John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1103. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the new automated system for illness benefit payments is fully functioning and working without issues with payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1391/19]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

My Department transferred administration of the Illness Benefit (IB) scheme to its core IT platform in August 2018. Although the system change has worked effectively for over 80% of IB customers, significant difficulties arose following implementation for a number of customers.

My Department took three main steps to resolve the issues impacting on payments. First, we have deployed additional staff to process works and respond to the customer enquiries. Second, we have developed new IT workarounds that address the payment gap issues and to ensure a faster flow-through to payments. Third, we are continuing to review the design rules in the system to afford greater flexibility in processing of claims and certificates.

Payment levels are now maintained at the expected norm,for the past two months. People who are due a payment and whose certificates and claims are in order now receive their payment entitlement promptly. In stating this it is important to note that there are always cases, and were always such cases under the old system, where people's payments are legitimately stopped or paused for a variety of reasons.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1104. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to use the same new automated system recently put in place for illness benefit for other social welfare payments; the payments in this regard; when this is planned for; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1392/19]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Department has acknowledged that difficulties arose in delivery of Illness Benefit payments in Autumn 2018, when the Department transferred administration of the Illness Benefit scheme from an old ICT system to its strategic ICT platform on 4 August 2018.

The difficulties that arose were limited to the operation of Illness Benefit and have been addressed by the Department as a matter of priority. Other schemes supported by the same platform continued to operate as normal throughout the Autumn.

This ICT platform already manages most of the Department’s scheme payments and it processes approximately 1.3 million of the Department’s 1.6 million weekly scheme payments.

The Department continues to engage in an on-going programme of business process and ICT service delivery modernisation with the aim of improving both customer service and operational efficiency.