Written Answers Nos. 620-643
621. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of installing a defibrillator in each INTREO public office; and if she has considered introducing such facilities.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14539/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe average cost of installing a defibrillator is €900, excluding VAT. There are further ongoing costs associated with defibrillators such as training, servicing, pads and batteries.
14 Automated External Defibrillators have been installed in Intreo Centres since 2019. The Department will continue the roll out of defibrillators with the aim of having one in every Intreo Centre.
622. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection if there is an update available on an illness benefit application by a person (details supplied) as clarifying medical information was submitted and they have not received a payment. [14553/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department received an application from the person concerned for Illness Benefit on the 19th February 2022.
The details held by the Department in respect of the person concerned did not match with that on the certificate submitted by his GP leading to a delay in processing his claim. Following correspondence with the person concerned, this issue was rectified on the 10th March 2022.
The claim was awarded and arrears of €970.67 issued to the person concerned. In this regard, he has been paid for the full period of his claim from the 6th February 2022 to the 7th March 2022.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
623. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department is monitoring the impact of recent cost of living measures with a view to their effectiveness given both inflation and also increases in energy prices; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14604/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn an ongoing basis, as part of the normal budgetary cycle, my Department takes careful note of trends in price and wage levels and also takes account of research data including that of the Minimum Essential Standard of Living from the Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice. The social impact of budget measures is also modelled using the SWITCH model developed by the ESRI. It is through this approach that, over the past 10 years, budget measures have exceeded inflation and have also been targeted to support those most at risk of poverty.
Having said that, I am very aware that due to the geo-political situation the increase in consumer prices, especially the increase in fuel and other energy prices, has exceeded even the highest forecasts for price increases.
That is why this Government did not await a further budget cycle but acted early. To help mitigate the effects of these rising costs, the Government announced a package of measures in February, which will have a positive impact on the incomes of all households in our country. This package will cost in excess of half a billion euro.
These measures include an additional lump sum payment of €125 to all households in receipt of the Fuel Allowance payment which was paid last week at a cost of approximately €49 million. This means that low-income households will see an increase of 41% in Fuel Allowance support provided during this Fuel Allowance season compared to last season. When added to the Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Payment of €200, which will be paid to each household in April, the combined value is €325, which is the equivalent of just under ten weeks of Fuel Allowance payment.
The increase of €10 to the weekly income threshold of the Working Family Payment is also being brought forward. This measure will now take effect from early April 2022 rather than from June.
These measures are in addition to those introduced as part of Budget 2022, which included the largest social welfare Budget package in 14 years. In January, around 1.4 million people received a €5 increase in weekly payments, and more if they have dependents.
In addition to improvements in core social welfare rates, there were a number of targeted measures designed to protect the most vulnerable from poverty. These included further increases to the rates of fuel allowance, qualified child payments and the Living Alone Allowance.
My Department also gives support through the supplementary welfare allowance scheme to provide discretionary payments to people who face difficulties in meeting energy bills.
The Committee on Budgetary Oversight recently reported that the current high rate of inflation is mainly due to external factors.
While, given these factors, there is a limit to what any Government can do, we will continue to monitor this evolving situation very closely.
625. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration is being given to increasing the household benefits package supports given the increase in energy costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14645/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Household Benefits package (HHB) comprises the electricity or gas allowance, and the free television licence. The package is generally available to people living in the State aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of a social welfare type payment or who satisfy a means test. The package is also available to some people under the age of 66, who are in receipt of certain welfare type payments. My Department will spend approximately €273 million this year on HHB.
In 2022 the estimated cost of the gas and electricity element of the package is €203 million and will benefit over 479,000 households. The gas and electricity element is paid at a rate of €35 per month, 12 months of the year.
Any decision to enhance or increase the electricity and gas aspect of the package would have budgetary consequences and would have to be considered in the context of overall budget negotiations.
The Government is acutely aware of the increase in consumer prices in recent months, especially the increase in fuel and other energy prices. To help mitigate the effects of these rising costs, the Government has announced additional expenditure measures to a total of over half a billion which will make a positive impact on the incomes of all households in our country.
