Written Answers Nos. 535-553
535. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of an application for a disability allowance by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17419/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person concerned has been awarded disability allowance with effect from 20 January 2019. The first payment was made by his selected payment method on 17 April 2019.
Arrears of payment due will issue as soon as possible.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
536. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of an application for a disability allowance by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17426/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person concerned submitted an application for disability allowance (DA) on 7 December 2018. Their application, based upon all the evidence submitted, was refused on medical grounds as it was not found that this gentleman was substantially restricted in taking up employment.
The person concerned was notified in writing of this decision on 14 March 2019 and was also notified of their right to request a review of this decision or to appeal it to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office, SWAO. No request for an appeal or review has been received.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
537. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of an application for a disability allowance by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17427/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person concerned submitted an application for disability allowance (DA) on 14 December 2018. Their application, based upon all the evidence submitted, was refused on medical grounds as it was not found that this gentleman was substantially restricted in taking up employment.
The person concerned was notified in writing of this decision on 8 March 2019 and was also notified of their right to request a review of this decision or to appeal it to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO). No request for an appeal or review has been received.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
538. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated amount it would cost if the 8.6% PRSI rate for persons earning less then €386 weekly was reduced to 8.2%. [17451/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt is estimated that a reduction of 0.4% in the lower employer PRSI rate would cost €16.5 million in a full year and affect approximately 794,800 employments.
These estimates are based on PRSI Class A contributions. They use the latest available data and reflect macro-economic indicators for 2019.
It should be noted that these estimates do not take into account any possible changes in employer behaviour arising from changing rates of contribution.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
539. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the way in which she plans to address the situation where many private sector employees are required by their contract of employment to retire at 65 years of age but cannot access the State pension, contributory, until 66 years of age and rising to 68 years of age over the next number of years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17474/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAt the outset it should be noted that there is no legally mandated retirement age in the State, and the age at which employees retire is a matter for the contract of employment between them and their employers. While such a contract may have been entered into with a retirement date of 65, in the context of the previous State pension arrangements, there is no legal impediment to the employer and employee agreeing to increase the duration of employment for one or more years, if both parties wish to do so. In this regard, the Workplace Relations Commission has produced a Code of Practice on Longer Working and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) has published guidance material for employers on the use of fixed-term contracts beyond normal retirement age.
The purpose of changes to the State pension age is to make the pension system more sustainable in the context of increasing life expectancy. If there is no change in State pension age, the proportion of a person's life spent in retirement will increase to levels where current workers will no longer be able to support current pensioners.
This sustainability is vital, if the current workers, who fund State pension payments through their PRSI, are to receive a pension themselves when they reach retirement age. Therefore, the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2011 provided that State pension age will be increased gradually to 68 years. This began in January 2014 with the abolition of the State pension (transition) which was available to people aged 65 who had retired and who satisfied the PRSI qualifying conditions. This standardised the State pension age for all at 66 years (it was already 66 for non-contributory pensioners, and for contributory pensioners who worked to 66 or older). This will increase to 67 in 2021 and to 68 in 2028. These changes will assist in maintaining the sustainability of the overall state pension system, and make it more feasible for the rate of payment to grow in line with prices and / or average earnings in the future.
Jobseekers Benefit is payable subject to the person satisfying the general scheme conditions. This entitlement is normally paid for 9 months (234 days) for people with 260 or more PRSI contributions paid and for 6 months (156 days) for people with fewer than 260 PRSI contributions paid. Arrangements are in place to provide that jobseekers whose benefit expires in their 65th year can generally continue to be paid benefit up until pensionable age (currently their 66th birthday) provided they satisfy the necessary contribution conditions. The jobseekers schemes are kept under review and any further changes, including entitlement beyond the 66th year, will be considered in that context.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
540. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number or percentage of employees in her Department and in the agencies under her aegis with intellectual disabilities; her plans to increase this number to promote and support the employment of persons with intellectual disabilities as outlined in the Disability Act 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17486/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra541. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her Department and the agencies under her aegis track the number of employees they have with an intellectual disability; her plans to do so in order to help set targets and increase workplace opportunities for those with intellectual disabilities such as those outlined in the national disability inclusion strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17503/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 540 and 541 together.
