Written Answers Nos. 521-540
521. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount allocated under local improvement schemes in 2018 in counties Roscommon and Galway; if there will be an additional round of funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27476/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Local Improvement Scheme (LIS) is a programme for improvement works on small private/non-public roads. The scheme is currently funded by my Department and administered through the Local Authorities.
Following on from the successful re-launch of the scheme in 2017, I announced details of the 2018 Local Improvement Scheme on 27 February last. I allocated an initial amount of €10.8 million to County Councils across the country this year under the scheme. The 2018 funding includes an allocation of €370,290 to Roscommon County Council, and an allocation of €942,000 to Galway County Council.
Detailed information regarding the 2018 roads selected by Roscommon County Council and Galway County Council for improvement under the scheme can be found on my Department’s website at http://drcd.gov.ie/about/rural/local-improvement-scheme/.
As part of the LIS scheme this year, I also requested each County Council to compile a secondary list of suitable LIS road projects which they could complete if additional funding becomes available under my Department's Vote later in the year. I will keep the matter under consideration in the context of my Department's overall expenditure performance over the coming months.
522. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the number of jobs created under the Action Plan for Rural Development in counties Roscommon and Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27477/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraOne of the objectives of the Action Plan for Rural Development is to support enterprise growth and job creation in rural areas. The Government has set a target of supporting the creation of 135,000 extra jobs outside of Dublin by 2020 and specific measures to achieve this target are set out in the Action Plan. These measures are delivered across a range of Government Departments and agencies.
The latest Labour Force Survey published by the Central Statistics Office shows that employment increased nationally by 62,100 in the year to Q1 2018. Employment increased in almost all regions of the country in that period.
While specific figures are not available at county level as requested by the Deputy, employment in the West region, which includes Galway, Roscommon and Mayo, increased by 9,400 in the twelve months to Q1 2018.
The Regional Action Plans for Jobs, which are overseen by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, play a particularly important role in supporting job creation in the regions. My own Department also contributes directly to job creation in rural areas through programmes such the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme and LEADER. LEADER is a multi-annual programme which has a budget of €250 million over the period to 2020 and has a job creation target of 3,100 over the lifetime of the programme.
The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, which provide investment of €1 billion in rural areas over the next ten years, will also make a significant contribution to job opportunities for people who live in rural Ireland. I will be launching the first call for proposals under the Fund shortly.
523. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if there are circumstances in which the seniors alert scheme is available to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27763/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is responsible for the Seniors Alert Scheme which encourages community support for vulnerable older people in our communities through the provision of personal monitored alarms to enable them to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. Funding is available under the scheme towards the purchase by a registered community-based organisation of a personal alarm or pendant.
Following a review, a new version of the scheme came into effect on 1 November 2017. A number of changes were introduced under the new scheme including the provision of free monitoring for the first year and a revision of the living alone requirements. However, eligibility to the Scheme remains confined to those aged 65 or older. I note that the person in question should be eligible under this requirement in the near future.
524. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Aindrias Moynihan den Aire Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail an bhfuil oifigeach Gaeilge ceaptha dá Roinn; an post lánaimseartha atá ann nó an bhfuil dualgais bhreise ar an oifigeach Gaeilge; cén grád atá ag an oifigeach Gaeilge; an bhfuil sé nó sí ábalta a ghnó nó a gnó a dhéanamh trí Ghaeilge; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [27813/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraBunaíodh an Roinn Forbartha Tuaithe agus Pobail ar an 19 Iúil, 2017, chun fócus athnuaite agus comhdhlúite a sholáthar ar fhorbairt tuaithe agus pobail in Éirinn.
Níl aon poist sa Roinn agus baint riachtanach ag an nGaeilge leis, áfach, aithníonn an Roinn an cúram chun seirbhísí áirithe a chur ar fáil don phobal trí Ghaeilge. Tá roinnt daoine sa roinn agus is féidir leo déileáil le freagracht agus fiafraí trí Ghaeilge, de réir mar is gá.
Leagtar síos in Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla 2003 creat reachtúil do sholáthar seirbhísí Stáit trí Ghaeilge. Tá céad Scéim Teanga na Roinne á dréachtadh faoi láthair de réir a ndualgas reachtúil faoi Acht na dTeangacha Oifigiúla 2003.
525. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if funding will be awarded for a project (details supplied). [27816/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Community Services Programme (CSP) supports some 400 community organisations to provide local services through a social enterprise model, with funding provided as a contribution to the cost of a manager and an agreed number of full-time equivalent positions.
