Written Answers Nos. 143-155
143. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration will be given to establishing a child maintenance service which supports lone parents and their children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24655/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder existing Family Law legislation, parents, certain categories of guardian or those acting in the place of parents are obliged to maintain their children. In cases where the family unit has broken down these obligations continue to apply.
Child maintenance arrangements can be agreed directly between the parties themselves, or with the assistance of their solicitors, private mediators or supports such as the Family Mediation Service and the Legal Aid Board, or ultimately through the Courts.
In line with the Programme for Government commitment, the Government established a Child Maintenance Review Group to examine certain issues in relation to child maintenance in Ireland. The Group was chaired by former Circuit Court Judge Catherine Murphy and included legal, policy and academic professionals as well as officials from my Department and the Department of Justice.
The Group's Terms of Reference were to consider and make recommendations on:
(i) the current treatment of child maintenance payments in my Department;(ii) the current provisions regarding liable relatives managed by my Department; and(iii) the establishment of a Child Maintenance Agency in Ireland.
As part of its work, the Group conducted a public consultation process and examined the international position.
I am pleased to advise that the Group has completed its work and that its report was submitted to me on 22 April. I would like to thank the Chair and the Group members for their detailed consideration of these important issues.
I am currently giving the report the careful consideration that such an important and complex issue deserves. Given that the report relates to a broad range of issues that are beyond the scope of the social welfare system, I am also consulting Government colleagues. Once the report has been fully considered, my intention is to bring it to Government, at which time a decision regarding the publication date will be made.
144. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will ensure that anyone who had their disability allowance removed because they were awarded a PhD scholarship prior to 1 September 2020 will be entitled to re-apply for disability allowance with payments backdated to 1 September 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24652/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy department is committed to doing everything we can to assist people with disabilities to further their education.
In March 2021, I signed new regulations which will allow those in receipt of Disability Allowance (DA) to accept stipends associated with PhD scholarships.
The new disregard applies to Disability Allowance recipients and their spouse/partner who have been granted a stipend towards completing a PhD and is available for a maximum of four years.
The March 2021 regulations came into effect from 1st September 2020 and serve to exclude scholarship awards for PhD students from the means test for Disability Allowance subject to certain conditions.
DA customers that were disallowed DA due to the Stipend payment since 1st September 2020 may contact DA section for us to carry out a review of that decision. Payment may be reinstated from the date of disallowance (after 1st September 2020) providing conditions for the scheme are met.
Customers that were disallowed Disability Allowance due to the Stipend payment prior to 1st September 2020 may complete a new application form and it will be processed in the normal manner.
All requests for backdating payments to 1 September 2020 will be decided once an entitlement to DA has been established. These requests will be decided on an individual basis once all conditions for the scheme are met.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
146. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Social Protection the achievements she expects to emerge from the Government’s Future Building Initiative; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24442/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraHousing is a key priority for this Government. This is demonstrated by the unprecedented commitment to build 300,000 new homes by 2030 under Housing for All and a target of retrofitting 500,000 homes which is more important than ever in this time of rising energy costs.
To achieve this, we need to attract thousands of new workers into the sector. At the recent launch of the Future Building Initiative, Minister Harris and I announced that our two Government Departments and related agencies are joining forces to spearhead activation and recruitment for the construction sector and drive internal projects to support this work. A new cross-functional unit which includes staff with expertise in activation, recruitment and training has been established to oversee this initiative.
The FutureBuilding Initiative will operate through a team staffed by Intreo from the Department of Social Protection, SOLAS and Education and Training Boards.
Although this Initiative is focused on recruitment to construction skills, its success will feed into a number of Government commitments, not least Pathways to Work, the Government national employment strategy and the climate change agenda. However, the commitment of dedicated resources is just one part of this initiative. We will be working with employers in the construction sector who we know are competing with other sectors facing staffing shortages. This commitment is reflected in the planned Intreo Construction Work and Skills week which is being planned for later this month when almost 40 events will be held to promote jobs, training and apprenticeships in construction and associated careers. Skilled staff are in heavy demand at home here in Ireland and also internationally. This initiative is part of the broader redevelopment of the ecosystem for housing which is being led by An Taoiseach across the whole of Government under the Housing for All Strategy.
Starting on the 19th May the Future Building team will host a Intreo Construction Work and Skills Week with some 40 events across the country promoting construction as a career including a large job, apprenticeship and training event in Dublin and local events covering a range of topics including women in construction, start your own business and apprenticeship open mornings. This is only the start of a series of recruitment, training and promotional events that will be organised during the year in collaboration with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Skills, Solas and the Education and Training Boards of Ireland.