My Department is committed to meeting its obligations under the Disability Act, 2005. According to the return to the NDA of the position as of 31 December, 2018, the number of staff employed in my department and in the agencies under its aegis who have disclosed a disability are set out in the table. The returns do not categorise the nature of the disability disclosed.
|
Name |
Total Number of Employees31/12/2018 |
Number of employees with disabilities 31/12/2018 |
% of workforce with disabilities 31/12/2018 |
|
Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection |
6725 |
351 |
5.22% |
|
Citizens Information Board |
94 |
9 |
9.57% |
|
Pensions Authority |
65 |
3 |
4.62% |
My Department supports its staff with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations and training as required.
The Public Appointments Service carries out the main recruitment function for the Civil Service. My Department employs a designated Disability Liaison Officer (DLO) with a specific brief to provide support and guidance to managers and staff for the provision of reasonable accommodations. New staff are made aware of the existence and the role of the DLO at induction. My Department follows the Code of Practice for the Employment of People with a Disability in the Irish Civil Service in relation raising disability awareness, providing workplace supports, in the provision of training and career progression. My department also supports work experience programmes for people with disabilities by participating in National Job Shadow Day and in AHEAD’s Willing, Able, Mentoring (WAM) programme.
542. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if requested documentation has now been received in the relevant section of her Department in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17527/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm to the Deputy that documentation requested from the person concerned has been received by Community Welfare Officer.
This documentation relating to verification of the position of the person concerned on the Local Authority housing list was required in order to complete a rent supplement review.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
543. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason rent allowance ceased being paid to a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17529/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe rent supplement claim of the person concerned was reviewed in April 2018. As part of this review the customer was requested to provide certain documentation in support of the claim within 21 days.
The person concerned was issued with several reminders regarding the outstanding documentation.
When the documentation was not received his payment was suspended from July 2018.
All but one of requested documentation has since been received. The proof of his Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) application or a letter from the agent stating that they will not accept HAP is still outstanding. The customer has been contacted on many occasions and reminded of the need for this information to progress the review of his claim.
When this information is received, payment can be reinstated and any arrears due can be paid.
I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
544. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will consider a pay increase for community employment supervisors who have received no increases for a decade; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17537/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraCE scheme supervisors are employees of private companies in the community and voluntary sector that receive public funding. They are not employees of my Department or public servants.
The Deputy should note that, in the past, CE supervisors benefited from pay increases linked to all phases of Benchmarking, Sustaining Progress (Parts 1 and 2) and Towards 2016 (all 4 phases). They were not subject to any pay reductions under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (FEMPI).
It is worth noting that CE participants had two reductions in their allowances following Budget 2010 (from €228.70 to €216.00 personal rate – 5.5% reduction) and Budget 2011 (from €216.00 to €208.00 – 3.7% reduction), an overall percentage reduction of circa 9.0%. The current max rate of pay for participants is currently €225.50 which is 1.4% below the 2010 rate.
The current agreement for public servants is an agreed approach to the continued unwinding of the FEMPI legislation and does not provide for a pay increase.
545. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her views on a matter (details supplied) relating to jobseekers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17557/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe current system of establishing if a person is genuinely seeking work is well established and based on a number of steps that have to be taken by all jobseeker customers in order to satisfy the Department that they are actively seeking work.
These steps may include making oral, written or on-line applications for work, researching job vacancies, availing of training opportunities, acting on the advice given by a case officer or taking steps to become self-employed.
