Seán Sherlock
Ceist:160. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Education the amount spent on social media advertising in 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form; and the amount spent per platform. [62801/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraSocial Media
Ceisteanna (160)
Freagraí scríofa
The Department engaged in social media advertising in respect of the 2021 Leaving Certificate Accredited Grades and Examinations process and also to highlight the public health advice for all of the school community for the period outlined. The total cost of this social media advertising was €38,165.04.
This content was promoted on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.
The Department is also engaged in running the Teaching Transforms advertising campaign.The total cost for social media advertising for this campaign for the period outlined is €15,245.35.
School Staff
Ceisteanna (161)
Neasa Hourigan
Ceist:161. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Education if she has considered plans to introduce a national voluntary redeployment panel for teachers, where teachers seeking voluntary redeployment could enter their details on an online portal to seek a direct swap with a matching teacher seeking the reverse relocation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62822/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Teacher allocations to all schools are approved annually by my Department in accordance with established rules based on recognised pupil enrolment. The criteria for the allocation of posts are communicated to school managements annually and are available on the Department website.
The recruitment and appointment of teachers to fill teaching posts is a matter for the individual school authority as the employer. The deployment of teaching staff in the school, the range of subjects offered and ultimately the quality of teaching and learning are in the first instance a matter for the school management authorities.
The core function of the redeployment arrangements is to facilitate the redeployment of surplus permanent teachers to other schools where vacancies exist. Ensuring efficiency in the annual redeployment processes is significant in terms of managing the overall teacher numbers.
At Post-Primary level, following discussions between the relevant stakeholders a voluntary redeployment scheme has operated on a pilot basis in specific regions in recent years. Permanent teachers employed in these regions are given an opportunity to volunteer for a transfer to other areas of the country only if such a transfer would free up a vacancy that would facilitate the redeployment of a surplus permanent teacher in the region.
To-date the pilot voluntary redeployment scheme has operated in 24 counties. The pilot voluntary redeployment scheme assists the Department to achieve its objective of redeploying all surplus permanent teachers.
Teachers who applied under the pilot voluntary scheme and were not facilitated with a transfer continue to have the option of applying for posts in their preferred location that are advertised in the normal manner.
The criteria for the allocation of teachers to schools including the redeployment arrangements for the 2023/24 school year will be available on the Department's website in early 2023.
Question No. 162 answered with Question No. 155.
Community Employment Schemes
Ceisteanna (163)
Alan Dillon
Ceist:163. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Social Protection if a school (details supplied) would be entitled to any assistance from community employment schemes with regard to caretaking or small jobs within the school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62819/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Community Employment (CE) projects are typically sponsored by groups wishing to benefit the local community, namely voluntary and community organisations and, to a lesser extent, public bodies involved in not-for-profit activities.
Schools are not permitted to sponsor CE schemes and CE participants cannot be employed by or work in schools as these services are funded directly by the Department of Education. This includes the provision of cleaners, caretaking/maintenance and other services to schools. As the Deputy may be aware, FAS who had responsibility for CE up until 2012, mainstreamed CE services that had previously been provided to schools. This change applied from 2001. As a result, the budget for services provided by schools-based CE schemes was transferred to the Department of Education and Skills.
My colleague, Minister Norma Foley T.D. has overall responsibility for the services and initiatives provided for schools by the Department of Education, including policy and funding.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Social Welfare Benefits
Ceisteanna (164)
Bernard Durkan
Ceist:164. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress to date in respect of an appeal for domiciliary care allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62373/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
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.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was received by that office on 11th August 2022. The case was referred to an Appeals Officer on 28th October 2022 who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if necessary, hold an oral hearing.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Social Welfare Payments
Ceisteanna (165)
Michael Creed
Ceist:165. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason arrangements for double payment of social welfare recipients are not made on consecutive days up to 23 December 2022; the engagement which her Department has had with postmasters on this issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62386/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As in previous years, my Department staggers payments over the Christmas holiday period to cater for post offices, banks and credit unions being closed. This Christmas, double payments will be made in the week commencing Monday 19th of December. This ensures that people will receive their payments even though financial institutions and post offices are closed on Monday 26th, Tuesday 27th and Wednesday 28th December. Post offices, which are usually open on Saturday mornings, are also closed this year on Saturday 31st of December.