This work will feed in to achieving the commitments set out in the Housing for All Strategy.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
148. Deputy Kieran O'Donnell asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons who still remain on the pandemic unemployment payment; the measures that her Department has implemented that have been the most impactful to ensure those who were on the payment found new employment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24650/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, the COVID-19 Pandemic presented a range of significant economic challenges, not least to the labour market. The Government responded quickly by introducing the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) to support incomes for those who were unable to work, and the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS), which was superseded by the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS), to support businesses and workers affected by the pandemic.
Over the course of the pandemic, the PUP has supported around 880,000 individuals, paying out over €9 billion. Following on from the successful vaccination campaign, which enabled the reopening of the economy, the Government agreed to withdraw the emergency Covid supports in a phased manner.
The Department worked with the remaining PUP recipients at the final stages of the winding down of the PUP, to assist eligible jobseekers in their Live Register claim applications. The first Jobseeker payments for the cohort who remained on the PUP at the end, were paid on 5 April, following the PUP payments on 29 March.
For those who have transitioned from the PUP and applied for Jobseeker’s Allowance, but whose claim is still being processed by the Department, support will continue to be provided through the PUP until a decision is made regarding their claim. As of 13 May, there are 130 of these, all of whom are included in the Live Register.
In respect of the impact of these schemes, analysis conducted in November 2021, published by my Department shows that, by early October 2021, of the 774,000 people who exited the PUP, 571,000 or 74 percent, have evidence of employment. Of these, 305,000 returned to work, at some stage, with their pre-PUP employer. Accordingly, there have been strong exits to employment from the PUP scheme.
In this regard, the EWSS and PUP were successful in helping maintain the links between businesses and employees. Jointly, these measures have helped support the economy and labour market throughout the pandemic, facilitating a rapid recovery following the easing of public health restrictions.
Partially as a result of these efforts, the Live Register, as of the week ending 8 May, stands at around 175,400, below pre-pandemic levels. While these signs are positive, it is critical to continue to minimise potential scarring effects amongst people who remain unemployed and particularly for those who face difficulties or higher barriers of entry to the labour market.
Accordingly, my Department is committed under Pathways to Work 2021-2025, the Government’s employment services strategy, to assist these individuals through the provision of a broad range of supports and employment services.
149. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of the commitment to benchmark pension rates in the Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24684/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFollowing publication of the Roadmap for Pensions Reform in 2018, which included a recommendation to benchmark and index State Pension rates, my Department undertook a consultation process in 2019 with interested stakeholders to hear views on possible approaches to the indexation of pensions, and social welfare rates more generally. This process also included discussion with representatives of the community and voluntary sector at the Pre-Budget Forum in July 2019, as well as at bilateral meetings with stakeholders.
The outcome of these discussions was considered, and in consultation with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, the Department has developed proposals for setting a formal benchmark for State Pension Contributory payments and the indexation of future changes in pension rates of payment.
The approach developed, known as the “smoothed earnings” approach, aims to ensure that the relative value of welfare payments compared to market earnings would be maintained over time and that, in the short-term, the real value, or purchasing power, of these payments would be protected.
This commitment was reiterated in the Roadmap for Social Inclusion which also outlined the potential approach for benchmarking and indexing pension rates. The Pensions Commission report also examined the issue of benchmarking pension rates and has endorsed implementation of the “smoothed earnings” approach.
The recommendations of the Pensions Commission are being considered in depth and I will bringing forward a recommended response and implementation plan for Government’s consideration in the coming weeks.
I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
151. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection her Department’s strategy to ensure that foster parents can include time spent caring as part of their social insurance record for the State pension (contributory); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24682/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMatters related to foster caring are the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and Tusla.
More widely, this Government acknowledges the important role that carers play and is fully committed to supporting them in that role. Accordingly, the current State Pension (Contributory) system includes a range of measures including PRSI credits, Homemaking Disregards and HomeCaring Periods to recognise caring periods outside of paid employment in the calculation of a State Pension payment. Details of these are:
- PRSI Credits are awarded to recipients of the Carer’s Allowance and Carer’s Benefit where they have an underlying entitlement to credits. Credits are also awarded to workers who take unpaid Carer’s Leave from work.
- The Homemaker’s Scheme is designed to help homemakers and carers qualify for a higher payment rate of State Pension (Contributory). The scheme, which allows periods caring for children or people with a caring need to be disregarded (from 1994), can have the effect of increasing a person's Yearly Average. A homemaker, under the Homemaker’s Scheme, is a person who provides full-time care for either:
- a child under 12; or
- an ill or disabled person aged 12 or over.
- HomeCaring Periods may be awarded for each week not already covered by a paid or credited social insurance contribution (regardless of when they occurred) to a maximum of 20 years. Only one person can benefit from a HomeCaring Period for supporting a child or adult at one time. HomeCaring Periods can only be used under the Interim Total Contributions Approach (also known as the Aggregated Contribution Method) of pension calculation. HomeCaring Periods relate to full-time care for:
- a child or children under the age of 12 years of age;
- a child or children over the age of 12 who needed an increased level of care; or
- an adult who needed an increased level of care.
