I will have a go at responding to all that in a single minute. We are being very practical about CE. There was a review published at the end of last year but we are not stopping at that. We are trying to increase the flow in, to retain the people we have and to stop the flow out as well. We have taken policy measures in each of those three areas. As for broadening the pool of people, plans are at an advanced stage for a new pilot scheme to extend CE eligibility to people who are qualified adults on a jobseeker clai…

Under the terms of the settlement that we agreed with the unions late last year on reaching retirement age, eligible CE supervisors and assistant supervisors will receive a once-off ex gratia payment in respect of time employed in the CE scheme since 2008. People who have retired since 2008, who have reached retirement age, are now eligible to apply for the payment. In recent months, an administrative and ICT system to accept applications and process payments has been put in place in the Department. We wrote to app…

As Minister of State with responsibility for social inclusion in the Department of Social Protection, I welcome the findings of the budget 2023 expenditure report, which sets out how the measures taken in this year's budget have prioritised protecting the most vulnerable members of our society against the rising cost of living. This was published as part of the budget day documentation. The report notes that the first three income deciles, that is, those people who have the lowest incomes in the State, will proport…

I thank the Deputy for his question. A review of the community employment scheme was published just before Christmas last year. We have initiated a number of changes to eligibility for the scheme, both late last year and again this year, to ensure services are in a position to continue throughout the country. This year also saw the end of a very long story involving community employment supervisors' pension gratuities. We finally got to that gate and payments have started. My officials have met with union officials…

I am acutely aware of the increase in the cost of living and rising costs in recent months, especially increasing energy prices. Given this, the supports provided by the Department to assist communities are more important than ever. The Department was allocated €378 million for 2022, which will enable continued delivery of a wide range of measures to support communities and address emerging needs. Last November, we launched the €9 million community activities fund under the community enhancement programme. This fun…

I thank the Deputy. That case was made when I was in Galway and Ballinasloe last week. Galway Rural Development made the case very well. I also had a good meeting in the Connacht Hotel with a group of 60-plus community employment supervisors. They certainly made the case around costs and made some good suggestions about what we could do in terms of materials grants as well. That is not a matter for this Department but it is relevant to the wider community and voluntary sector which they work with on a community-wid…

I agree with the sentiment. It is a good opportunity for me to mention another avenue in respect of cost issues such as lighting and heating, namely, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI. On energy generation projects, the climate action plan sets a clear goal for renewable energy delivered through local community-based projects. These projects will be delivered through the dedicated community category in the renewable electricity support scheme, as well as through microgeneration and small-scale gener…

I thank the Deputy for the question. The reasonable accommodation fund is comprised of four grants, which are available through the Department's Intreo centres. The grants have been designed to assist jobseekers and existing employees with disabilities, and to encourage employers in the private sector to recruit and support existing employees with disabilities. The four grants are the workplace equipment adaptation grant, the job interview interpreter grant, the personal reader grant and the employee retention gran…

I welcome the opportunity to discuss the scheme because we want to raise awareness about it. This is not just something that is nice to have. The Employment Equality Acts 1998 to 2015 oblige employers to take reasonable steps to accommodate the needs of both employees and job applicants with disabilities. To be honest, the uptake for the fund over the years needs to be improved. We are looking at a range of measures to encourage and support people with disabilities into the employment market. For example, both the …

The Deputy makes a fair point. As we stand at the moment, Intreo engages with prospective employees and employers, and the employability services throughout the country do so as well. There is a job of communication there and that will be looked at as part of the review. As I mentioned, the wage subsidy scheme will also be reviewed. I am saying this for the purpose of raising awareness. This scheme provides financial incentives for the private sector to employ people with disabilities as well. Regarding the compreh…

The fuel allowance is a payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks at an estimated cost of €366 million in 2022. It is a targeted payment to people dependent on specified long-term social welfare payments. The purpose of this payment is to assist those households most in need with their energy costs. The criteria for fuel allowance are framed in order to direct the limited resources available to my Department in as targeted a manner as possible. To qualify for the fuel allowance payment, a person must satisfy all the qua…

In response to those questions about the people who are outside thresholds by a small amount, or in payments that do not qualify, the mantra we will keep putting out, which we cannot do too often because people are not aware of it, is about the additional needs payment and the community welfare officers. All those people the Deputy mentioned can go to a community welfare officer and explain their current situation. There are an increasing number of people in this situation. The Minister outlined how the application…

The Taoiseach and all senior Ministers have given a strong signal that the budget will be a cost-of-living budget. The Department of Social Protection is part of that, as are other Departments. The national retrofitting plan and one-stop shops are also up and running. We have put €2.4 billion of measures in place and those are worth reiterating. They include the €200 energy credit and an extra €125 for fuel allowance recipients. There is a further €100 special payment for fuel allowance recipients, cuts to VAT on g…

The Deputy's original question also referred to the ESRI report on fuel poverty so I will refer to that. The report explores the issue of energy poverty and deprivation in Ireland. The Government recognises the pressures families are under in respect of energy prices and have taken a range of steps, including targeted and universal measures. As part of budget 2022, a number of expansions to the eligibility criteria for the fuel allowance payment were announced at that time. The weekly means threshold for the fuel a…

I am not in a position to give the Deputy an indication of what might be proposed in the budget.

The short-term measure, as I said earlier, is the additional needs payments. The community welfare officers have been given direction on what is viable to cover in respect of people's costs, and energy costs are certainly part of that. The medium-term intervention is the budget. It has been clearly flagged at an early stage that it will be a cost-of-living budget. All Departments have been asked to examine how they can assist in that; it is not only our Department, although we will have a key role. On the longer-te…

I take the Deputy's point on retrofitting. It is just starting. Every year we look at how impactful it is. I refer, in particular, to the special enhanced grant equivalent to 80% of typical costs for attic and cavity wall insulation for all households. That can quickly reduce energy use as part of the Government's response to current exceptionally high energy prices. On the additional needs payment, the Minister outlined earlier efforts to make it more accessible and we are looking at a way to apply for that online…

These are people aged over 66 and some are over 70.

The working family payment is an in-work support which provides an income top-up for employees with children who are on low earnings. It is designed to prevent in-work poverty for low-paid workers with child dependants and to offer a financial incentive to take up employment. Eligibility for the payment is not linked to receipt of a social welfare payment but rather a person must be in employment for at least 38 hours per fortnight. To qualify for the working family payment, the average total weekly family income m…

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue of child poverty. The working family payment and other targeted measures such as the increase for a qualified child are specifically designed to assist with that. We have introduced other measures as well. We recently announced changes to three initiatives to assist families with children. The back-to-school costs package is worth a total of €67 million. As a result, the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance is being increased by €100 for each eligible child under t…