As the week leading up to Christmas Day is usually busy in post offices, there is a long-standing arrangement with An Post to bring payments forward in order to better manage footfall and to pay people an extra few days in advance to give them additional time to carry out their Christmas shopping.
The scheduling of the double week payments being made in the week commencing Monday 19 December 2022 is as follows:
- Friday 23rd December payments will be brought forward to Thursday 22nd December
- Thursday 22nd December payments will be brought forward to Wednesday 21st December.
- There is no change to payments due Monday 19th, Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st of December.
- Monday 2nd January 2023 payments will be paid on Friday 30th December 2022.
The Christmas payment arrangements were agreed by my Department in advance with An Post and follow similar payment schedules which have operated successfully for many years.
The Department of Social Protection’s contract for the provision of cash payment services is with An Post. The working arrangements of the postmasters is entirely a matter for the company. It would be inappropriate for my Department to involve itself in those matters.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Social Welfare Benefits
Ceisteanna (166)
Cathal Crowe
Ceist:166. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide clarity surrounding the new benefit payment for 65-year-olds (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62393/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Benefit Payment for 65 Year Olds, provided under the Jobseeker's Benefit schemes, was introduced in line with the Programme for Government commitment to address the position of people who are required to or choose to retire at age 65 before the pension age of 66.
The payment is designed to bridge the gap for people who retire from employment or self-employment at 65 until they qualify for the State Pension at age 66, i.e., for those who can demonstrate a recent attachment to the workforce. A person who retired or was made redundant in 2016 does not meet the conditions for the scheme.
Government has agreed to explore the design of a scheme to modify the current Benefit Payment for 65-year-olds to provide a benefit payment for people who, following a long working life, 40 years or more, are not in a position to remain working in their early 60s. Proposals from this process will be considered in due course.
I trust that this clarifies the position.
EU Data
Ceisteanna (167)
Thomas Pringle
Ceist:167. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide details of all fines, including the amounts, that her Department or agencies under the remit of her Department, have paid since the start of the 33rd Dáil term to the European Commission relating to cases for infringements of European Union law or failure to transpose EU law in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62428/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
There were no EU related fines paid by my Department, or agencies under the remit of my Department, during 2020, 2021and 2022.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Departmental Schemes
Ceisteanna (168)
Paul Murphy
Ceist:168. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she recognises the importance of saving the free hot meals scheme given that some of the children who depend on the meals may not only come from hubs, hostels or hotels but they also may come from a home where addiction is rampant (details supplied); and if she will confirm her Department’s plan to ensure that these hot meals continue to be provided to children who need them. [62436/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The School Meals Programme provides funding towards the provision of food services to some 1,600 schools and organisations benefitting 260,000 children. The objective of the programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children to position them to take full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement.
Budget 2022 provided €68.1 million for the programme with an additional €9m provided to allow access to all new DEIS schools from September 2022. Additional funding for the programme has been provided for 2023 bringing the total to €94.4m. This represents a 53% funding increase in the period since 2020.
Funding under the school meals programme can be provided for breakfast, snack, cold lunch, dinner, hot school meals and afterschool clubs and is based on a maximum rate per child per day, depending on the type of meal being provided.
In March 2022, the Minister for Education announced an extension of the DEIS status to an additional 320 schools from September 2022. In July, I announced that access to the hot school meal option would be extended to the 282 newly designated DEIS primary schools and to the cold lunch option to the 38 newly designated DEIS secondary schools from September benefitting some 60,000 children.
