Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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1023.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of carer’s benefit; the typical duration of their claim; and if she has considered greater flexibility under this scheme to cover intermittent caring periods.[35829/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Carer's Benefit (CARB) is a payment made to insured people who leave the workforce or reduce their working hours to care for a child or an adult in need of full-time care and attention. The payment is available to any resident within the European Union or UK who meets the qualifying conditions.

To qualify, the Carer must satisfy PRSI conditions, employment conditions, show that they are providing full-time care and attention, and must show that the care recipient requires full-time care and attention.

At the end of August, there were 4,118 persons in receipt of CARB.

CARB can be paid for a period of 104 weeks for each care recipient, and may be claimed over one period or over separate periods to cover intermittent caring periods. Against the total of 104 weeks permissible under the CARB scheme, from 2020 to 2023, the average total number of weeks used by customers was 71 weeks.

Of those persons currently awarded, the average number of weeks used is 51.

I hope this information is of assistance to the Deputy.

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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1024.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of the carer’s support grant; the number of these who already have carer’s payments or domiciliary care allowance; and the numbers who qualify independently of these schemes.[35830/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Carer’s Support Grant (CSG) is an annual payment paid to people in receipt of Carer’s Allowance (CA), Carer’s Benefit (CARB) or Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA). Other people who are not in receipt of a social welfare payment but who are providing full time care and attention may also be eligible and can apply for the grant as a stand-alone payment.

The CSG is currently payable at a rate of €1,850.00

At the end of August, there were 133,684 persons in receipt of the CSG in respect of 151,103 care recipients.

The number of grants awarded on automatic qualification through CA, CARB and DCA, as well as the number of grants awarded on qualification through the Standalone Carer’s Support Grant scheme is outlined below:

I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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1025.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the concept of tiered payments based on some measure of disability have been abandoned; whether some element of a cost of care payment is under consideration within her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter.[35831/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I published the Green Paper on Disability Reform in September last year. The Green Paper sought to reform my Department's system of disability payments to better target supports and better account for the cost of disability. It did not propose a cost of care payment.

The Green Paper was a consultation document. Feedback from the public consultation raised concerns about its proposals. In particular, people questioned whether it was appropriate to reform the system of disability payments and employment supports separate to a wider consultation of other challenges faced by people with disabilities, including housing, transport, health and education.

I listened to these concerns, and in April I announced that I would not proceed any further with the Green Paper proposals.

The Taoiseach has placed a major emphasis on improving supports and services for people with disabilities in all aspect of their lives. He has established a Cabinet Committee on Children, Education and Disability. Any reform of disability payments will now be considered as part of this broader review of disability matters on a whole-of-Government basis. Officials in my Department are currently analysing the feedback collated during the Green Paper process. This feedback will be shared with the Committee.

It should also be noted that the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is coordinating the development of a new National Disability Strategy with a whole-of-Government approach. The costs of disability will be addressed within this strategy. My Department has been actively involved in the development of this new strategy.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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1026.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the total number of participants in the most recent period for which data is available on the back to education allowance, on the Work Placement Programme, on JobsPlus, on the Jobs Initiative, on the back to work enterprise allowance, and on the training support grant; and if there are any evaluations conducted which might lead to revisions in the terms of these schemes.[35832/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The participant numbers requested by the Deputy for the different schemes are set out below.

TheBack to Education Allowanceprovides income support for jobseekers and others in receipt of certain social welfare payments who pursue full-time courses of education at further or higher level. The focus of the scheme is to assist people improve their qualifications and as a result improve their access to sustainable employment. Scheme activity is aligned with the academic year with applications currently being processed for the new academic year. Some 3,500 people claimed the Back to Education Allowance during the 2023/2024 academic year.

TheWork Placement Experience Programme(WPEP) is a 6-month, 30 hour per week voluntary work and training experience programme. As of 31st August 2024, there were 153 participants active on WPEP placements. Since the inception of the Programme on 12th July 2021, 713 participants have completed a placement. Following an internal review of the programme in 2023, a number of positive changes have been made to widen the eligibility criteria for participants, thus increasing the opportunities for jobseekers who are most distant to the labour market to gain valuable work experience in a supportive workplace.

TheJob Initiativescheme is a programme providing full-time employment for people who are 35 years of age or over, unemployed for 5 years or more, and in receipt of social welfare payments over that period. The scheme was closed in late 2004, there is currently no recruitment onto the scheme while existing participants will have their contracts renewed. As of 31^stAugust 2024, there were 308 participants and 20 supervisors on the Job Initiative scheme.

JobsPlusis an employer incentive which provides payments to employers who offer employment opportunities to the long term unemployed, young unemployed and other identified groups. It provides a direct monthly financial incentive to employers over two years, with two levels of grant payable - €7,500 or €10,000 provided that the employment is maintained. The level of payment depends on the age of the person and the period of unemployed. In the year to 31^stAugust 2024, there have been payments made to 758 employers to support 906 JobsPlus employments.

Changes to JobsPlus were implemented from January 2023 to expand eligibility for the scheme and to meet commitments in the Pathways to Work strategy. From October 2024, JobsPlus will be amended to make it more attractive to employers. The timeline for the payment of the subsidy is reduced from 24 months to 18 months. The €10,000 subsidy rate will be payable in respect of people who are 24 months unemployed, down from 36 months.

TheTraining Support Grantprovides quick access to short-term training to support jobseekers access work opportunities. The grant is used to meet a skills gap or training need where this cannot be provided by a state provider within a reasonable time, and in cases where an intervention is needed to access a work opportunity. In the year to 31^stAugust 2024, there have been 3,442 Training Support Grants completed.

TheBack to Work Enterprise Allowance(BTWEA) scheme offers support for jobseekers and others in receipt of certain social welfare payments who are interested in self-employment as a route to re-entering the labour market. The allowance is payable at 100% of the primary payment for year 1, reducing to 75% for year 2. As of 31^stAugust 2024, there are 1,929 participants on the BTWEA scheme.

Pathways to Work (2021-2025) is the Government's national employment services strategy. An updated Pathways strategy of 65 commitments and 28 KPIs was published in May 2024, following approval by Government. It was informed by a mid-term review which was undertaken last year, in line with strategy commitments and with the support of the Labour Market Advisory Council. The updated strategy includes a new commitment (number 55) to undertake a review of the eligibility criteria for employment support schemes in order to facilitate an accessible pathway to employment for priority groups. Further changes to these schemes will be considered following the completion of this review.

I trust this clarifies the position.