As part of these measures, I was delighted to announce an additional lump sum payment of €125 that was paid to all households in receipt of the Fuel Allowance payment. It is expected that this additional lump sum will cost an estimated €49 million.
Other significant measures announced by the Government include the Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Payment which is a key measure being developed by the Government to help mitigate the effects of the recent rise in electricity prices. The scheme, under the auspices of the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications and supervised by the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities, will be paid in addition to the gas and electricity element of the HHB package to qualifying households. Approximately 2.1m households will benefit by €200 each from the new scheme.
The combined worth of the Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Payment and the additional fuel lumpsum payment is €325 or the equivalent of nearly 10 weeks of additional fuel allowance or over 9 months of additional HHB payments. I have also announced that the Working Family Payment budget increase announced on Budget Day will be brought forward from the first of June to the first of April.
Furthermore, due to the continuing rise in inflation and as part of the economic consequences of the tragic conflict in Ukraine, the Government recently reduced excise duty on fuel.
Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, my Department also provides Exceptional Needs Payments which 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.
626. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of unique recipients of the pandemic unemployment payment by county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14646/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraInformation on recipients of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP), including the PUP by county, is published each week by my Department at gov.ie/dsp/statistics and through the national data portal at data.gov.ie. Additionally, my Department published an extensive analysis of the PUP in 2020 as part of the 2020 Report on Statistical Information and Social Welfare Services, including PUP recipients by county, which will be repeated in respect of 2021. Data on PUP recipients based on the latest known county is set out in the table below.
A total of 879,671 people received at least one PUP since the inception of the scheme, and the county breakdown (along with the number currently in receipt of payment) is provided in the attached tabular statement.
|
|
Total in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment 15th March 2022 |
Total in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment since March 2020 |
|
Carlow |
398 |
10,315 |
|
Cavan |
578 |
14,364 |
|
Clare |
1,110 |
21,472 |
|
Cork |
4,095 |
90,951 |
|
Donegal |
1,414 |
30,299 |
|
Dublin |
18,107 |
259,032 |
|
Galway |
2,348 |
47,332 |
|
Kerry |
1,726 |
31,077 |
|
Kildare |
2,174 |
40,105 |
|
Kilkenny |
741 |
16,778 |
|
Laois |
677 |
14,383 |
|
Leitrim |
251 |
5,504 |
|
Limerick |
1,467 |
32,468 |
|
Longford |
283 |
6,638 |
|
Louth |
1,511 |
25,000 |
|
Mayo |
1,105 |
23,357 |
|
Meath |
2,316 |
38,521 |
|
Monaghan |
544 |
13,076 |
|
Offaly |
551 |
13,676 |
|
Roscommon |
457 |
10,777 |
|
Sligo |
514 |
10,946 |
|
Tipperary |
1,015 |
26,175 |
|
Waterford |
866 |
20,000 |
|
Westmeath |
759 |
16,477 |
|
Wexford |
1,164 |
29,714 |
|
Wicklow |
1,467 |
25,811 |
|
Unknown |
97 |
5,513 |
|
Total |
47,735 |
879,671 |
627. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the fact that working lone parents who are employed for over 30 hours a week and subsequently lose their rent supplement but may still qualify for working family payment are increasingly falling deeper into poverty as a result of the loss of help with spiralling rents; if her attention has been further drawn to the fact that escalating rents, energy, fuel and food costs are pushing lone parents into dire and distressing situations; her plans to alleviate the financial burden on these parents during these difficult times; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14706/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraRent Supplement is a means-tested payment for certain people living in private rented accommodation who cannot provide for the cost of their accommodation from their own resources. Rent Supplement is a short-term income support. By virtue of its short-term nature and its targeted customer cohort, it is not considered the principal solution in meeting long term accommodation needs. Where a person is not eligible for the Rent Supplement scheme, they are referred to their local housing authority to have their housing needs assessed and, if successful, will be placed on the housing list.