The organisation in question submitted a business plan for consideration under the CSP in April 2017. This application was unsuccessful but the organisation was given an opportunity in Autumn 2017 to submit a revised business plan. This was received by Pobal in December but again failed to adequately meet programme criteria, including those relating to financial sustainability.
The organisation may submit a new expression of interest to my Department should its position in relation to long-term financial sustainability improve.
526. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if he will request the Charities Regulator to undertake an examination of the final situation of an organisation (details supplied). [27843/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department does not provide funding to the organisation in question.
The Charities Regulator is an independent authority and was established in October 2014 under the Charities Act 2009. The key functions of the Regulator are to establish and maintain a public register of charitable organisations operating in Ireland and ensure their compliance with the Charities Acts. I have no function in this matter.
However, I understand it is open to any individual to report a concern regarding any charity to the Charities Regulator and full details of the process involved are available on www.charitiesregulator.ie
527. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of progress of the national policy on social enterprises; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27875/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Action Plan for Rural Development includes a commitment to develop and publish a National Policy on Social Enterprise, which will encompass the full range of activity in the sector.
In July 2017, my Department established a research partnership with the Social Finance Foundation for the purpose of carrying out targeted research and stakeholder engagement with the social enterprise sector to inform the development of the National Policy.
To support this work a Steering Group was established, comprised of representatives of Government Departments, social enterprise practitioners and representatives of the sector, to oversee the conduct of the research. In addition, a comprehensive stakeholder consultation process took place, involving regional workshops and an extensive online survey of social enterprises, all conducted in late 2017.
The research outputs from this project are currently being finalised, and my Department has now begun the process of preparing the draft policy. My Department will undertake further consultation with relevant stakeholders in developing the policy.
I anticipate that the National Policy on Social Enterprise will be published in the Autumn following this further consultation process.
528. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if personnel in his Department have been removed from their position, have been transferred to another role or had their employment terminated in the past four years due to breaches of departmental standards or professional misconduct or incompetence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27957/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Rural and Community Development was established in July 2017.
Since the establishment of the Department, no personnel have been removed from their position, transferred to another role or had their employment terminated due to breaches of departmental standards or professional misconduct or incompetence.
The Department is committed to the Civil Service Code of Standards and Behaviour, under the Standards in Public Office Act 2001.
529. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when the six monthly report on Realising our Rural Potential will be published in view of the fact that it was due to be published in February 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28019/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraRealising our Rural Potential, the Government's Action Plan for Rural Development, was launched in January 2017. The Action Plan contains 277 actions for the delivery across Government, State agencies and other bodies over the next three years to support the economic and social progress of rural Ireland.
The second progress report on the Action Plan was published on 4 May 2018 and is available on my Department's website at https://drcd.gov.ie/wp-content/uploads/APRD-Second-Progress-Report-Final-PDF.pdf.
The report provides an update on the status of 271 Actions which were due for delivery in 2017, or which have a longer timeframe but had on-going activity taking place in 2017. The report shows that 254 of these actions were either completed on schedule or substantially advanced, representing an implementation rate of 93%.
The small number of actions which were behind schedule will continue to be monitored with a view to their completion as soon as possible.
The Government has reinforced its commitment to rural Ireland through the establishment of a new Rural Regeneration and Development Fund which will provide an additional €1 billion of investment in rural Ireland over the next 10 years. I will be launching the first call for proposals under the Fund shortly.
530. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if his attention has been drawn to the report, A Connected Island, An Ireland Free from Loneliness; his views on the findings of the report; the actions he plans to take on foot of the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28022/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am aware of the report which the Deputy refers to. As the Deputy will appreciate, the response to the issue of loneliness and isolation is delivered across a number of Government Departments and organisations. In that regard, the funding within other Government Departments which is available to initiatives or programmes which help address loneliness is a matter for the Ministers concerned.
From my own Department's perspective, I am responsible for the Seniors Alert Scheme which encourages community support for vulnerable older people in our communities through the provision of personal monitored alarms to enable them to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. Funding is available under the scheme towards the purchase by a registered community-based organisation of a personal alarm or pendant.
During 2017, spend on the Scheme amounted to €2.7 million, with over 12,700 applications approved and more than 10,000 installations completed. A new version of the scheme came into effect on 1 November 2017, introducing a number of changes, including the provision of free monitoring for the first year and a revision of the living alone requirements. To the end of May 2018, over 9,200 applications were approved, with almost 10,000 installations completed.
The issue of isolation whether in urban or rural areas is one which should concern us all and I am committed to continuing my Department’s response to this issue through programmes such as Seniors Alert.
531. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing the back to school clothing and footwear allowance by €50 per child. [27523/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe back to school clothing and footwear allowance (BSCFA) scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the extra costs when children start school each autumn. The Government has provided €49.5 million for the scheme in 2018 which will operate from June to September. The rate of payment in 2017 was increased by 25% to €125 in respect of children aged 4 to 11 years and €250 for children aged 12 years and over in second level education. These rates are payable in 2018 for eligible children. End of year records show that under the 2017 BSCFA scheme, payments were made to 151,000 families in respect of over 275,000 children at a cost of €49 million.
Using the total number of children covered by the scheme in 2017 as a basis, the additional cost to increase the BSCFA rates by €50 per child would be €13.75 million. Changes to increase the rate of payment of any scheme administered by my Department would have to be considered in a budgetary context.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
532. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing funding to the school meals programme by percentage rates (details supplied). [27524/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,580 schools and organisations benefitting 250,000 children at a total cost of €54 million in 2018 representing an increase of €6.5 million over the previous year. The objective of the scheme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, due to lack of good quality food, to take full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement. Based on the 2018 budgetary allocation of €54 million, the additional annual costs of expanding the school meals programme by 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% are €5.4 million, €10.8 million, €16.2 million and €21.6 million respectively. Changes to increase the funding of any scheme administered by my Department would have to be considered in a budgetary context.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
533. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will address a matter (details supplied) regarding the A1 application process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27738/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn A1 Portable Document is a certificate issued in respect of an employee to confirm the attachment of that employee to the Social Security system of an EEA Member State. The certificates are important to prevent the duplicate charging of social insurance where employees work across the EEA, they confirm the duration of the attachment period and they confirm the country that is responsible for the payment of certain social security benefits. The turnaround time for processing of applications for A1 certificates is generally set at 4 weeks by my Department. However, properly completed applications that are submitted with the required supporting documentation contribute towards much speedier decisions, so much so that the majority of applications received are decided upon, and issued, within two to three weeks of original receipt.
A number of strict conditions are set out in the EU regulations, all of which must be met before an A1 Portable Document can be issued:
- An employed person wishing to avail of the posting arrangements must already be subject to Irish social security legislation immediately prior to posting. In this regard a minimum period of one month may be considered as satisfying this requirement, with shorter periods requiring a case by case evaluation.
- The employer must ordinarily perform substantial activities, other than purely internal management activities, in the territory of the Member State in which it is established.
- The work shall be regarded as being performed for the employer in the sending State and a continuance of a direct relationship between the worker and the employer that posted him must exist. The nature of such a ‘direct relationship’ requires the employee to verifiably continue to fall under the authority of the employer which posted him/her. A number of elements are taken into such evaluations including the responsibility for recruitment and dismissal, the employment contract, responsibility for remuneration (without prejudice to possible agreements between the employer in the sending State and the undertaking in the State of employment on the payment to the workers) and the authority to determine the nature of the work.
It should be appreciated that all applications for A1 Portable Documents must be thoroughly checked for compliance with the Regulations before a certificate is issued and Ireland is required to make every effort to ensure the integrity of its decisions, as part of the shared responsibility to ensure uniform application of the Regulations across all EEA Member States.
My Department is aware of the complexities of the Regulations for new Companies and my officials are very happy to help you develop an understanding of the rules that apply to the granting of A1 Portable Documents for employers that wish to avail of the posting provisions prescribed in the EU Regulations.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
534. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of a carer's support grant application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27369/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn application for Carer’s Support Grant was received in my Department on 20 April 2018. This application is currently being processed and a decision will be made shortly.
535. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a reply will issue to correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27370/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraA reply issued to the Deputy on 30 April 2018, I have arranged for a duplicate copy to issue.
536. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of an appeal by a person (details supplied) in relation to an overpayment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27400/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 18 June 2018. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When these papers have been received from the Department, the case in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral appeal hearing. The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
537. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the expenditure in each of the years 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018 on rent supplement payments to landlords being paid rent through one or other of the schemes for categories of units (details supplied). [27433/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraRent supplement plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme supporting approximately 30,000 recipients for which the Government has provided €180 million for in 2018.
Under the legislative provisions governing rent supplement, the Department’s relationship is with the tenant. The tenant’s engagement with the Department usually takes place after the tenant has reached an agreement with the landlord.
Landlord statistics for 2016 and 2017 are provided in the attached tabular statement. Also provided is a snapshot of the current landlord mix per the categories requested for week ending 18 June 2018.
