Written Answers Nos. 585-601
585. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the details of the grant scheme announced previously to help first-time buyers refurbish derelict buildings in rural areas and towns; if this scheme will be implemented nationwide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23325/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraA pilot scheme to encourage residential occupancy in rural towns and villages is currently being developed as part of the Town and Village Renewal Scheme which is administered by my Department. The pilot will consider ways in which properties that are currently not in use in town centres can be renovated to allow them to be used for residential purposes. This will help to rejuvenate town centres while also contributing to the housing needs of individuals.
I have established a Steering Group to oversee the design and delivery of the pilot scheme, including consideration of the target beneficiaries. The Steering Group is chaired by my Department, and involves a number of other key Departments and agencies, including the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, the Department of Finance, and the County and City Management Association which provides representation from the Local Authority sector.
This is a complex issue, but work in relation to developing the pilot scheme is ongoing and I expect that substantial progress will be made in developing the pilot over the coming months. It is envisaged that the pilot scheme will be implemented in a small number of towns initially with a view, subject to the scheme's success, to a wider roll-out over time. This pilot has the capacity to inform future initiatives for town centre renewal under the new €1 billion Rural Regeneration and Development Fund which was announced by the Government recently as part of Project Ireland 2040.
586. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of ministerial cars or vehicles in operation in each of the past six years; and the costs associated with same. [24036/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Rural and Community Development was established on 19 July 2017.
As Minister for this Department, I can confirm that I do not have a Ministerial car provided from the Garda fleet.
587. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the changes introduced since 2010 to the means test for the qualified adult increase payment under the invalidity pension in chronological order; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23113/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn increase for qualified adult (IQA) is payable to recipients of Invalidity Pension in respect of a qualified adult (their spouse, civil partner or cohabitant) who is being wholly or mainly maintained by them, and where the qualified adult’s personal means from any source does not exceed a weekly means limit.
IQA is payable at the maximum rate where the means of the qualified adult does not exceed €100 per week. If the means of the qualified adult exceed this limit but are less than or equal to €310.00 per week, a lower (tapered) rate of IQA is payable. IQA is not payable where the qualified adult has means of greater than €310.00 per week.
There have been no changes to the qualifying criteria for receipt of IQA as above, since 2010. The rates payable are subject to budgetary increases where applicable.
588. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a matter (details supplied) will be addressed in relation to payments through post offices; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23120/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection I welcome the recent agreement between An Post and the Irish Postmasters Union (IPU). I understand that the plan paves the way for a modernisation programme which will facilitate the development and renewal of the post office network.
While responsibility for An Post rests with the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection is an important customer of the company. The Department makes approximately 80 million social welfare payments per annum of which nearly 42% are by cash via the post office network.
The post offices are seen as a key piece of financial and social infrastructure particularly in rural areas. Accordingly the Programme for a Partnership Government commits to actively encourage payment at post offices.
The Department has given effect to this commitment by renewing its cash services contract with An Post for another year. The current agreement allows me, as Minister, to extend the term of the contract on an annual basis up to the end of 2019.
The Department is required by law to go to public tender for the provision of cash services from 1 January 2020. The award of public sector contracts with a significant financial value is subject to various EU Directives. Public procurement rules ensure that the taxpayer receives value for money and ensures that all potential suppliers are given the opportunity to put forward the most efficient, effective and competitive solutions for consideration and evaluation.
As far as is possible, the Department remains committed to giving social welfare recipients choice of payment method. Its consistent position has been that it will respect customer choice as appropriate and make payments in line with customer preference where choice is available. Notwithstanding that electronic payment methods are significantly cheaper than payments made through the post office network, the Department advises customers that they have a choice of payment method.
589. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a person (details supplied) in County Donegal can expect to receive a decision in respect of a family income supplement, FIS, payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23124/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn application for Working Family Payment (formerly Family Income Supplement) was received from the person concerned on 8th March 2018.
One of the conditions for receipt of Working Family Payment (WFP) is that an applicant or the applicant and spouse, partner or cohabitant must be engaged in full-time employment as an employee for not less than 38 hours per fortnight or 19 hours per week.
As the person concerned did not satisfy the above condition, the application for WFP was refused on 20th March 2018.
However the applicant provided two more recent payslips and the application was reviewed by a Deciding Officer (DO)
Following a revised decision, the person concerned has been awarded WFP with effect from 22th February 2018 to 20th February 2019.
The first payment will issue to their nominated bank account on Friday, 25th May 2018 and any arrears owing will also issue on this date.
The person concerned was notified on 23rd May 2018 of this decision.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
590. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated saving in each of the years since the inception of sections 13 and 14 of the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2013. [23132/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraSections 13 and 14 of the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2013 introduced the Recovery of Benefits and Assistance scheme which enables my Department to recover the value of certain illness-related social welfare payments from compensation awards made to persons as a consequence of personal injuries claims. The benefits are recovered from the compensator and not from the injured person.
