Tuesday, 24 Jul 2018

Live Register Data

Ceisteanna (2583, 2584)

Brendan Howlin

Ceist:

2583. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the projected unemployment rate in 2019; the projected savings on the live register in 2019; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35240/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Brendan Howlin

Ceist:

2584. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the programmes and payments to which the additional €241 million projected to meet demographic costs in her Department in 2019 net of the €50 million live register savings will be allocated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35241/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection

I propose to take Questions Nos. 2583 and 2584 together.

The Summer Economic Statement published in mid-June 2018 indicated that the unemployment rate is expected to fall below the 5.5% mark in 2019 and is expected to remain broadly at this level over the medium term. The 2018 Expenditure Statement published in October 2017 identified savings of €50 million on the Live Register in 2019.

The estimated savings on the Live Register in 2019 will be refined in the light of trends up to Quarter 3, 2018 as part of the estimates process in the lead up to Budget 2019.

The additional €241 provided for demographic costs is made up of an estimated €200 million mainly for pensions, with the balance covering more general demographic pressures on a range of other schemes.

JobsPlus Scheme

Ceisteanna (2585)

Brendan Howlin

Ceist:

2585. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of places budgeted for JobsPlus; the projected spend for 2018; the number of persons on the JobsPlus scheme in 2017; the number to date in 2018; the projected number by the end of 2018; the number of persons under each qualifying criteria; the number of those under 50 years of age on the €7,500 rate and €10,000 rate, respectively, if it is following unemployment of 12, 24 or 36 months; the number of persons over 50 years of age on the 12 month €10,000 rate; the number of those under 25 years of age on the four month €7,500 rate in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35242/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection

JobsPlus provides a direct monthly financial incentive to employers who recruit employees who are long-term on the live register and transitioning into employment. It provides employers with two levels of payment: €7,500 and €10,000. There is currently sanction for a maximum of 6,000 employments to be supported through JobsPlus, with a projected expenditure estimate of €30 million for 2018.

A total of 6,460 individual employees have been supported in unique employments in 2018 to date and it is expected that this number will increase to some 9,000 by the end of the year. A breakdown of the current employees in the categories as requested by the Deputy is provided in the tabular statement.

A total of 8,960 individual employees were supported in unique employments through the JobsPlus scheme in 2017.

My Department continues to engage with employers in the promotion of this scheme.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

JobsPlus employee numbers per category as requested by the Deputy - 20 July 2018

Rate of grant	Under 25, after 4 months unemployment	Under 50, after 12 months unemployment	Under 50, 24 months unemployment	Under 50, 36 months unemployment	Over 50 after 12 months unemployment
€7,500	314	1,214	-	-	-
€10,000	-	-	2,327	441	151

Question No. 2586 answered with Question No. 2531.

Exceptional Needs Payment Data

Ceisteanna (2587, 2588)

Brendan Howlin

Ceist:

2587. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the amount spent on exceptional needs payments and urgent needs payments, respectively, in each of the past ten years; the amount projected for 2018 for each; the number of claims in each year; the breakdown for ENPs and UNPs of the type of payment it was used for in 2017 and to date in 2018, respectively; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35244/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Brendan Howlin

Ceist:

2588. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she is satisfied with the accessibility and availability of the community welfare service; if there is a dedicated person available in each Intreo and social welfare office during opening hours; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35245/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection

I propose to take Questions Nos. 2587 and 2588 together.

The supplementary welfare allowance (SWA) scheme is demand led and provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependants. The main purpose of the scheme is to provide immediate and flexible assistance for those in need who do not qualify for payment under other State schemes.

Under the SWA scheme, the Department may make a single exceptional needs payment (ENP) to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. An urgent needs payment (UNP) is a once-off payment made to persons who may not normally qualify for SWA but who have an urgent need which they cannot meet from their own resources or an alternative is not available at that time. The Government has provided over €36 million for these payments in 2018.

There is no automatic entitlement to an ENP, it is payable at the discretion of the Department’s representative, taking into account the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case in order to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance.

