Written Answers Nos. 381-400
381. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Social Protection the current income a single parent can earn before having the fuel allowance cut; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56329/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from late September to April, at an estimated cost of €366 million in 2022. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs.
The criteria for Fuel Allowance are framed in order to direct the limited resources available to my Department in as targeted a manner as possible. In general, to qualify for Fuel Allowance an applicant must be in receipt of a qualifying payment, satisfy a means test and satisfy the household composition criteria. This ensures that the payments go to those who are unlikely to have additional resources of their own.
The income limit that a single parent can earn and still qualify for the Fuel Allowance payment is determined by a number of factors including the qualifying payment they are in receipt of from my Department.
A single parent who is in receipt of a qualifying assistance type payment such as One-Parent Family Payment (OPFP) is deemed to have satisfied the means test for Fuel Allowance purposes as they have already undergone a means test when entitlement to OPFP was decided on.
A single parent who is in receipt of a qualifying contributory type payment will have to satisfy a means test to qualify for Fuel Allowance. The current means limit for a single person is €120 above the relevant rate of State Pension (Contributory). In Budget 2023, provision was made to increase the means test threshold from €120 to €200 above the relevant rate of State Pension (Contributory) with effect from January 2023.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
382. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide the number of persons in receipt of the fuel allowance at the end of 2021 and the figure as of November 2022, in tabular form; the average waiting time for applications to be processed; the number of applications that have been refused; the number that are still pending; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56347/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Fuel Allowance scheme is a means tested payment to assist pensioners and other long-term social welfare dependent householders with their winter heating costs. The payment is a contribution towards heating costs, it is not intended to meet these costs in full. The payment is made over the winter season at the weekly rate of €33.00 or, if preferred, by way of two lump sum payments. Only one Fuel Allowance is payable per household. Those who qualify for the payment do not need to reapply annually.
As part of the overall social welfare Budget 2023 package of €2.2 Billion, I am pleased to have secured a major expansion of the fuel allowance scheme, which will benefit an estimated 81,000 additional households from January 2023.
To assess entitlement to fuel allowance, which is a means tested payment, a Deciding Officer must have sufficient information to assess whether all necessary eligibility conditions for the payment are met. In certain cases, additional information may be awaited to allow the Deciding Officer to complete their assessment.
The Fuel Allowance is paid, in conjunction with primary social welfare schemes, across a number of IT systems with differing functionality for recording processing activity, and consequently precise information on processing timelines, refusals and pending applications is not available. I am advised that higher than normal volumes of applications are being received and my officials are working through these applications currently. Where an application for fuel allowance is refused, it is open to the person to re-apply if there is a change in their circumstances. At the end of December 2021 and at the end of October 2022, there were approximately 375,000 households in receipt of Fuel Allowance
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
383. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of the family income supplement in each county at the end of 2021; and the corresponding figure for November 2022. [56348/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Working Family Payment (WFP) is a weekly tax-free payment for employees with children which supports people in low paid employment. The WFP is designed to prevent in-work poverty for low paid workers with child dependents, and to offer a financial incentive to take up employment.
It is a targeted measure that is directly linked to household income and therefore directly supports low-income working families. There are approximately 45,000 families with 100,000 children who are currently in receipt of WFP. The estimated spend of WFP in 2022 is €349 million.
The following is a breakdown of Working Family Payment recipients by county at the end of December 2021.
|
County |
Recipients |
|
DUBLIN |
11033 |
|
CORK |
4574 |
|
DONEGAL |
2378 |
|
GALWAY |
2097 |
|
LIMERICK |
2004 |
|
KILDARE |
1999 |
|
WEXFORD |
1993 |
|
LOUTH |
1859 |
|
MEATH |
1747 |
|
TIPPERARY |
1735 |
|
WATERFORD |
1582 |
|
KERRY |
1310 |
|
MAYO |
1250 |
|
WICKLOW |
1099 |
|
CAVAN |
984 |
|
WESTMEATH |
972 |
|
CLARE |
929 |
|
LAOIS |
890 |
|
MONAGHAN |
875 |
|
OFFALY |
820 |
|
CARLOW |
781 |
|
KILKENNY |
740 |
|
LONGFORD |
670 |
|
ROSCOMMON |
627 |
|
SLIGO |
625 |
|
LEITRIM |
301 |
|
DOWN |
38 |
|
FERMANAGH |
21 |
|
ARMAGH |
19 |
|
DERRY |
18 |
|
TYRONE |
17 |
|
Total |
45987 |
The following is a breakdown of Working Family Payment recipients by county at the end of October 2022.
