Written Answers Nos. 259-275
259. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the expenditure details for all consultancy or audit services provided to her Department by a company (details supplied) from 2015 to 2018, inclusive, and to date in 2019; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7561/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe procurement of external consultancy services is essential to support my Department in providing high quality service to the public in a cost effective and efficient manner.
The Department is engaged in a number of service delivery modernisation and transformation programmes involving business process, organisational and technological change. These programmes are supported by the procurement of separate external development services (IT external service provision) as well as engagement of external consultants to provide strategic technical advice and audit services.
Consultants are engaged for a fixed period following procurement exercises conducted in accordance with Department procedures that are compliant with EU and national legislation and with guidelines set down by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
A breakdown of annual expenditure on consultancy, including audit services, and IT external service provision, and a list of purchase orders for €20,000 and above, is available on the Department’s website at http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Procurement-Policy.aspx. Under the FOI publication scheme and with effect from January 2016, the Department also publishes details of public contracts awarded over €25k at http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Procurement-Contracts-Awarded.aspx.
All consultancy and audit services in my Department are paid from the consultancy budget (A2(vii)subhead). There were no contracts awarded for consultancy or audit services to the company, detailed in the question by the Deputy, from 2015 to 2018 and to date in 2019.
260. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of an application for an invalidity pension by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7570/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraInvalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions.
A claim for IP was received from the person concerned on 24 September 2018. This application was disallowed on the grounds that the contribution conditions for the scheme were not satisfied. He was notified on 20 November 2018 of this decision, the reasons for it and of his right of review and appeal.
The person concerned requested a review of this decision and submitted further evidence in support of his request. Following a review of all the information available the deciding officer is satisfied that the conditions for the scheme are satisfied.
The gentleman referred to has been awarded invalidity pension with effect from 27 September 2018. Payment will issue to his nominated bank account on 28 February 2019. Any arrears due from 27 September 2018 to 27 February 2019 will issue as soon as possible. The gentleman in question was notified of this decision on 13 February 2019.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
261. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if an application for a carer's benefit by a person (details supplied) will be expedited. [7576/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraCarer's benefit (CARB) is a payment made to insured people who leave the workforce to care for a child or an adult in need of full-time care and attention. An increased payment can be made where full-time care is being provided to two people.
I confirm that my department received an application for CARB from the person concerned on the 3 January 2019.
The application is currently being processed and once complete, the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
262. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when an application for working family payment will be determined in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7610/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraWorking Family Payment (WFP) is an in-work payment which provides additional income support to employees on low earnings with children.
An application for WFP was received from the person concerned on 28 January 2019.
The person concerned has been awarded WFP with effect from 10 January 2019 to 08 January 2020.
The first weekly payment will issue to their nominated bank account on 14 February 2019 and any arrears owing will issue shortly.
The person concerned was notified on 12 February 2019 of this decision and of their right of review and appeal.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
263. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a disability allowance will be awarded in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7611/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraDisability allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged over 16 and under 66. The disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, a means test and a habitual residency test.
A completed application form for DA must be submitted to the Department in order for a decision made on entitlement. To date no application for DA has been received from the person concerned.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
264. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the procedure for dealing with means-tested jobseeker's payments in cases in which the jobseeker obtains a single day's work in a six-month period; if all or part of the person's payment in respect of employment becomes deductible from the person's social welfare entitlement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7612/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department’s main social welfare supports for people who are unemployed are the jobseeker’s allowance and the jobseekers benefit schemes which provide income support for people who have lost work and are unable to find alternative full time employment. The 2019 Estimates for my Department provide for expenditure this year on the jobseeker’s schemes of €1.95 billion.
Social insurance benefits including jobseeker’s benefit are not means tested payments but rather payments which are covered by PRSI contributions. In any single jobseeker benefit payment week, the number of the days for which benefit is paid plus the number of days worked cannot exceed five. Where a person is in receipt of a jobseekers benefit payment and obtain a single day's employment they lose a days payment for the day they work.
Jobseeker's allowance is a means tested social assistance scheme. Where a person or their spouse/partner has earnings from insurable employment, their earnings less PRSI contributions, pension contributions and trade union subscriptions are assessed as means. A disregard of €20 per day is applied, which can cover associated costs, to the earnings for each day worked subject to a maximum of €60 per week (3 days) and the balance of the employment income is assessed at 60%. In any single jobseeker allowance payment week where a person has a single day of employment the disregard of €20 for that day is applied and the balance of that day's earnings are assessed at 60%. This amount is then deducted from that weeks payment.
Both schemes are based on a day of employment or unemployment as the case may be. This days based system can provide significant income supports to jobseekers who are part-time workers or casually employed. For instance an individual can earn a little over €20,190 per year and still retain a small jobseekers allowance payment, while the equivalent threshold for an individual with a qualified adult is almost €34,700 if they are both working.