Statistics are maintained relating to payments under the ENP scheme, however they are not maintained on the number of applications or the outcome of those applications. Table 1 contains the number of ENP/UNP payments and expenditure on the scheme in the past 10 years. Table 2 contains a breakdown of the categories of payments in 2017 and to end-June 2018.

The Department has re-engineered its business model to support the provision of integrated services across all business streams involved in the delivery of localised services. As part of this strategy, the Department is engaged in the delivery of integrated Intreo centres, which provide a full range of services, including the Community Welfare Service (CWS), generally available in one location.

People claiming supports under the SWA scheme generally only interact with the Department on an occasional basis, for example, when seeking an ENP or in claiming additional supports such as rent supplement. The availability of the Community Welfare Service (CWS) during normal office hours is therefore sufficient for general day to day requirements. However, in response to emergency situations such as those caused by severe weather events, local management assesses the response required to ensure that supports are provided to those affected as swiftly as possible. This may include provision of emergency or out of hours services and may be supplemented by facilitating clients with individual appointments and making house calls.

Any persons who consider that they have an entitlement to assistance under the SWA scheme should contact my Department. I can assure the Deputy that the SWA scheme is kept under review to ensure that the CWS continues to support those most in need of assistance.

Table 1. ENPs and UNPs 2008-2018: Number of Payments and Expenditure

Year	No. of Payments	Expenditure
2008	260,000	€82.2m
2009	239,000	€75.2m
2010	218,000	€69.4 m
2011	226,000	€62.6m
2012	197,500	€52.7m
2013	133,000	€35.7m
2014	107,100	€30.1m
2015	101,600	€31.0m
2016	100,100	€32.2m
2017	103,500	€38.1m
2018 (to end June)	50,600	€18.6m

Table 2. ENPs and UNPs 2017-2018: Number of Payments by Category

		Number of payments
Category	2017	2018( to end June)
Housing
New Accommodation Kit	9,119	4,041
Household Appliances	7,872	3,479
Rent Deposit	2,997	1,332
Furniture	2,544	1,103
Floor Covering	1,694	845
Bedding	2,910	1,246
Repair/Maintenance	1,422	642
Total Housing	28,558	12,688
Clothing
Adult Clothing	15,462	7,635
Child Clothing	1,568	783
Total Clothing	17,030	8,418
Funeral
Funeral Expenses	2,727	1,494
Burial Expenses	59	39
Total Funeral	2,786	1,533
Child Related
Pram/Buggy	1,936	860
Cot	2,034	926
Total Child Related	3,970	1,786
Bills
Rent/Mortgage Interest Arrears	2,308	976
Household	894	600
Total Bills	3,202	1,576
Illness
Confinement Costs	1,769	885
Hospital Requirements	1,021	453
Total Illness	2,790	1,338
General
Travel Costs	18,646	10,163
Insufficient Means	7,128	3,242
Heating	2,142	1,200
Lost/Stolen Money	777	370
Household Budget	311	181
Other	15,820	7,961
Total General	44,824	23,117
Urgent Needs Payments	294	83
Totals	103,454	50,539

Capital Expenditure Programme

Ceisteanna (2589)

Brendan Howlin

Ceist:

2589. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the breakdown by project for the capital allocation of €10 million in 2018 to her Vote group; the breakdown by project for the proposed allocation of €14 million in 2019; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35246/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection

My Department’s capital allocation is split across three subheads i.e. A.2.(v) Office Equipment and External IT Services, A.2.(vi) Office Premises Expenses and A.2.(ix) eGovernment Related Projects. Tables 1 and 2 outline my Department’s plans for the 2018 capital allocation of €11m (this includes the Capital carryover of €1m from 2017). It should be noted that due to delays in the planning and contracting process under the Office Premises subhead my Department is planning to redirect €500k of this subhead’s initial capital allocation to the A.2.v Office Equipment and External IT Services to cover additional expenditure under this area.

