Written Answers Nos. 722-746
723. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to outline the initial grant offered to homeowners impacted by the defective blocks scheme; the reason there will be variances in the amount of grant received; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15504/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI commenced the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Act 2022 (the Act) on 22 June 2023 which contains the enhanced grant scheme and adopted the related Regulations on 29 June 2023.
I understand the question relates to the calculation of grant amounts under the enhanced grant scheme, which are determined in accordance with the Act and the Regulations.
In the case of a remediation option which requires the home to be demolished and rebuilt the grant will be calculated by reference to the size of a home. The grant calculation is based on the internal authorised floor area of a home by the square meter rate subject to an overall cap.
In the case of a remediation option which requires the blockwork in the home to be removed and replaced the grant will be calculated by reference to the amount of blockwork being removed and replaced by the square meter rate subject to an overall cap.
The Housing Agency act as agents on behalf of local authorities under the enhanced grant scheme and recommend the appropriate remediation option and grant amount for each home.
725. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason the dietary supplement payment was stopped; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15052/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraDiet supplement, administered under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, is payable to qualifying persons, in receipt of the supplement prior to February 2014, who have been prescribed a special diet because of a specified medical condition. There are currently 1,044 people in receipt of diet supplement.
A review of the costs of healthy eating and specialised diets by the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute was commissioned by the Department during 2013. The research showed that the average costs across all the retail outlets of the diets supplemented under the scheme could be met from within one-third of the minimum personal rate of social welfare payment, i.e. the Supplementary Welfare Allowance rate, which was then paid at €186 per week (and is currently paid at €230 per week). The diet supplement scheme was discontinued for new applicants from 1 February 2014 based on this evidence.
Recipients continue to receive the diet supplement at their existing rate of payment for as long as they continue to have an entitlement to the scheme or until their circumstances change. This ensured that nobody was immediately worse off by the closure of the scheme.
The Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme is the safety net within the overall social welfare system in that it provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependents. Supports provided under the 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.
Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, a supplement can be awarded to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from the client’s own resources and are deemed to be necessary. In addition, officers can make a single Additional Needs Payment to help meet essential, once-off expenditure, which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. Decisions on Additional Needs Payments and supplements 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.
Any person who considers that they may have an entitlement to financial support should contact their local Community Welfare Service for assistance. There is a National Community Welfare Contact Centre in place - 0818 607080 - which will direct callers to the appropriate office.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
726. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection if child benefit payments can be extended for students in full-time education up to the age of 21 years, due to the escalating cost of living families are enduring at this present time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13566/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraChild Benefit is a universal monthly payment made to families with children up to the age of 16 years. The payment continues to be paid in respect of children until their eighteenth birthday who are in full-time education, or who have a disability.
In Budget 2024, the Government decided to extend the payment of Child Benefit to 18-year-olds who are in full-time education or have a disability. This was one of my key priorities in the Budget.
This is a significant change to the Child Benefit scheme. It requires technical and operational changes before implementation.
We had originally provided that the change would take effect from September this year. However, I am very pleased that we are now able to bring this important change in from an earlier date. The legislation required to do that was enacted last month. As a result, the measure will be brought in from the first of May. In the region of 60,000 children are expected to benefit from this measure annually. The additional estimated cost of bringing the commencement date forward to May is €21.6 million.
Families on low incomes may be able to avail of a number of social welfare schemes that support children in full-time education until the age of 22, including:
• increase for a Qualified Child with primary social welfare payments;
• the Working Family Payment for low-paid employees with children; and
• the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance (where the child is at second level).
These schemes provide targeted assistance that is directly linked to household income and thereby support low-income families with older children participating in full-time education.
Any further extension of Child Benefit would have significant cost implications and could only be considered in an overall budgetary context.
727. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on an invalidity pension application (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13581/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraInvalidity Pension is a payment for people who are permanently incapable of work because of illness or incapacity and for no other reason and who satisfy the contribution conditions.
