Written Answers Nos. 519-536
519. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children participating in Early Childhood Care and Education, ECCE, scheme; and the number of childcare services offering the scheme. [26660/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraA total of 115,581 children (i.e. unique child registrations) were participating in ECCE on 14th June 2018 and a total of 4,214 childcare services had signed contracts offering ECCE on that date.
520. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 496 of 12 June 2018, if all sections of the Adoption (Amendment) Act 2017, which incorporated the provisions of Part 11 of the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015, have now been commenced; if not, the reason for the delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26798/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraPart 11 of the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 provided for the adoption of a child by civil partners and cohabiting couples. The Adoption (Amendment) Act 2017 repealed Part 11 of that Act. The relevant sections (amended as necessary) from Part 11 of the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 were then brought forward into the Adoption (Amendment) Act 2017.
The Minister signed the Commencement Order to give effect to the provisions in the Adoption (Amendment) Act 2017 last year. These provisions were commenced on the 19th of October 2017.
521. Deputy Kevin O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of the roll-out of a specific scheme (details supplied). [26248/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe scheme referred to by the Deputy is currently being developed as part of the Town and Village Renewal Scheme which is administered by my Department.
I have established a Steering Group to oversee the design and delivery of the scheme on a pilot basis. 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.
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 scheme will be piloted in a small number of towns initially, with a view to a wider roll-out over time if the pilot is successful.
522. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount paid per project to a company (details supplied) since 1 January 2016 to date by year, amount and project name; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26396/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department was established on 19 July 2017, and since that date has paid the following amounts to the company in question:
2017 to-date:
- Advertising the Public Consultation process on the Department's Statement of Strategy (2017-2020): €1,687.82
- Advertising the Public Consultation process on the Department's Library Strategy: €11,024.00
523. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when an announcement will issue regarding CLÁR funding applications; if an application by a school (details supplied) will be supported; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26400/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraCLÁR is a targeted capital investment programme for rural areas which have experienced significant levels of depopulation.
I launched the 2018 CLÁR programme on 15th March last, with an indicative allocation of €5 million for qualifying projects under the following measures:
Measure 1: Support for Schools/Community Safety Measures
Measure 2: Play Areas/Multi-Use Games Areas
Measure 3: First Response Support Measure
The closing date for CLÁR 2018 was 30th April and, in total, more than 400 applications were received by my Department under the programme. I can confirm that an application has been received in respect of the school referred to by the Deputy.
My officials are currently assessing all applications received under the 2018 CLÁR programme and I hope to be in a position to announce the successful 2018 CLÁR projects shortly.
524. Deputy Shane Cassells asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of public consultations held by his Department or by a State agency under the remit of his Department; the number of replies received per consultation; and the cost of each consultation in each of the years 2011 to 2017 and to date in 2018, in tabular form. [26467/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe table following contains the relevant information regarding the number of public consultations held by my Department since its establishment on 19 July 2017, and for three of the four State agencies under the remit of the Department.
In relation to Pobal, the information is currently being collated and will be forwarded separately.
The costs referred to relate to advertising costs only, other work relating to the processes was carried out by Departmental and Agency staff.
|
Number of Replies Received |
Cost of Consultation |
|
|
Public consultations held by the Department of Rural and Community Development (DRCD) |
||
|
2017 DRCD consultation on the Statement of Strategy 2017-2020 |
41 |
€1687.82 |
|
2018 Consultation on new Library Strategy, Our Public Libraries 2018-2022 |
200 |
€11,024 |
|
Public consultations held by agencies under the remit of my Department. |
||
|
2016 Consultation on Guidelines for Charitable Fundraising (Charities Regulator) |
450 |
€1,270 |
|
2017 Consultation on the Governance of Charitable Organisations (November – December 2017)(Charities Regulator) |
1,193 |
€1,170 |
525. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of playgrounds which have been funded under the CLÁR programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26787/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraCLÁR provides funding for small scale capital projects in rural areas that have experienced significant levels of depopulation. The programme, which has a budget of €5 million this year, forms part of the Government’s Action Plan for Rural Development and will continue to support investments such as play areas for children, traffic calming measures around schools, and support for emergency responders.
A modest investment under the CLÁR scheme, such as the provision of a playground or play area, can have a significant impact on a rural community.
Funding for playgrounds and Multi-Use Games Areas (MUGAs) was provided under Measure 2 of the Programme in 2016 and 2017, with funding of €1,752,496 and €2,207,676 approved for these types of projects in 2016 and 2017 respectively.