The Government recognised the challenges of rising prices last October in Budget 2022 when we brought in a package of tax and social welfare measures worth over €1 billion. Last month, the Government agreed a further package of €505 million, including the €200 energy credit and a lump sum payment of €125 for those in receipt of the fuel allowance. This month the Government brought in a further tax measure, to immediately reduce the cost of fuels for families and businesses.
The Working Family Payment is an in-work support which provides an income top-up for employees on low earnings with children. It is designed to prevent in-work poverty for low paid workers with child dependents and to offer a financial incentive to take-up employment. In Budget 2022 I provided for a €10 weekly increase in the Working Family Payment income limits for families of all sizes. I am pleased that this measure will now come into effect from April 2022 as part of the Government's response to cost of living increases.
As part of Budget 2022, I increased the rates for a qualified child aged under 12 by €2 to €40 per week, and for a qualified child aged 12 or older by €3 to €48 per week, from January. I also increased the level of the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance by €10 to €160 for each child aged 4 to 11 years and to €285 for each child aged 12 and over. I also equalised the income limits for one and two parent households, thereby making it easier for lone parents to qualify for that payment.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
628. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department will produce a roadmap for supporting all persons arriving in Ireland from Ukraine in conjunction with other Government Departments and State agencies. [14711/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is working closely with the Department of Justice which is responsible for providing people with a letter or certificate confirming that they are covered by the EU Directive. We are also working closely with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and its International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) which has responsibility for the provision of accommodation and related services.
My Department is focusing on the provision of Public Personal Service numbers (PPSNs) to people arriving from Ukraine and the provision of income supports. People arriving from Ukraine have been granted the status to avail of income supports from the Department of Social Protection under the EU Temporary Protection Directive. People will be eligible for financial support initially under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme. Under the Temporary Protection Directive, Ukrainian citizens and others fleeing the war will satisfy the Habitual Residence Condition, or HRC, and the relevant means test.
Officials from my Department and the Department of Justice are in Dublin Airport to meet with people arriving from Ukraine to ensure that temporary residence certificates and PPSNs are allocated quickly and that financial supports are provided.
The Department’s aim will be to ensure that the customer’s application for supplementary welfare is processed as quickly and efficiently as possible to provide immediate financial assistance to these people. The Department of Social Protection will also arrange for payments such as child benefit to be made within a very short period.
I hope this is of assistance to the Deputy.
629. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the fact that those who are working over the age of 66 are not entitled to claim the Covid-19 enhanced illness benefit payment (details supplied); the reason this information is not supplied on the MyGov.ie website; if she will instruct her Department to change this rule; and the way that a person in this situation can proceed to get payment while they are not working due to Covid isolation. [14774/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe dedicated enhanced illness benefit web page states that a claimant must "be under pensionable age on the day for which the benefit is claimed." Similarly, the standard illness benefit web page states that a person "must be under pensionable age which is currently 66."
Enhanced Illness Benefit was introduced in 2020 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Under the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 (No. 1), the Government extended the Social Welfare Acts to provide for entitlement to Illness Benefit for persons who have been diagnosed with, or are a probable source of infection with Covid-19. Changes have been made on an ongoing basis in line with public health advice and government guidelines. Enhanced Illness Benefit has been extended until the end of June 2022. €106 million was spent on the enhanced illness benefit in 2021.
Apart from the above medical condition, eligibility for enhanced Illness Benefit also depends on the person’s age, their social insurance record and their Pay Related Social Insurance Class.