The scheme commenced on 1 August 2014 and the amounts recovered are as follows:
|
Year |
€ |
|
2014 (August to December) |
€5.03m |
|
2015 |
€21.60m |
|
2016 |
€22.75m |
|
2017 |
€26.41m |
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
591. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) for a carer's allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23138/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn application for carer's allowance (CA) was received from the person concerned on 30 November 2017.
It is a condition for receipt of CA that the person being cared for must require full-time care and attention.
The evidence submitted in support of this application was examined and the deciding officer decided that this evidence did not indicate that this condition was satisfied. The person concerned was notified on 24 April 2018 of this decision, the reason for it and of her right of review and appeal.
The person concerned has requested a review of this decision and submitted additional evidence in support of her application.
The review 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.
592. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason correspondence sent to her office has not yet been responded to; if the issue regarding the behaviour of JobPath towards a person (details supplied) will be responded to; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23143/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to clarify to the Deputy that I replied to the correspondence in question on the 22nd May 2018. As advised the primary goal of the Department’s activation services is to move people from unemployment to full-time and sustained employment. All jobseekers are required to engage with the Department’s activation service and this obligation applies irrespective of whether the service is provided by the Department’s own case officers or those advisers employed by external contractors such as the JobPath providers.
Currently, once a jobseeker is referred to JobPath, they are required to complete the requisite time with the service and will not be referred to a Work Placement programme such as Community Employment (CE) and Tús schemes, as they can only participate with one activation service at a time.
The Department has recently announced changes that will facilitate access, from 1st June this year, to CE and Tús schemes for long-term unemployed jobseekers who are engaging in JobPath. This has a number of benefits both for the vital services provided at a local level by participants on CE and Tús programmes and directly for the Department’s customers. It maximises the assistance and services for people who are long-term unemployed through a combination of a quality work placement and personalised job seeking support provided through the JobPath service.
Customers currently engaged with the JobPath service and those who may be referred in future will have the option of applying for CE and Tús placement while continuing to engage with JobPath.
Up to 1st June, where a jobseeker on the date of their referral to JobPath has received written confirmation of an offer of a placement on a CE Scheme, with a start date within 4 weeks of the JobPath referral date, they were facilitated to take up the placement wished.
The person concerned however does not currently meet these criteria. He was referred to the JobPath programme on 17th March this year and received a written offer of a CE placement on 27th March. He was incorrectly advised on 6th April that he was eligible to take up this placement, but as the offer did not pre-date the JobPath referral date he did not meet the eligibility criteria and is therefore required to remain on the JobPath programme.
Nevertheless, with the implementation of these new rules he will become eligible to take up this, or any other, CE placement on or after 1st June this year. Should he wish to avail of this option after 1st June he will benefit from the jobseeking support of JobPath while also availing of part-time work experience and quality training and development opportunities provided by a CE scheme.
593. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a domiciliary care allowance will be awarded to a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23163/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn application for domiciliary care allowance was received from this lady on the 24th May 2017. The application was not allowed as the child was not considered to satisfy the qualifying conditions for the allowance. A letter issued on the 3rd October 2017 advising of the decision.
A review of this decision was requested on the 9th October 2017. The application was re-examined by a deciding officer who determined that a revised decision was not warranted. She was notified of the decision on the 19th February 2018.
An appeal was submitted on the 16th March 2018 and additional information on the child’s care needs was supplied. The application will again be re-examined by a deciding officer and a revised decision will be made if warranted, or alternatively the case will be referred for consideration by the Social Welfare Appeals Office.
This latest review is due to be decided shortly and it is anticipated that she will be notified of the outcome of the deciding officer’s review within the coming week.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
594. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if and when a carer's allowance will be approved in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23178/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraCarer's allowance (CA) 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.
I confirm that my Department received an application for CA from the person concerned on the 20 April 2018.
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.
595. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the timeframe for payment of the telephone allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23184/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe new weekly Telephone Support Allowance (TSA) of €2.50 will be paid from June 2018. People in receipt of the Living Alone Allowance and the Fuel Allowance will automatically qualify for the TSA. It is expected that approximately 124,176 customers will qualify for the scheme and the estimated full year cost is €16.14 million.
The first payment of the TSA is planned to issue in the week beginning the 4th June.
The primary objective of the TSA is to allow the most vulnerable people access to personal alarms or phones for security. The allowance will also encourage social contact and assist in the prevention of social isolation for those living alone.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
596. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the consultation process that is to take place with current occupational and future pensioners regarding the EU IORP II directive. [23252/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe over-arching objective of IORP II is to facilitate the development of occupational retirement savings in the EU. Many of the provisions contained within the IORP II directive will also support positive reform of the Irish occupational pension sector. The directive provides for a range of new requirements concerning governance, management standards in schemes, safekeeping of assets, the need for clear and relevant information to members, the removal of obstacles to cross-border provision of pension services and the facilitation of cross border transfer of schemes. There are also provisions that will enhance the powers of the pension regulators for effective supervision of IORP.