Following a successful appeal, the person concerned has been awarded Invalidity Pension with effect from 3 November 2022 and will receive their first payment to their nominated bank account on 4 April 2024. Any arrears due from 3 November 2022 to 3 April 2024 will issue shortly. The person in question was notified of this decision on 19 March 2024.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
728. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if an application for a State pension (non-contributory) will be approved for a person (details supplied) as a matter of urgency. [13585/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraState pension non-contributory is a means-tested payment for people aged 66 and over, habitually residing in the State, who do not qualify for a state pension contributory, or who only qualify for a reduced rate contributory pension based on their social insurance record.
For the purposes of the means-test, at initial application stage and throughout the lifetime of the pension claim, an applicant must provide full and up to date details of any income(s), asset(s), savings and investment(s) they hold, and notify any changes that occur that may affect their pension entitlement. In all cases, sufficient supporting documentation must be furnished by the applicant in order to enable a Deciding Officer to correctly assess if they satisfy the eligibility conditions and their possible weekly pension payment entitlement.
The person concerned initially submitted an application for state pension non-contributory on 12 May 2022. The person’s pension claim was assigned to a Social Welfare Inspector in order to investigate their habitual residency in the state and their weekly means. As the person failed to reply to a request for further information or to the Inspector’s request for interview, their pension application was disallowed. They were notified in writing of this decision and of their right to request a review or to appeal the decision to the independent Social Welfare Appeals Office.
The person concerned reapplied for state pension non-contributory in August 2023. The case was referred to a Social Welfare Inspector who sought the required information from the applicant. On 21 February 2024, following receipt of the Inspector’s report, a Deciding Officer disallowed the application and their decision, and the applicant’s right of review/appeal, was conveyed in writing to the applicant at that time.
At the end of February 2024, the person concerned provided some of the requested information / documentation. However, to date, and despite reminders issuing, the person has failed to return a completed ‘HRC’ form, providing details of their residency in the state. This was explained to the person in a telephone call by the Deciding Officer on 27 March 2024. A further request by letter issued to the person on that date, enclosing a HRC form for completion and return.
When the required information is provided, the Deciding Officer will review the person’s state pension non-contributory application and they will be notified of the outcome.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
729. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration will be given to allowing the payment of children's allowance to all students over 18 who are still in school, from when they turned 18, and their children's allowance was stopped; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13659/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraChild Benefit is a monthly payment made to families with children up to the age of 16 years. Currently, the payment continues to be paid in respect of children until their 18th birthday where they are in full-time education, or have a disability.
In Budget 2024, the Government decided to extend the payment of Child Benefit to 18-year-olds who are in full-time education or have a disability. This was one of my key priorities in the Budget.
With many children now starting primary school at age 5, together with the increase in pupils doing transition year, there has been an increase in the number of 18-year-olds still in secondary education. I believe the extension of Child Benefit to 18-year-olds in full-time education is a long-term change for the better and will support families across Ireland into the future.
This is a significant change to the Child Benefit scheme. It requires technical and operational changes before implementation.
We had originally provided that the change would take effect from September this year. However, I am very pleased that we are now able to bring this important change in from an earlier date. The legislation required to do that was enacted last month. As a result, the measure will be brought in from May. In the region of 60,000 children are expected to benefit from this measure annually. The additional estimated cost of bringing the commencement date forward to May is €21.6 million.
In the case of a child who has already turned 18 and who is still in full-time education, Child Benefit will be payable again from May 2024 up to their 19th birthday, or until they leave full-time education, whichever is sooner.
As the measure comes into effect from 1st May, where a child turns 18 in the meantime, there will be no payment for any intervening period up to May 2024, which is the usual approach for changes to the social welfare system that take effect from a future date.
I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
730. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide the estimated savings that may accrue in a full year following recent changes to social protection payments to beneficiaries of temporary protection; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13670/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraNew legislation to bring into effect a revised approach to supporting new arrivals from Ukraine has been implemented from 14 March 2024.
