My understanding, from discussions with officials, is that the rate has not increased over time, notwithstanding the fact that 70% of disallowed claims eventually do get granted. The explanation for this is the supply of the medical information. It tends not to be supplied in the initial application, at least in these particular cases.

There is an amenability in the Department in terms of looking at the question of backdating claims. People get the application in as soon as possible and then some of the medical information follows. We are looking at a way of maybe improving that. It is also important to state that budget 2023 saw new legislation coming into effect, with a new provision put in place making domiciliary care allowance available for children with severe illness or disability who remain in hospital for up to six months after birth.

According to data compiled by my Department, the average employer social insurance contribution rate across the EU stands at approximately 19.5%. Ireland's current higher employer social insurance rate is 11.05%. However, it is important to note that social insurance rates across Europe are not directly comparable as different benefits, thresholds and ceilings apply across each member state. Following Government decisions in response to the report of the Commission on Pensions and the publication of the Actuarial R…

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I thank the Deputy for his question and I am pleased to take this opportunity on behalf of the Department of Education to assure him and this House that not only will all vacant SENO posts across the country be filled but there will be a significant increase in the number of SENOs employed by the NCSE in the very near future. A nationwide competition for the recruitment of SENOs was advertised in October 2023 with a closing date of 2 November for receipt of applications, and it has had huge interest. At present, th…

On behalf of the Minister for Education, I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it provides me with an opportunity to clarify the position concerning the Department of Education’s plans and specifically regarding the application for a PE Hall at Seamount College, Kinvara, County Galway. The Deputy may be aware that Seamount College is a mixed Catholic secondary school in the town of Kinvara. The school had an enrolment in September 2022 of 608 pupils and in September 2023 of 620 pupils. The school is located…

I will not go through the answer again. There is obviously significant construction planned for the school, including special needs education rooms. I do not understand the situation described by the Deputy, nor can I pretend to. There may be reasons for it. There may be particularities around the site or the school that I am not aware of. However, I commit to raising the matter directly with the Minister.

I thank the Deputy for raising these issues. I am aware that the risk of flooding has a significant impact on communities. I am also aware of the distress flooding can cause to people and the impact it can have on their homes, businesses and farms. In 2018, the OPW completed the largest study of flood risk ever undertaken by the State, the catchment flood risk assessment management, CFRAM, study, to establish which communities are at risk from significant flood events. This provided the roadmap for the delivery of …

I certainly will do so. The Deputy has made some very clear points and suggestions, which I will convey to the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan. I will read out the information I have on the Shannon Callows as it may be of interest and use to the Deputy. I understand a tender will issue in January for an ecological consultant to carry out a high-level environmental study. The study will consider the possible impacts of the excavation of material at key locations in the Shannon river channel, the longer term main…

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. As her question was framed in a general way, I will begin with some general points and I can provide more specifics in my follow-up response. On behalf of the Minister for Education, I will outline the position with regard to primary and post-primary school places in north County Dublin for September 2024 and onwards. I assure the Deputy that the provision of school places to meet the needs of children and young people at primary and post-primary level, including children…

Skerries Community College was approved for a project to cater for a school with 1,300 students and four classes for students with special education needs. The project was devolved for delivery to the ETB. Significant technical challenges for the delivery of the project on the current site were identified. The Department met with the ETB in August in order to assist the ETB progress the project. The ETB is now engaging in identifying options to advance the project in light of the significant site constraints discus…

I will take a moment to speak about racism. It is racism as opposed to racists that it is important to address. Racism is an everyday fact of life for people of colour in Ireland. It is this way because racism goes unidentified and unchallenged by many of us who would never classify ourselves as racist. As the Minister of State with responsibility for community development and the national action plan against racism, I plead with people to stop sharing and believing material in their social networks that indicates …

I thank Deputies for their contributions. There are some areas of difference but it is fair to say the Bill has been broadly welcomed, as have the measures in the budget. I know there is an ongoing question of income adequacy and we are still in a cost-of-living crisis. I understand the concerns about core rates and how people see them as inadequate. The full picture has to include the lump sums and they are getting out to people this week. It is the nature of the Exchequer funds available to us; some of it is unst…

I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands pursuant to Standing Orders 95(3)( a ) and 181(1).

In May of this year, together with Government colleagues, I announced €50 million in funding for more than 880 projects under the community recognition fund. The fund recognises the efforts of communities who have gone above and beyond during what has been a very challenging period for our country. It will support towns and villages nationwide that have shown generosity in welcoming people from Ukraine and other countries. The fund aims to support the development of facilities that will be used in the future by all…

There has been a lot going on in supporting communities with new arrivals over the past 18 months. Under my remit, social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP, allocations have been increased again. The additional €10 million allocation of last year will be repeated next year. The additional €1 million allocation that volunteer centres got last year will run into 2024 as well and, therefore, there is a lot going on in this regard. In my other Department, it is worth noting that local authorities have…

The initial allocation was €50 million, with €30 million for this year and €20 million next year. There is some flexibility, including on timelines. Requests could be made for adaptations of particular proposals. There is a lot that is not yet visible in terms of what the community recognition fund can do. Running into November, we are now at a stage where we hope we will see most of the moneys spent by next year. There is much more evidence to come to light on what the community recognition fund will do for commun…

I thank Deputy Moynihan for the question. The Department is responsible for the senior alert scheme which encourages community support for vulnerable older people in our communities through the provision of personal monitored alarms to enable them to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. Funding is available under the scheme towards the purchase by a registered community-based organisation of a personal alarm or pendant. The current version of the scheme came into effect in S…

We are very interested in finding out where these blackspots are. We want everyone who wishes to avail of the senior alert scheme, SAS, to be able to access it. As I said, we will be pushing it out under a new advertising scheme coming out soon. We are also looking at counties with a low uptake as well. It is my understanding that once people have a landline connection they have access to this scheme. My own late mother used to use it. She never had to use it, although she used it accidentally a couple of times. Sh…

I thank both Deputies. We have more than 600 community groups around the country helping us to find people, but we need more. We need everyone to be on board to find people. The key part of this scheme is that it is a connection to people's wider community as well. This is why these community groups are invaluable. I will comment on the availability of the alarm. There are three versions of the base unit. The version selected depends on the available telecoms equipment in the participant's home.