The following table provides details of projects which have been supported under Measure 2 of CLÁR in each of these years:
Play Areas, Enhancement & MUGAS 2016 & 2017
|
YEAR |
New Play areas |
Enhancement/Improvement Works to Play Areas |
MUGA's |
Total Approved Measure 2 Projects |
|
2016 |
15 |
41 |
1 |
57 |
|
2017 |
28 |
28 |
7 |
63 |
|
Total |
43 |
69 |
8 |
120 |
Details of approved projects can be found on my Department's website – www.drcd.gov.ie.
The 2018 CLÁR programme was launched in March this year and once again includes a measure to develop play areas and MUGAs. Applications for funding under CLÁR 2018 are currently being assessed by my officials and I hope to be in a position to announce details of the successful applicants shortly.
526. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of applications for disability allowance received in 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018; and the number of applications which were approved and refused, respectively. [26191/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe breakdown following relates to the total number of applications received and decided for the period concerned. The number of disability allowance (DA) claims awarded includes all claims awarded at initial application stage, at review stage and on appeal.
Breakdown of DA claims received and decisions
|
Disability Allowance |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 to end of May |
|
|
Received |
23,804 |
23,657 |
9,869 |
|
|
Awarded |
16,669 |
17,469 |
7,118 |
|
|
Disallowed |
12,027* |
12,022* |
5,364* |
*The number of cases disallowed includes some claims also recorded as awarded in the above table where those cases were subsequently allowed following review or appeal.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
527. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the average time for payments to be awarded as of 1 June 2018; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26202/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information (where available) requested by the Deputy is detailed in the following tabular statement.
|
Average Weeks to Award |
May 2018 |
|
State Pension Contributory |
6 |
|
State Pension Non-Contributory |
13 |
|
Jobseeker's Benefit |
1 |
|
Jobseeker's Allowance |
2 |
|
One-Parent Family Payment |
5 |
|
Widow(er)'s Contributory Pension |
4 |
|
Maternity Benefit |
6 |
|
Paternity Benefit |
6 |
|
Disability Allowance |
13 |
|
Illness Benefit |
1 |
|
Invalidity Pension |
7 |
|
Carer's Allowance |
15 |
|
Child Benefit (Domestic & FRA) |
4 |
|
Working Family Payment (New Claims) |
2 |
|
Household Benefits |
1 |
|
Free Travel |
1 |
|
Domiciliary Care Allowance |
9 |
|
Supplementary Welfare Allowance |
1 |
528. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if an application under the habitual residency clause in the case of a person (details supplied) will be examined; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26212/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person concerned submitted an application for disability allowance (DA) on 18 April 2017. Her application, based upon all the evidence submitted, was refused on habitual residency as she was not found to be habitually resident in the state. The person concerned appealed to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO) the decision by a deciding officer to disallow her application for DA.
Following due consideration, the appeal of the person in question was disallowed by an appeals officer (AO) on 11 May 2018 and she was notified of this decision in writing on the same date.
An AO’s decision is final and conclusive in absence of any fresh facts or evidence. It is open to the person in question to reapply for DA.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
529. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to reform the social welfare forms in relation to workplace injuries in order to take account of scenarios in which a person is out of work as a result of bullying and harassment at work. [26249/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraNew illness and injury benefit claim forms will issue to GPs by the end of July this year. Part 7 of the form contains questions regarding entitlement to injury benefit. One of the questions refers to whether the illness or injury was caused by an accident or incident at work. This is an open question as it must cover all scenarios that could take place in the workplace. Instances of bullying and harassment which lead to absence for work due to illness can be included in this section.
530. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if an exceptional needs payment will be facilitated in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26257/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs advised in the reply to Question No. 1224 of 12 June 2018, the person concerned was awarded an interim payment of supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) following the withdrawal of her widow’s pension on grounds of cohabitation. The SWA payment was awarded as an interim payment while the person was awaiting a decision on an appeal against the disallowance of their Pension and was advised that a negative decision on the appeal would result in discontinuation of the SWA payment.
On 27th April, 2018 the Social Welfare Appeals Office advised the appellant of their decision to uphold the disallowance of widow’s pension. Accordingly, the SWA payment was suspended on 10th May, 2018.
The purpose of an exceptional needs payment (ENP) is to assist people with once-off expenditure which is exceptional and unforeseen and cannot be met from any other source, and given the circumstances of the case, they could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their normal weekly income.
ENPs are not intended to cater for expenses which are of a predictable and recurring nature or to replace a weekly income.
If the person concerned feels that she meets the qualifying criteria for receipt on an ENP, it is open to her to submit an application to the community welfare service where her circumstances will be assessed and a decision made accordingly.