|
County |
Recipients |
|
DUBLIN |
11206 |
|
CORK |
4404 |
|
DONEGAL |
2247 |
|
LIMERICK |
2036 |
|
GALWAY |
2011 |
|
KILDARE |
1974 |
|
WEXFORD |
1957 |
|
LOUTH |
1872 |
|
TIPPERARY |
1723 |
|
MEATH |
1710 |
|
WATERFORD |
1515 |
|
KERRY |
1317 |
|
MAYO |
1263 |
|
WICKLOW |
1066 |
|
WESTMEATH |
944 |
|
CAVAN |
922 |
|
CLARE |
862 |
|
LAOIS |
859 |
|
MONAGHAN |
851 |
|
OFFALY |
782 |
|
CARLOW |
747 |
|
KILKENNY |
744 |
|
LONGFORD |
628 |
|
ROSCOMMON |
603 |
|
SLIGO |
588 |
|
LEITRIM |
306 |
|
DOWN |
28 |
|
FERMANAGH |
20 |
|
TYRONE |
18 |
|
ARMAGH |
17 |
|
DERRY |
16 |
|
Total |
45236 |
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
384. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason those on illness benefit have not received a double payment; if she will consider changing this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56356/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn response to the ongoing cost of living pressures, my Department will spend approximately €1.2 billion in social welfare measures during the coming months to help individuals and families through this difficult period.
One of these measures is the Autumn Cost of Living Double Payment which was paid to those schemes which are eligible to receive the Christmas Bonus.
Illness Benefit is not, and has never been, a qualifying payment for the Christmas Bonus. It is a scheme which, by its nature, is a short-term social welfare scheme. It has a high degree of churn with people coming onto the scheme and moving off every week, often with very short duration claims. For example, between July and September 2022, almost 115,000 Illness Benefit claims were awarded and, of these, only 21,000 remain in payment. This indicates a churn of 82% over just a three-month period. The average duration of a claim for Illness Benefit is only 6 days.
In addition, many Illness Benefit payments are paid directly to the employer. Therefore, a double payment such as the cost of living support would, in many cases, be an employer subsidy as opposed to an additional support to the customer. This is not the intent behind the October cost of living support, and nor would it be a targeted use of resources.
I do appreciate however that individual circumstances can vary from case to case. I have asked my officials to examine this issue in respect of people who are in receipt of Illness Benefit for longer periods of time.
385. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) for domiciliary care allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56392/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraDomiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is a monthly payment in respect of a child aged under 16 with a severe disability who requires ongoing continual or continuous care and attention substantially over and above the care and attention normally required by a child of the same age and the child must be likely to require this level of care and attention for at least 12 consecutive months.
An application for DCA was received from the person concerned in respect of their child on 19 January 2022. A deciding officer disallowed their claim on 31 March 2022 as their child was not considered to satisfy the qualifying conditions for DCA.
The applicant requested a review of the deciding officer's decision.
Following a review dated 03 August 2022, a deciding officer, having re-examined their complete DCA application, including all information and evidence submitted with their initial application and the further supporting information and documentation that was subsequently provided in support of their review request, while also considering the opinion of a departmental medical assessor, decided that a revision of the original decision of 31 March 2022 was not warranted. The person concerned was notified in writing of the review decision on 03 August 2022.
The applicant requested an appeal of the above review decision.
The applicant's DCA file (Ref No 22/15276) was subsequently referred to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO) on 28 September 2022 for further consideration by an Appeals Officer. The person concerned will be notified directly by the SWAO of the outcome of their appeal in due course.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
386. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of oral appeals held by the social welfare appeals office in 2021 and to date in 2022, which were held remotely, aurally and physically in person respectively; the steps which are being taken to increase the number of decisions made by oral determination; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56405/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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.
When an appeal is assigned to an Appeals Officer for consideration the Appeals Officer makes a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if necessary, holds an oral hearing. The holding of an oral hearing is at the discretion of the Appeals Officer.
There is no absolute right to an oral hearing and a request for an oral hearing will not be necessarily granted in all cases.
