Written Answers Nos. 59-74
59. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the carer's allowance scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8285/16]
View answerI confirm that the department received an application for Carer’s Allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 4 December 2015. It is a condition for receipt of a CA that the person being cared for must have a disability whose effect is that they require full-time care and attention.
This is defined as requiring from another person, continual supervision and frequent assistance throughout the day in connection with normal bodily functions or continuous supervision in order to avoid danger to him or herself and likely to require that level of care for at least twelve months.
The evidence submitted in support of this application was examined and the deciding officer decided that this evidence did not indicate that the requirement for full-time care was satisfied.
The person concerned was notified on 5 April 2016 of this decision, the reason for it and of her right of review and appeal.
60. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when she will issue a decision on an application by a person (details supplied) under the domiciliary care allowance scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8287/16]
View answerAn application for domiciliary care allowance (DCA) was received from the person concerned on 14 March 2016. This application has been forwarded to one of the Department’s Medical Assessors for their medical opinion. Following receipt of this opinion, a decision will be made by a Deciding Officer and notified to the person concerned. It can currently take 12 weeks to process an application for DCA.
61. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection when she will issue a decision on an application by a person (details supplied) under the carer's allowance scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8288/16]
View answerI confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 18 January 2016. Unfortunately, the average time taken at present to decide a new application is longer that we want. Additional resources have been provided to the CA section in order to improve the waiting times for new applications and they are working hard to make this happen.
Frequently, delays are outside the control of the Department and are caused by the customer failing to fully complete the claim form or failing to attach the supporting documentation that is requested on the application form.
This application will be processed as quickly as possible and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome. In the meantime, if the means of the person concerned are insufficient to meet her needs she should apply for a means-tested supplementary welfare allowance from her local community welfare service.
62. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection why she cut funding for the Blanchardstown Centre for the Unemployed community employment scheme; the nature of the cut; if she will reverse this decision to protect the 26 persons employed there; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8293/16]
View answerI can confirm that the situation with regard to Blanchardstown Centre for the Unemployed is at outlined to the Deputy in the correspondence copied to him on 20 April 2016. The Department's officials are in contact with the Sponsor Board in relation to the matter.
63. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection to expedite an application by a person (details supplied) under the carer's allowance scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8307/16]
View answerI confirm that the department received an application for carer’s allowance (CA) from the person concerned on 22 March 2016. Unfortunately, the average time taken at present to decide a new application is running at 19 weeks. Additional resources have been provided to the CA section in order to improve the waiting times for new applications and they are working hard to make this happen.
Frequently, delays are outside the control of the Department and are caused by the customer failing to fully complete the claim form or failing to attach the supporting documentation that is requested on the application form.
This application will be processed as quickly as possible and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome. In the meantime, the person concerned is in receipt of a weekly social welfare support.
64. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection to expedite an appeal by a person (details supplied) under the carer's allowance scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8334/16]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 25 February 2016. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Social Protection. These papers have been received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 14 April 2016 and the case will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.
65. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the invalidity pension scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8336/16]
View answerThe person concerned has been awarded invalidity pension with effect from the 24 September 2015. Payment will issue to her nominated bank account on the 12 May 2016. Any arrears due from 24 September 2015 to 11 May 2016 (less any overlapping social welfare payment and/or outstanding overpayment) will issue in due course. The person in question was notified of this decision on the 25 April 2016.
66. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the disability allowance scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8337/16]
View answerThe person concerned has been awarded disability allowance with effect from 3 February 2016. The first payment and arrears due were made to him by his chosen payment method on 6 April 2016.
67. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) under the disability allowance scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8338/16]
View answerI can confirm that the department is in receipt of an application for disability allowance from the above named person on 9 February 2016.
On 21 April 2016 the person concerned was requested to supply additional supporting documentation required by the deciding officer in order to make a decision on eligibility. On receipt of this information a decision will be made and the person concerned will be notified of the outcome.
In addition, the person in question has lodged a claim for invalidity pension which is also under examination by the Department.
68. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the status of an appeal by a person (details supplied) under the disability allowance scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8349/16]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 8 March 2016, who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.
69. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection to report on the management of the redundancy scheme fund for the period 1967 to 2015, during which time it was known as the redundancy fund, 1967 to 1984, the redundancy and employer’s insolvency fund, 1984 to 1991, and the redundancy and employer’s insolvency fund and which merged with other funds within the social insurance fund, 1991 to date; and if the fund was in surplus on 31 December 2013. [8350/16]
View answer70. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the characteristics of the redundancy scheme fund for 1967 to 2016 to date including the income into the fund, the costs borne by the fund, the year-end surplus and deficit and the cumulative reserve built up over the years; and if she has used the cumulative reserves for the purposes set out in the redundancy and the employer insolvency legislation. [8351/16]
View answer71. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she has managed the redundancy scheme fund in an accountable and transparent manner; if this is subject to independent third-party scrutiny; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8352/16]
View answer72. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection to consider the operation of the redundancy scheme fund as a vital measure in providing mitigation by way of rebates on the statutory payment made to employees for enterprises, especially small and medium sized enterprises, as providers of employment and as revenue collectors for the Exchequer, as a vital component of the economy and as creators of wealth. [8353/16]
View answer73. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection her assessment of the redundancy scheme fund as a governance stabilising measure for the employment market, especially in the small and medium enterprise sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8354/16]
View answer74. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she has acted effectively as trustee of the redundancy scheme fund and managed its funds and surpluses properly and prudently; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8355/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 69 to 74, inclusive, together.