Under the revised approach, anyone fleeing the war in Ukraine who seeks State-provided accommodation in Ireland will be accommodated for a maximum of 90 days. During this time, they will be provided with food, laundry, other services and integration supports in Designated Accommodation Centres.
Standard social welfare payments will no longer be available to a person while they are resident in Designated Accommodation Centres. Instead, a person will be entitled to a weekly allowance of €38.80 per adult and €29.80 per child, in respect of daily expenses. Entitlement to Child Benefit is not affected by these changes.
When they leave the Designated Accommodation Centre, or if they make their own accommodation arrangements on arrival, they will be entitled to apply for standard social welfare assistance, subject to meeting the standard eligibility conditions.
The Government has made these changes in order to continue to meet the EU Temporary Protection Directive requirements, whilst aligning more closely with other EU Member States approaches.
An estimate of any possible savings as a result of this change is not available at this time. This is due to the number, range and uncertainty of variables involved, including the future arrival rate of beneficiaries of temporary protection, the future State accommodation provision rate for that cohort, the future demographic composition of that cohort, and the projected future employment rate of any portion of that cohort not housed in a designated accommodation.
Separately, I understand that the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth estimate costs associated with this new payment as being in the order of €8.5 million in 2024.
731. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Social Protection if foetal alcohol spectrum disorder is considered a disability for disability payment purposes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13676/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department provides a suite of income supports for those who are unable to work due to an illness or disability. These include contributory payments based on PRSI contributions, such as Illness Benefit and Invalidity Pension, and non-contributory payments based on a means test, such as Disability Allowance.
Entitlement to these supports is contingent on the extent to which a particular illness or disability impairs or restricts a person’s capacity to work. It is not dependent on the nature of the illness or disability.
Every application for the Department's schemes is individually assessed, based on the medical information provided by healthcare providers and the claimant and taking into account the opinion of the Department’s Medical Assessor.
As well as income supports, my Department also provides supports for parents and guardians who care for children with additional needs.
Domiciliary Care Allowance is one such support. It is a monthly payment to a parent or guardian in respect of a child aged under 16 who has a severe disability and requires care and attention substantially over and above that usually needed by a child of the same age. The payment is not means-tested. There is no restriction on the number of children for whom a person may claim the payment. In other words, where a person is caring for more than one child who qualifies for Domiciliary Care Allowance, they may claim the monthly allowance for each.
Since January, the rate of Domiciliary Care Allowance increased from €330 to €340 per month. This monthly payment has increased by €30.50 under this Government.
I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
732. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason the blind pension is means tested while the invalidity pension is not; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13742/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department provides a suite of income supports for those unable to work due to illness or disability. These include insurance-based schemes, based on Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contributions, and means-tested social assistance schemes.
The primary social assistance scheme for people who are blind or visually impaired is the Blind Pension, which is a means-tested payment payable to those aged between 18 and 66. Blind Pension is the only income support payment designed to cater for a specific disability.
Eligibility for Blind Pension requires that a person’s vision is impaired to such an extent that they cannot perform any work for which eyesight is essential or cannot continue in their ordinary occupation. The scheme is designed to support recipients to avail of opportunities to pursue their own employment ambitions, be that self-employment or insurable employment.
Means-testing of Blind Pension is a statutory requirement under social welfare legislation. The means test plays a critical role in determining if an income need arises as a consequence of a particular contingency - be that illness, caring, unemployment or disability.
To be eligible for Blind Pension a person does not need to have prior social insurance contributions.
Invalidity Pension, on the other hand, is a social insurance scheme. Eligibility is based on PRSI contributions and medical condition. In order to qualify, the person must have been incapable of work for at least 12 months and be likely to be incapable of work for at least another 12 months or must be permanently incapable of work.
My Department is committed to consulting on proposals to reform long-term disability payments, including Blind Pension and Invalidity Pension. In this regard, I launched a Green Paper and a public consultation last September to reform disability payments in Ireland. The consultation period has been extended to 31st July 2024 and details are available at www.gov.ie/disabilitypaymentsreform.