In practice, in forming an opinion as to whether an appeal can properly be determined without an oral hearing an Appeals Officer will have regard to:
- the overall nature of the appeal and the question to be determined,
- any request that has been made for an oral hearing,
- whether there are unresolved conflicts in the documentary evidence presented by the parties as to any matter essential to the determination of the appeal,
- whether there are any disputes as to the facts or differing professional opinions.
This is not an exhaustive list and as Appeals Officer may determine an appeal on a summary basis it is important that all the documentary evidence and grounds relied on are submitted with the notice of appeal.
An oral hearing may be held virtually (online) or by phone. An in-person hearing will be held where it is deemed essential by the Appeals Officer.
The position in relation to the conducting of oral hearings is being kept under review by the Chief Appeals Officer.
The following table sets out the number of oral hearings that were held remotely (online), aurally (by phone) and in person in the year 2021 and to date in 2022.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
|
Oral Hearings 2021-2022 |
||||
|
2021 |
in person |
phone |
online |
Total |
|
|
96 |
424 |
530 |
1050 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2022 |
in person |
phone |
online |
Total |
|
(end of October) |
48 |
235 |
449 |
732 |
387. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been made on an application for a carer's allowance by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56419/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraCarer's allowance (CA) 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 as a result they require that level of care.
I can confirm an application for CA was received from the person concerned on 17 October 2022.
Additional information in relation to the person’s application was requested by a deciding officer on 25 October 2022.
Some of the requested information was returned on 28 October 2022 but not all of the requested information has been received.
Once the outstanding information is received, the application will be processed without delay and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
388. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide the most recent figure on the number of carers in receipt of carer's allowance, including half-rate carer's allowance; the number of carers who receive a reduced rate of carer's allowance due to means; and the breakdown of these rates by the number of person's receiving a carer's allowance payment under €100, between €100 and €150; between €150 and €200 and between €200 and €220, in tabular form. [56425/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraCarer’s Allowance is a payment to people on low incomes who are caring full-time for a person who needs support because of age, disability or illness (including mental illness). The person being cared for must require full-time care and attention.
At the end of October 2022, there were 91,892 recipients of Carer's Allowance. Of these, 42,136 were recipients of half-rate Carer's Allowance.
Based on their most recent payment, the breakdown of Carer's Allowance rates of payment is shown in Table 1 as follows.
Table 1: Rates of payment for Carer's Allowance recipients as at end October 2022.
|
Payment rate (€) |
Number of recipients |
|
< 100 |
4,434 |
|
100-150 |
40,537 |
|
150-200 |
8,350 |
|
200-220 |
628 |
|
220 |
37,943 |
|
Total |
91,892 |
389. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide the most recent figure on the total number of carers in receipt of carer's benefit and half-rate carer's allowance. [56426/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraCarer’s Benefit is a payment made to insured people who may be required to leave the workforce or reduce their working hours to care for a person(s) in need of full-time care.
Carer’s Allowance is a payment to people on low incomes who are caring full-time for a person who needs support because of age, disability or illness (including mental illness). The person being cared for must require full-time care and attention. If a person is getting certain social welfare payments and they are providing full-time care and attention to another person, they can keep your main social welfare payment and get a half-rate Carer’s Allowance as well.
At the end of October 2022, there were 3,423 recipients of Carer's Benefit and 42,136 recipients of half-rate Carer's Allowance.
390. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Social Protection the breakdown of the total number of carers who received the carer's support grant to date in 2022; of these, the number of carers who receive the carer's support grant as a stand-alone payment, that is they do not receive carer's allowance, carer's benefit or DCA; and the number of carers who receive the carer's support grant annually, through applications made throughout 2022, in tabular form. [56427/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Carer’s Support Grant is an annual payment made to carers who get Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit or Domiciliary Care Allowance. It can also be paid to certain other carers providing full-time care.
As at the end of October there were 123,837 Carer's Support Grant’s in payment, 4,894 of whom were not in receipt of Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit or Domiciliary Care Allowance. There were 4,610 applications for the stand-alone Carer’s Support Grant received up to the end October 2022.
391. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection when retired community employment scheme supervisors can expect to receive the gratuity payments they were notified of in August 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56496/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, Community Employment (CE) supervisors and CE assistant supervisors sought for several years through their union representatives, SIPTU and Forsa, the allocation of Exchequer funding to implement a 2008 Labour Court recommendation relating to the provision of a pension scheme for CE supervisors and CE assistant supervisors who are employed by CE scheme sponsoring organisations.