When deciding whether a person has made genuine efforts to seek employment, a deciding officer considers all the circumstances, taking into account a person’s skills, qualification and work experience, period(s) of unemployment, the efforts made to seek employment, the availability and location of vacancies and the person’s family circumstances.
Case officers in my Department engage with jobseekers on an ongoing basis and work with them to agree a personal progression plan and support them in order to avail of all reasonable training and employment opportunities offered to them.
The Department is committed, under Pathways to Work, to incentivise the take-up of activation opportunities, including implementing sanctions for failure to engage. Penalty rates were introduced in 2011 as a means of encouraging jobseekers to engage with activation measures and to co-operate with efforts of the Department to assist them in securing employment.
In 2018, over 16,000 decisions were made in which a penalty rate was applied where a customer was not considered to be engaging in the return to work process, including not availing of employment opportunities offered to them.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
546. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of a carer's allowance application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17655/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn application for carer's allowance (CA) was received from the person concerned on 10 July 2018.
It is a condition for receipt of a CA that the person being cared for must have such disability that they require full-time care and attention.
This is defined as requiring from another person, continual supervision and frequent assistance throughout the day in connection with normal bodily functions or continual supervision in order to avoid danger to him or herself and likely to require that level of care for at least twelve months.
The evidence submitted in support of the application was examined and the deciding officer decided that this evidence did not indicate that the requirement for full-time care was satisfied.
The person concerned was notified on 24 November 2018 of this decision, the reason for it and of his right of review and appeal.
The person concerned requested a review of this decision on 27 November 2018 and submitted additional evidence in support of his application.
The outcome of the review is that the original decision is confirmed. On 11 April 2019 the person concerned was notified of this outcome and of their right of appeal.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
547. 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. [17656/19]
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 gentleman concerned on 15 February 2019. This claim was disallowed on the grounds that the medical conditions for the scheme were not satisfied. He was notified on 11 April 2019 of this decision, the reasons for it and of his right of review and appeal.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
548. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of an invalidity pension for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17752/19]
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 from this gentleman on 5 April 2019.
The claim will be processed as quickly as possible and he will be notified directly of the outcome.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
549. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the way in which the assessment of PRSA pension is assessed as means for an applicant to the scheme in cases in which the pension is not available to be drawn down until the person reaches pension age; the way in which that person is expected to manage financially in cases in which the pension is deducted as means; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17785/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn assessing claims for means tested social welfare schemes, account is taken of the income and the value of capital, including shares, of the claimant and his or her spouse/partner.
The general rule for assessment of pension funds or annuities is that money invested in a pension fund is not assessable for means purposes if it is not accessible to the claimant. However, this must specifically be a pension fund, and not a general savings account being used by the claimant as savings for their retirement. For PRSA pensions, so long as the pension remains inaccessible to the claimant, it is not assessable as means.
The value of any cash otherwise available from a pension fund is assessed on the basis of the capital valuation of that fund and any regular pension payments received are treated as income for means purposes.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
550. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of households in each local authority area considered to be at risk of fuel poverty; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17847/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn 2016 the Government launched a comprehensive Strategy to Combat Energy Poverty following extensive public consultation. It sets out the Government’s commitment to protecting vulnerable households from energy poverty through a combination of supports, investment in schemes to improve energy efficiency, and energy efficiency awareness initiatives.
This Strategy is spearheaded by the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment and questions in relation to this strategy, and to policy around energy poverty, should be directed to that Department.
My Department does not have statistics on the number of households in each local authority area considered to be at risk of fuel poverty. Fuel allowance is paid by my Department to over 380,000 low income households which could be considered at risk of fuel poverty, based on their general economic circumstances. However, my Department would not have details of the energy efficiency in those households and, therefore could not comment on how many of these in each local authority area have difficulty in heating their homes.
The fuel allowance is a payment of €22.50 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €630 each year) from October to April, at an estimated cost of €240 million in 2019. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. The allowance represents a contribution towards the energy costs of a household.