My Department held a number of consultation processes prior to the agreement and publication of the new IORP II directive. Discussions between EU Member States and the Commission regarding the proposals in the new directive were extensive and submissions received during these consultations helped to inform this process and ensure the views of all Irish stakeholders were considered and understood.
In 2010 European Commission published its Green Paper towards adequate, sustainable and safe European pension system. The purpose of the Green Paper was to launch a European debate through extensive and early consultation on the key challenges facing pension systems and how the EU can support Member State efforts to deliver adequate and sustainable pensions. As part of this work my Department conducted a consultation process to help in its responses to the green paper.
In 2014 following the publishing of a proposal for an updated IORP Directive a further public consultation was held by my Department and organisations and individuals were invited to submit comments and observations on the Directive. The purpose of this consultation was to obtain views from all stakeholders on the content of the Directive and on the implications (including cost implications). The relevant stakeholders included the groups representing older people, employer and employee representatives, and the pensions industry.
In 2016 the Pensions Authority held a consultation process including a public forum on the reform and simplification of supplementary funded private pensions and this consultation specifically referenced IORP II requirements.
In tandem with the above officials of my Department briefed the relevant Oireachtas Committee on a number of occasions.
Following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union in December 2016, the directive will have to be transposed into Irish law by 13 January 2019. My Department, along with the Pensions Authority, is currently working on ensuring that the directive will be transposed by this date.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
597. Deputy Tom Neville asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a person (details supplied) will receive documentation to confirm entitlement to a respite care grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23262/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Carer’s Support Grant (CSG) formerly the Respite Care Grant (RCG) is paid automatically on the first Thursday in June to people in receipt of Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance or Prescribed Relative’s Allowance. Other people who are not in receipt of a social welfare payment but who are providing full-time care and attention are also eligible and can apply for the grant to a standalone CSG section. Application for the standalone grant is made through completion of a short questionnaire which my Department sends to each carer annually.
I can confirm that the person referred to by the Deputy will receive her 2018 questionnaire shortly.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
598. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the solutions available for small bus operators from her Department to record passenger numbers in view of the fact that a manual record system is difficult and time consuming to maintain; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23283/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe free travel scheme permits free travel on most CIE public transport services, Luas and a range of services offered by some 80 private operators in various parts of the country for those eligible under the scheme. There are currently approximately 911,000 customers in receipt of free travel.
Travel operators must comply with a number of terms and conditions when entering the free travel scheme. In this regard they must conduct surveys of free travel customers to my Department’s specification, provide copies of their motor insurance policies indemnifying my Department and providing for public liability, and provide copies of the public service vehicle licences for each of the buses being used on the service.
Surveys of passenger levels are of six month duration. My Department is satisfied that this length of time produces a very fair and equitable result bearing in mind the obligation to ensure that value for money is obtained for the taxpayer. The six month period is necessary to capture possible seasonal fluctuations in passenger traffic. It also ensures that operators in the scheme are fairly compensated for the carriage of free travel pass holders. Currently, ten operators have initiated surveys of their routes to review their rates of payment. To date, these operators have not reported issues with the process.
While my Department appreciates that conducting a survey can be labour intensive, it is not possible to admit new travel operators or to review payment of existing operators in respect of the Free Travel Scheme in the absence of survey data. My Department continually reviews these arrangements to ensure that they are as streamlined as possible. Operators are also being encouraged to install the ITS technology which provides ticketing equipment to operators. This technology facilitates customers using the Leap Card to pay for their travel and reads the free travel variant of the Public Services Card. This, in turn, minimises some of the work involved in the survey process.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
599. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of an application for a disability allowance by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23322/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that my Department received an application for disability allowance (DA) from this gentleman on 20 March 2018.
On 24 May 2018 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 on his DA application and the person concerned will be notified of the outcome.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
600. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) is being refused fuel allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23323/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFuel allowance is a means tested payment, payable to people who either live alone or live only with certain other qualified people.
Based on the information provided to the Department by this gentleman he does not qualify for the allowance as his household consists of people who are not in a qualifying category.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
601. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason an application for disability allowance by a person (details supplied) was refused; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23347/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person concerned submitted an application for disability allowance (DA) on 5 February 2018. Their application, based upon all the evidence submitted, was refused on medical grounds as it was not found that this lady was substantially restricted in taking up employment.
The person concerned was notified in writing of this decision on 4 May 2018 and was also notified of their right to request a review of this decision or to appeal it to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO). No request for an appeal or review has been received.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