I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
733. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount spent by her Department on travel and accommodation costs associated with Ministerial visits abroad to date in 2024, in tabular form. [13813/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraTo date in 2024, no foreign travel or accommodation costs were incurred by the Department of Social Protection to cover costs associated with Ministerial visits abroad.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
734. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of properties either owned or leased by her Department, which are currently vacant; the length of time the properties have been vacant for; and the location of the properties, in tabular form. [13831/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Social Protection does not own or lease any properties.
With the exception of the Department headquarters - Áras Mhic Dhiarmada, Store Street, Dublin 1, which is held by the Minister on behalf of the Social Insurance Fund, all buildings and property occupied by the Department of Social Protection, are owned or leased by the Office of Public Works.
735. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is aware that her Department is asking people who received an award under the Caranua Scheme to supply a letter from Caranua confirming the date and amount of the award, despite the fact that they signed a non-disclosure clause; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13849/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraSocial Welfare legislation provides for the manner in which a person's means are assessed for social assistance schemes. In summary, any income or capital, with certain exceptions and disregards, belonging to the person and his / her spouse, partner or cohabitant, is assessed for social welfare means testing purposes.
Social Welfare legislation provides for the disregard of certain compensation awards and ex gratia payments when assessing the means of a person. These disregards include, for example, all income derived from payments awarded by the Hepatitis C and HIV Compensation Tribunal, the Residential Institutions Redress Board and payments made in relation to disability caused by Thalidomide.
Documentary evidence may be required to determine if compensation or court awards are in fact those included in the list of payments to be disregarded in accordance with Social Welfare legislation. All supporting documentation required for the purposes of determining entitlement to any payment is treated in accordance with the Department's data protection obligations.
If the Deputy has a specific case in mind in relation to this particular compensation scheme I would be happy to take the details and arrange to have it examined.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
736. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will intervene in the case of a person (details supplied) to ensure that the person involved will have access to a social protection payment that will allow them to apply for social housing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13889/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person concerned submitted a One Parent Family (OPF) claim on 25/01/2024.
On February 13th, the claim was disallowed on the basis the person concerned is not separated from her spouse/partner. This decision was made under Section 172(1)(c) & Section 177(a) of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, as amended, and Article 125 of S.I. No. 142 of 2007, as amended.
The person concerned does not qualify for One-Parent family as they are not a qualified parent under Social Welfare Legislation. A qualified parent is a separated spouse.
The person concerned has not submitted an appeal against this decision to date.
This claim has now been reviewed resulting in no grounds to overturn the original decision.
737. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is satisfied that all calculations for the purpose of determining an entitlement to an increase for a qualified adult for the State pension (contributory) have been determined correctly in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13901/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person concerned is currently in receipt of an increase for a qualified adult (IQA) in respect of their spouse.
The IQA is a means-tested payment, payable to a person whose spouse, civil partner or cohabitant is being wholly or mainly maintained by them, and where that qualified adult’s personal means from any source does not exceed an income limit.
Where a qualified adult has weekly means of less than €100, the maximum rate of IQA is payable. Where their weekly means are over €100 and not more than €310, a tapering reduced rate of IQA is payable. If the qualified adult has means of more than €310 per week, this exceeds the means limit and there is no entitlement to an IQA payment.
As part of my Department’s commitment to ensuring that claimants are receiving their full and correct entitlements, ongoing reviews of all means tested payments are carried out. A review of the IQA was undertaken on 14 September 2022. It was determined that the weekly means assessable were €206.00 resulting in a reduction in the rate payable to €134.40 per week from 10 February 2023.
The decision was appealed to the Social Welfare Appeals Office. On 3 January 2024, the decision to reduce the allowance was upheld.