The purpose of the redundancy payments scheme is to compensate workers for the loss of their jobs by reason of redundancy, as provided for under the Redundancy Payments Acts, Compensation is based on the worker’s length of reckonable service and reckonable weekly remuneration, subject to a ceiling of €600 per week.
It is the responsibility of the employer to pay statutory redundancy to its eligible employees. Where an employer can prove to the satisfaction of the Department that it is unable to pay the statutory redundancy to its eligible employees, the Department will make lump sum payments directly to the eligible employees from the Social Insurance Fund (SIF). Amounts paid under such circumstances are sought back from employers. In addition where employers become insolvent, certain other outstanding statutory entitlements (arrears of wages, holiday pay etc.) may be paid from the SIF. The Minister for Social Protection becomes a preferential creditor in the winding-up of companies in respect of monies paid from the SIF.
Under the provisions of Section 24(4) of the Social Welfare Act 1990 all moneys standing to the credit of the Redundancy and Employers’ Insolvency Fund on 30 April 1990 were transferred to the SIF on 1 May 1990.
The SIF was established by the Social Welfare Act 1952 (as amended) and operates under the terms of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act (SWCA) 2005. Under section 9 of that Act the SIF comprises of a current account which is managed and controlled by the Minister for Social Protection and an investment account which is managed and controlled by the Minister for Finance. The annual statutory accounts of the SIF are prepared in the form and manner approved by the Minister for Finance. There is a separate account prepared for the current account and the investment account. These accounts are audited by the C&AG and are laid on an annual basis before the Houses of the Oireachtas and are subject to PAC examination.
The income of the SIF derives mainly from Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contributions. In addition to redundancy payment entitlements, social insurance benefits and occupational injury benefits are paid out of the SIF.
SWCA 2005 allows for PRSI to be paid into either the investment account or the current account of the SIF. It requires surplus funds in the current account not required for expenditure purposes to be transferred to the investment account for investment purposes. In accordance with section 9 (9) of SWCA 2005, the SIF has received a state subvention since 2010 in order to bridge the gap between its PRSI income and its social insurance related expenditure. As at the 31 December 2015 the SIF had no surplus funds on hand. A table is set out below which shows the SIF income and expenditure for the period 2006-2015.
Significant and increasing amounts were paid out in redundancy rebates to employers from the SIF during the economic crisis. While the SIF is constituted primarily from employer contributions, the taxpayers’ contribution is also significant. One of the factors which influenced the Government’s decision in Budget 2013 to abolish the rebate was the increasing cost of rebates to often profitable companies. I acknowledge the contribution made by these enterprises in the creation of employment. However, the cost of making rebates is very significant and any consideration given to the provision of rebates for employers in the future must have regard to the overall budgetary parameters available.
SIF Income and Expenditure 2006-2015
|
- |
SIF Income |
SIF Expenditure |
Operating Surplus/Deficit |
Cumulative Surplus at end of year |
Exchequer Subvention Requirement |
|
Year |
€,000 |
€,000 |
€,000 |
€,000 |
€,000 |
|
2006 |
6,974,411 |
6,325,554 |
648,857 |
3,049,141 |
|
|
2007 |
7,834,147 |
7,250,990 |
583,157 |
3,632,298 |
|
|
2008 |
8,144,410 |
8,399,739 |
(255,329) |
3,376,969 |
|
|
2009 |
7,297,601 |
9,784,225 |
(2,486,624) |
890,345 |
|
|
2010 |
6,709,681 |
9,460,835 |
(2,751,154) |
1,477* |
(1,862,286)** |
|
2011 |
7,543,883 |
9,004,245 |
(1,460,362) |
1,477 |
(1,460,362) |
|
2012 |
6,785,557 |
8,869,567 |
(2,084,010) |
1,477 |
(2,084,010) |
|
2013 |
7,317,505 |
8,631,635 |
(1,314,130) |
1,477 |
(1,314,130) |
|
2014 |
7,891,344 |
8,433,142 |
(541,798) |
1,477 |
(541,798) |
|
2015 |
8,497,687 |
8,616,724 |
(119,037) |
1,477 |
(119,037)*** |
*The 2010-2015 cumulative surplus represents the book value of the Departments HQ premises vested in the Minister for Social Protection on behalf of the Fund.
**In this period Vote Subvention commenced in mid-2010.
***The 2015 figures are provisional and are subject to audit by the C&AG.