Following an agreement between the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and the Minister for Social Protection, a final settlement was reached with unions representing CE supervisors and assistant supervisors at the end of 2021. This settlement resolves this long-standing issue through the payment of a once off ex-gratia payment to eligible CE supervisors and assistant supervisors. This settlement which will benefit approximately 2,500 people employed by CE schemes going back to 2008. It is estimated to have a total cost of over €24 million.
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 are now able to apply for this payment.
Over the past number of months, an administrative and ICT system to accept applications and process payments was put in place within the Department of Social Protection. The first group of ex-gratia applications have been received and are being processed - these relate to persons who retired since 2008. Following Government approval earlier this month, legislative provisions to provide for these payments are being included in the Social Welfare Budget Bill, which will also, once enacted, facilitate the early payment of processed applications.
A notification will issue to recipients as soon as payments are processed and are ready to issue.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
392. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) is on illness benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56506/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person concerned is currently in receipt of Illness Benefit and has been in receipt of payment from the 11th August 2022 to date. She is in receipt of the full personal rate of Illness Benefit which is €208 per week. This will increase by €12 to €220 per week in January 2023 as part of Budget 2023. Illness Benefit is not one of the social welfare benefits that qualifies for the double payments announced as part of Budget 2023.
Illness Benefit is intended for people with short duration illnesses who will return to work relatively quickly. The average duration on the scheme is approximately six days and it is payable for a maximum of two years subject to eligibility conditions being met. For individuals with longer term needs they may apply for an Invalidity Pension or Disability Allowance.
If the person concerned is experiencing difficulties in meeting her basic financial commitments it is also open to her to contact the Community Welfare Service at her local Intreo Centre to see if she might qualify for assistance under the terms of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme.
I trust this clarifies the position.
393. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review the case of a person (details supplied) who had their back to education allowance withdrawn and have the payment re-instated having regard to the extenuating circumstances of this case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56514/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) is an educational opportunities scheme for customers in receipt of certain social welfare payments wishing to pursue second or third level courses, subject to meeting certain qualifying conditions.
I understand that the individual concerned was on BTEA from 9th October 2020 until 20th May 2022 when the person completed year two of a four-year course. When the person submitted a reapplication for BTEA, it was in respect of year one of a new course. This application was refused as the person had discontinued the original course of study.
A review of this application has just been completed, and I am pleased to say that it has been decided to approve the application in light of the mitigating circumstances. This will be communicated to the person concerned as a matter of urgency.
394. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on the case of a person who worked in the Civil Service for 16 years, only ceased working when they got married, cared for an elderly relative for 20 years and has been declined a State pension (contributory); her further views on whether this is fair; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56520/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraPolicy matters related to public and civil service pensions are the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.
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 provides for a range of measures including PRSI Credits, Home-making Disregards and Home-caring Periods to recognise caring periods of up to 20 years outside of paid employment in the calculation of a payment rate.
It should be noted that, if a person does not satisfy the conditionality to qualify for a State Pension (Contributory), he or she may qualify for the means-tested State Pension (Non-Contributory), the maximum rate of which is over 95% of the rate of the State Pension (Contributory). Alternatively, an Increase for a Qualified Adult (IQA) is paid, generally, where a pensioner has an adult dependent who does not have enough contributions to claim a maximum rate State Pension (Contributory) his or her own right. The payment rate for the IQA is up to 90% of a full contributory pension. The most advantageous payment for a pensioner will depend upon their individual circumstances.
Despite the existing measures within the State Pension system that recognise periods spent caring, long-term carers of incapacitated dependents may face barriers in accessing the State Pension.
I announced a series of landmark reforms to the State Pension system on 20th September 2022. The measures, which were approved by Government, are in response to the recommendations from the Pensions Commission. The set of measures represent the biggest ever structural reform of the Irish State Pension system. One of the reforms agreed by Government is enhanced State Pension provision for long-term carers of incapacitated dependents (who have been caring in excess of 20 years), as recommended by the Pensions Commission, and to be introduced from January 2024. This will be implemented through:
- A scheme to ensure that long-term carers can be attributed with contributions for gaps in their contribution record arising from their time spent caring; and
- The establishment of a ‘Family Carer Register'.