It is open to the person concerned to request a review of their entitlement should circumstances change in the future. It is also open to the spouse of the person concerned to apply for the State Pension (non-contributory) which is a means-tested, residency-based payment for people of pension age. The maximum personal weekly rate is €266.00 which is approximately 96% of the maximum rate of contributory pension. I have arranged for an application form to issue.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
738. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if and when child benefit will be awarded to a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13916/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraChild Benefit is a monthly payment made to families with children up to the age of 16 years. Currently, the payment continues to be paid in respect of children until their 18th birthday who are in full-time education, or who have a disability.
From May 1st, Child Benefit will be paid to anyone who is 18 and in full-time education (including 3rd level), or who has a disability, up until their 19th birthday.
Child Benefit is a payment made to the parent with whom a child resides most of the time. The person concerned is not currently in receipt of Child Benefit and further investigation is required to establish who the qualified person is for payment of Child Benefit.
When a decision is made, it will be communicated to the person concerned and if a positive decision is made, arrears will issue.
I trust that this helps clarify the position.
739. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason the Pensions Council has failed to publish an independent evaluation report (details supplied) along with the approved minutes of its December 2023 meeting, as required by Rule 18 of its rules of procedure; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13918/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe proposal referred to in the question had been considered by officials in my Department and elsewhere previously. Then, in the context of the Pensions Council being the independent statutory body established to provide the Minister with advice on pensions matters, I requested the Council, in April 2023, to provide me with its own assessment of the proposal under five different headings.
Membership of the Council has been constituted to ensure the relevant skills, specialist knowledge and experience are in place to allow for the provision of collective advice, information and assistance in the development of pensions policy. On this particular matter, the Council additionally procured the services of an independent academic to assist with its consideration of the technical feasibility of the proposal.
The Council recently concluded its assessment and submitted its final report to me, together with a copy of the independently commissioned technical assessment. I will consider any relevant recommendations of the Council in due course.
I am informed that the Council published its final report on the proposal, along with the independently commissioned technical assessment, on its website on 3rd of April. I am also informed that the minutes to which the Deputy refers are present. For further information, the website address is: https://pensionscouncil.ie/
The Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024 is now published and is due to be progressed through the Oireachtas over the coming weeks. The Bill aligns with the final design approved by Government in March 2022.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
740. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Social Protection her Department's policy on protection of social insurance entitlements for parents who leave paid work to provide periods of care in the home, such as for young children; her plans to review situations where workers have lost social insurance entitlements as a result of exiting the workforce for periods to provide care in the home; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13968/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe social welfare system provides 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.
This is provided through the award of credits and/or disregards while an individual is engaged in caring. Details of these are:
• Credits – PRSI credits are awarded to recipients of 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. These credits are usually awarded at the employee's last rate of PRSI paid and may be used to maintain entitlement to a range of the Department's schemes.
• The Homemaker’s Scheme - The scheme is designed to help homemakers and carers qualify for State pension (contributory). The scheme allows periods caring for children or people with a caring need to be disregarded when working out a person's yearly average contributions for a State pension (contributory). This can make it easier for a homemaker to qualify for the pension.
• HomeCaring Periods – 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. Homecaring periods can only be used under the aggregated contribution method (also known as the interim total contributions approach) of State pension (contributory) calculation.
Despite these measures, some long-term carers of incapacitated dependents may still face barriers in accessing the State pension (contributory). This was recognised by the Pensions Commission in its report which recommended that long-term carers should be given access to the State pension (contributory) and defined long-term caring as caring for more than 20 years. It was also recognised that long-term carers may, for example, have difficulty establishing the minimum number of 10 years (520) paid contributions.
One of the key landmark pension reform measures I introduced from January this year was to enhance State pension provision for people who have been caring for incapacitated dependents for 20 years or more. This is achieved by attributing the equivalent of paid contributions to long-term carers to cover gaps in their contribution record. In implementing this reform I was particularly conscious of carers who have been unable to work and have been caring for a child with a disability through childhood and now into adulthood.
