Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Intreo is the single point of contact for employment and income supports. The aim of Intreo is to provide income support and a professional employment service to help unemployed jobseekers and others to secure sustainable employment.

In order to be eligible for a Jobseekers's payment a person must satisfy all conditions including the requirement to genuinely seek employment. To satisfy this condition, it is necessary for the person to demonstrate that they have taken some positive action and are making genuine efforts to secure employment.

While in receipt of a Jobseeker’s payment, engagement with Intreo Employment Service is mandatory. Intreo Employment Service provide streamlined, practical, and tailored supports for all jobseekers. A person must work with an Employment Personal Advisor to agree a Personal Progression Plan suitable to their circumstances. This Plan will detail actions the jobseeker should take to become job ready, it may also specify training, work experience or employment schemes that are considered appropriate for their development. Payment reductions can be applied if a jobseeker, without good cause, fails to engage with Employment Services or refuses an offer of employment, training or specified employment programme which is considered appropriate to their circumstances. The jobseeker can ultimately be disqualified from their Jobseeker’s payment for up to 9 weeks and their ongoing eligibility to the payment will be reviewed. Just under 1,900 reduced rates were applied this year to end of March.

My Department engages with employers to advise them of the various supports and services provided to employ jobseekers. This can include providing employers with a bespoke recruitment service to fill job vacancies, where priority is given to jobseekers on the live register. JobsIreland.ie, the Department’s recruitment website, is available to both employers and Jobseekers and allows employers to post and promote job vacancies. The Department’s officers actively engage with employers who are facing difficulties filling vacancies at present and match employer vacancies to Jobseekers. The Department proactively engages with Jobseekers when employers advise that they have refused an offer of employment. Employers who wish to advise that a jobseeker has refused an offer of employment can contact their local Intreo Centre where an Employer Relations Officer will follow up with them.

I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The matter of waste collection charges is the responsibility of my colleague the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications. I am advised by the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications that there is no national waiver scheme for household waste collection. The waste management market in Ireland is now serviced by private companies, where prices charged are matters between those companies and their customers, subject to compliance with all applicable environmental and other relevant legislation, including contract and consumer legislation.

I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Blind Pension is a means-tested payment for people aged 18 years to 66 years who are habitually residing in the State. Income, including pensions, capital and property (excluding your own home) is assessable as means. A person is obliged to declare all their income and notify the Department in writing of any change in their circumstances.

The person concerned was previously in receipt of a Blind Pension from 9 November 2012 up to 15 September 2022. The person did not notify the Department that there was a change in circumstances. The person was cohabiting since 16 September 2022 and the means were in excess of the statutory limit to receive a Blind Pension payment. The Blind Pension was overpaid from 16 September 2022 to 14 September 2023 .

Disability Allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged 16 or over and under the age of 66. This disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, means test and Habitual Residency conditions.

The person is currently in receipt of Disability Allowance, effective from 11 October 2023. Where there is an outstanding debt and the customer transfers from one payment to another, the Department continues to seek recovery of such overpayments.

The person was issued a letter on 2 April 2024 proposing to withhold arrears of Disability Allowance against the overpayment. The person concerned was given the opportunity to respond within 21 days.

To date, the arrears have not been offset again this debt. Correspondence received on 24 April 2024 from the customer is currently under consideration. My Department is also reviewing this individual's Disability Allowance claim and their request to backdate beyond the current award date. If an entitlement to DA is considered appropriate for this period, arrears due would be offset against the debt.

Officials will contact the person directly to inform them of the outcome of this review.

I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.