http___www.welfare.ie_ga_Pages_Report-on-the-desirability-and-feasibility-of-introducing-a.aspx_1.xml
1.1 2.1 2.2 2.3 3.1 3.2 3.3 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1 10.1 11.1
Foreword from the Minister As Minister for Social Protection, it gives me great pleasure to publish this Report on the desirability and feasibility of introducing a single social assistance payment for people of working age. While major developments have occurred over the decades, the basic infrastructure remains unchanged. It is my view that the social welfare system needs to be capable of responding better to the significant societal, demographic, labour market and economic changes that occur and it needs to be flexible enough to ensure that people who are reliant on it are adequately supported in order to achieve better outcomes for themselves and their families, be it through returning to work or availing of training, education or re-skilling. People of working age make up most of the population and, in recent years, the working age population has also grown. Trends in the social welfare population of working age indicate persistent welfare dependency and poor outcomes for some people and this is so despite an earlier sustained period of economic growth. It is, therefore, timely to consider the extent to which the structure of the social welfare system contributes to this situation and, more importantly, if a reconfigured social assistance system based on a single payment could improve the outcomes for people of working age. A commitment in the Department‟s Strategy Statement (2008-2010) to provide a range of initiatives to ensure that all people of working age have sufficient income and opportunity to participate as fully as possible in economic and social life provides the context for the review. Work carried out by NESC in this area and reflected in their report – The Developmental Welfare State (2005) highlights the need for greater interaction between services, income support and activist measures that are developmental for families, communities and the economy. A recurring theme in the NESC report is that the current contingency based payments to people of working age can operate to confirm a person‟s status as a person outside of the workforce rather than as an unemployed member of it. The report, therefore, also advocates the need for rationalisation of the social assistance schemes into a single payment. A single payment is also very much in line with best practice in EU and OECD countries. The vision for such a payment is in the short term to develop an overarching framework for all people of working age including those who would currently be classified under a contingency approach as unemployed, sick, disabled, or parenting alone. The principle of a single working age payment is based on the policy that people are given or directed to the support and services they need in order to return to or take up work or other training or educational opportunities, matched by a requirement that they avail of that support i.e. there is a right and a matching responsibility. It is also based on the rationale that the outcomes for people from a poverty and social inclusion point of view must be improved, and also that any changes to the current system must "make work pay". Such an approach would ensure that people are not further distanced from the labour market, especially in the current economic climate, and encourages people to maximise their potential. The development of supports and services is central to the vision for a single social assistance payment. The decision to merge functions from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, the Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht, FÁS and the Community Welfare Service of the HSE with the functions of the Department facilitates such an approach. The essential purpose of this report is to stimulate debate and to allow stakeholders to contribute to shaping a framework for a single social assistance payment that will provide the necessary support for people of working age to achieve their full potential. Éamon Ó Cuív, T.D. Minister for Social Protection November 2010 Click here to download the report of the consultation seminar on the findings of this report.
1.1 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 3.1 3.2 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 6.1 7.1 8.1 9.1 10.1