It should be noted that if a person does not satisfy the conditionality to qualify for a contributions-based benefit they may qualify for a means tested assistance payment or a payment under the supplementary welfare provisions.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
741. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection the current status of an invalidity pension appeal by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13980/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making functions.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an Invalidity Pensions appeal by the person concerned was received in that office on 8th February2024. The appeal was registered by that office on 20th March 2024. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When these papers have been received from the Department, the case in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if necessary, hold an oral appeal hearing.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
742. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Social Protection the current situation regarding a social welfare appeal in respect of disability allowance for a person in County Cork (details supplied). [13986/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making functions.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that a Disability Allowance appeal by the person concerned was received in that Office on 20th March 2024. The appeal was registered by that office on 20th March 2024. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When these papers have been received from the Department, the case in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if necessary, hold an oral appeal hearing.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
743. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection the current status of a carer’s allowance appeal (details supplied); when a decision is likely to be reached; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13988/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making functions.
I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all the evidence, disallowed the appeal of the person concerned by way of summary decision on the 23rd October 2023.
Under Social Welfare legislation, the decision of the Appeals Officer is final and conclusive and may only be reviewed by an Appeals Officer in the light of new evidence or new facts. I am advised that the person concerned subsequently submitted additional evidence and the appeal was assigned to another Appeals Officer to review the appeal on foot of this additional evidence. That Appeals Officer did not find any new facts or evidence which warranted a revision of the earlier decision. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision on 4th January 2024.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
744. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason an invalidity appeal (details supplied) is taking so long to obtain an answer [13990/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making functions.
As was confirmed in PQ Ref: 42106/23 an appeal on behalf of the person concerned was received by the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 11 July 2023. However, as the 21 days allowed for making such an appeal had lapsed, the SWAO confirmed to the person concerned that they would not allow a late appeal application. A letter outlining this issued to the person concerned on 26 September 2023.
The application was subsequently accepted and an appeal by the person concerned was registered on the 8th February 2024. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought.
These papers have now been received and the case was assigned to an Appeals Officer on 23rd February 2024, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if necessary, hold an oral appeal hearing.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
745. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will issue on a working family payment application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14066/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraWorking Family Payment (WFP) is a weekly in-work support which provides an income top-up for employees on low earnings with children. To qualify for Working Family Payment, the customer must have at least one qualified child who normally resides with them and be working a minimum of 38 hours per fortnight in ongoing insurable employment.
A review of WFP for the person concerned has been completed and the claim has been awarded from 14th March 2024.
Arrears due to the person concerned from the date of the WFP claim have been issued.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
746. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made on a pay claim by RSS and TÚS supervisors that was lodged with the Department some time ago; the reason for the delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14069/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department operates a number of employment support schemes; including Tús, Rural Social Scheme (RSS) and Community Employment (CE), for long term unemployed persons and low income farmers/fishers. I would like to acknowledge the important role that Tús and RSS supervisors play in providing valuable opportunities to participants in supporting the delivery of key services to local communities across the country. It should be noted that Tús and RSS supervisors are employees of the individual Implementing Bodies (Local Development Companies), which are funded by the Department. In early 2023, union representatives and employers agreed, with the assistance of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) and the support of Department officials, a wage increase of 5% for supervisors employed on Tús, RSS and CE schemes.Officials in my Department continue to hold regular meetings with the supervisor's representative associations to discuss issues in relation to the delivery of all employment programmes. In recent meetings the representatives raised the issue of pay parity for Tús and RSS with CE supervisors.It is important to note that there are differences in the work undertaken by CE supervisors compared to that undertaken by Tús and RSS, relating, for example, to the preparation of individual learning plans. As a consequence, we would expect the service fees paid to the service providers to reflect this difference in scope. My Department, as funder of these schemes, is considering the complexities involved in addressing this issue. It is also important to note that any changes to the fees paid or the funding model will require the approval of the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform. My Department officials are continuing to engage with officials in Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform in relation to this issue.Officials in my Department continue to work with the Implementation Bodies and staff representatives.
I wish to assure the Deputy that my Department values the work undertaken by all supervisors and the great contribution they provide to all participants and communities throughout the State.
I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