This means that, since my appointment as Minister for Social Protection, I have increased the number of schools with access to the Hot School Meal option from 37 to over 500.
I am committed to continuing to expand the school meals programme and building further on the significant extension of the programme in recent years. In this regard, I commissioned the evaluation of the school meals programme to review all elements of the programme, including the funding rates currently being provided for the various meal options. The final report is due to be completed by the end of the year and will help to inform future decisions around this important programme.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
State Pensions
Ceisteanna (169)
Brendan Griffin
Ceist:169. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person (details supplied) in County Kerry is entitled to credit contributions for the period that they were in receipt of disability allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62494/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Disability Allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged 16 or over and under the age of 66. This disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, means test and Habitual Residency conditions
The person concerned was in receipt of DA from 04 July 2007 to 1 November 2022.
On 09 December 2022, officials in the DA Section, sent a request to the Department’s Records Section in Buncrana to examine entitlements to PRSI Credits for the period the person concerned was in receipt of DA.
Records Section has confirmed that the person concerned is not entitled to Credits. In order to receive credits, a person must have paid or credited contributions in either of the last two complete income tax years.
There is a gap of more than two complete tax years in the social insurance record of the person concerned. Their last contribution was in 1999 before DA was awarded on 04 July 2007 and these contributions are S class contributions, which are not eligible for Social Welfare Credits to be awarded.
In order for the person concerned to be considered for reckonable credits in the future, they will need to work and pay PRSI contributions for a further 26 weeks before eligibility for credits is restored.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the deputy.
Social Welfare Eligibility
Ceisteanna (170)
Jennifer Carroll MacNeill
Ceist:170. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Social Protection the further supports that are available for a person (details supplied) who is in receipt of disability allowance and who is living with a partner; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62575/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The person concerned is in receipt of Invalidity Pension at the maximum weekly personal rate and has a travel pass. He is also in receipt of the Household Benefits Package which includes electricity allowance and free television licence. Fuel Allowance is in payment in the household.
From the information available to the department, the partner of the person concerned is in receipt of a payment in their own right and therefore an increase for a qualified adult is not payable in this case.
The person concerned received the Cost of Living double payment on 20 October 2022, the lump-sum Disability Support Grant of €500 on 17 November 2022 and the Christmas Bonus double payment on 8 December 2022. The person concerned is receiving his full entitlements from my department.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Social Welfare Benefits
Ceisteanna (171)
Neale Richmond
Ceist:171. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will introduce supports for single fathers that they can avail of if the other parent is already in receipt of existing parental supports; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62579/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
My Department provides the One-Parent Family Payment and Jobseeker's Transitional Payment to support mothers or fathers on low incomes who are parenting alone and who's youngest child is under age 14. In order to qualify, a lone parent must have main care and charge of at least one qualified child. Only one parent may qualify for One-Parent Family Payment or Jobseeker's Transitional Payment in respect of the same child.
In circumstances where one parent is in receipt of either of these payments and the other parent has an income need such that they are in receipt of another payment such as Jobseeker's Allowance, it is possible for a partial Increase for a Qualified Child to be made to the non-resident parent where that parent is contributing substantially to the maintenance of the child.
In this context "contributing substantially to the maintenance of the child" is taken to mean providing at least the current equivalent value of the Increase for a Qualified Child weekly rate whether that is in cash or in-kind.
Where the non-resident parent is not currently making such a contribution, but the Deciding Officer is satisfied that s/he would do so if an Increase for a Qualified Child were awarded, for example, if the person had done so previously when they could afford to, then it may also be accepted that the condition is fulfilled.
An Increase for a Qualified Child is payable only once at any one time in respect of any child for the same period, but it can be split between both parents in certain circumstances.
I trust this clarifies the position.
