Written Answers Nos. 67-111
73. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection if social welfare payments will continue to be electronically transferred following Covid-19 for certain payments to reduce the need for persons to attend post and social welfare offices. [26231/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department provides two main payment method options for people in receipt of social welfare. They can be paid in cash at the post office or they can have their payment made directly into their account in either a bank, in An Post or in a credit union. The Department intends, where possible, to continue to offer people the choice of being paid in cash at the post office or directly into an account in a financial institution
With the co-operation of An Post, a number of measures were introduced to support those collecting their social welfare payments at post offices over the last year. These changes helped reduce the movement of people, including medically vulnerable individuals, and assisted them in complying with social distancing measures designed to combat the spread of Covid-19.
One of the Covid-19 measures introduced was to give all welfare claimants – including jobseekers - the option to switch their payment method from the post office to payment into their bank account by electronic fund transfer (or EFT). Claimants had to apply to Departmental offices to request this change.
Before the pandemic, the default payment option for those in receipt of a jobseeker payment was collection at a post office. Payment by this method offers the Department additional control checks which can assist in the prevention of Social Welfare fraud.
The Department will continue to offer choice of payment method to its customers. However, no decision has yet been taken on whether to permanently adopt the EFT payment option for those receiving jobseeker payments.
74. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if modifications in short-time working or rent supplements are envisaged to help persons in cases in which the return to full-time working post-Covid is phased. [25553/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraShort-Time Work Support is a social insurance contribution payment provided under Jobseekers Benefit for employees temporarily placed on a shorter working week by their employer and who are not being paid for days of unemployment.
Jobseeker's Benefit support is paid for up to 9 months (or 234 days) for people with 260 or more PRSI contributions paid. It is paid for up to 6 months (or 156 days) for people with fewer than 260 PRSI contributions paid. It is a fundamental feature of a range of PRSI related benefits that they are time limited including Maternity Benefit and Illness Benefit.
Where a person exhausts their entitlement to Jobseekers Benefit, they may be eligible for support under the means tested Jobseeker's Allowance scheme. In these cases, the Department will contact the recipient in advance to advise them of the expiry of their claim and the availability of Jobseekers Allowance.
In addition, there are a range of supports that allow people to combine work with welfare including the availability of the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme for employers to support job retention. The wide ranging nature of the assistance available constitutes a comprehensive suite of supports. On that basis I believe there are sufficient supports available at this time.
Rent supplement continues to play a key role in supporting families and individuals in private rented accommodation, with the scheme currently supporting 19,570 recipients.
The scheme ensures that eligible persons who were renting, but whose circumstances have changed due to temporary loss of employment, can continue to meet their rental commitments. Since the introduction of the Government’s Covid emergency response in March 2020 there have been over 12,500 applications approved, of which 8,640 remain in payment.
The overarching Covid-19 response in the case of Rent Supplement is to provide a flexible case-by-case driven solution for customers and my Department will continue to operate on this basis for those returning to full-time work on a phased basis.
75. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to address the practice of bogus self-employment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25945/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraTo begin with, it is important to note that self-employment is a perfectly legitimate and vital feature of the Irish economy with over 330,000 people employed this way. It is also the case that there is no compelling evidence that false self-employment is widespread, as some might suggest.
That said, false self-employment does exist and, as such, is a matter that I and the Department take very seriously. I do not want to see a situation where any workers are denied their social insurance entitlements or where much-needed funds are denied to the depleted Social Insurance Fund.
The deliberate misclassification of a worker as a self-employed contractor for PRSI purposes is wrong. The Social Welfare Consolidation Act contains specific offences in relation to the return of employment contributions which, on conviction, can result in fines and/or imprisonment.
Unfortunately, there is no ‘silver bullet’ solution that would completely eradicate false self-employment. The best way to tackle it is through inspection, compliance and deterrence. The Department has significantly increased its employer inspections in recent years through its network of 380 Social Welfare Inspectors nationwide. It also established the Employment Status Inspection Unit (ESIU) in mid-2019, comprising six Inspectors focused solely on detecting false self-employment.
This Unit has already carried out hundreds of employment status investigations in a wide range of sectors, including construction, meat processing, fitness, language training and media sectors. As the economy opens up, control activities in the construction sector, as well as hairdressing and personal services, are being increased.
False self-employment does not always involve a deliberate or fraudulent misclassification of an employee. Sometimes it happens that both employer and employee are genuinely mistaken in their approach and are happy to correct the position once the Department’s officials make a determination.
Therefore, I believe it is vital that employers and workers have clear information and guidance when looking at employment status. That is why I put great value on the Code of Practice on Determining Employment Status . We have recently updated the Code to reflect the modern world of work, and to reflect the legislation and case law that has emerged from various court cases over the years.
I intend to publish the revised Code shortly and would encourage all affected stakeholders to make sure they are familiar with its content.
77. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to ensure the services provided and the ethos of the local employment services scheme are preserved; her views on whether current EU directives mean such services must be competitively tendered out; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26213/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs part of an overall expansion of employment services, my Department will shortly issue a Request for Tender (RFT) to expand local employment type services into some geographical areas where a Local Employment Service does not currently exist.
