Written Answers Nos. 45-67
45. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of places approved nationwide for community employment schemes; the number of participants on such schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25012/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraCommunity Employment (CE) is a positive initiative that enables the long-term unemployed to make a contribution to their communities whilst up-skilling themselves for employment opportunities that will become available. The CE scheme can play an important role in breaking the cycle of long-term unemployment for some people and improve their chances of employment.
The 2020 CE Budget is €364 million which provides for approximately 22,750 CE placements. At the end of August 2020 there were 19,705 CE participants on CE.
Where vacancies exist on CE schemes, eligible candidates are identified by Case Officers in my Department and referred to CE schemes, where it is considered to be a suitable activation measure.
Following the Covid-19 emergency, the Department recommenced its activation services in July and has gradually increased case management activity on all of its employment support schemes. In relation to CE, this will ensure that long-term jobseekers continue to have the necessary access to the opportunities available.
The Government also announced an additional 3,000 extra places for employment support schemes, including CE and Tús, as part of the July Stimulus package. My Department staff will continue to work closely with CE sponsoring authorities to ensure that CE candidates are referred for recruitment.
CE sponsoring authorities are also encouraged by to promote awareness of the benefits of CE in their local communities, ensuring that CE vacancies are well publicised. They can advertise CE vacancies free of charge on the Department's JobsIreland website.
Community Employment (CE) is a positive initiative that enables the long-term unemployed to make a contribution to their communities whilst up-skilling themselves for employment opportunities that will become available. The CE scheme can play an important role in breaking the cycle of long-term unemployment for some people and improve their chances of employment.
The 2020 CE Budget is €364 million which provides for approximately 22,750 CE placements. At the end of August 2020 there were 19,705 CE participants on CE.
Where vacancies exist on CE schemes, eligible candidates are identified by Case Officers in my Department and referred to CE schemes, where it is considered to be a suitable activation measure.
Following the Covid-19 emergency, the Department recommenced its activation services in July and has gradually increased case management activity on all of its employment support schemes. In relation to CE, this will ensure that long-term jobseekers continue to have the necessary access to the opportunities available.
The Government also announced an additional 3,000 extra places for employment support schemes, including CE and Tús, as part of the July Stimulus package. My Department staff will continue to work closely with CE sponsoring authorities to ensure that CE candidates are referred for recruitment.
CE sponsoring authorities are also encouraged by to promote awareness of the benefits of CE in their local communities, ensuring that CE vacancies are well publicised. They can advertise CE vacancies free of charge on the Department's JobsIreland website.
46. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons waiting for a public services card in order to access their entitlements, including the free travel card; the number of persons who turned 66 years of age who became entitled to the free travel card since March 2020 who cannot access the card as they were not SAFE registered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25034/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe SAFE registration process, which my Department uses to authenticate a person's identity, is a face- to-face process which results in the issuing of a Public Services Card.
At the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, my Department temporarily postponed the SAFE registration process. This decision was taken to comply with relevant public health guidance in respect of social distancing. At the same time, my Department postponed the requirement that a person be SAFE registered to apply for a jobseeker's payment.
The process whereby non-SAFE registered customers, on award of Free Travel, are invited to SAFE register in order to receive their Free Travel variant Public Services Card, was also interrupted since March 2020.
I am pleased to confirm that the SAFE registration service has now resumed in most Intreo Centres and Branch Offices countrywide. Opening hours are also being specifically extended from this week to cater for PSC clients wishing to register for a PSC/Free Travel card. This is being done in line with all relevant guidelines, to ensure the health and safety of the Department's customers and staff. Any person wishing to book a SAFE registration appointment should contact their local Intreo Centre and one will be assigned.
Since late August, my Department is proactively working its way through the list of those who were awarded Free Travel in the intervening period and are awaiting their Free Travel Public Services Card. These customers are being invited to contact their local Intreo Centre or Branch Office to arrange their SAFE registration appointment. Once their SAFE registration is complete, they will receive their card, by post, seven to ten days later.
Since 1 March 2020, 5,641 non-SAFE registered customers who are over 66 years of age were awarded Free Travel. Of those, 1,276 have now completed the registration process since the Safe process was restarted at the end of August. I expect any of the remainder who wish to do so to complete the registration process over the next few weeks.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
47. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to expand the back to education allowance course eligibility due to Covid-19 [25010/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Back to Education Allowance provides income support for jobseekers and certain others in receipt of social welfare payments who pursue courses of education at second or third level.