Social Welfare Benefits
Ceisteanna (172)
Patricia Ryan
Ceist:172. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to deal with the backlog of applications for supplementary welfare payments in counties Kildare, Laois and Offaly; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62590/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Staffing levels have been maintained in the Community Welfare Service (CWS) nationwide in recent years, even during times when demands on the service decreased significantly. This reflects my commitment to continue to support the delivery of locally based services to citizens. There are currently over 412 staff working in the CWS throughout the country, including 318 Community Welfare Officers (CWOs).
I have taken a number of steps to manage the increased level of Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) applications and improve service capacity, including:
- I recently secured agreement for some 74 additional staff to be assigned to the CWS. Recruitment has commenced and it is anticipated that staff will be in place by Q1 2023.
- In the interim until the staff have been recruited, 30 Social Welfare Inspectors have been temporarily reassigned to the CWS since the start of November to assist with claims processing.
- The introduction of a national CWS freephone line means that clients don't have to attend an office in person to make a claim or an enquiry.
- The rostering of staff ensures there is a full-time CWO presence in over 50 offices nationwide.
- The establishment of a back-office support team, to take-on the more routine administrative tasks associated with claim processing, frees up front-line CWOs to deal directly with client and their claims.
- The establishment of a national CWS Response Team, which is the primary resource in responding to pressure points and surges in demand for community welfare services.
- In addition, the Department is well advanced in the development of an online claim option.
These changes mean that the CWS is in a strong position to respond to the increase in service demand and is responding very well. These supports are being provided to counties Kildare, Laois and Offaly presently and will remain in place to ensure customer service in these counties,
If a SWA application is urgent, every effort is made to ensure the person receives a payment on the same day. CWOs are very experienced and can generally assess when a case is so urgent as to require an immediate response. Approximately 9% of SWA payments to customers across the country are made on this basis, which shows just how responsive the service is to an urgent customer need.
SWA applications are generally processed promptly. Delays in processing an application usually relate to cases where additional information or documentation has been requested from the applicant confirming the essential nature of the expense or the person’s inability to cover the expense from their normal income. This can result in longer processing times for these applications as greater flexibility is given to clients with extended time to respond. Upon receipt of this information, the application will then be processed quickly.
If the Deputy is concerned about a particular case, I would ask that she brings this to the attention of my Department.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
Community Employment Schemes
Ceisteanna (173)
Patricia Ryan
Ceist:173. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to ensure that community employment supervisors' long-standing pay claims are addressed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62591/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I value the role CE supervisors and assistant supervisors play on over 800 CE schemes in local communities across the country. They support CE participants to get work experience and develop future work opportunities for those who are long term unemployed, while providing essential services to local communities. As the Deputy is aware, CE supervisors and assistant supervisors are not employees of the Department and are not public servants. They are employees of individual schemes. This means that any discussions on employment related matters are complex.
In the role as funder of CE, Department of Social Welfare officials have ongoing engagement with community employment supervisors and their union representatives to discuss operational issues and other matters of common concern, the latest of these engagements was Thursday, 1st December.
The Department, as the funder of CE schemes, received correspondence earlier this year from Fórsa and SIPTU seeking a pay increase for CE supervisors and assistant supervisors. Fórsa and SIPTU have referred this pay claim to the conciliation service of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). The WRC has issued an invite to the Department to take part in a conciliation process.
Any increase in pay rates that could potentially increase the overall cost to the State of funding schemes must take into consideration the potential cost to the Exchequer. The Department has been in ongoing contact with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on this issue, given the potential cost and the knock-on effect it would have on the increased grant funding required to run schemes.
Minister Humphreys and I fully agree that there needs to be a process in place to deal with this pay claim. However, the Department can only participate in a process on the strict understanding that this is as the as funder of schemes.
