in my Department continue to work closely with the Local Authorities to support the transfer of long term rent supplement recipients to HAP.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Table 1: Rent Supplement Recipient Numbers
|
Year |
Total Recipients |
Cork Recipients |
|
31 Dec 2017 |
34,378 |
3,578 |
|
28 Feb 2018 |
32,450 |
3,401 |
581. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if it is planned to allow for a phasing in of the new total contributions approach for the first ten years or so to reduce unfair and sudden losses to the first generation of new pensioners from 2020 onwards in view of the recent publication of the Roadmap for Pensions Reform 2018-2023. [11393/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra582. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason for the jettisoning of the 30 year base for pension calculation used in the National Pension Framework and explored in the Actuarial Review of the Social Insurance Fund 31 December 2015, in view of the recent publication of the Roadmap for Pensions Reform 2018-2023. [11394/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 581 and 582 together.
A policy to introduce the Total Contributions Approach (TCA) to pensions calculation was adopted by Government in the National Pensions Framework in 2010, as was the decision to base the entitlements of all new pensioners on this approach from around 2020.
Calculation of pension under the Yearly Average Approach and under the Total Contributions Approach will give different outcomes, and people may get a higher or lower payment depending on the approach used. If everyone was paid the same amount or more under the new total contributions approach system as they would have got under the old one, there would be little point in such a reform, and it would add to the sustainability challenges already faced by the State pension system. Trends show that these sustainability challenges are going to place ever-increasing burdens in the coming years on workers who fund State pensions through the PRSI system. The proposed new TCA system strikes a balance between recognising periods outside the paid workforce while emphasising the need to maximise the paid element in the contribution conditions for pensions.
The recent Actuarial Review of the Social Insurance Fund has been used to explore the costs of various options and to inform the design of the TCA. The TCA model for post-2020 pensioners has yet to be decided upon, as the design will not be finalised until after a public consultation later this year. There are a number of factors, not just the number of years required for a full pension, which influence outcomes, and I will consider very carefully the priorities identified by stakeholders in that consultation process.
The interim TCA model being made available for post-2012 pensioners (up to 2019) is based on 40 years, but has very significant Home-caring provisions, much more beneficial than those in the 2010 proposals, that make it more beneficial for homemakers disadvantaged by the Yearly Average approach. This is because the 2010 model produces significantly worse outcomes for women, particularly where they have homemaking periods prior to 1994.
To take one example, a pensioner born in 1950 who reached pension age in 2016, who had 18 years PRSI contributions, a gap of 18 years raising her children when aged 24 to 42, and a yearly average of 15-19. Under the pre-2012 Yearly Average system, she might have expected a contributory pension at 75% of the maximum rate. Under the Post-2012 Yearly Average system, her entitlement would be 65%. Under the proposals announced earlier this year, she will qualify for a 90% pension. However, under the 2010 proposals, which had a 30 year base for a maximum pension, but which did not recognise home-making pre-1994, her entitlement would only be 60%. In taking a 40 year approach for this model, I have been able to have much more generous homecaring provisions, which largely benefit women who were disadvantaged by the previous system. It will still remain possible for others to qualify for a full rate contributory pension with 30 years of paid PRSI and 10 years of credits (e.g. from jobseeking periods), over the course of a 50 year period. Invalidity pensioners and Widows will continue to generally qualify for a full rate pension. Those who do not qualify for a full rate SPC on this basis will still be able to make a claim to the means-tested SPNC, which pays up to 95% of the maximum contributory pension rate.
Ultimately, for those retiring after 2020, the balance between the number of years required for a full pension and the level of recognition for homecaring periods will be decided after the consultation later this year, as will any transitional elements to the final proposal.
I hope this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
583. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of a claim for jobseeker's allowance application by a person (details supplied). [11398/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person concerned has been in receipt of Jobseekers Allowance since August 2011. Payment of Jobseekers Allowance is dependent on the claimant satisfying a means test and also being available for and genuinely seeking work. All claimants are also subject to periodic reviews of entitlement.
On the 19th of December 2017, a letter issued from my Department to the person concerned advising her that her claim would be suspended with effect from the 3rd of January 2018 on the grounds she had failed to engage with a Social Welfare Inspector.