It is recognised that a changing labour market has resulted in a move away from the more traditional work patterns, resulting in an increase in the number of persons employed for less than a full week. This is an important policy issue for the Department which is kept under review in a budgetary context.
I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
265. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the extent to which arrears of disability allowance or jobseeker's allowance remain outstanding in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7613/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person concerned made an application for Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) on the 01st February 2019 and this claim is being processed by my Department. The person concerned has been advised of outstanding documentation & the need to attend the Branch Office in Maynooth to complete the application process.
Attempts to contact the person concerned by a Community Welfare Officer (CWO) have been unsuccessful, and if the Deputy is in contact with the person concerned they should be advised to contact their local CWO.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
266. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if an invalidity pension payment has been approved or is under consideration in the case of a person (details supplied); if an appeal against the previous decision will be facilitated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7614/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraInvalidity pension (IP) is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and who satisfy the pay related social insurance (PRSI) contribution conditions.
The department received a claim for IP for the lady referred to on 11 May 2018. Her application was disallowed on the grounds that the medical conditions for the scheme were not satisfied. She was notified on 05 February 2019 of this decision, the reasons for it and of her right of review and appeal.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the deputy.
267. Deputy Noel Rock asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the date parents will be entitled to take two weeks' additional paid parental leave; the persons who will access same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7634/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn Budget 2019 I announced the introduction of a new social insurance based paid parental benefit scheme which will provide two weeks paid leave to both parents.
The new scheme will be available to parents including those who adopt a child, who are employees or self-employed and who have the required number of PRSI contributions. This new scheme of parental benefit will support parents during the first year of the child's life and allows parents more flexibility in achieving and managing a work life balance.
The two weeks parental benefit available to both parents will not be shared and cannot be transferred between parents. This recognises that the provision of paid parental leave will be more effective and appropriate in terms of encouraging both fathers and mothers to take time off work to take care of their children.
The scheme will commence in late 2019 and will be available to parents in respect of children born on or after the date of its implementation. The specific details of the scheme are being examined as part of the legislative drafting process undertaken by my Department and the Department of Justice and Equality, which has overall responsibility for parental leave policy.
I trust this clarifies the matter at this time.
268. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the capital projects completed by her Department since 2011; the initial contract value of same; the final cost of same; and the final cost of the capital projects that have had an ex post review in tabular form. [7849/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand the Deputy is seeking information on projects with spend in excess of €10 million since 2011.
The capital allocation for my Department is primarily used to deliver IT modernisation and carry out refurbishments on the Department’s buildings. There have been no capital projects with spend in excess of €10 million since 2011.
269. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the details of the overcrowding and underoccupancy of local authority housing stock nationally; and the breakdown of local authority housing stock by number of bedrooms and occupancy in terms of number of residents in tabular form. [7444/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe oversight and management of local authority housing stock and the allocation of social housing support to qualified households is a matter for the relevant local authority concerned, in accordance with its allocation scheme made in accordance with section 22 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated Regulations.
My Department does not hold information of the type requested by the Deputy.
270. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government his plans to put in place a joint housing list for the four Dublin local authorities. [7445/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe oversight and management of housing waiting lists, including the allocation and transfer of tenancies, is a matter for the relevant local authority in accordance with the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, and associated regulations. I have no plans to change this position.
A household may apply for support to one housing authority only, which may be the authority for the area in which the household normally resides or with which it has a local connection, or the authority that agrees, at its discretion, to assess the household for support.
It should be noted that a household meeting either the residence or local connection condition may specify up to three areas of choice for receipt of support in the areas of all housing authorities in the county and city concerned and, if qualified, will be entered on the housing waiting list of each of those housing authorities. Accordingly, under existing arrangements, a household that applies to Dublin City Council can, if qualified for support and should they choose to do so, be entered on the waiting list of three of the four housing authorities in Dublin city and county.
271. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the specific way in which population changes are factored into the determination of local authority funding baselines for the purposes of the distribution of the local property tax to local authorities; the census data upon which the assessment model for baselines is based; if the baseline figures being used date back primarily to an assessment in 2005 and that assessment in turn was based on population data from the 1996 census and has not been substantially revised since; if a significant adjustment has been made to funding baselines as a result of population increases since 1996; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7492/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraLocal authorities’ cost and income bases vary significantly from one another as a result of their size, population, public service demands, infrastructure and income sources. It is clear that there are significant variances in their abilities to raise revenue locally and they therefore require appropriate levels of financial support.