My Department may make an exceptional needs payment to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet from their weekly income.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
630. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection if the retirement agreement reached with community employment supervisors that was accepted by unions (details supplied) in December 2021 can be accessed by a community employment supervisor who went out on sick leave from work from 59 years of age until retirement age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14791/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra631. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection if the retirement agreement reached with community employment supervisors that was accepted by unions (details supplied) in December 2021 can be accessed by a community employment supervisor who took early retirement at 59 years of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14792/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra632. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection if the retirement agreement reached with community employment supervisors that was accepted by unions (details supplied) in December 2021 can be accessed by a community employment supervisor who was the supervisor on a scheme that closed due to a lack of numbers and the supervisor then took early retirement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14793/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra633. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection if the retirement agreement reached with community employment supervisors that was accepted by unions (details supplied) in December 2021 can only be accessed by a community employment supervisor once they reach retirement age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14794/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 630, 631, 632 and 633 together.
As the Deputy will be aware, Community Employment (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.
Agreement was recently reached between the Department of Social Protection and unions representing CE supervisors and assistant supervisors that resolves this long-standing issue through the payment of a once off ex-gratia payment to eligible CE supervisors and assistant supervisors. On the 23rd December, both unions involved confirmed acceptance of this settlement which will benefit over 2,200 people employed by CE schemes going back to 2008. It is estimated to have a total cost of over €24 million.
CE Supervisors and assistant supervisors will apply directly to the ex-gratia scheme once the process for doing so has been established. Each application will be reviewed and payments will based on the scheme as agreed with unions. In this context and given the details available at this time, it is difficult to comment on the specific case or examples raised by the Deputy.
Generally, under the terms of this settlement, on reaching retirement age, eligible CE supervisors and assistant supervisors will receive a once off ex-gratia payment in respect of time employed by CE schemes since 2008. People who retired since 2008 and who have reached retirement age will be able to apply for payments immediately when the scheme is in place. CE supervisors and assistant supervisors who retire on ill health grounds can also apply for the payment subject to the provision of supporting documents and medical evidence.
The ex-gratia payment provides for 2 weeks pay per year of service or part thereof in the qualifying period. The calculation will be based on the salary point of the CE supervisor or CE assistant supervisor on the date of retirement, subject to a cap of €600 per week.
The qualifying period for the scheme is from 1st July 2008 to 31st December 2023 and will apply to all periods of employment as a CE supervisor or CE assistant supervisor during that period subject to certain conditions.
The Department of Social Protection is currently working on the administrative arrangements to implement the agreed settlement so that payments will issue to qualified CE workers in 2022.
I trust that clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
635. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of a State pension (non-contributory) claim in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [14804/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn application for State pension (contributory) was received on the 22 February 2022. Under current eligibility conditions, an individual must have 520 full-rate paid contributions in order to qualify for standard State pension (contributory). 520 full-rate contributions equate to 10 years of full-rate insurable employment. According to the records of my Department the person concerned has a total of 346 full-rate contributions. Since their contributions fall short of the requisite 520 paid full-rate contributions, they do not qualify for State pension (contributory).
A copy of the person’s social insurance contribution record was sent to them with the decision letter on 7 March 2022. If the person concerned considers they have additional contributions from employment that have not been recorded, it is open to them to forward documentary evidence of the missing periods of employment to my Department and their pension entitlement will be reviewed.
It is also open to the person to apply for the means-tested State Pension (Non-Contributory), the maximum rate of which is over 95% of the maximum rate of the State Pension (Contributory).
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
636. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14871/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person concerned submitted an application for disability allowance (DA) on 31 January 2022. Their application, based upon all the evidence submitted, was refused as they were deemed to have means in excess of the statutory limit for their circumstances. The person concerned was notified in writing of this decision on 23 February 2022.
Further information was received and a review of this decision was carried out. The original decision was upheld and the person concerned was notified in writing on 12 March 2022.
They were also notified of their right to request a further review of this decision or to appeal it to the independent social welfare appeals office (SWAO). No request for an appeal or a review has been received.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
637. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to review eligibility criteria for the fuel allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14827/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33.00 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from October to April, which is supporting up to an estimated 400,000 households in 2022, at an estimated cost of €366 million in 2022. 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. It is not intended to meet those costs in full. Only one allowance is paid per household.