I have been pressing for progress on this issue and am looking forward to positive engagement from all parties, including the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Social Welfare Benefits
Ceisteanna (174)
Patricia Ryan
Ceist:174. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will expedite an invalidity pension application of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62592/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The person referred to has been awarded invalidity pension with effect from 20 October 2022 and will receive her first payment to her nominated bank account on 15 December 2022. Any arrears due from 20 October 2022 to 14 December 2022 will issue shortly. The person in question was notified of this decision on 12 December 2022.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
Community Welfare Services
Ceisteanna (175)
Seán Sherlock
Ceist:175. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of customers seeking assistance from community welfare officers in each Intreo office in the country in each of the years 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [62631/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Community Welfare Service (CWS) delivers the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme which is the safety net within the overall social welfare system. This scheme helps eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependents. Supports provided under the SWA scheme can consist of a basic weekly payment, a weekly or monthly supplement in respect of certain expenses, as well as single Additional Needs Payments (ANPs).
The basic SWA provides immediate assistance for those in need who are awaiting the outcome of a claim or an appeal for a primary social welfare payment or do not qualify for payment under other State schemes.
Rent Supplement provides short-term income support to eligible people living in private rented accommodation whose means are insufficient to meet their accommodation costs and who do not have accommodation available to them from any other source. The scheme ensures that for those who were renting, but whose circumstances have changed due to temporary loss of employment, can continue to meet their rental commitments.
Under the SWA scheme, the Department can make ANPs to help meet expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income. This is an overarching 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 the client’s own resources and are deemed to be necessary.
An Exceptional Needs Payment (ENP) is a single payment to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. An urgent needs payment (UNP) may be made to persons who may not normally qualify for SWA but who have an urgent need which they cannot meet from their own resources or where an alternative is not available at that time.
Decisions on SWA applications 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.
While information on SWA schemes is not collated by Intreo Centre, it can be provided by county.
The table below provides the breakdown of basic SWA and ANP registered claims by county in the period January to September 2022:
|
County |
Basic SWA |
ANPs |
|
Carlow |
993 |
1,532 |
|
Cavan |
1,010 |
1,614 |
|
Clare |
1,988 |
3,663 |
|
Cork |
5,203 |
7,988 |
|
Donegal |
1,869 |
4,932 |
|
Dublin |
14,798 |
29,264 |
|
Galway |
2,547 |
4,484 |
|
Kerry |
2,743 |
4,762 |
|
Kildare |
1,921 |
3,213 |
|
Kilkenny |
1,210 |
2,131 |
|
Laois |
1,084 |
2,028 |
|
Leitrim |
494 |
1,405 |
|
Limerick |
2,278 |
3,674 |
|
Longford |
561 |
2,048 |
|
Louth |
1,901 |
2,807 |
|
Mayo |
1,475 |
2,677 |
|
Meath |
1,889 |
3,906 |
|
Monaghan |
479 |
685 |
|
Offaly |
1,049 |
2,134 |
|
Roscommon |
826 |
1,389 |
|
Sligo |
943 |
1,928 |
|
Tipperary |
1,895 |
3,521 |
|
Waterford |
1,639 |
2,905 |
|
Westmeath |
1,288 |
3,155 |
|
Wexford |
2,264 |
2,652 |
|
Wicklow |
1,723 |
3,118 |
|
Unknown |
- |
59 |
|
Total |
56,070 |
103,674 |
The table below provides the breakdown of awarded Rent Supplement (RS) claims by county as at the end of December 2020, 2021 and September 2022:
|
County |
Dec-20 |
Dec-21 |
Sep-22 |
|
Carlow |
191 |
149 |
111 |
|
Cavan |
192 |
149 |
145 |
|
Clare |
132 |
61 |
58 |
|
Cork |
2,357 |
1,858 |
1,516 |
|
Donegal |
142 |
71 |
56 |
|
Dublin |
10,018 |
6,973 |
5,071 |
|
Galway |
831 |
537 |
370 |
|
Kerry |
739 |
442 |
360 |
|
Kildare |
879 |
630 |
455 |
|
Kilkenny |
132 |
66 |
42 |
|
Laois |
124 |
53 |
38 |
|
Leitrim |
62 |
36 |
25 |
|
Limerick |
446 |
283 |
217 |
|
Longford |
64 |
44 |
34 |
|
Louth |
165 |
108 |
106 |
|
Mayo |
279 |
180 |
141 |
|
Meath |
277 |
172 |
129 |
|
Monaghan |
117 |
106 |
97 |
|
Offaly |
61 |
61 |
44 |
|
Roscommon |
131 |
86 |
57 |
|
Sligo |
138 |
88 |
60 |
|
Tipperary |
194 |
122 |
107 |
|
Waterford |
116 |
60 |
55 |
|
Westmeath |
392 |
274 |
203 |
|
Wexford |
411 |
280 |
218 |
|
Wicklow |
714 |
512 |
403 |
|
Total |
19,304 |
13,401 |
10,118 |
I trust this clarifies the matter.