The main focus of the allowance is to assist qualifying applicants to improve their educational qualifications and their prospects of gaining employment. The Back to Education Allowance has recently been extended as part of the July Stimulus in response to Covid-19. Ordinarily a person must be in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment for at least nine months before being eligible to apply for the scheme when pursuing a third level qualification. This nine month condition is now being waived for recipients of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment seeking to return to education. A person in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment is required to apply for a jobseeker payment to access the Back to Education Allowance. The conditions under which the scheme operates are designed to ensure that they address the objective of supporting longer term social welfare customers into employment. The Student Universal Support Ireland grant payable by the Department of Further and Higher Education represents the primary support for persons pursuing education. Applications for the 2020/21 academic year are currently being processed by my Department, including those from prospective students who have received the Pandemic Unemployment Payment. I trust this clarifies the matter.
48. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to acknowledge the burden of care undertaken by full-time carers throughout the pandemic and on an ongoing basis in view of the continued closure of many supports such as daycare centres; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25019/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government acknowledges the important role that family carers play and is fully committed to supporting carers in that role. This commitment is recognised in both the Programme for Government and the National Carers’ Strategy.
My Department provides income supports to carers such as Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant. Combined spending on all these payments to family carers in 2020 is expected to exceed €1.3 billion.
The provision of supports such as respite care and home help are the responsibility of the Department of Health and the HSE.
In responding to the current COVID-19 crisis, the Department has made urgent special provisions for those, including carers, who may be most vulnerable and negatively affected at this time - those who have been diagnosed with COVID-19, have been medically certified to self-isolate and those who have lost their jobs and whose incomes have reduced as a result of the pandemic.
To ensure that the most vulnerable groups are provided for, my Department introduced the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment and COVID-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit. Both of these measures allow payments to be made with certain other social welfare payments including Carer’s Allowance or Carer’s Benefit. In effect, a carer whose situation qualifies them for one of these payments will get that payment along with their current carer income support payment - whether Carer’s Allowance or Carer’s Benefit.
Notwithstanding the substantial extra financial demands due to the COVID-19 crisis, I confirmed, on 4 June, that the Carer’s Support Grant would continue to be paid to carers this year at an estimated cost of over €237 million. The annual grant of €1,700 is made to carers providing full-time care to an older person or a person with a disability regardless of their means or social insurance contributions and is not taxable.
The objective of the Carer’s Support Grant is to support carers in their caring role and carers may use the grant in a manner that is appropriate to their needs. The grant is paid in respect of each person being cared for to take account of the additional cost of providing care and to recognise the particular challenges faced by these carers.
At the end of June 2020, over 127,000 grants were paid to carers receiving the Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit or Domiciliary Care Allowance and to other full-time carers who are not receiving any of these payments. It is expected that further applications will be received before the closing date. Applications for the 2020 grant can be submitted up until 31 December 2021.
The Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme provides a "safety net" within the overall social welfare system and provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependants. SWA provides immediate and flexible assistance for those in need who do not qualify for payment under other schemes.
I am very conscious of the challenges facing our family carers at this time and I will continue to keep the range of supports provided by my Department under review to ensure that the overall objectives of the carer income supports are met. However, any changes to the current carer income supports provided by this Department would have implications for overall spending and would need to be addressed in an overall budgetary context.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
49. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the CSO report on Enforced Deprivation published on 2 September 2020; her views on the findings of the report; the steps she plans to take to tackle deprivation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25031/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe CSO published the first set of data from the 2019 Survey on Income and Living Conditions on 2 September which reported on the level of deprivation in Ireland in 2019. The data showed that the percentage of the population experiencing basic deprivation increased to 17.8% in 2019 compared to 15.1% in 2018. By contrast, the level of deprivation had trended downwards between 2013 and 2018. While it was encouraging to see that 70% of the population did not experience any deprivation, I noted with concern that deprivation rates rose for many groups across society, including lone parent families, children, and people with disabilities. Evidence suggests that non-cash benefits and social transfers alleviate financial pressure on families and individuals by improving their access to services such as childcare, healthcare and housing. This can reduce the cost of these services and ensure that people have more disposable income available for daily living. The challenge is to do more to protect vulnerable groups by providing them with access to affordable services, as well as increased opportunities in education and employment. The Programme for Government commits to the rigorous implementation of the Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-2025, published in January of this year, to ensure that social inclusion and poverty reduction remain at the heart of government for the next five years. This is of particular significance in light of the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Irish society and the economy. The 2019 deprivation data forms one aspect of the overall Survey on Income and Living Conditions, with a further release by the CSO focusing on income and poverty expected at the end of October. This is the first time that the deprivation data has been published separately by the CSO and I would be cautious about making any inferences until the full SILC data set is available.
50. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection if the report carried out by external consultants to review all current contracted public employment services has been shared with her; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25032/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraPrior to the outbreak of Covid-19, my Department engaged external consultants to conduct a review of all current contracted Public Employment Services (PES). They were also to advise on the design and development of future contracted PES. The consultants have completed their review of public employment services and have recently submitted a report to my officials.
In accordance with normal Departmental processes, the report will be considered by my officials prior to formal submission to me for my consideration. The report will be a useful input and help inform the Government’s approach on the structure of all contracted public employment services in the years ahead.
This approach will ensure that our labour market activation services continue to be fit-for-purpose and provide value for money. My Department must also balance these requirements with the pressing need to ensure that these key services are fully in place when needed by those who have lost their jobs as a result of the on-going public health crisis.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
51. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection the details of her plans to extend JobPath beyond the end of 2020; if contracts with providers Turas Nua and Seetec will be extended beyond 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25103/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraAny provision for contracted Public Employment Services in 2021 will be in the context of managing and responding to the labour market impacts of Covid-19. My Department will work to ensure there is sufficient capacity within the Public Employment Service to provide a high-quality service to help individuals back into employment. In July, the Government announced that we would be investing an additional €43 million into the Public Employment Service to enhance this capacity. My Department is considering how to ensure that we have sufficient capacity in the Public Employment Service to ensure that we are in a position to provide the necessary supports and services to individuals who have lost employment arising from the labour market impacts of the pandemic.
52. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason the seasonal workers who were not in employment by 13 March 2020 remain excluded from the Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment in view the fact that the date for applications has been extended; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25163/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Pandemic Unemployment Payment has been put on a statutory basis since 5th August and I have announced that the scheme will remain open to new applicants until the end of the year. This means that anyone who loses their employment as a result of the pandemic will continue to be able to avail of the payment. It also means that anyone laid off for a second time will be able to avail of the payment. A seasonal worker who did not have an opportunity to take up employment may be eligible for employment under the jobseekers schemes. Further information on these supports are available at www.gov.ie. I trust this clarifies the position.
54. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Social Protection if the pandemic unemployment payment will continue for third-level students after they enrol for college and university in view of the fact they will still have lost their jobs due to the pandemic; if so, if this will affect a grant they may be receiving; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22607/20]
Amharc ar fhreagra527. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection if third-level students awarded the SUSI grant who can no longer return to their part-time jobs continue to receive the pandemic unemployment payment. [22657/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 54 and 527 together.
As announced under the July Stimulus, the COVID-19 pandemic unemployment payment has been extended until the end of March 2021. I have recently secured agreement of Government to keep the payment open to new applications until the end of 2020. To be eligible for the pandemic unemployment payment a person must have become fully unemployed due to the downturn in economic activity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and he or she is not being paid by their employer. A self-employed person must have suffered a reduction in their income to the extent they are available to take up other full time work if it was available. Any person in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment, including a student, must continue to satisfy the conditionality of the scheme. The Back to Education Allowance has recently been extended as part of the July Stimulus in response to Covid-19. Ordinarily a person must be in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment for at least nine months before being eligible to apply for the scheme when pursuing a third level qualification. This nine month condition is now being waived for recipients of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment seeking to return to education. A person in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment is required to apply for a jobseeker payment to access the Back to Education Allowance. The Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) Grant, payable by the Department of Education and Skills, represents the primary support for people pursuing third level education and its administration is a matter for that Department. I trust this clarifies the position at this time.
55. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the engagement she has had with the Revenue Commissioners in determining a person's eligibility and pay rates for the pandemic unemployment payment. [25011/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe rate of the pandemic unemployment payment is determined by a person’s prior earnings as notified to my Department by the Revenue Commissioners. My Department does not engage with the Revenue Commissioners in determining a person's individual eligibility but makes this determination on the basis of analysing the information available, except in isolated cases where a record requires clarification. Government has determined that from 17 September the pandemic unemployment payment will be paid at three rates. Individuals whose prior earnings were €300 or over per week will receive a payment of €300 per week. A rate of €250 will apply to those who earned between €200 and €300 and the rate of €203 remains unchanged for those with prior earnings of less than €200. The Department is advising recipients of the changes in rate and setting out the basis for the decision in each case. I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
56. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection if the local community employment scheme will be extended to supervisors; and the discretion to extend schemes or to extend the tenures of persons working on the schemes on the basis of need. [25007/20]
Amharc ar fhreagra528. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will direct local community employment supervisors time to show discretion on extending the community employment schemes due to expire. [24448/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 56 and 528 together.
The Community Employment (CE) scheme is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis.
In general, the period of participation on CE is for one year. However, participants on CE who are working towards a major award or industry qualification can seek to extend participation by up to a further two years.
Extensions for these purposes, which would include approval of departmental funding, are dealt with by officials within my Department.