R�amhr� �n Aire Mar Aire Coimirce S�isiala�, is m�r an s�samh dom foilsi� na tuarasc�la seo, an Tuarasc�il ar inmhianaitheacht agus ind�antacht aon�oca�ocht ch�naimh sh�isialaigh do dhaoine in aois oibre a thionscnamh. C� gur tharla athruithe m�ra thar na blianta, n�l athr� ar bith tagtha ar an mbonneagar bun�sach. I mo thuairimse, n� m�r do ch�ras leasa sh�isialaigh a bheith �balta freagairt n�os fearr d�athruithe socha�ocha, d�imeagrafacha agus eacnama�ocha, agus freagairt d�athruithe a tharla�onn sa mhargadh fosta�ochta freisin. N� m�r a dh�thain sol�bthachta a bheith sa ch�ras chun a dh�anamh deimhin de go bhfuil taca�ocht dh�thanach � f�il ag daoine at� ag brath air chun tairbhe n�os fearr a bhaint as d�ibh f�in agus d� dteaghlaigh, b�odh s� sin tr� fhilleadh ar an obair n� tr� �is a bhaint as oili�int, oideachas n� athoili�int. Formh�r an daonra is in aois oibre at� siad agus, le blianta beaga anuas, t� l�on an daonra in aois oibre tar �is dul i m�ad. L�ir�onn treochta� an daonra leasa sh�isialaigh at� in aois oibre cleithi�nas dianseasmhach le h�oca�ochta� leasa sh�isialaigh agus drochthortha� do roinnt daoine, d�ainneoin tr�imhse f�s eacnama�och lean�nach roimhe seo.Is mithid, mar sin, breithni� a dh�anamh ar a mh�id at� strucht�r an ch�rais leasa sh�isialaigh ina ch�is leis an staid sin agus, rud at� n�os t�bhachta� f�s, a fh�il amach an gcuirfeadh athr� sa ch�ras leasa sh�isialaigh feabhas ar bith ar thortha� na ndaoine at� in aois oibre. Is � at� mar chomhth�acs ag an tuarasc�il seo ceangaltas i R�iteas Strait�ise na Roinne (2008-2010) raon tionscnamh a chur ar f�il chun a chinnti� go mbeidh ioncam agus deis dh�thanach ag daoine in aois oibre le cuid a bheith acu, a oiread agus is f�idir, is saol eacnama�och agus s�isialta na t�re. D�r�onn obair at� curtha i gcr�ch ag CNES sa r�imse sin agus at� le brath ina tuarasc�il � The Developmental Welfare State (2005) � ar an g� at� le tuilleadh caidrimh idir seirbh�s�, taca�ocht ioncaim agus bearta gn�omha�ocha a chuireann le forbairt chlainne, phobail agus an gheilleagair. Rud a thagann an�os ar�s is ar�s eile i dtuarasc�il CNES an baol at� ann go nd�anfaidh li�ntas bunaithe ar theagmhas st�das an duine mar dhuine lasmuigh den fh�rsa oibre a dhaingni� seachas st�das mar bhall d�fhostaithe den fh�rsa oibre a bhronnadh orthu. Ar an �bhar sin, rud eile a mholtar sa tuarasc�il aon�oca�ocht a chur in ionad na sc�imeanna c�naimh sh�isialaigh �ags�la, chun iad a chu�ch�iri�. T� aon�oca�ocht ar aon dul leis an gcur chuige is fearr san AE agus sna t�ortha ECFE. Is � aidhm �oca�ocht den chine�l sin creatlach uileghabh�lach a fhorbairt do gach duine at� in aois oibre, agus ina measc daoine a d�aicmeofa� faoi l�thair faoin gcur chuige teagmhasach, eadhon daoine d�fhostaithe, daoine tinn, daoine faoi mh�chumas, n� tuismitheoir� aonair. T� prionsabal an aon�oca�ochta do dhaoine in aois oibre bunaithe ar an mbeartas gur g� taca�ocht agus seirbh�s� a chur ar f�il do dhaoine ionas gur f�idir leo filleadh ar an obair, tosn� ar an obair n� deiseanna oili�na n� oideachas�la a ghlacadh. T� s� de dhualgas ar an duine f�in leas a bhaint as an taca�ocht sin, is � sin le r� go bhfuil ceart chomh maith le hoibleag�id i gceist sa phrionsabal. Is ar an r�as�na�ocht seo a leanas at� s� bunaithe freisin: nach m�r tortha� daoine i dtaobh bochtaineachta agus i dtaobh cuimsi�s�isialta a fheabhs�, agus nach m�r d�aon athr� a thagann ar an gc�ras at� ann faoi l�thair daoine a ghr�os� chun oibre. Chinnteodh cur chuige den chine�l sin nach gcuirtear le m�mhisneach an duine i leith an mhargaidh fhosta�ochta, go m�r m�r i gc�ins� eacnama�ochta na linne, agus go spreagfa� cumas oibre an duine. Is p�irt l�rnach d�fh�s na haon�oca�ochta c�naimh sh�isialaigh taca�ochta� agus seirbh�s� a fhorbairt. Is ar mhaithe leis an gcur chuige sin a �asc� a dh�antar an cinneadh feidhmeanna �n Roinn Fiontar, Tr�d�la agus Nu�la�ochta, an Roinn Gn�tha� Pobail, Comhionannais agus Gaeltachta, F�S agus Seirbh�s Leasa an Phobail de chuid an FSS a chumasc leis an Roinn seo. Is � pr�omhchusp�ir na tuarasc�la seo d�osp�ireacht a spreagadh agus deis a thabhairt do na p�irtithe leasmhara uile a bheith p�irteach i m�nl� chreata le haghaidh aon�oca�ochta ch�naimh sh�isialaigh, rud a chuirfidh an taca�ocht is g� ar f�il do dhaoine at� in aois oibre chun a gcumas ioml�n a bhaint amach. �amon � Cu�v, T.D. An tAire Coimirce S�isiala� Samhain 2010