Social Welfare Benefits
Ceisteanna (176, 178)
Thomas Gould
Ceist:176. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection the average wait time for an urgent needs' payment in Cork city. [62667/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThomas Gould
Ceist:178. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in Cork city who have availed of an urgent needs' payment in Q4 of 2022 and the same period in each of the years 2019 to 2021, in tabular form. [62669/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 176 and 178 together.
Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) 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 overarching term used to refer to Exceptional Needs Payment (ENPs) and Urgent Needs Payments (UNPs), and certain supplements to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from the person's own resources, and which are deemed to be necessary.
The scheme is demand led and payments are made at the discretion of the officers administering the schemes 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.
If an application is urgent, every effort is made to ensure the person receives a payment on the same day. Community Welfare Officers (CWOs) are very experienced and can generally assess when a case is so urgent as to require an immediate response. Approximately 9% of Community Welfare Services (CWS) payments to customers across the country are made on this basis, which shows just how responsive the service is to an urgent customer need.
The following is a table of UNPs awarded in Cork in Q4 in the years 2019, 2020 and 2021. Information for Q4 2022 is not yet available:
|
Year |
Number of UNPs |
|
2019 Q4 |
8 |
|
2020 Q4 |
17 |
|
2021 Q4 |
7 |
I trust this clarifies the matter.
Community Welfare Services
Ceisteanna (177)
Thomas Gould
Ceist:177. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection the average wait time for an appointment with a community welfare officer in Cork city. [62668/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Community Welfare Officers (CWOs) are physically on site daily in over 50 Intreo Centres across the country where they are available to be seen without an appointment, during business hours Monday to Friday including at the Cork City Intreo Centre. 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.
It is important to note that a person does not need to meet with a CWO to make a claim and any person who needs to access the CWS can call the National CWS freephone number at 0818 60 70 80, to make an appointment or to speak directly to a CWO. An appointment can be arranged within a short time of a person requiring such a meeting, at a mutually agreed location, including at the person's home. Alternatively, a person can speak with a CWO over the phone if they do not wish to wait or to travel to meet with a CWO in person – currently the CWOs on the phoneline are dealing with approx. 1,700 callers per week.
A person can apply for a Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) payment by completing a SWA1 form, which is widely available. It can be downloaded at www.gov.ie. It is available in all Intreo Centres and Branch Offices. It can also be requested by emailing cwsforms@welfare.ie or by calling 0818 60 70 80. Customers can also request a SWA1 form by using the Request Application Form page available on www.gov.ie. The completed application form and supporting documentation can be posted or dropped into the local Intreo Centre where it will be processed quickly.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
Question No. 178 answered with Question No. 176.
Community Employment Schemes
Ceisteanna (179)
Thomas Gould
Ceist:179. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of CE supervisors in Cork city. [62670/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Community Employment (CE) Scheme is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis.
CE sponsoring authorities employ supervisors, and in some cases assistant supervisors (in schemes with higher number of participants), to manage the administration of the scheme and the training and development of the CE participants employed on the scheme.
Currently there are 46 supervisors and 6 assistant supervisors employed by CE schemes that have participants working in locations in the Cork City area.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.