The analysis shows that approximately 93% of all annual outturn is made to landlords with less than ten units. A significant majority of these landlords have only one property rented via the scheme, i.e., for 18th June 2018, of the 21,292 landlords noted for that week, 18,196 (85%) are renting only one property via rent supplement. Landlords renting two properties, 1,887 (9%) and those with renting three properties, 559 (3%) represent the other two main category groups of landlords. The remaining 650 landlords, those renting more than three properties, will account for approximately €12.5 million of the forecast outturn for 2018.
Rent Supplement: Outturn by Landlord Category for 2016, 2017 and 18 June 2018 Snapshot
|
Category |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
||||
|
No. of Houses Rented by Landlord via RS |
No. of Landlords |
Rent Paid to Landlords by DEASP |
% Revenue Share |
No. of Landlords |
Rent Paid to Landlords by DEASP |
% Revenue Share |
No. of Landlords |
|
|
|
€'000 |
|
|
€'000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
As at 18/06/2018 |
|
Less than or equal to 10 |
46,153 |
254,028 |
92% |
35,443 |
215,112 |
93% |
21,198 |
|
11 to 50 |
285 |
18,312 |
7% |
178 |
13,068 |
6% |
87 |
|
51 to 100 |
10 |
1,478 |
1% |
11 |
1,760 |
1% |
4 |
|
101 to 200 |
5 |
1,476 |
1% |
4 |
1,281 |
1% |
3 |
|
Greater than 200 |
Zero |
0 |
|
Zero |
0 |
|
0 |
|
Grand Total |
46,453 |
275,294 |
100% |
35,636 |
231,221 |
100% |
21,292 |
538. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a fuel allowance payment was made to a person (details supplied). [27501/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraA revised decision in this gentleman’s case has resulted in an overpayment being assessed against him in respect of Disability Allowance payments he received while absent from the State from 13 March 2016 to 01 November 2016. An appeal against this decision is currently with the Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO) and an oral appeal hearing is being scheduled. The person concerned will be informed when arrangements for the oral hearing have been made.
The Department is obliged to recoup any debt to it in an appropriate and timely manner and this includes the setting off of arrears due against the debt. The person concerned has been awarded Free Fuel Allowance from 2 November 2016 but arrears cannot be processed until the person in question has had their appeal heard and entitlement has been established.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
539. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if an increase of payment for a qualified child relative to children allowance was made to a person (details supplied). [27503/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraA revised decision in this gentleman’s case has resulted in an overpayment being assessed against him in respect of Disability Allowance payments he received while absent from the State from 13 March 2016 to 01 November 2016. An appeal against this decision is currently with the Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO) and an oral appeal hearing is being scheduled. The person concerned will be informed when arrangements for the oral hearing have been made.
An application for an Increase for a Qualified Adult (IQA) allowance was received from this gentleman on 30 May 2018. This has now been awarded along with an Increase for Qualified Children (IQC) at full rate including the first mentioned above.
The department is obliged to recoup any debt to it in an appropriate and timely manner and this includes the setting off of arrears due against the debt. Arrears for IQA and IQC cannot be processed until the person in question has had their appeal heard and entitlement has been established.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
540. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a person (details supplied) will continue to receive the one-parent family payment until they complete their final year of college; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27561/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraQualification for One Parent Family Payment (OFP) is based on the age of the youngest child in the family. Currently payment normally continues up to when the youngest child reaches seven years of age. Special provisions are in place for customers who are in receipt of Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA), in these cases the OFP will remain in payment until the child for whom the DCA is paid, reaches 16 years of age. As the person concerned is in receipt of DCA, her OFP will continue until November 2018. If a person is in receipt of OFP (or Jobseeker’s Allowance Transitional payment) he/she can choose to stay on his/her current social welfare payment (if he/she continues to meet the rules of the scheme) and apply for a student grant or he/she can choose to transfer to the BTEA, depending on which option benefits the person most.
As the person concerned will no longer satisfy the OFP qualifying criteria from November 2018, she may opt for Back To Education Allowance (BTEA) in order to receive financial assistance from the Department to facilitate her towards completion of her studies. She must apply to her local INTREO office in order to be accepted on this scheme in advance of the start of the upcoming semester. The person concerned would be entitled to BTEA until the end of her course of study.
BTEA participants are eligible for support to offset the cost of the student registration fee, including other fees payable to access courses, if the BTEA participant satisfies the eligibility criteria for both. Although individuals may not be entitled to the maintenance component of the student grant, they must still submit a student grant application form to SUSI to be assessed for a fee grant to pay for Student Contribution (formerly called the student services charge), field trip costs and tuition fees (if payable). However BTEA customers cannot be in receipt of both BTEA and a Student Maintenance grant.