Separately, the current contracts for existing contracted Public Employment Service provision will expire at the end of 2021. These contracts have been in place in many cases for over 20 years with no formal procurement being undertaken in that period. This is not in compliance with the requirements of good governance or proper procurement. My Department intends to go out to procure sufficient high-quality employment services in a manner that is compatible with EU and national procurement rules.
This is in line with detailed legal advice obtained by my Department that these employment services must be procured though open competitive procurement processes in line with EU and national procurement rules. This advice is unequivocal and ignoring it would likely expose my Department to legal challenge.
I have instructed my officials to ensure that while complying with procurement law no barriers are placed in the way of local development companies or other non-profit entities on submitting viable tenders for employment services. The requests for tenders will include a strong focus on quality of services directed at clients, particularly the long-term unemployed. There will be ample opportunity for tenderers to demonstrate the quality services they can provide to those furthest from the labour market. In particular, while cost will be a factor to be considered, the primary evaluation criteria relate to service quality including community engagement. The RFT is designed to ensure that a bidder cannot secure an advantage by submitting unrealistically low pricing. It is expected that the tender will prove attractive to local community-based organisations, including the Local Development Companies.
Organisations with strong experience in the delivery of similar services at a community and local level will be in a strong position to respond to the RFTs when they issue.
81. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of the cost of disability study commissioned by her Department as part of budget 2019; when the research is expected to be completed; the analysis her Department has carried out into increasing the disability allowance by €20 as an interim measure while the research is being completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26220/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has commissioned Indecon International Consultants to carry out research into the cost of disability. In line with the commitment contained in the Programme for Government, the research will provide a valuable input to inform policy on the provision of supports to meet the needs of people with disabilities. The report is expected in the coming weeks.
This matter is considerably wider than the income support system and will not be addressed through income support alone which is why a whole-of-Government perspective is being taken.
As part of the research a survey of over 34,000 people with disabilities was undertaken. The very large sample was designed to give individuals living with a disability an opportunity to contribute directly to the research. The high number of responses, 4,700, makes this one of the largest surveys of its kind of individuals with disabilities undertaken in Ireland. I look forward to receiving the completed report shortly.
In Budget 2021, I introduced a number of measures to support people with disabilities, this included an increase of €20 in the earnings disregard for recipients of Disability Allowance. This will affect 15,000 recipients and cost €2.9m in 2021. Other measures include a €1,000 Training Grant to help people with disabilities who are seeking employment, and an increase of €150 to the Carer’s Support Grant. The new Grant rate of €1,850 is the highest rate ever and will be paid in June.
Finally, it would be premature at this point to give any commitments regarding the allocation of public expenditure towards existing or additional payments while awaiting the outcomes of the research.
85. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is considering expanding the criteria for the fuel allowance for the winter lockdown 2021 given that more workers and families are being asked to stay in their homes for the period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1421/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Fuel Allowance is a payment of €28.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €784 each year) from October to April, to over 370,000 low income households, at an estimated cost of €300 million in 2021. The purpose of this payment is to provide a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. It is not intended to meet those costs in full.The criteria for Fuel Allowance are framed to direct the limited resources available to my Department in as targeted a manner as possible, and so it is focussed on long term payments where an applicant satisfies a means test.
As this House knows, the Government has put unprecedented resources into a range of supports for workers and families during these extraordinary times.
As part of that, and based on ESRI research, the Government targeted budget increases at the Fuel Allowance, the Qualified Child Allowance and the Living Alone Allowance to boost the incomes of the poorest in our society. This resulted in the Fuel Allowance being increased from the start of this year by €3.50 per week to €28, thus ensuring that recipients benefitted during the coldest part of the year.
The supports in place are kept under constant review and amended in keeping with changing circumstances. In that context it is worth noting that at this time we have the vaccination program in progress, restrictions are being eased, many people are returning to work, and people are able to meet outside again.
Finally, my Department does provide support under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme to people who may be having difficult with their utility bills.
Exceptional Needs Payments may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which customers are unable to meet out of their own resources, and this may include exceptional heating costs. Decisions on such payments are made on a case-by-case basis. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
88. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost to date of all Covid-19-related payments in her Department to individuals and corporate entities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15409/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince the onset of the pandemic, my Department has introduced a range of schemes and supports to assist persons affected by the impact of Covid-19.These schemes include:
- Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP);
- Enhanced Covid 19 Illness Benefit;
- Covid-19 Enterprise Support Grant;
- Covid-19 Rent supplement; and
- Covid-19 Part time Job Incentive Scheme.
These schemes provide income support to individual workers whose employment has been impacted by the pandemic. All of these schemes are available to eligible people who are in need of income support. The Covid-19 Enterprise Support Grant and the Covid-19 Part-time Job Incentive Scheme are available to self-employed workers to support them in re-opening their businesses. In addition, funding for the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) and its successor, the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS), is provided through the Department’s Vote. The administration of these schemes is undertaken by Revenue to provide support which is directed through employers. These employers may be sole traders or corporate entities.The total cost from March 2020 to the end of April 2021 on all these schemes, including the provision of funding to Revenue for the TWSS and the EWSS, is €13.15 billion.The breakdown of expenditure is as follows:The spend on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) since March 2020 to April 2021 is €7.32 billion. Nearly €5 billion was paid in 2020 with €2.34 billion paid from January to end of April 2021. (Expenditure to date is now estimated to be of the order of €7.5 billion.)