My Department also pays an electricity or gas allowance at an estimated cost of €187 million in 2019 to certain qualified households. Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, a special heating supplement may be paid to assist people in certain circumstances that have special heating needs. Exceptional needs payments may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which an applicant is unable to meet out of his/her own resources.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
551. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the position regarding recent increases in rates bills for businesses in rural County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17202/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Commissioner of Valuation is independent in the performance of his statutory functions and the setting of valuations for rating is his sole responsibility. I have no function in relation to decisions in this regard. The Valuation Office is currently engaged in a national revaluation programme, on a phased basis, the first revaluation of that scale, encompassing all rating authority areas, in over 160 years.
The revaluation provisions in the Valuation Acts 2001 to 2015 provide a modern statutory framework for the revaluation of all rateable property within a rating authority area so as to reflect changes in value due to economic factors, differential movements in property values or other external factors such as infrastructural changes in the vicinity of a property and changes in the local business environment.
Under the current phase of the revaluation programme, Proposed Valuation Certificates were issued in March 2019 to ratepayers in the Cavan, Fingal, Louth, Meath, Monaghan, Tipperary, Wexford and Wicklow rating authority areas. The amount of rates payable in any calendar year is a product of the valuation set by the Commissioner of Valuation and the Annual Rate on Valuation (ARV) decided annually by the elected members of each local authority as part of their reserved functions.
The proposed valuation entered on the Proposed Valuation Certificates is not a bill for rates. It is a statement of the valuation that the Commissioner proposes to set with effect from 1st January 2020. In order to arrive at an estimated rates liability for 2020 and subsequent years, the proposed valuation provided by the Valuation Office would need to be multiplied by the indicative ARV published by the relevant local authority.
Following the issue of circa 32,000 Proposed Valuation Certificates (PVCs) on 15 March 2019, as part of REVAL2019, the Valuation Office held 50 walk in clinics across the eight local authorities being revalued. The location of the clinics took account of the overall number of rateable properties and the distribution of the main centres of population within each local authority area. On 29 March 2019, the Valuation Office issued a further c. 3,500 PVCs mainly relating to licensed premises, hotels, service stations and nursing homes. In advance of that issue, the Office provided specimen PVC documents to the Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI), the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF), Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI) and the Irish Petrol Retailers Association (IPRA) and offered to provide briefing sessions to their members. These briefing sessions are now underway and have been arranged in advance of the further walk-in clinics as much as possible. In addition, the Valuation Office has advised the aforementioned trade bodies of the dates, times and venues of additional Walk in Clinics across the eight local authorities. In total, a further 14 Walk in Clinics will take place between now and 25 April.
Having up to date and consistent valuations, reflecting current market conditions, is critical to ensure that the levying of commercial rates is on a fair, equitable and consistent basis across all economic sectors and parts of the country and is the purpose of the national revaluation programme.
In order to ensure that the revaluation promotes equity across sectors and areas, but is also a revenue neutral exercise in overall terms, the Minister may limit the total amount of rates collectable within the local authority in the year following a revaluation to that collected in the previous year, subject to minor adjustments. In overall terms, I understand that of the revaluations conducted to to date, approximately 60% of ratepayers have had their liability for rates reduced and approximately 40% have experienced an increase.
I understand that the Valuation Office has held walk in clinics on 15 and 16 April 2019, in various locations around County Wexford following the issuing of the PVCs. Valuation Office staff were present in each location to answer queries, explain the revaluation process and offer guidance on making representations.
Any ratepayer who is ultimately dissatisfied with any of the particulars on their Proposed Valuation Certificate can submit representations to the Valuation Office within 40 days from the date of issue of their certificate. The closing date for submitting representations is clearly stated on each Certificate.
There is no fee for submitting a representation, which can be made by using the Property Number and PIN on the Proposed Valuation Certificate online on the Valuation Office website, www.valoff.ie. The Valuation Office considers all representations and commits to making merited adjustments based on the information provided as part of the representations process.