In Budget 2022 and with immediate effect the Government increased the weekly means threshold for the Fuel Allowance scheme by €20 to €120 above the appropriate rate of Contributory State Pension representing a 20% increase and enabling more people to qualify for this support. The €120 allowable means limit is significantly more than the €33 weekly rate of Fuel Allowance.
Further changes to the Fuel Allowance scheme in Budget 2022 included increasing the weekly rate of Fuel Allowance by €5 to €33 per week with immediate effect, and with effect from September 2022 the reduction of the qualifying period for Jobseeker’s and Supplementary Welfare Allowance recipients from 15 to 12 months.
The Government has, therefore, implemented significant improvements through Budget 2022. Any proposal to further extend the eligibility criteria would have to be considered in this context and in the context of the overall policy and budgetary situation.
Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, 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.
638. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the engagements she has had on the tender for local employment services. [8701/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is procuring a new Intreo Partners Local Area Employment Service over two distinct phases.
Phase one of the process for procuring new employment services involved seven counties in the Midlands and North West which were without a Local Employment Service. Contracts were signed last December and these services are now operating.
Phase two of the process has now commenced, with the publication in December of a request for tender for seventeen lots covering 19 counties.
Throughout the process of preparing this new procurement of employment services, my focus and the focus of my officials has been on ensuring the long-term unemployed throughout the State have access to quality employment services. Given the partial geographical coverage of the existing services and their decades-old contractual basis with associated legal deficiencies, significant reforms were required to make these services available, throughout the State, in a manner that is consistent with the Department's legal obligations.
Prior to the issuing of the request for tender in December 2021, my Department had over 140 separate engagements with stakeholders, including visiting every Local Employment Service and Job Club provider. Since the conclusion of the Phase 1 process, my Department has engaged with the relevant stakeholders with a focus on learning from the first phase of procurement with a view to incorporating feedback into the second phase of procurement.
My Department hosted two information sessions for interested tenderers following the publication of both requests for tender (RFT) to date for the Intreo Partner Local Area Employment Service. In addition, last November my officials hosted a webinar that attracted over 150 stakeholders, where a presentation on the procurement process was followed by a 90-minute question and answer session and an invitation to submit views on Phase 1.
As Minister, I also have had several discussions with the ILDN and representatives acting on their behalf where future employment service provision was discussed.
639. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to tackle youth unemployment rates. [7030/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFrom the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government has been particularly concerned about the outcomes for younger people. We know that starting work in difficult economic conditions can have a scarring effect on a young person’s future work trajectory. Many of the sectors which were most affected by the public health restrictions were those that tend to employ more young workers, such as the hospitality and retail sectors.
Thankfully there has been a strong exit from unemployment with returns to employment as the economy has re-opened in recent months.
Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the seasonally adjusted youth unemployment rate for 2019 averaged approximately 12.5 percent. At its peak in May 2020, the Covid-adjusted unemployment rate for people under the age of 25 was 70 percent. This has fallen substantially, to around 13 percent as of February 2022, or 12.6 percent according to the traditional seasonally adjusted measure.
There are, as of the week ending the 13th of March, 21,362 people under the age of 25 in receipt of income supports. This is comprised of 4,809 PUP recipients and 16,553 people on the Live Register. This is equivalent to 10.2 percent of all PUP and Live Register recipients. This compares with the peak, November 22nd , 2020, when under 25s made up 20.5 percent of all PUP and Live Register recipients, though, at this time, students were eligible for PUP support.
The significant decline in recipients is a consequence of the removal of public health restrictions and the well performing labour market.
While there has been a welcome reduction in unemployment for young people, the Government has ensured that there are significant provisions to support young people who were adversely impacted by the pandemic, and those who were already experiencing disadvantage before the pandemic.
In July 2021, the Government launched Pathways to Work 2021 – 2025, the national employment services strategy. The strategy aims to increase the capacity and effectiveness of Public Employment Services in a post-pandemic labour market and to support people transition into employment.
