John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I know that much of the Supplementary Estimate deals with the Christmas bonus and the 85% allocation this year, which was announced with great fanfare. Many people, however, are disappointed because when the Minister made the announcement the perception was that it was for everyone in receipt of social welfare but many people found out that they had to be in receipt of social welfare for 15 months or more. One lady contacted me who has been receiving illness benefit since 2005, which is certainly a long-standing payment but she was told absolutely not when she inquired about the Christmas bonus. While it was a good news story for the Minister, it would have been better if it had been a 100% restoration. Many people who rely on that payment are very concerned.

The Minister extended the benefits for the self-employed, which was a positive and welcome first step. When I questioned him he said he had not started to engage with the bodies who were expected to provide the services under the extended benefits, opticians and dentists, and that he would initiate that process. Where is that process? I was concerned that it was putting the cart before the horse. We know from previous experience the difficulties that arose when the Minister adopted that strategy in a previous ministerial position.

The underspend on JobBridge is not surprising. We know the reasons for it. There is no replacement scheme. The Minister said one is being worked on. We await that eagerly. There is an underspend of €12 million in the Gateway project. Many local authorities have availed of the scheme. I have criticised it because it is replacing what should be proper, full-time paid positions within local authorities. Does the underspend indicate that the scheme is being wound down? If so, what is the rationale for that? Is there a replacement scheme? Are the participants going to be employed by local authorities?

There is an underspend of €25 million in the CE schemes. We know how difficult it is for people to get on the scheme. Many communities rely heavily on the scheme and that underspend sets off many alarm bells. I am concerned, as are the community groups I work with, and I am sure many other Deputies have the same experience. Can the Minister explain that?

None of the figures for JobPath is contained in the Estimates. I have put a series of questions to the Minister. We have seen privatisation of that area, a substantial body of work has been handed over to a private entity. When I ask about it I am told the figures are commercially sensitive. It is madness that a substantial sum of money is being allocated to Seetec and Turas Nua but we do not know how much. Are the savings in the Estimates on administration and other areas due to the roll out of JobPath and the privatisation of that area? This is making a serious impact. I have spoken to many employees from local employment services across the State and the referrals coming to the local employment services, LES, from the Department are falling. The fear is that because of the privatisation of that essential service, the LES is being wound down. The Minister always bandies figures for official complaints about JobPath but many will not make an official complaint. A person was in contact with me, a qualified journalist, who had been working part time, was then out of work and was referred to JobPath. No disrespect to the young man who dealt with the client but he did not appear to have the necessary skills or qualifications for the job because the curriculum vitae he wrote up was pockmarked with all sorts of spelling and grammatical errors. There are serious widespread problems. It is madness to privatise that critical area when we as elected Members of the Oireachtas cannot see how much is spent.

Only this week I received the number of individuals penalised for not participating for whatever reason. We have not seen the grounds or rationale for that. In Wexford 42 individuals were penalised, 11 in Wicklow and a substantial number in Galway. There are serious problems in JobPath and the Minister has said repeatedly that it is too early to initiate a review of it but the evidence speaks volumes. There are serious problems, from its administration to its impact on the LES across the State and on those who are penalised.

It is having a huge impact on the individuals who are being penalised and we cannot get answers. We do not know how much it is costing. It is time for a comprehensive review of JobPath.

Through a series of parliamentary questions and through publicity, we are aware of the large number of carer's allowance appeals going to the social welfare appeals office. What proportion of applicants are successful, given the Minister's reference to a 19% increase in claims? There are significant problems with the administration of the allowance with the waiting time for appeals being up to 40 weeks.

Since the abolition of the State transition pension, more than 4,000 people aged 65 have been forced to sign on for jobseeker's allowance. This is higher than for any other age cohort. The figure raises concern and sets off many alarm bells. I have made contributions in the House regarding this pension and specific cases where people hit the retirement age of 65 and were then forced to sign on for jobseeker's allowance. The Minister may say serious pressure is not put on them to find a job when they hit that age but once they sign on for jobseeker's allowance, they have to ensure they are available for work and actively seek work. It is a significant concern and I would like him to touch on this.