In relation to 2019 it is intended that the allocation will primarily assist my Department in delivering additional IT modernisation and allow for the refurbishment of the Department’s buildings. The capital projects are agreed with the Office of Public Works (OPW) annually on the basis of my Departments requirements and the OPW available capacity and resources.

My Departments specific 2019 projects have not been finalised.

Table 1: A.2.v Office Equipment and External IT Services and A.2.ix eGovernment Related Projects

		Number of payments
Category	2017	2018( to end June)
Housing
New Accommodation Kit	9,119	4,041
Household Appliances	7,872	3,479
Rent Deposit	2,997	1,332
Furniture	2,544	1,103
Floor Covering	1,694	845
Bedding	2,910	1,246
Repair/Maintenance	1,422	642
Total Housing	28,558	12,688
Clothing
Adult Clothing	15,462	7,635
Child Clothing	1,568	783
Total Clothing	17,030	8,418
Funeral
Funeral Expenses	2,727	1,494
Burial Expenses	59	39
Total Funeral	2,786	1,533
Child Related
Pram/Buggy	1,936	860
Cot	2,034	926
Total Child Related	3,970	1,786
Bills
Rent/Mortgage Interest Arrears	2,308	976
Household	894	600
Total Bills	3,202	1,576
Illness
Confinement Costs	1,769	885
Hospital Requirements	1,021	453
Total Illness	2,790	1,338
General
Travel Costs	18,646	10,163
Insufficient Means	7,128	3,242
Heating	2,142	1,200
Lost/Stolen Money	777	370
Household Budget	311	181
Other	15,820	7,961
Total General	44,824	23,117
Urgent Needs Payments	294	83
Totals	103,454	50,539

Table 2: A.2.vi Office Premises

Project	Revised Capital Allocation 2018
	€m
Tuam	0.050
Kilmallock	0.362
Kilbarrack	0.090
Bantry	0.100
Nenagh	0.180
Ballybofey	0.420
Longford	0.253
Killybegs	0.090
Dungarvan	0.045
Generators	0.710
Sligo	0.300
Energy Efficiency Projects	0.400
Total	€3m

JobPath Data

Ceisteanna (2590)

Ceisteanna (2595, 2597)

John Brady

Ceist:

2595. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to remove child maintenance payments as means for social welfare payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35336/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

John Brady

Ceist:

2597. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she has had contact with the Department of Justice and Equality regarding child maintenance payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35338/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection

I propose to take Questions Nos. 2595 and 2597 together.

My Department operates a range of means tested social assistance payments. Social welfare legislation provides that the means test for these schemes takes account of the income and assets of the person and a spouse/partner, if applicable. Income and assets include income from employment, self-employment, occupational pensions, maintenance payments as well as property owned (other than the family home) and capital such as savings, shares and other investments.

For social assistance schemes, such as jobseeker’s allowance, one-parent family payment, disability allowance and the state pension non-contributory, maintenance payments (including maintenance payments made to or in respect of a qualified child) are assessed by first disregarding any housing costs incurred (up to €4,952 per annum or €95.23 per week), and then assessing the remainder at 50%.

Accordingly, the total value of any maintenance payments is never assessed as means for these weekly income support payments and the total income received by the family (social welfare payment and maintenance payment combined) will be higher than someone not receiving maintenance payments.

Maintenance payments made to qualified adults of social insurance payments, as well as working family payment recipients, are also assessed as means.

The purpose of means testing is to ensure that resources are targeted to those with the greatest financial need. The current method of means assessment ensures that appropriate levels of support are available to those who need them, across the wide range of income supports available from my Department.

Any changes to the means assessment of maintenance payments would have to be considered in the overall policy and budgetary context.

With regard to contact with the Department of Justice and Equality, I understand the Deputy to be referring to the requirement for recipients of one-parent family payment to seek maintenance. My Department is currently reviewing the maintenance and liable relative procedures, insofar as they relate to the one-parent family payment scheme, and has had an initial preliminary contact with the Department of Justice and Equality. Further formal contacts with that Department, which is the Department responsible for the Family Law Acts, which govern family maintenance arrangements, will be required in the context of this review.