The Needs and Resources Model was developed in 2000 to assist in the determination of a portion of the allocation of General Purpose Grants (GPGs) to local authorities from the Local Government Fund (LGF). The aim of the model was to bring about equalisation between local authorities over time so that each would have sufficient resources, from a combination of central grants and local income, to provide a reasonable level of services to their customers. The principle of equalisation has remained in the allocation mechanism from the days of the Needs and Resources model to the present.
The model was used each year until 2007. A considerable amount of data was analysed to arrive at a proposed distribution, with up to 600 financial entries in each return. Local authorities provided detailed annual returns for the model and this action proved overly time consuming and cumbersome. The Model was first used to assist in determining a portion of the general purpose grant allocations from the LGF in 2000, based on detailed annual returns from local authorities, and was subsequently used each year until 2007.
From 2008 on, GPG allocations were determined, for the most part, on the basis of historic baseline supports with necessary year on year adjustments determined by the overall amount of funding available. In allocating GPGs, regard was given to each local authority’s income and expenditure, the overall amount of funding available for allocation and the need to provide each local authority with a baseline allocation that would ensure its financial stability.
Given the reduction in GPG allocations from a historic high of €999m in 2008 to €640.9m in 2013, the practice was to provide for an across the board adjustment and then some individual adjustments to take account of specific issues in the coming year.
2014 was the final year of GPG allocations. The 2014 GPG allocations also recognised the move of water related costs from local authorities to Irish Water in 2014. Accordingly, 2014 GPG allocations are not directly comparable to previous years.
2015 saw the introduction of Local Property Tax (LPT) allocations being paid to local authorities. The Government decided that no local authority would receive less income from LPT in 2015 and 2016 than it received from its GPG allocation in 2014. Accordingly, the LPT allocations for 2015 and 2016 took account of the historical GPG funding provided to any former borough or town councils within the local authority area. For 2017 onwards, the LPT baseline of each local authority was increased to include an additional amount equivalent to the Pension Related Deduction income retained by local authorities in 2014.
In May 2018, a Local Government Funding (Baseline) Review Group was established. The role of the group was to consider the methodology used to determine local authority funding baselines, so as to inform the distribution of any additional available funding for general, operational purposes.
The review group was tasked with, insofar as possible, developing a methodology for distributing the available funding to bring greater balance and equity of funding outcomes for local authorities, in the context of the wide range of issues they face and the diverse nature of local authority areas across Ireland.
The recommendations of the review group are currently under consideration.
272. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government if the new revised guidance for local authorities on one-off rural housing regulations will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7519/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraFollowing engagement between the European Commission and my Department regarding the European Court of Justice ruling in the "Flemish Decree" case, a working group was established to review and, where necessary, recommend changes to the 2005 Planning Guidelines on Sustainable Rural Housing, issued under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended. The working group comprises senior officials from the Planning Division of my Department and senior officials from the Planning Divisions of local authorities, nominated by the local government sector. The objective is to ensure that rural housing policies and objectives contained in local authority development plans comply with the relevant provisions of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
Taking account of the engagement with the European Commission on the matter and subject to the completion of the ongoing deliberations by the working group, I will be in a position to finalise and issue to planning authorities revisions to the 2005 Rural Housing Guidelines that take account of the relevant ECJ judgment.
273. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the expenditure details for all consultancy or audit services provided to his Department by a company (details supplied) from 2015 to 2018, inclusive, and to date in 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7565/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn examination of records indicates that no expenditure was incurred by my Department for consultancy or audit services provided by the firm concerned in the years 2015 to 2018 or to date in 2019.
274. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the number of fire brigade and ambulance call-outs in an area (details supplied) in Dublin 8; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7581/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy is not a matter for my Department. The management of fire service call outs and ambulance call outs is a matter for the relevant local authority and the HSE.
275. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the capital projects completed by his Department since 2011; the initial contract value of same; the final cost of same; and the final cost of the capital projects that have had an ex post review in tabular form. [7852/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn examination of records indicates that my Department has not directly completed any capital project costing €10 million or more in the period from 2011 to date.
Local authorities and bodies under the aegis of my Department enter into capital contracts in the course of their work, some of which is funded through the Department's Vote. As regards relevant contracts for which local authorities are responsible, information on expenditure and multi-annual capital commitments is set out in Note 2.9/2.10 to the Department's Appropriation Accounts for the relevant years (Vote 25 up to 2014; Vote 34 thereafter) which are published by the Comptroller and Auditor General and are available at https://www.audit.gov.ie/en/Publications, by clicking on "Appropriation Accounts".
In relation to water services projects, Irish Water has established a team to deal with queries from Oireachtas members on issues arising in relation to Irish Water's activities. The team may be contacted via email to oireachtasmembers@water.ie or by telephone on 1890 578 578.