The spend on the Enhanced Covid-19 Illness Benefit is €99 million, of which €57 million was paid in 2020 and €42 million in 2021 to date.
The spend on the Covid-19 Enterprise Support Grant is €8 million. €7 million was paid in 2020 and €1 million in 2021.
Expenditure on Covid-19 Rent Supplement is €60 million, of which €38 million was paid in 2020 and €22 million paid up to April 2021.
The spend on Covid-19 Part time Job Incentive for the Self-Employed is €0.4 million, most of which was incurred in 2021. This was effectively a new scheme introduced towards the end of 2020.
In terms of the schemes administered by Revenue, total TWSS expenditure was €2.7 billion. This scheme operated from March to September 2020. The spend on EWSS since September 2020 is €2.9 billion, of which €1.4 billion was paid in 2020 and €1.5 billion paid in 2021.
The very significant level of expenditure on these schemes has been crucial in helping to ease the financial impact of the pandemic on hundreds of thousands of workers and their employers.
89. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Social Protection if there has been a definitive decision to move away from the standard costs met model to a costs bid model of tendering of employment services with particular reference to the jobs clubs that are concerned that their initiatives would not be able to compete with the commercial sector (details supplied); and the rationale for this proposed change in method of funding for the service provision. [26238/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is reviewing the provision and procurement of contracted employment services. In line with legal advice, future procurement will be conducted in accordance with national and EU procurement law. My Department will shortly issue a Request for Tender to expand local employment type services into some of the geographical areas where a Local Employment Service does not currently exist. The specific lots will be detailed in the request for tender, when it is published. The current annual "cost met" funding approach, used with current LES and Job Club contracts, requires a level of scrutiny of day-to-day expenditure, which places an undue administrative burden on both the employment service provider and my Department. Such an approach diverts valuable resources away from supporting clients, doing little to enhance employment outcomes for the long-term unemployed. Moving to a new multiannual funding approach, which pays for each client referred, coupled with a strong emphasis on quality of service provision, will reduce the administrative burden and is more likely to deliver enhanced outcomes for those availing of the service. The forthcoming procurement will focus primarily on the quality of services to be provided and will have no impact on the contracts of existing providers in other areas. Separately, the current contracts for all contracted employment services, including Job Clubs, expire at the end of 2021. These contracts have been in place in many cases for over 20 years with no formal procurement being undertaken in that period. This is not in compliance with the requirements of good governance or proper procurement. My Department is therefore developing RFTs to ensure that sufficient high-quality employment services are procured in a manner that is compatible with EU and national procurement rules. Organisations, including Job Club providers in conjunction with other community organisations, who have strong experience in the delivery of similar services at a community and local level will be in a strong position to respond to these RFTs.
90. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection if persons in receipt of the carer’s allowance who worked in excess of the 18.5 hours in nursing homes and care homes which was permitted as a result of staff shortages during the pandemic will be penalised; if she will look favourably on these cases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25571/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraCarer's allowance is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that results in them requiring that level of care. A primary qualifying condition for the Carer’s Allowance is that the applicant provides full-time care and attention to a person in need of such a level of care. However, to support a carer’s continued attachment to the workforce and broader social inclusion, carer's may engage in some employment, education or training, while still being regarded as providing full-time care. Carer’s Allowance is a statutory scheme and both the full-time care and attention requirement and the 18.5 hour limitation on work or education are set out in legislation. Carers are required to notify the Department if they commence employment or if they have any increase in the hours they are working, or of any other change in circumstances. My Department is aware that during the Covid-19 pandemic, some healthcare workers on the frontline were required to work above their normal hours. I want to assure the Deputy that instances such as those outlined in the question are looked at on a case by case basis, taking account of the individual's circumstances with discretion applied where there has been evidence that the carer continued to provide the level of care required to the caree.
91. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the availability of community employment places for persons on the pandemic unemployment payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26261/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraCommunity Employment (CE) is a labour market activation programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people with an opportunity to engage in work experience and training opportunities within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis. It provides valuable services to local communities while supporting long term unemployed in acquiring new skills and work experience.The focus of CE is on long-term unemployed people, that is people who have been unemployed for more than twelve months.A key qualifying condition for the majority of CE candidates is that a person must first be in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment for a minimum of 12 months. The Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) is an income support introduced as a temporary measure to address the emergency needs of people who lost employment as a direct consequence of Covid-19. It is not a qualifying payment for CE. However, time spent in receipt of PUP counts towards the duration of unemployment required to be eligible for CE. In other words, a person in receipt of PUP will need to first qualify for a qualifying payment – e.g. Jobseeker’s Allowance – before they can be considered eligible for CE. At that point, any days spent in receipt of PUP will be treated as days of unemployment for the purposes of determining eligibility for CE.Many persons currently in receipt of PUP will return to their previous employment as COVID-19 restrictions ease. Unfortunately, however, others will not. I am aware of the significant number of persons who have been on PUP since March and April 2020, who could benefit by the opportunities provided by CE placements if their previous jobs do not return over the next few months. Government are very conscious of the need to provide additional activation and other employment supports to assist this category of persons back to work. Under the July Jobs Stimulus, funding is provided for an additional 3,000 places for state employment programmes including CE and Tús. These additional places will provide additional supports for those who have been unemployed for over a year, including time spent on PUP. Once their eligibility for CE is confirmed, unemployed persons can apply for the range of existing CE vacancies accessible within their community which will give them an opportunity to avail of the valuable training and work experience available on these CE placements. I will continue to support and improve the CE programme for the benefit of long-term unemployed participants, including those whose employment have been adversely affected by the pandemic as the restrictions begin to ease and the economy recovers.
92. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 1106 of 21 April 2021, when the report on the public employment service by an organisation (details supplied) will be published; when the response her Department received from the Labour Market Advisory Council to the report will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26221/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn December 2019, after an open and transparent procurement process, my Department began engaging with external consultants to review all public employment services (PES), including contracted employment services delivered through EmployAbility, Job Clubs, JobPath and the Local Employment Services.The successful tender, a joint bid by the Institute for Employment Studies and Social Finance, both UK-based non-profit bodies, reviewed the existing contracted PES and engaged extensively with current employment service providers and other stakeholders.My Department received the report on the Public Employment Service from the Institute for Employment Studies last year. The report contributes to the ongoing process of procuring contracted employment service capacity to supplement the existing capacity of my Department's Intreo offices. I previously informed the House that I referred the report to the Labour Market Advisory Council for their views. The LMAC discussed the report and my Department subsequently received a response from the Council. Both the report and the views of the Council are contributions that are being carefully considered by officials in my Department in terms of the future design and approach to the Public Employment Service and the contracting of employment services by my Department. The review of contracted employment services is an ongoing process.
93. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the fact that bogus self-employment practices have been in use in RTÉ and that a settlement has been made by RTÉ to the Revenue Commissioners; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25946/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe term 'bogus self-employment' is a provocative one that implies falsehood and a deliberate attempt to commit fraud. However, it is clear that the misclassification of employees for PRSI purposes often occurs through a lack of knowledge or error or due to changes that occur over time in the relationship between an employer and its contractors. It is not always contrived. My Department has been closely engaged with RTÉ since the broadcaster commenced a review of its contractors’ contracts in 2018 to ensure that the correct class of PRSI is being paid for the workers involved. My concern and my Department’s concern is that the appropriate, statutory PRSI contributions are being returned for all workers in the State and from an appropriate date. We initially adopted a monitoring role while the lengthy review was taking place. Thereafter, Social Welfare Inspectors from my Employment Status Investigation Unit commenced an investigation of the employment status of RTÉ’S contractors in September 2020. This has progressed with the full co-operation of RTÉ and the former or current contractors. The investigation is ongoing. I understand that the Revenue Commissioners carried out their own review of RTE's affairs from the perspective of tax compliance. Their detailed findings were not shared with my Department and are a matter for the Revenue Commissioners themselves. There is nothing in any tax related settlement agreed with Revenue that would prevent my inspectors from carrying out their work. Any PRSI contribution corrections that might ultimately result from our employment status investigations will be applied in the normal way.I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
94. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to address the issues regarding the pension and gratuity status of community employment supervisors; and her further plans to implement the Labour Court recommendation issued in 2008. [26137/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra101. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of the efforts to resolve the community employment supervisors’ pension issue. [26216/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra106. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress on the provision of pensions for community employment scheme supervisors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26255/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 94, 101 and 106 together.
The Community Employment Scheme (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and others with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis.The programme is delivered through independent CE sponsoring authorities. The contract agreement between the Department and the CE sponsoring authorities establishes their role as an independent contractor. CE sponsoring authorities are the legal employers of CE supervisors, CE assistant supervisors and CE participants. The CE sponsoring authorities receive state funding to cover the salary costs of supervisors, assistant supervisors and participant remuneration, training and material costs from the Department. CE supervisors and CE assistant supervisors are not public servants or employees of the Department or the state. As the Deputy will be aware, CE supervisors and CE assistant supervisors have been seeking for several years, through their union representatives, the allocation of Exchequer funding to implement a 2008 Labour Court recommendation relating to the provision of a pension scheme for CE supervisors who are employed by CE schemes. The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has to have regard to any potential Exchequer exposure associated with dealing with the specific issue relating solely to CE supervisors arising from the Labour Court recommendation. Any proposal to resolve this specific issue, can and will only apply to CE supervisors and CE assistant supervisors. Within this context, officials from my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform held discussions on proposals to progress and resolve this issue over the past number of months, while having regard to the wider budgetary framework. Officials from my Department also held discussions with unions representing CE supervisors and CE assistant supervisors.I am pleased to report that agreement was reached recently between my colleagues, the Minister for Social Protection and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform on proposals to resolve the long-standing issue. Details of these proposals have been forwarded to the unions representing CE supervisors and CE assistant supervisors by my Department officials. I understand the unions are currently considering these proposals and have sought clarification on a number of the details contained therein. My Department are engaging with both unions on this basis.I am confident this is a solid basis for progressing and resolving this complex issue, while ensuring there is no potential exposure for additional costs to the exchequer. Minister Humphreys and I will continue to support CE for the benefit of the CE participants and the valuable contribution being made to local communities.
95. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of places approved for the community employment scheme and the Tús scheme nationally; the number of participants on these schemes, respectively; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25422/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department provides a range of social employment and training programmes that are targeted at long-term unemployed jobseekers. These supports include Community Employment and Tús.The aim of both schemes is to enhance the employability of disadvantaged and unemployed people, by providing work experience opportunities for participants. CE also provides valuable training opportunities for participants.The 2021 Budget for CE is €362.7 million which provides for approximately 22,668 CE placements. The Budget for Tús is €98.77 million which provides for approximately 5,825 Tús placements.At the end of April 2021 there were 19,371 participants on CE and 4,044 participants on Tús. The number of referrals to CE and Tus has been impacted by public health restrictions in place over the past year. It is anticipated that referrals will now begin to increase as the economy re-opens with the vaccine rollout.In addition, as part of the July Stimulus Package 2020, the Government announced 3,000 additional places on state employment programmes. The additional places will be distributed between CE and Tús. These additional places will provide additional valuable opportunities for long-term unemployed persons, including eligible long term unemployed persons whose employment is affected by the pandemic. They will support CE and Tús schemes in providing further services to local communities. The Department is working on the assignment and distribution of these new places.I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
97. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection when social welfare payments will be increased to meet the minimum essential standard of living. [26154/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Minimum Essential Standard of Living (MESL) is an assessment, developed by the Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice, of the minimum income needed to live and partake in the social and economic norms of everyday life for various household types.
My Department has partly funded the excellent, detailed work of the Vincentian Partnership for a number of years, and I find it extremely useful.
One of the benefits of the work of the Vincentians is that it produces data on various household types, including the different costs that arise for households in rural and urban locations. In that way, it complements data produced from other analyses such as the Survey on Income and Living Conditions produced by the Central Statistics Office.
The work of the Vincentians also highlights issues that may also be addressed with improvements in services. In this regard, improved services, such as the extension of GP visit cards for children and the affordable childcare scheme can result in significant reductions in the minimum income standards needed by households.
The most recent report indicates that the welfare system already provides adequate supports for some household types, for example pensioners couples, but that there is an adequacy gap with respect to other households types, for example families with older children.
In recent years, my Department has recognised these challenges. Budget 2019 introduced a new, higher rate of increase for qualified children aged 12 and over, across all social welfare schemes, and Budgets 2020 and 2021 again provided for a higher increase for older children. Changes have also been made to enhance the Working Family Payment and One Parent Family payments. Similarly, the Living Alone Allowance increased by a total of €10 per week over Budgets 2020 and 2021 in response to research highlighting the higher risk of poverty and social isolation for those who live alone. I will again use evidence, including the work of the Vincentians, to inform my approach to the future Budgets.
98. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of a review of carer’s payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26263/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe main income supports provided by my Department include Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance, and the Carer's Support Grant. Over 135,000 carers benefit from regular income supports and spending on these payments in 2021 is expected to be in the region of €1.5 billion. The value of income transfers to family carers has increased by over 50% since 2015.
Carer's Allowance acts as an income support for those who cannot earn adequate income in the open labour market due to their caring responsibilities. This allowance is part of the system of social assistance supports that provide payments based on an income need. The means test plays a critical role in determining whether or not an income need arises as a consequence of a particular contingency – such as disability, unemployment or caring. This ensures that the recipient has a verifiable income need and that resources are targeted to those who need them most.
A comprehensive Policy Review of Carer’s Allowance, including an examination of the means test, was prepared by my Department and was laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas at the end of August 2019. In addition, in August 2019, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform published a Spending Review of Carer’s Supports, including Carer's Allowance. Among its key findings was that of the €1.04bn spent on Carer’s Support Programmes in 2018, Carer’s Allowance accounted for 77% of total support spend on carers. Given how little time has elapsed since these two in-depth reports on carer’s schemes were published, I do not propose to conduct another report on the area at this time.
The means test for Carer's Allowance is one of the most generous in the social welfare system, most notably with regard to spouse’s earnings. The amount of weekly earnings disregarded is €332.50 per week for a single person and €665 per week for a couple. By comparison, the income disregard applied to Disability Allowance is €120 per week. As per Budget 2021 this will increase to €140 per week from June 2021. For Jobseeker's Allowance, it is €20 per day up to a maximum of €60, and the balance is assessed at 60%. For Jobseeker's Transitional Payment, the weekly income disregard is €165 with 50% of the balance assessed as means.
Changes to schemes are considered in an overall expenditure and policy context and from an evidence-based perspective. Those existing carers whose sole income is the Carer’s Allowance would not benefit. An increase in the means disregard would benefit just 3% of carers and benefit better-off families. Increases to the disregard would result in the provision of additional payments to people who may have significant sources of income while reducing the scope to provide income supports to lower income households.
Carer's Benefit is a payment made to insured people who leave the workforce to care for someone in need of full-time care and attention. A person may be eligible for Carer's Benefit if they have enough PRSI contributions. Carer’s Benefit is payable for a maximum period of 104 weeks for each person being cared for. It can be taken in one block or in separate periods as long as the combined total does not exceed 104 weeks.