Social Welfare Payments Waiting Times

Ceisteanna (2596)

John Brady

Ceist:

2596. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the waiting times for all social welfare payments. [35337/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection

The information requested (where available) by the Deputy is detailed in the tabular statement.

Average time to Award for principle DEASP schemes, June 2018

Schemes	Average time to award (weeks)
Jobseeker's Benefit	1
Jobseeker's Allowance	2
One-Parent Family Payment	4
Maternity Benefit	6
Paternity Benefit	6
State Pension Contributory	5
Widow, Widower’s and Surviving Civil Partners Contributory Pension	2
Widowed Parent Grant	1
State Pension Non-Contributory	11
Household Benefits	1
Free Travel	3
Domiciliary Care Allowance	9
Supplementary Welfare Allowance	1
Child Benefit	3
Working Family Payment	3
Carer's Allowance	16
Carer's Benefit	11
Disability Allowance	12
Invalidity Pension	8
Illness Benefit	1
Occupational Injury Benefit	1

Question No. 2597 answered with Question No. 2595.

Social Welfare Overpayments

Ceisteanna (2598)

John Brady

Ceist:

2598. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the practice in place in her Department in cases in which a person has received an overpayment due to a departmental error; if the person is obliged to repay the amount; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35339/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection

Overpayments of social welfare assistance and benefit payments arise as a consequence of decisions made under the relevant sections of the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act, 2005 (as amended). Recovery of any sum overpaid as a result of Official or Departmental error is assessed on a case specific basis. In general, recovery will be sought where the customer is expected to have an awareness that the sum being paid is in excess of an entitlement.

Overpayments of this nature arise in a range of circumstances:

1. where a staff member has incorrectly applied legislation or scheme guidelines in processing a claim for assistance or benefit resulting in payments being made in excess of what the customer is entitled to receive based on the circumstances of the claim;

2. where a customer brings new facts or information to the attention of the Department that result in a lower rate of payment being applied than before;

3. where the incorrect rate of payment is applied to a claim

4. where the Department fails to act in a timely manner on information it has received which reduces the payment due to a customer.

Other than in cases where there is a computer or technical error, a determination must be made by a Deciding Officer, or a Designated Person in the case of matters that fall to be determined under Supplementary Welfare Allowances, on the degree of responsibility for any overpayment that arises and the course of action required to recover or write-off the sums overpaid. Recovery, where this is determined, is usually made by adjustments made to future payments due to the customer, following consultation with the customer.

As part of the process of finalising a decision and assessing an overpayment, the Deciding Officer, or Delegated Person, is required to engage with the person concerned to clarify any matters relevant to the determination of entitlements. Any person dissatisfied with a decision on an entitlement may seek a review and can appeal any decision to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office. A customer may also seek to review the terms of any recovery arrangement(s) they have in place with the Department.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Consultancy Contracts Data

Ceisteanna (2599)

Bríd Smith

Ceist:

2599. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if an audit of all external workplace investigations conducted by companies (details supplied) will be provided; the outcome regarding complaints against her Department; when the investigation will commence of an allegation against an employee, that is, the number of occasions on which a complaint was upheld against her Department by the investigators; and the number of occasions on which an investigation against an employee found grounds for disciplinary action. [35371/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection

My Department accesses the Office of Government Procurement’s Framework for External Workplace Investigation Services who provide external formal workplace investigation services. Any staff member who is subject to such an investigation is kept informed of each step in the process and would be notified of the commencement of the investigation.

This framework does not cater for the investigation of complaints against my Department itself.

Investigations under the framework are carried out following a mini-tendering competition between the three companies which is managed by the Office for Government Procurement. Typically the investigation will commence shortly after the contract for the service has been signed by the successful tenderer and my Department.

Since the commencement of this framework there have been 8 investigations into possible breaches of the Civil Service Code of Standards and Behaviour and the Dignity at Work Policy by members of staff in my department. There were two occasions in which allegations of misconduct led to disciplinary action following the investigations.