CE is delivered through independent CE sponsoring bodies that receive state funding from the Department. CE supervisors and CE assistant supervisors are employees of the CE sponsoring bodies and are not employees of my Department. It is therefore not permissible for CE supervisors or CE assistant supervisors to have discretion in relation to the extension of CE participants' employment contracts.
CE supervisors work closely with Department officials in the development of CE participant Individual Learning Plans and therefore contribute to the wider discussion of how much time a CE participant will spend on the CE scheme.
CE sponsoring bodies that are seeking extensions for CE participants can discuss the cases with Department officials who will consider a range of factors in the best interest of the CE participant. These factors may include the time already spent on CE, the quality of training and experience gained, major and minor awards achieved, the CE participants age and the availability of other employment supports that may assist the individual.
Department officials will also identify other long-term unemployed CE candidates who are looking to avail of the opportunities afforded by CE.
57. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to increase the resources in the sections of client identity services and child benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25171/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department, like all Government departments and agencies, is required to operate within a staff ceiling figure and a commensurate administrative staffing budget.
My Department are currently in discussion with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform with regard to staffing needs for 2021 for all business areas within the Department, taking into account the increasing demand on current schemes and the ongoing need to respond to the new demands across a wide range of services which have arisen as a result of the Covid-19 Pandemic. On conclusion of these discussions, the Department will ensure, through its workforce planning, that the best use is made of available resources with a view to providing an efficient service to those who rely on the wide range of schemes it operates.
58. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection if full-time carers who use carer's leave from their employer can go on to access carer's benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25105/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraCarer's benefit is a payment made to insured people who leave the workforce or reduce their working hours to care for a person in need of full-time care and attention. Carer's leave legislation is administered by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation and provides for temporary unpaid leave from employment for employees who satisfy certain conditions. The duration of Carer's leave is currently two years. A person that has been approved by their employer for Carer’s leave may be entitled to Carer's benefit if they satisfy a number of qualifying conditions including:
- the carer must satisfy PRSI and employment conditions;
- the carer must show that they are or will be providing full-time care and attention and must show that the care recipient requires full-time care and attention.
Carer's benefit is payable for a maximum period of 2 years (104 weeks) for each care recipient and may be claimed in one block or over separate periods up to the total maximum period. In cases where the care recipient is considered to require full-time care and attention but an application for Carer's benefit is refused because other qualifying conditions are not met, the applicant is advised of a possible entitlement to Carer's allowance. Carer's allowance is subject to a means test and is conditional on the person being cared for needing full-time care and attention for at least 12 months. The applicant is also advised of his/her entitlement to credited employment contributions (credits) should he/she decide to avail of carer's Leave only. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
60. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection if the changes in eligibility for community employment schemes will be clarified; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25208/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Community Employment (CE) scheme is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis
There have been no recent changes to the eligibility rules for CE participants. The last occasion a number of changes were introduced to the eligibility criteria for CE was in 2017 with the objective of broadening access of the CE programme to a greater number of people on the Live Register and to standardise the conditions around the length of time a person can remain on a CE scheme.
In general, participation on CE for those aged between 21 and 55 years is for 1 year. Where a CE participant is working towards a QQI major award or working towards a recognised industry standard, their time on CE may be extended by up 2 years to complete this training. In addition, those over 55 years of age can remain on CE for 3 years.
An overall lifetime limit of 6 years applies to all CE participants (7 years for those from a disability payment). A person may re-qualify for CE after 12 months of being in receipt of a qualifying payment, provided they have not reached their lifetime limit.
Placements on CE are temporary and are subject to time limits to safeguard the availability of opportunities for employment on CE schemes for other candidates. I am mindful of ensuring that there is capacity on the CE scheme, within the financial allocation available to my Department, to enable other long-term jobseekers access to the work experience and training opportunities available through CE. Unfortunately, this is particularly relevant in the current environment with the rise in Live Register numbers following the Covid-19 emergency.
The Department is increasing its case management activity on all of its employment support schemes to ensure that jobseekers continue to have the necessary access to the opportunities available. Potential CE candidates should not be constrained by CE participants remaining on their CE schemes beyond agreed end-dates. My officials are working closely with CE sponsoring authorities to ensure they receive the necessary referrals for vacancies arising on their CE schemes.
Where CE participants are not successful in securing open labour market employment following their exit from CE, they can avail of support and advice on the full range of services which are available to Jobseekers from a dedicated Case Officer in their local Intreo Centre. If the Deputy has a particular concern in relation to a CE participant, if she wants to forward the details, I will ask one of my officials to review the case.
Questions Nos. 61 to 67, inclusive, answered orally.