From an evidence based perspective it should be noted that not all those claiming Carer’s Benefit opt to remain in payment for the full 104 weeks. My Department has examined this matter and found that the average duration on Carer’s Benefit was 76.5 weeks between 2018 and 2020. Therefore, the current 104-week payment duration represents a reasonable length of time to support a carer’s temporary absence from work. Where care is provided beyond the period of entitlement to Carer’s Benefit, the means tested Carer’s Allowance is available for those who are in need of income support. These arrangements ensure an efficient use of public funds while assisting those who are in most need of an income support.
Furthermore, the right to carer's leave from employment complements the Carer's Benefit Scheme. The Carer's Leave Act 2001 allows employees to leave their employment temporarily to provide full-time care for someone in need of full-time care and attention. A person is entitled to take carer’s leave of at least 13 weeks up to a maximum of 104 weeks. Carer's leave from employment is unpaid but the Carer’s Leave Act ensures that people who want to take carer's leave will have their jobs kept open for them while they are on carer's leave.
I can assure the Deputy that I am very much aware of the key role that family carers play in our society and I will continue to keep the range of supports available to carers under review. However, any improvements or additions to these supports can only be considered in an overall budgetary context and in the light of available financial resources.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
99. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of the extension of the hot school meals programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26254/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to some 1,506 schools and organisations benefitting 230,000 children. The objective of the programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children who are unable, due to lack of good quality food, to take full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement.
As part of Budget 2019, funding was provided for a pilot scheme from September 2019, providing hot school meals in primary schools at a cost of €1m for 2019 and €2.5m in 2020. The pilot involved 37 schools benefitting 6,744 students for the 2019/2020 academic year and was aimed primarily at schools with no onsite cooking facilities.
In Budget 2021, I announced that an additional €5.5m would be provided to extend the provision of hot school meals to an additional 35,000 primary school children, currently receiving the cold lunch option. Officials from the department issued invitations for expressions of interest to the 705 primary schools (612 DEIS and 93 non-DEIS) in November 2020. A total of 281 (256 DEIS and 25 non-DEIS) expressions of interest were received in respect of 52,148 children.
The 35,000 places were allocated to each local authority area based on the number of children applied by local authority as a percentage of the total number. A minimum of one School for each Local Authority area was selected. Thereafter, a process of random selection was used for each area.
As a result of this process, 189 of the 281 schools that submitted an expression of interest were selected. Of the 189 schools selected, 171 (90.5%) are DEIS and 18 (9.5%) are non-DEIS.
Officials from my Department have contacted all schools selected for the Hot Meals Scheme and are working with the schools to introduce the hot school meals.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
100. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Social Protection if greater flexibility will be shown to persons on jobseeker’s allowance and other social welfare payments to help them return to education given the criteria for access to the back to education allowance for recipients of the pandemic unemployment payment regarding the qualifying social welfare payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26218/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra107. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection the details of educational and upskilling courses available under the back to education payment; the measures that are being taken to expand on courses available under this payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26223/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 100 and 107 together.
The Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) provides income support for jobseekers and others in receipt of certain social welfare payments who pursue courses of education at second or third level, for undergraduate courses. In limited cases, post-graduate courses can be supported via BTEA.
For example, BTEA can be approved where the jobseeker intends to undertake studies leading to a Higher Diploma (H.Dip) in any discipline, the Professional Masters in Education or a Masters degree based solely on life experience where the applicant holds no other third level qualification.
My Department has a provision of €96.5m for the BTEA for 2021.
A person wishing to pursue a course of study under the BTEA scheme has to satisfy a number of conditions, including being in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment for a specified time period, pursuing a full-time course of study leading to a recognised qualification in a recognised college and progressing in the level of education.
The course will be discussed with the Department's Case Officer following a review of the jobseeker’s skills, qualifications and experience with a focus on identifying potential employment opportunities.
The qualifying period for the second-level option is three months while the qualifying period for third-level courses is nine months prior to the date of commencement of the course. This qualifying period has been waived for people coming from the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP). A PUP recipient is required to transfer to a Jobseeker's scheme in order to avail of this longer term support.
Any person planning to undertake an education course should engage with their local Intreo Centre to assess the options available to them.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputies.
103. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans for youth unemployment; and if a commitment will be given not to introduce JobBridge-style activation schemes targeted at young persons. [26227/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, the experience of past recessions indicates that youth employment tends to be significantly impacted by any labour market shock. This is because many employers operate a "last in-first out" protocol when reducing their labour force. Moreover, in the case of the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact on our youth is driven by the tendency for many younger people to work in some of the sectors most severely impacted by the pandemic; namely accommodation and food and retail.
Prior to the pandemic, seasonally adjusted youth unemployment (15-24 year olds) stood at just under 12% in December 2019. Latest estimates from the CSO however, show that by the end of April 2021, this figure had increased to almost 16.8%. These estimates exclude those in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP). Including all those in receipt of the PUP gives a COVID-19 adjusted unemployment rate estimate 61.8% for young people at the end of April.
A significant number of PUP recipients are students. As of this week, it is estimated that approximately 44,000 PUP recipients are students, with almost 90 percent of these in the under 25 cohort. Using international measures of unemployment, set by the International Labour Organisation, students are generally not counted as unemployed, as they are not considered part of the labour force. Therefore, the inclusion of recipients of PUP, including students in the COVID-19 Adjusted Measure of youth unemployment inflates this measure.