There is also available a right of appeal to the independent Valuation Tribunal for ratepayers that are dissatisfied with the final valuation. In the case of the current areas being revalued the final valuation is expected in September with the list to be published in October and the final appeal date in November.
552. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the projects and initiatives that will be affected in 2019 from the €13 million adjustment in the 2019 Vote of his Department as a result of the further Revised Estimates. [17212/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Development Plan established four new funds, with a combined allocation of €4 billion to 2027. The Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) launched last year has an overall provision of €2 billion to 2027. €58 million is available in 2019 to provide initial support to the 88 projects announced last November on foot of the first call for proposals. €550 million is included in the NDP to provide further support for these and other similar projects up to 2022.
The advancement of these projects through their various stages of development is, in the first instance, a matter for the applicant concerned.
Since last November’s announcement, my Department has engaged with a large number of the successful applicants to further clarify the details of their proposals, the proposed composition and progression of projects, and to establish the level of related URDF funding demands expected to arise for 2019 and beyond. This engagement revealed that the level of drawdown of URDF funding this year will be less than originally anticipated.
This being the case, it is expected that the adjusted 2019 URDF provision of €58 million will be sufficient to meet any funding requirements for this year, and so I am confident that none of the projects will be adversely affected by the €13 million adjustment.
553. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the properties requiring remedial works to bring them into compliance with fire safety standards following fire safety inspections by Dublin Fire Brigade; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17213/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn response to the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy and in recognition of fears expressed for fire safety, I tasked my Department's National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management with co-ordinating a high-level task force to lead a reappraisal of fire safety in Ireland. The task force was requested to oversee and report on a number of initial steps, and to urgently consider any potential life safety issues and appropriate responses.
In addition to establishing the fire safety task force, I requested that a number of immediate initial actions be taken, including directing fire authorities to carry out a survey to identify buildings in their individual functional areas of more than six storeys, or more than 18m in height, fitted with external cladding or rain screen systems, with or without insulation. To support the work being undertaken by fire authorities, my Department issued guidance developed under the aegis of the task force in 2017, dealing with assessment of cladding systems, and providing information on interim fire safety measures to be applied to buildings, pending completion of remedial works. Fire authorities were advised that site visits would be required to confirm information, including whether cladding to the buildings is present.
Where buildings of more than six storeys, or more than 18m in height, with cladding or cladding systems present, were identified, fire authorities were advised to consider whether use of section 18(6)(a) of the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003 – to require the person having control over the premises to carry out a fire safety assessment of the premises, including issues like fire detection and alarm systems as well as the cladding system and concealed spaces (cavities) in the external wall construction – was warranted. This work in relation to medium-to-high rise buildings has been carried out, and all fire authorities have reported back to my Department, as requested, and the summary of this work is included in the fire safety task force's report published by my Department in May 2018 which is available at the following link:
Properties requiring remedial work
A number of medium-to-high rise buildings were identified as having external cladding, and, where deemed warranted by fire authorities, building owners have been required, using powers under the Fire Services Acts, to undertake fire safety assessments in these specific buildings, in some case of fire safety aspects other than cladding. My Department received summary information in this regard from the fire authorities; accordingly, details of individual buildings which were identified and appraised are not available in my Department.
The most recent figures provided to my Department from Dublin Fire Brigade indicate that fire safety assessments were required in respect of 63 buildings (21 residential, and 42 non-residential); 57 assessments have been received, 5 assessments are in preparation, and 1 building remains vacant.
So far, further action, including remedial works, has been required in respect of 7 buildings, including 4 cases involving remedial works to cladding installations.
Remedial works to cladding installations, where required, are subject to the requirements of Building Regulations, and generally require a fire safety certificate, and compliance with the requirements of the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2014, including the submission of a commencement notice to the building control authority with accompanying documentation, design certifier, and assigned certifier on completion.