If there have been any changes in her circumstances, the person concerned should submit a new claim for widow’s pension or supplementary welfare allowance.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
531. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will address a matter (details supplied) regarding the public services card; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26269/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraA person’s date of birth is verified during the SAFE registration process which results in a Public Services Card (PSC) being issued. It is not, however, inscribed on the card.
In many instances, holders of the PSC have expressed an interest in having their date of birth inscribed on the card in order to access certain services. To address this, one provision contained in Section 5 of the Social Welfare, Pensions and Civil Registration Bill 2017 would, if enacted, provide that the cardholder’s date of birth be inscribed on the PSC. This would only occur in circumstances where the cardholder wished to do so and with their consent. This measure is intended to permit the PSC to be used as a means of verifying age.
This measure would be very beneficial to holders of the PSC, in particular those that do not hold a driving licence or passport. One of the main benefits of the PSC is that it is free of charge compared to other State produced documents used for identity purposes.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
532. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection why, when persons are assessed as being long-term unemployed with respect to JobPath, having completed a Springboard programme, they are excluded from eligibility for a conversion course due to the fact they are not deemed to be long-term unemployed; her plans to make changes in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26272/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraSpringboard+ is a specific initiative that strategically targets funding of free higher education courses for jobseekers in areas where there are identified labour market skills shortages or employment opportunities. Courses to date have been delivered in areas such ICT, Manufacturing which includes the biopharma sector, Construction, Entrepreneurship, Cross-Enterprise Skills, the Hospitality Sector and International Financial Services.
In order to participate in a Springboard course as laid out by the Higher Education Authority, participants must be unemployed. Participants on ICT Conversion Courses are not required to be unemployed. However, in order to receive income support/credits participants of all courses must qualify for Back to Education Allowance for full-time courses of study.
JobPath is an activation service for Jobseekers. JobPath does not interrupt duration on Jobseekers payment and participants are permitted to be considered for conversion courses such as Springboard.
For customers of this Department a qualifying period of 9 months (234 days) is required for full-time Springboard+ third level courses under BTEA. If a person in receipt of a jobseekers payment or engaged in activation receives an offer of a place on a full-time Springboard+ course, they should attend their Local Intreo /Social Welfare Office or Branch Office to complete an application to retain their payment via the Back to Education Allowance prior to starting the course.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
533. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of applications for funding that were received for the Ability Programme by county; the number of applications that were approved for each county; the amount of funding allocated by county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26277/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra534. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of applications received from County Donegal for funding under the Ability Programme; the reason such applications were not supported; if she will revise her decision and allocate funding to County Donegal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26280/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 533 and 534 together.
The ‘Ability’ programme is a new pre-activation programme for young people with disabilities. The 27 projects to be funded will provide supports and assistance to more than 2,600 young people with disabilities aged between 15 to 29 years old. The programme will promote employment prospects and meaningful social roles for young people with disabilities and in particular, young people who are distant from the labour market, using a range of person-centred supports.
The initiative is being co-funded by the Exchequer and the EU (under the European Social Fund, as part of the ESF Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning 2014-2020) which demonstrates the commitment, at both a Governmental and EU level, to supporting and assisting young people with disabilities to achieve their individual employment and other goals.
Pobal have been contracted by DEASP to manage the programme including the application and evaluation process. Details of the application process are available on Pobal’s website (under “Useful Links”) at https://www.pobal.ie/FundingProgrammes/Ability%20Programme/Pages/Ability%20Programme.aspx
As part of the application process, Pobal undertook an extensive information campaign (including information events held in Cavan, Dublin and Limerick) and a facility to address questions that potential applicants might have about the process.
Pobal received 59 applications which were assessed in detail and made recommendations for funding for 27 applications to the total value of €15,615,690 over three years. At the time of the launch of the measure, it was expected that funding for the programme would amount to some €10 million over a three year period. However, given the number and quality of the proposals received, enhanced funding arrangements have been put in place of €16 million to support all 27 projects recommended for funding by Pobal. When account is taken of costs associated with administration and evaluation of the programme, total programme cost over its entire lifetime is expected to be in excess of €16 million.
Summary of statistics related to number of applications, number of successful applications and financial allocation by county are shown in Table 1.