While the employment of young people is significantly affected by the pandemic, we also know from past recessions that youth unemployment levels typically fall quite quickly once economic activity resumes. In addition, the jobs of many persons currently on PUP will not be permanently lost due to the pandemic. Many will return to previous employment once restrictions ease, as they did during previous easing of restrictions during 2020.
However, others will require assistance and support to return to employment, reskill and to find new jobs. Therefore it is important that my Department supports a range of initiatives to assist people, including young people, get back to work, as COVID-19 restrictions and their impact on the economy and labour market eases.
Under the July Jobs Stimulus, my Department, along with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, are putting in place the following measures:
Expanding the caseload capacity of Intreo Centres, with the assignment of 100 job coaches to provide enhanced employment services and supports.
Increasing the benefit of the JobsPlus recruitment subsidy to employers who hire young people. Under this scheme an employer receives the JobsPlus subsidy of €7,500 once they employ a young person (under 30 years of age) who has been unemployed for just 4 months. A higher subsidy of €10,000 is paid for recruitment of a person who was long term unemployed (over 12 months).
Providing access to additional full-time and part-time education, including targeted short-term courses, with over 35,000 new education and training places for those currently unemployed.
Providing incentives to employers to take on more apprentices, with the provision of a grant of €3,000 to employers for each new apprentice recruited.
Facilitating access to the Back to Education Allowance and Back to Work Enterprise Allowance to those displaced by the pandemic and in receipt of PUP, by waiving the usual qualifying period of 3-9 months.
With regard to apprenticeships, the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 was launched last month by my colleague, Minister Harris. The Action Plan sets out a five-year strategy to deliver on the Programme for Government commitment of reaching 10,000 new apprentice registrations per year by 2025. The plan provides a roadmap to a single apprenticeship system and new supports for employers and apprentices, which will prove attractive for many young people.
My Department is at an advanced stage in developing a new Work Placement Experience Programme for those out of work for at least six months, regardless of age.
This programme will seek to encourage businesses provide jobseekers with the necessary workplace skills to compete in the labour market and to help break the vicious circle of “no job without experience, no experience without a job”. I expect to launch the Programme in the near future.
These initiatives will be further strengthened by Pathways to Work 2021-2025, which is currently being finalised by my Department. Pathways to Work is the Government’s national employment services strategy. It will set out how an expanded Public Employment Service will utilise its existing and expanded capacity to deliver effective services in a post-COVID labour market. This whole-of-Government strategy will seek to build upon those support measures outlined above as we assist young people on their journey to work. Publication is expected in the coming months, following the launch of the Government's Economic Recovery Plan.
I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
104. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection the way room rental income is treated for those with a serious condition or disability when assessing a disability allowance application in circumstances in which the rent collected is entirely for the purposes of meeting mortgage payments and keeping a person’s home; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26076/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraDisability Allowance is one of a range of means-tested social assistance payments operated by my Department. Social welfare legislation provides that the means test takes account of the income and assets of the person (and spouse / partner, if applicable), applying for the relevant scheme. The means assessment reflects the fact that there is an expectation that people with reasonable amounts of income or capital are in a position to use these resources to support themselves so that social welfare expenditure can be directed towards those who need it most.
Accordingly, where an individual is renting part of their family home, the cash value of the rental income is assessed. However, such rental income is reduced by a range of deductions.
These include: a proportion of any mortgage interest paid by the claimant on the part of the property rented; a 15% deduction for voids (i.e. periods when the accommodation is vacant between lettings); and, if the rooms let are furnished, a 5% deduction for wear and tear.
Any change to my Department’s means assessment policies would have to be considered in the overall policy and budgetary context.
105. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of the uptake of the paternity benefit scheme; the steps she is taking to encourage the uptake of the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26072/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraPaternity Benefit is a payment for employed and self-employed people who are on paternity leave from work who satisfy certain PRSI contribution conditions. It is paid for two weeks and is available in respect of any child born or adopted on or after 1 September 2016. Paternity Benefit is paid at €245 per week - the same rate as Maternity Benefit, Adoptive Benefit and Parent’s Benefit.
A budget of €14.47 million is provided for Paternity Benefit in 2021. To date this year, the Department has awarded Paternity Benefit to some 8,732 parents with a spend of approximately €4.4 million. In 2020, the total cost of Paternity Benefit was approx. €12.36 million, which was paid in respect of 24,726 claims.
Paternity Benefit is one of a number of supports available to new parents. Parent's Benefit is also available in respect of a child born or adopted since 1 November 2019. Following the commencement of the Family Leave and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2021, Parent's Benefit is available for 5 weeks for each parent and it can be availed of within 2 years of the child's birth or adoption.
In addition, adoptive parents now have greater flexibility to decide which parent will avail of Adoptive Leave and Benefit, with Paternity Leave and Paternity Benefit being available to the parent who is not availing of Adoptive Leave. This increased flexibility will provide parents with more choice and is intended to facilitate an increased take-up of the payment.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
108. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection when appointments will be reopening in the Cavan Intreo office for persons to avail of the public services card. [26074/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAt the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, my Department temporarily suspended Public Services Card (PSC) appointments and the online system used to manage those appointments. This decision was taken in order to comply with HSE and World Health Organisation guidelines and help protect the health and well-being of our customers and staff.