The person concerned was further advised that should she fail to engage with the Department, that a revised decision would be made based on the information available and that this might result in her claim being disallowed. Unfortunately, the person concerned failed to engage and on the 25th January 2018, she was advised that her claim had been disallowed as she had not shown that her means are less than the weekly rate of €193 Jobseekers Allowance appropriate to her family circumstances.
The Department continues to be available to assist the person concerned in providing financial support the person concerned needs to fully engage in order to ensure continuity of payment in compliance with the relevant legislation.
I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
585. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason voluntary contributions cannot be used for entitlement for invalidity pension; her plans to amend same to include self-employed persons who have been making voluntary contributions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11436/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraVoluntary Contributions are designed to facilitate employees or self-employed people who are no longer subject to compulsory PRSI, to pay contributions directly to the Department on a voluntary basis, in order to protect their future state pension (contributory), widow’s, widower’s or surviving civil partner’s contributory (pension) and guardian’s contributory payment entitlements.
A person under the age of 66 who ceases to be covered by compulsory PRSI may opt to become a Voluntary Contributor. There are a number of qualifying conditions attached to the voluntary contribution scheme. In order to become a voluntary contributor a person must (i) have a minimum of 260 to 520 contributions paid – dependant on the period he or she wishes to pay for, and (ii) apply within 60 months of the end of the year in which he or she last paid or was credited a contribution.
People who last paid PRSI at classes A, E or H pay a contribution of 6.6% of their reckonable income, subject to a minimum annual payment of €500 while those who last paid PRSI at class S pay a flat rate of €500. Those who last paid PRSI at classes B, C or D pay 2.6% or a minimum of €250 but do not qualify for state pension (contributory).
Voluntary contributors may access social welfare supports by establishing eligibility to assistance-based payments such as disability allowance. In deciding an assistance-based payments the means of husband/wife, civil partner or co-habitant will be taken into account in deciding on entitlement to a payment
The Government is committed to encouraging self-employment and entrepreneurship and this includes improving the level of PRSI based benefits available to self-employed people while ensuring the sustainability of the social insurance fund. A ny changes in the level of benefits available would be expected to have financial implications and any decision to improve these provisions would be a matter for Government to consider in the context of the Budget.
586. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if approval of a carer's allowance claim by a person (details supplied) will be considered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11438/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy department received an application for CA from the person concerned on the 13 February 2018.
Carer's allowance is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a person who has such a disability that they require that level of care.
However, as the person concerned has left her employment to provide care to her mother, it would appear that carer's benefit (CARB) is the more appropriate scheme for her to apply for.
CARB is a payment made to insured people who leave the workforce to care for a person(s) in need of full-time care and attention.
In addition, the person concerned may have an entitlement to carer’s leave. This allows employees to leave their employment temporarily to provide full-time care for someone in need of full-time care and attention. They are entitled to take carer’s leave of at least 13 weeks up to a maximum of 104 weeks.
To determine her entitlement to CARB, the person concerned needs to complete the CARB1 application form that has issued to her.
On receipt of a fully completed application form, her entitlement to carer’s benefit will be examined.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
587. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans for mobile clinics in rural areas to issue public services cards (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11448/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department has a variety of arrangements in place to ensure that citizens can SAFE register and obtain a Public Services Card (PSC), irrespective of their location or place of residence.
The majority of SAFE registrations are through attendance in person at the local INTREO Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office. Customers may be invited to attend, or can make contact themselves to arrange an appointment or make an appointment online. There are over 100 SAFE registration locations nationally. It is the intention that, in due course, registration would be available at all departmental locations.
Arrangements are also in place for other persons, mainly pensioners in receipt of payments at Post Offices who can complete SAFE registration and access a PSC by postal methods. Customers who fulfil the relevant criteria are written to offering this option. This procedure provides a more convenient method of registration for these individuals. Over 300,000 customers have availed of this option.
Having regard to mobile SAFE registrations, these are carried out specifically on request and usually at community/group settings to register customers unable to attend in person at DEASP locations due to mobility, disability or incapacity challenges.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
588. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason a dependent spouse must obtain the consent of the PRSI contributor to receive optical, dental and other benefits. [11456/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraWhen a person wishes to claim treatment benefit as a dependant spouse, based on their spouse’s/partner’s PRSI record, they are required to complete an eligibility check form, available from the service provider they intend to use or directly from the Department. In order to determine eligibility the Department has to confirm that the insured spouse/partner satisfies the PRSI contributions requirement and that the person seeking treatment benefit is financially dependent on the qualified person.