The Pathways to Work Strategy includes the following supports to help young people:
- Ring-fenced positions for young people on the Work Placement Experience Programme;
- Additional Community Employment and Tús places for young people;
- Providing 50,000 further education and training places;
- Increased places on the JobsPlus recruitment subsidy- with the subsidy being available, on an earlier basis than normal, to employers when they recruit young people.; and,
- Targeting 10,000 apprentice registrations per year by 2025.
641. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps she will take to ensure that redundancy is paid to those who are being laid-off in relation to reforms to the local employment service; if she will report on the contact her Department has had with other Departments in relation to reform of the local employment service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7069/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is procuring a new Intreo Partners Local Area Employment Service over two distinct phases.
Phase one of the process for procuring new employment services involved seven counties in the Midlands and North West which were without a Local Employment Service. Contracts were signed last December and these services are now operating.
Phase two of the process has now commenced, with the publication in December of a request for tender for seventeen lots covering 19 counties.
My Department consulted widely, with stakeholders, both internal and external, in the development of new employment services.
In relation to the second phase of procurement of Intreo Partners Local Area Employment Services, existing contract holders are strongly encouraged to collaborate with other similar organisations to submit joint tenders. Should the possibility of redundancies arise, the primary responsibility in this area rests with the employer. Should any affected employer require the services of my Department in respect of redundancy payments these services will be available. However, I would encourage existing providers to work together to submit high quality bids under the next phase of procurement for the Intreo Partners Local Area Employment Service.
642. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an invalidity payment review for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14933/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 26 November 2021. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Social Protection. These papers were received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 26 January 2022.
The case was referred on 1 February 2022 to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if necessary, hold an oral hearing.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
643. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of the implementation of recommendation 11 of the report by the Joint Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands titled Response to the Report of the Commission on Pensions, February 2022; the details of any analysis carried out by her Department of the mechanisms to ensure gender equality with regard to State pension entitlements; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14937/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Pensions Commission’s Report was published on 7th October 2021. It established that the current State Pension system is not sustainable into the future and that changes are needed. The report set out a wide range of recommendations in relation to the State Pension system and the Social Insurance Fund.
There was strong female representation on the Pensions Commission. 7 out of 11 members were women. The Commission, with its gender-balanced membership and extensive experience of social and public policy, was well equipped to grasp the potential impacts of any pensions reform options on affected groups, such as women, low-income workers, and young people. The Commission also undertook a very extensive consultation process.
All of the proposals in the Commission’s Report were gender, equality and poverty proofed in order to ensure that :
- Policies do not create or exacerbate equality gaps;
- Policies take account of the needs of each of the affected groups and its members;
- Where possible, policies promote equality.
These impacts are included in relevant chapters of the Pensions Commission's report. An overview of the approach and a summary table of considerations, including policy proposals that the Commission did not progress, are included in the report.
While the Commission considered impacts of its proposals throughout its work, a comprehensive gender and equality proofing process can only be fully undertaken at the time of implementation. Therefore, the Commission has recommended that any of the proposals that are progressed by Government are subject to further gender, equality and poverty proofing.
The Department of Social Protection has already committed in the National Strategy for Women and Girls to gender-proof pensions policy reforms. Every year, the Department carries out a range of social impact assessments on the welfare measures contained in the Budget, using the ESRI’s SWITCH model. This evidence-based methodology informs decision-making leading up to the Budget and ensures that the most vulnerable are protected.
In the interests both of older people and future generations of older people, the Government intends to consider the comprehensive and far reaching recommendations in the Pensions Commission’s Report very carefully and holistically. My officials are examining each of the recommendations and are consulting across Government through the Cabinet Committee system. This includes careful consideration of the various views submitted by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands, and the Commission on Taxation and Welfare.
I think it is really important that we complete that work and get those views before reaching conclusions on any one recommendation. In this regard, I intend bringing a holistic recommended response and implementation plan to Government in April.
As the bedrock of the pension system in Ireland, the State Pension is very effective at ensuring that our pensioners do not experience poverty. This Government is committed to ensuring that this remains the case for current pensioners, those nearing State Pension age and today’s young workers including those who are only starting their careers.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