My officials are working to implement the reforms, including the drafting of legislation and development of administrative and IT systems as necessary. As part of the work to implement the new scheme, relevant Government Departments, and other stakeholders, will examine options for the creation of a statutory ‘Family Carer Register’ to help identify long-term carers.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
395. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has received the marriage bar report from the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Gender Equality in relation to the effect the marriage bar has on the pension entitlement of women; when the report will be considered; and when she will be in a position to address the inequities which currently exist in relation to same. [56521/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Joint Committee on Gender Equality was established to consider the recommendations contained in the Report of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality. The Committee’s Interim Report on Constitutional Change was published in July 2022 and it is my understanding that the Committee’s work is ongoing.
The impact of the marriage bar on State Pension eligibility for many women varied depending on the sector they worked in and whether they returned to paid employment. Therefore, it is difficult to identify all those whose entitlement to State Pension was impacted by the marriage bar. It is also worth remembering that most civil and public servants recruited prior to 1995 are not entitled to the State Pension (Contributory), regardless of gender and marital status. Therefore, the marriage bar would not generally have negatively impacted on State Pension (Contributory) entitlement, as they would not have qualified for that payment had they remained in public sector employment. The implications for civil and public service pensions are a matter for the Minister for Public Expenditure & Reform.
The State Pension (Contributory) system currently gives significant recognition to those whose work history includes an extended period of time outside the paid workplace, often to raise families or in a full-time caring role. PRSI Credits, Home-making Disregards and Home-caring Periods recognise caring periods of up to 20 years outside of paid employment in the calculation of a payment rate.
It should be noted that, if a person does not satisfy the conditionality to qualify for a State Pension (Contributory), he or she may qualify for the means-tested State Pension (Non-Contributory), the maximum rate of which is over 95% of the rate of the State Pension (Contributory). Alternatively, an Increase for a Qualified Adult (IQA) is paid, generally, where a pensioner has an adult dependent who does not have enough contributions to claim a maximum rate State Pension (Contributory) in his or her own right. The payment rate for the IQA is up to 90% of a full contributory pension. The most advantageous payment for a pensioner will depend upon their individual circumstances.
Despite the existing measures within the State Pension system that recognise periods spent caring, long-term carers of incapacitated dependents may still face barriers in accessing the State Pension.
I announced a series of landmark reforms to the State Pension system on 20th September 2022. The measures, which were approved by Government, are in response to the recommendations from the Pensions Commission. The set of measures represent the biggest ever structural reform of the Irish State Pension system. One of the reforms agreed by Government is enhanced State Pension provision for long-term carers of incapacitated dependents (who have been caring in excess of 20 years), as recommended by the Pensions Commission, and to be introduced from January 2024. This will be implemented through:
- A scheme to ensure that long-term carers can be attributed with contributions for gaps in their contribution record arising from their time spent caring; and
- The establishment of a ‘Family Carer Register'.
My officials are working to implement the reforms, including the drafting of legislation and development of administrative and IT systems as necessary. As part of the work to implement the new scheme, relevant Government Departments, and other stakeholders, will examine options for the creation of a statutory ‘Family Carer Register’ to help identify long-term carers.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
396. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applicants on short-term work schemes who are claiming jobseeker’s benefit, by county, in 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form. [56529/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraShort-Time Work Support, formerly known as Systematic Short-Time, is a form of Jobseeker's Benefit. It is an income support payment for people who have been temporarily placed on a shorter working week by their employer. This payment is made in respect of the days of work that have been lost. Short-Time Work must be systematic and show a clear repetitive pattern of employment. Employees must also work at least 1 day each week that they would normally have worked.
The county breakdown of Short-Time Work Support recipients as at end December 2021 and end October 2022 is shown in the following table. The county breakdowns are based on the most recent address of recipients held by my Department.