Foster carers are entitled to the benefits of the Homemaker’s Scheme or HomeCaring Periods, on the same basis as other carers, and will qualify if the carer is in receipt of Child Benefit. If the foster carer is not in receipt of Child Benefit, s/he can still qualify for the Homemaker’s Scheme or HomeCaring Periods provided the caring periods are confirmed by Tusla.
Since April 2019, all new State Pension (Contributory) applications are assessed under all possible payment rate calculation methods, including the Yearly Average and the Interim Total Contributions Approach, with the most beneficial rate paid to the pensioner. The Homemaker's Scheme and HomeCaring Periods Scheme cannot be used together to calculate State Pension (Contributory) entitlement. The elements which make up each method are set out in legislation.
The Programme for Government “Our Shared Future” includes a commitment to examine options for a pension solution for carers, the majority of whom are women, particularly those of incapacitated children, in recognition of the enormous value of the work carried out by them. The Pensions Commission was established in November 2020 to examine the sustainability of the State Pension system and the Social Insurance Fund. The Commission’s terms of reference included consideration of how people who have provided long-term care for incapacitated dependants can be accommodated within the State Pension system.
The 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, including enhanced pension provision for long-term carers. It recommended that long-term carers (defined as caring for more than 20 years) should be given access to the State Pension (Contributory) by having retrospective contributions paid for them by the Exchequer for any gaps in their contribution history arising from that caring. The Commission also recommended that relevant Departments should examine, in conjunction with relevant stakeholders, options for the creation of a statutory "Family Carer Register" which could, in time, facilitate the identification of long-term carers for State Pension (Contributory) purposes as well as assisting in the planning and delivery of services for family carers.
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 consulting across Government through the Cabinet Committee system. The views of the Joint Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands and the Commission on Taxation and Welfare will be considered as part of the Government's deliberations. I intend bringing a recommended response and implementation plan to Government in the coming weeks.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
152. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures that are in place to support highly-skilled Ukrainian refugees in accessing the Irish job market; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24961/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is working alongside other relevant departments in supporting access to the labour market and employment for those arriving from Ukraine, under the EU’s Temporary Protection Directive.
Intreo employment services are assisting those arriving from Ukraine as they seek employment in Intreo Offices and through jobsireland.ie. A dedicated section on www.jobsireland.ie has been developed providing information on employment supports and opportunities and a frequently asked questions page for newly arrived Ukrainians. This information is available in both Ukrainian and Russian and includes video tutorials on CV and interview preparation, and how to register and apply for vacancies on JobsIreland.
Ukrainians seeking employment can access the service directly, to upload details of their skills and experience for matching with available employment opportunities. The resources and job opportunities available are also promoted through social media in Ukrainian and Russian. Employers across all sectors who wish to support Ukrainians through provision of employment opportunities, are requested to register on www.jobsireland.ie to advertise vacancies. This will enable Intreo Employment Services Officers to match the skills of those seeking employment with available work opportunities.
Additionally, since the middle of April, Intreo Employment Services are arranging employment support events specifically for Ukrainians - across all skills levels. These events are being arranged on an outreach basis in, or close to, current accommodation hubs and by inviting Ukrainians to Intreo centres to receive these services.
At these events, details of Ukrainians proficiency in English, their qualifications, employment history and employment preference are provided to assist with job matching. Those attending are also assisted on site to find employment through exploring employment opportunities – via jobsireland.ie and with ‘jobs walls’ advertising local vacancies. Assistance is also provided to ensure that Ukrainians are on the correct income support payment, be it jobseeker's allowance or another payment more appropriate to their personal circumstances.
To date Intreo Employment Services staff have engaged with well over 5,000 Ukrainians at these employment support events. Of those, many have high levels of education and professional qualifications, and have a broad range of work experience.
Where a Ukrainian wishes to practice a regulated profession in Ireland they must also engage with the relevant professional authority in respect of the recognition of qualifications. Information on relevant professional bodies are provided at the Intreo employment support events, and those who wish to seek employment with the HSE are directed towards a link to a HSE jobs portal from jobsireland.ie.
My Department will continue to work with Ukrainians to support them find employment while they are in this country.
I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
153. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will detail the FutureBuilding Initiative and the way his Department can help recruit and train workers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25243/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraHousing is a key priority for this Government. This is demonstrated by the unprecedented commitment to build 300,000 new homes by 2030 under Housing for All and a target of retrofitting 500,000 homes which is more important than ever in this time of rising energy costs.