All offices carrying out PSC appointments re-opened on Monday 17th May and any person who requires a PSC should contact their local Intreo Centre.
While PSC appointments were suspended since the beginning of the year because of the Level 5 restrictions, appointments were available for urgent cases in circumstances where the customer had no alternative means of accessing public services other than by acquiring a PSC. So far this year, my Department has carried out over 19,600 PSC appointments in such cases.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
109. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection the initiatives her Department will take in order to assist young persons in returning to the workforce following the easing of Covid-19 restrictions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26128/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra552. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection the work that she is engaging in to tackle youth unemployment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43681/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 109 and 552 together.
As the Deputy will be aware, the experience of past recessions indicates that youth employment tends to be significantly impacted by any labour market shock. This is because many employers operate a "last in-first out" protocol when reducing their labour force. Moreover, in the case of the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact on our youth is driven by the tendency for many younger people to work in some of the sectors most severely impacted by the pandemic; namely accommodation and food and retail.
Prior to the pandemic, seasonally adjusted youth unemployment (15-24 year olds) stood at just under 12% in December 2019. Latest estimates from the CSO however, show that by the end of April 2021, this figure had increased to almost 16.8%. These estimates exclude those in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP). Including all those in receipt of the PUP gives a COVID-19 adjusted unemployment rate estimate 61.8% for young people at the end of April.
A significant number of PUP recipients are students. As of this week, it is estimated that approximately 44,000 PUP recipients are students, with almost 90 percent of these in the under 25 cohort. Using international measures of unemployment, set by the International Labour Organisation, students are generally not counted as unemployed, as they are not considered part of the labour force. Therefore, the inclusion of recipients of PUP, including students, in the COVID-19 adjusted measure of youth unemployment inflates this measure.
While the employment of young people is significantly affected by the pandemic, we also know from past recessions that youth unemployment levels typically fall quite quickly once economic activity resumes. In addition, the jobs of many persons currently on PUP will not be permanently lost due to the pandemic. Many will return to previous employment once restrictions ease, as they did during previous easing of restrictions during 2020.
However, others will require assistance and support to return to employment, reskill and to find new jobs. As a consequence, my Department supports a range of initiatives to assist people, including young people, get back to work, as COVID-19 restrictions and their impact on the economy and labour market eases.
Under the July Jobs Stimulus, my Department, along with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, are putting in place the following measures:
Expanding the caseload capacity of Intreo Centres, with the assignment of 100 job coaches to provide enhanced employment services and supports.
Increasing the benefit of the JobsPlus recruitment subsidy to employers who hire young people. Under this scheme an employer receives the JobsPlus subsidy of €7,500 once they employ a young person (under 30 years of age) who has been unemployed for just 4 months. A higher subsidy of €10,000 is paid for recruitment of a person who was long term unemployed (over 12 months).
Providing access to additional full-time and part-time education, including targeted short-term courses, with over 35,000 new education and training places for those currently unemployed.
Providing incentives to employers to take on more apprentices, with the provision of a grant of €3,000 to employers for each new apprentice recruited.
Facilitating access to the Back to Education Allowance and Back to Work Enterprise Allowance to those displaced by the pandemic and in receipt of PUP, by waiving the usual qualifying period of 3-9 months.
With regard to apprenticeships, the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 was launched last month by my colleague, Minister Harris. The Action Plan sets out a five-year strategy to deliver on the Programme for Government commitment of reaching 10,000 new apprentice registrations per year by 2025. The plan provides a roadmap to a single apprenticeship system and new supports for employers and apprentices, which will prove attractive for many young people.
My Department is at an advanced stage in developing a new Work Placement Experience Programme for those out of work for at least six months, regardless of age. This programme will seek to encourage businesses provide jobseekers with the necessary workplace skills to compete in the labour market and to help break the vicious circle of “no job without experience, no experience without a job”. I expect to launch the Programme in the near future.
These initiatives will be further strengthened by Pathways to Work 2021-2025, which is currently being finalised by my Department. Pathways to Work is the Government’s national employment services strategy. It will set out how an expanded Public Employment Service will utilise its existing and expanded capacity to deliver effective services in a post-COVID labour market. This whole-of-Government strategy will seek to build upon those support measures outlined above as we assist young people on their journey to work. Publication is expected in the coming months, following the launch of the Government's Economic Recovery Plan.
I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
110. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Social Protection the take-up of parent’s leave and parent’s benefit since the extension was announced on 1 April 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26251/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 1 April 2021, Parent’s Leave was extended from two weeks to five weeks as per a commitment in the Programme for Government. Since the changes came into effect, the Department of Social Protection has awarded Parent’s Benefit to some 6,633 parents at a cost of over €2.6 million.
In comparison, just 702 parents availed of Parent’s Benefit in April 2020, when the support was paid for two weeks. There was a 112% increase in claims received and awarded in April 2021 compared to March 2021, which is also reflected in the total spend for the scheme in the respective months.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