|
County |
December 2021 |
October 2022 |
|
Carlow |
18 |
15 |
|
Cavan |
39 |
54 |
|
Clare |
56 |
28 |
|
Cork |
108 |
64 |
|
Donegal |
80 |
44 |
|
Dublin |
283 |
132 |
|
Galway |
65 |
32 |
|
Kerry |
112 |
41 |
|
Kildare |
46 |
31 |
|
Kilkenny |
19 |
10 |
|
Laois |
15 |
11 |
|
Leitrim |
11 |
15 |
|
Limerick |
119 |
62 |
|
Longford |
6 |
10 |
|
Louth |
34 |
24 |
|
Mayo |
40 |
23 |
|
Meath |
49 |
23 |
|
Monaghan |
19 |
14 |
|
Offaly |
29 |
18 |
|
Roscommon |
18 |
25 |
|
Sligo |
23 |
27 |
|
Tipperary |
35 |
28 |
|
Waterford |
42 |
31 |
|
Westmeath |
32 |
10 |
|
Wexford |
44 |
52 |
|
Wicklow |
37 |
26 |
|
Other |
5 |
8 |
|
Total |
1,384 |
858 |
397. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Social Protection if a review will be carried out of community employment schemes with a focus on persons with a disability, given that it is currently not suitable for disability allowance recipients (details supplied). [56542/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe aim of Community Employment (CE) is to enhance the employability of disadvantaged and long term unemployed persons by providing work experience and training opportunities within their communities. CE schemes provide long-term unemployed and other groups, such as eligible persons in receipt of a disability allowance opportunities to provide vital services within local communities countrywide.
CE projects are typically sponsored by groups wishing to benefit the local community, namely voluntary and community organisations. The department’s priority in funding and supporting CE is to provide job seekers and other groups with good quality work experience and training qualifications to support progression into open labour market employment.
CE participants do work part-time - on average 19.5 hours per week and receive a payment equivalent to their underlying social welfare scheme entitlement plus an allowance of €22.50 per week, with a minimum payment of €230.50 per week. Participants may receive increases in respect of a qualified adult and child dependents.
As part of Budget 2023, CE participants will receive an increase in weekly payments arising from the increase in core social welfare payments of €12 per week, in addition to the increase in the weekly CE allowance of €5; bringing the minimum payment for participants to €247.50 per week.
Therefore, CE can and does support participants with a disability work part time on CE. Currently there are some 800 people participating on CE schemes who came from a disability scheme background.
I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
399. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on a matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56565/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Community Welfare Service remains a flexible service which meets the varied needs of vulnerable people, and it continues to provide local access to local Community Welfare Officers (CWOs) in local areas across the country. There are no plans to change this aspect of the service.
CWOs are available to facilitate urgent and in-person meetings in over 50 Intreo Centres nationwide, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday to Friday. In addition to meeting citizens in Intreo Centres, Branch Offices and DSP offices, CWOs can facilitate an appointment within a short time of a person requiring such a meeting, at a mutually agreed location, including at the person's home.
Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, my Department can make Additional Needs Payments (ANPs) to help meet expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income. This is an over-arching administrative term used to refer to exceptional and urgent needs payments, and certain supplements to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from a person’s own resources and are deemed to be necessary.
The scheme is demand led. Payments are made at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme, taking into account the requirements of the legislation, and all the relevant circumstances of the case in order to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance.
Where an official is aware of a customer with an urgent or immediate need, every effort is made to ensure that the person receives a prompt service, usually on the same day. CWOs are available to meet with customers as required across the country.
If the Deputy is concerned about a particular case, I would ask that he brings this to the attention of my Department by emailing TDREPSCWS@welfare.ie or phoning the Oireachtas direct point of contact line at 01 462 4308.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
400. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection the current position regarding Finglas Citizens Information Centre, including current opening hours; if there have recently been any changes in the service provided, or whether there are any planned changes, given the vital service offered to the people of Finglas by Citizens Information; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56578/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Citizens Information Board (CIB) is a statutory agency tasked with providing information, advocacy, and advice to citizens. These important services are delivered by eight independent regional Citizen Information Service (CIS) companies, that operate a national network of Citizens Information Centres, including Dublin North CIS, which encompasses Finglas.
It is important to note that, by law, the CIB is charged with independently overseeing the delivery of its services under its remit. Similarly, each CIS is an independent limited company governed by a voluntary board of directors. These eight CIS companies make decisions independently on the delivery of services in their own regions.
My Department has been informed that Finglas Citizen Information Centre provides the service at the following times: the reception desk is open from Monday to Thursday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 4pm. Phone and email queries for the Finglas area are dealt with Monday to Thursday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday 9 a.m. to 4pm.
A drop-in clinic is available at the centre from Monday to Thursday 9 a.m. to 12.40 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., and also on Fridays from 9 a.m. to 12.40pm.
Appointments can also be arranged for those that require them. There are currently no planned changes to any of these opening times.
Additionally, the Citizens Information Phone Service (CIPS) is a nationwide service that can be reached on 0818 07 4000, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 8.p.m.
I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