To achieve this, we need to attract thousands of new workers into the sector. At the recent launch of the Future Building Initiative, Minister Harris and I announced that our two Government Departments and related agencies are joining forces to spearhead activation and recruitment for the construction sector and drive internal projects to support this work. A new cross-functional unit which includes staff with expertise in activation, recruitment and training has been established to oversee this initiative.
The FutureBuilding Initiative will operate through a team staffed by Intreo from the Department of Social Protection, SOLAS and Education and Training Boards.
Although this Initiative is focused on recruitment to construction skills, its success will feed into a number of Government commitments, not least Pathways to Work, the Government national employment strategy and the climate change agenda. However, the commitment of dedicated resources is just one part of this initiative. We will be working with employers in the construction sector who we know are competing with other sectors facing staffing shortages. This commitment is reflected in the planned Intreo Construction Work and Skills week which is being planned for later this month when almost 40 events will be held to promote jobs, training and apprenticeships in construction and associated careers. Skilled staff are in heavy demand at home here in Ireland and also internationally. This initiative is part of the broader redevelopment of the ecosystem for housing which is being led by An Taoiseach across the whole of Government under the Housing for All Strategy.
Starting on the 19th May the Future Building team will host a Intreo Construction Work and Skills Week with some 40 events across the country promoting construction as a career including a large job, apprenticeship and training event in Dublin and local events covering a range of topics including women in construction, start your own business and apprenticeship open mornings. This is only the start of a series of recruitment, training and promotional events that will be organised during the year in collaboration with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Skills, Solas and the Education and Training Boards of Ireland.
This work will feed in to achieving the commitments set out in the Housing for All Strategy.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
154. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to increase funding for an employment support programme (details supplied) to allow for expansion of same on a countrywide basis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25338/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe organisation referred to the Deputy was funded by my Department under the former Ability Programme. The Ability Programme, introduced in June 2018, was a three-year pre-activation programme for young people with disabilities. The funding for the programme amounted to approximately €16 million and was provided jointly under the European Union’s ESF 2014-2020 Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning Operational Programme and the Irish Exchequer. The Ability Programme concluded at the end of August 2021.
On 30 July last year I announced a new employment support measure for people with disabilities under Dormant Accounts Funding (DAF). The DAF Measures to Support the Employment of People with Disabilities programme began in September 2021 and runs up to the end of December 2022. In total, 45 projects were selected on foot of a competitive process and have been funded up to an amount of €7.6 million. The organisation referred to by the Deputy is funded as a standalone project under this DAF measure and not as a programme in its own right.
A new employment programme for people with disabilities will be included in the measures under a new Operational Programme for Ireland under the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) 2021-2027. The ESF Managing Authority in Ireland - based in the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science - is currently compiling the Operational Programme which will be submitted for Government Approval in the summer, prior to formal submission to the European Commission. It is expected that Commission approval will be communicated in the latter part of the year.
It is anticipated that the new disability programme will be open by way of a competitive process in 2023 to applications from organisations across the country including the organisation referred to by the Deputy.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
155. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures that are under way to bring maternity benefit to a standard available to workers elsewhere in Europe; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25356/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs a result of measures in Budget 2022, the rates of Maternity Benefit, Paternity Benefit, Adoptive Benefit and Parent's Benefit were increased by €5 to €250 a week, effective from January 2022. Maternity benefit is paid for 26 weeks. In 2022, it is estimated that my Department will spend in excess of €267 million on maternity benefit in respect of an average of 20,290 recipients per week.
It is worth noting that when a person is in receipt of Maternity Benefit it is open to their employer to top-up the payment to the level of the person’s wages and some employers do this.
New parents are also eligible for Child Benefit which is paid at €140 per month for each child. Expenditure on the scheme is estimated to be more than €2.1 billion in 2022.
The Government has committed to the continued support of working parents to achieve a better work-life balance. The Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019 introduced two weeks of paid Parents' Leave for each parent to be taken in the first year after the birth or adoptive placement of a child. Since April 2021, an additional three weeks of paid Parents' Leave is available to each qualifying parent. The period in which the leave can be taken has also been extended to the first two years after the birth or adoptive placement of a child.
Provision was made in Budget 2022 to further increase the number of weeks of Parent's Leave and Benefit available to eligible parents from five weeks to seven weeks from July 2022. In line with the EU Work-Life Balance Directive, Parent’s Leave and Benefit will be increased by an additional two weeks to nine weeks by August 2024.
When the current durations of Maternity, Paternity and Parent’s Leave are combined this adds to 38 weeks of paid leave for a two-parent family. This will increase to 42 weeks from July and 46 weeks by August 2024. In addition, 16 weeks of unpaid maternity leave is available.
Any changes to the rate of Maternity Benefit would have to be considered in an overall budgetary context.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