Table 1: Ability programme – applications, recommendations and funding by county
|
County |
Number of Applications received |
Applications recommended for funding |
Recommended funding by county |
|
Carlow |
1 |
0 |
N/A |
|
Cavan |
1 |
0 |
N/A |
|
Clare |
1 |
0 |
N/A |
|
Cork |
5 |
3 |
€1,929,042 |
|
Donegal |
1 |
0 |
N/A |
|
Down |
1 |
0 |
N/A |
|
Dublin |
24 |
13 |
€8,007,900 |
|
Galway |
3 |
1 |
€724,583 |
|
Kerry |
2 |
1 |
€531,176 |
|
Kildare |
3 |
1 |
€264,421 |
|
Kilkenny |
2 |
0 |
N/A |
|
Leitrim |
1 |
0 |
N/A |
|
Limerick |
1 |
1 |
€514,776 |
|
Louth |
1 |
0 |
N/A |
|
Mayo |
2 |
0 |
N/A |
|
Offaly |
1 |
1 |
€570,853 |
|
Roscommon |
1 |
1 |
€633,919 |
|
Sligo |
1 |
0 |
N/A |
|
Tipperary |
3 |
3 |
€1,240,655 |
|
Waterford |
1 |
0 |
N/A |
|
Westmeath |
1 |
0 |
N/A |
|
Wexford |
2 |
2 |
€1,198,365 |
|
Total |
59 |
27 |
€15,615,690 |
Recommendations as to which applications should receive funding were based on a detailed and independent assessment process undertaken by Pobal. Pobal awarded scores (out of 100) for all applications, with scores being assigned to each proposal based on a weighted marking system linked with the schemes evaluation criteria as follows:
- Meeting the programme/ measure priorities (40%)
- Need for the proposal (20%)
- Capacity of the organisation (20%)
- Value for money (20%)
The assessment process was based on the materials provided by the applicant as to how they proposed to address the objectives of the scheme in line with the award criteria, as set out above. This process was based entirely on the quality of the application and this applied irrespective of where the application originated. Only projects receiving a score of 60 or above were deemed by Pobal to be of sufficiently high standard to be recommended for funding.
On this basis, Pobal recommended 27 projects as being suitable for funding; this represents some 46% of the proposals received. These recommendations were accepted as they were made by Pobal on the basis of the above objective criteria only, which were communicated to all applicants equally as part of the information campaign and programme materials.
One application was received from Co. Donegal. It was not recommended for funding as it received a score of less than 60.
Decisions as to funding were based entirely on the assessment and on the recommendation coming from the Pobal assessment process. Neither I, Minister Doherty nor the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection had any role to play in deciding on individual recommendations under this completely independent assessment process. Therefore the question of the application being supported by the Minister or otherwise did not arise.
It is important to note that Pobal has put in place an appeals procedure for applicants who feel that decisions taken and procedures followed by Pobal in relation to its administration of funding applications was not applied fairly or consistently. Details of the procedure are on Pobal’s website (under “Useful Links”) at: https://www.pobal.ie/FundingProgrammes/Ability%20Programme/Pages/Ability%20Programme.aspx
It is also important to note that while some of the successful applications came from organisations that are headquartered or based in particular locations, some of the projects will be providing services beyond that county in which they are based, and in some cases providing services across the country.
It is also important to acknowledge that even though support has not been allocated to specific counties under the Ability programme, the DEASP and other agencies provide a range of supports throughout the country. The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection continues through its nationwide network of Intreo offices and through the EmployAbility service (a specialist service that has been designed to support people with disabilities – which is delivered on behalf of the department by 23 companies located around the country) to offer a full range of supports and services to people with disabilities who wish to pursue their employment ambitions.
I hope this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.
535. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to extend the duration of Tús schemes beyond one year; and if the number of persons that find employment in the period after completing Tús schemes is recorded. [26361/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, my Department provides a range of activation supports catering for long-term unemployed jobseekers and those most distant from the labour market. Tús provides part-time temporary work in local communities, as a stepping stone back to employment. The objective of the scheme is to break the cycle of unemployment and maintain work readiness, thereby improving a person’s opportunities in returning to the labour market. I can confirm that 42.4% of those that participated in Tús in the last 12 months are no longer on the Live Register.
All participants and community groups are aware of the time limits for participation on these schemes. The twelve month duration of the Tús contract is set to reflect a number of inter-related elements. These include the need to ensure the benefit of participation on a work scheme is available to the widest possible number of jobseekers and that weaknesses identified in other work programmes with longer duration placements are not replicated in Tús. There are no circumstances under which a person’s term on Tús will be extended beyond twelve months and it is not in the interest of any participant that such work placements extend for prolonged periods of time. Accordingly, there are no plans to extend the Tús scheme to longer than 12 months duration.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
536. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a decision on a disability allowance application by a person (details supplied) will issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26376/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person concerned has been awarded disability allowance with effect from 2 May 2018. The first payment will be made by his chosen payment method on 20 June 2018.
Arrears of payment due have issued to this gentleman.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