To ensure data protection compliance (including the upcoming General Data Protection Regulation legislation) the Department seeks the written consent of both parties to their data being used to make the necessary enquires to check eligibility. The “qualified” PRSI contributor is asked to consent to the use of their PPS number by the Department, so that their PRSI record can be accessed to potentially qualify their dependent spouse/partner for treatment benefits.
It should be noted that the “qualified” spouse/partner is not asked to consent to their spouse getting the treatment, but is asked to consent to the use of their PPSN by the Department. Where a dependent spouse/partner indicates to the Department that they do not wish to, or are not in a position to ask their spouse/partner to sign the form the Department can still proceed to determine eligibility. A protocol is in place to cover such instances and is in operation in relation to all schemes and services of the Department.
589. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the year a person reaches the qualifying pension age is included in the number of years divided into the reckonable contributions when calculating the yearly average PRSI contributions for the State pension (contributory). [11501/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraCurrently the State pension (contributory) entitlement is calculated by the ‘yearly average’ system, where the total number of contributions paid or credited is divided by the number of years of the person’s insurance record. The maximum rate of pension is payable where a person has a yearly average of at least 48, and there are banded entitlements below that.
In calculating the yearly average, the number of full-rate contributions paid and/or credited is counted up to the end of the tax/contribution year before reaching pension age (66), and this total is divided by the number of tax/contribution years in their record up to that point. For example, if someone’s record was from 1972, and they turned 66 on 1 July 2016, it would be the contributions they paid or were credited in the period to 31 December 2015, divided by 44 years (i.e. every year from 1972 to 2015). Taking the subsequent period into account to calculate the yearly average could only increase their contributions by a maximum of 26 contributions, and if their yearly average was already higher than that, this would have the effect of reducing their yearly average, rather than increasing it, as the amended total would be divided by 45. Given the fact that in most cases, this would result in a lower rather than a higher yearly average, it is to most people’s advantage that the rule should apply as it does now.
However, the Deputy should note that all contributions can still be used to satisfy other pension conditions (notably the requirement to have a minimum of 520 contributions paid to qualify for State pension contributory).
Under the forthcoming Total Contributions Approach, there will be no need for such a provision, and all reckonable contributions will be used in the calculation of entitlements.
It should be remembered that PRSI does not just fund the State pension contributory and enable people to qualify for that payment, but also working age benefits before they retire.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
590. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she is considering extending the fuel allowance since the extreme cold spell started. [11335/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe fuel allowance is a payment of €22.50 per week for 27 weeks from October to April, to over 338,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €227 million in 2018. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. Only one allowance is paid per household.
In October 2017, I introduced the option for qualified households to receive their fuel allowance payment in two lump sums - in October and in January. This allows people to buy fuel in bulk and potentially avail of special offers or discounts on the purchase of the particular fuel that meets their specific needs.
In Budget 2018, I increased the duration of the fuel allowance season by one week to 27 weeks. This is clearly longer than the winter period in Ireland, and provides assistance during what are largely colder weeks, when heating costs are expected to be at their highest. The current fuel allowance season will, therefore run to the first week in April.
Given the severity of the weather in recent days, last week I announced that all people in receipt of the Fuel Allowance will receive an extra payment of €22.50 in respect of this week. This is to ensure our customers can be safe and warm at this time. The additional payment will be paid automatically during the week commencing 12th March and will bring Fuel Allowance payment to €45 that week. The extra payment of €22.50 will also be paid to those who have received the Fuel Allowance in lump sum payments.
Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, exceptional needs payments may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which customers are unable to meet out of their own resources and this may include exceptional heating costs.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
591. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons in full-time work or study in receipt of back to work enterprise allowance, back to education allowance and the one-parent family allowance. [11561/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFollowing clarification with the Deputy’s Office, the requested statistics as at the 28th of Feb 2018 are as follows:
- 9,188 recipients currently on the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance;
- 11,160 recipients currently on the Back to Education Allowance and
- 39,432 recipients currently on the One-Parent Family Allowance.
592. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of the working family payment. [11562/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Working Family Payment is an in-work support which provides an income top-up for employees on low earnings with children and offers a financial incentive to take-up employment. Currently there are almost 57,700 families with more than 129,000 children in receipt of the WFP. The estimated spend on WFP this year is approximately €431 million.
593. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 223 of 28 February 2018, the reason a breakdown of the top 20 employers is not available to her Department; and when it will be available. [11563/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are two reasons why it is not possible to provide data at the level of individual employers: one is technical, and the other concerns statistical confidentiality. At a technical level, reliably identifying a single employer, regardless of the details of corporate structures, requires the existence of an agreed ‘unique business identifier’ (UBI). However, a UBI does not currently exist in Ireland. The creation of such an identifier is identified as a key priority in the National Statistics Board’s A World Class Statistical System for Ireland: Strategic Priorities for Official Statistics 2015-2020 , and is under active consideration at whole-of-government level.
More importantly still, in terms of statistical confidentiality, even if employer-level information could readily be produced, it would not be appropriate to make public information identifying individual businesses.
Notwithstanding the above, in general we can readily produce an industry sector (‘NACE’) breakdown of employers, similar to the breakdowns routinely published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) in many statistical outputs. For further details on this classification, please see http://www.cso.ie/en/methods/classifications/classificationofindustrialactivity/
594. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if provision for payment to a person (details supplied) of an appropriate social welfare payment such as jobseeker's allowance or similar will be facilitated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11583/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person concerned applied for Job Seekers Allowance on 14th December 2017.
Jobseekers Allowance is means tested payment, and regretfully the person concerned did not submit the required information to allow their means to be assessed and for a deciding officer to determine their entitlement to a payment.
The person’s claim was disallowed on 5th February 2018 as they had not shown that their means are less than the weekly rate of Job Seeker’s Allowance appropriate to their family circumstances.
The decision to disallow the claim can be appealed to the Social Welfare Appeals Office.
I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
595. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if jobseeker’s allowance or emergency payment will be made in the case of person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11584/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer the Deputy to Parliamentary Question No. 214 of 22nd February 2018. As the person concerned has not submitted the documentation requested by the Department their claim was subsequently closed. It is open to the person concerned to make contact with their local Intreo Centre if they wish to pursue their claim.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the deputy.
596. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to review and repeal the decision whereby widows, widowers and survivors pension are not payable to persons married here following an overseas divorce; if it is recognised that the operation of this provision is likely to cause serious consequences in the future and hardship in the interim for persons (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11585/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraTo qualify for a widow’s, widower’s or surviving civil partner’s (contributory) pension, the surviving spouse must be deemed, under Irish State Law, to be the legal widow of the deceased.
The late husband of the person concerned was previously divorced in the United Kingdom. The legislative provisions pertaining to the recognition of divorces outside the State are set out in Section 5 of the Domicile and Recognition of Foreign Divorces Act, 1986. Responsibility for this legislation lies with the Minister for Justice and Equality. In accordance with that Act, a foreign divorce will be recognised in this state, if one of the parties to the divorce was domiciled in the country granting the divorce when proceedings were initiated.
Based on the evidence available to the Deciding Officer, the deceased and his former spouse were domiciled in Ireland at the time their divorce proceedings were initiated in the United Kingdom. Therefore, in accordance with the Domicile and Recognition of Foreign Divorces Act, 1986, the divorce is not recognised under Irish State Law.
As the foreign divorce cannot be recognised, the subsequent marriage to the person concerned cannot be recognised, and the person concerned cannot be deemed, under Irish State Law, to be the legal widow of the deceased. Consequently, there is no entitlement to widow’s contributory pension.
The person concerned was informed of this decision in writing on the 10th November 2017 and has appealed the decision to the Independent Chief Appeals Officer. The Appeals Office will contact the person concerned directly regarding the outcome of their appeal.
The person concerned can apply for Supplementary Welfare Allowance from their local community welfare service accessed through the nearest Intreo Centre, if the resources currently available to her are insufficient to meet her needs.
I have no plans to review or change the eligibility criteria for widow’s, widower’s or surviving civil partner’s (contributory) pensions at this time.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
