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Foreword from the Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar I welcome the publication of the Department of Social Protection's Annual Report for 2016. Since being appointed Minister for Social Protection in 2016, I am very aware of the Department's significant and varied role. It is the largest Department in Government with 6,000 civil servants and a budget of almost €20bn. It is responsible for weekly and monthly payments to more than 1.5 million individuals and families, with more than half of our payments going to pensioners and children. It also provides income support to another 800,000 people with disabilities, carers, one-parent families and jobseekers. To that end, through the wide range of services it provides, the Department impacts on the lives of almost every citizen in the State in the course of their life – from child benefit to the State pension and every contingency in between – maternity, paternity, illness, unemployment and redundancy. The developments outlined in this report show the wide range of service and policy reforms implemented by the Department in 2016, to help unemployed people secure employment, to reflect the changing needs and wishes of families and to improve service delivery. In 2016 I was particularly pleased to introduce paid paternity leave for fathers from September, to give fathers more opportunities to take an active role in the early stages of their child's life, and give the best start possible. Other highlights in 2016 included unemployment figures falling to 7.3% which exceeded the target to get 20,000 longterm unemployed into work. I secured a Budget package of €330 million, which enabled a €5 per week increase in the State Pension, and the first increases since 2009 in weekly payments to people with disabilities, carers, blind people, widows, one parent families and jobseekers, among others. I also secured agreement for the payment of the Christmas bonus at the increased rate of 85 percent. 2016 saw the publication of the new Statement of Strategy for the Department of Social Protection for 2016 - 2019. This Strategy will implement the priorities as set out in the Programme for a Partnership Government. The top priority for the next few years is to remain prudent in our approach to the economy and public spending and ensure that we do not repeat the mistakes of the past, providing for modest and sustainable increases in incomes and improving public services and infrastructure. We want to ensure that everyone benefits from the recovery, with no one left behind. My focus is firmly on employment, pension reform, and developing a Working Family Payment to reduce child poverty and ensure that no family is better off on welfare than in work. My goal is to ensure that people are rewarded for working by reforming the PRSI system and reinforcing the contributory principle. I am also implementing a New Deal for the Self-Employed, who can now avail of optical and dental Treatment Benefits. Later this year they will have access to the safety-net of State income supports if serious illness or injury prevents them from working, without having to go through a means test. Since my appointment as Minister for Social Protection I have been consistently impressed by the calibre of our staff. Together with my colleague, Mr Finian McGrath, T.D., Minister of State with special responsibility for Disabilities, I look forward to continued close co-operation in implementing the priorities set out in the Programme for a Partnership Government. Leo Varadkar T.D. Minister for Social Protection
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Untitled Document Cuirim fáilte roimh fhoilsiú Thuarascáil Bhliantúil na Roinne Coimirce Sóisialaí i gcomhair na bliana 2016. Ó ceapadh i m’Aire Coimirce Sóisialaí mé in 2016, is maith mar is eol don an ról éagsúil, tábhachtach atá ag mo Roinn. Is í an Roinn is mó de chuid an Rialtais í, ina bhfuil 6,000 státseirbhíseach, agus tá buiséad beagnach €20bn aici. Tá sí freagrach> as na híocaíochtaí seachtainiúla agus míosúla le breis is 1.5 milliún duine, idir dhaoine aonairCuirim fáilte roimh fhoilsiú Thuarascáil Bhliantúil na Roinne Coimirce Sóisialaí i gcomhair na bliana 2016. Ó ceapadh i m’Aire Coimirce Sóisialaí mé in 2016, is maith mar is eol don an ról éagsúil, tábhachtach atá ag mo Roinn. Is í an Roinn is mó de chuid an Rialtais í, ina bhfuil 6,000 státseirbhíseach, agus tá buiséad beagnach €20bn aici. Tá sí freagrach as na híocaíochtaí seachtainiúla agus míosúla le breis is 1.5 milliún duine, idir dhaoine aonair agus teaghlaigh, agus is le pinsinéirí agus leanaí a dhéantar breis is leath na n-íocaíochtaí uainn. Ina theannta sin, soláthraíonn an Roinn tacaíocht ioncaim do 800,000 duine eile, lena gcuimsítear daoine faoi mhíchumas, cúramóirí, teaghlaigh aontuismitheora agus cuardaitheoirí poist. Chun na críche sin, tríd an raon leathan seirbhísí a sholáthraíonn sí, bíonn tionchar ag an Roinn ar shaol beagnach gach saoránach sa Stát i rith a shaoil nó a saoil – ón sochar linbh go dtí an pinsean stáit agus gach rud a d’fhéadfadh tarlú eatarthu – máithreachas, atharthacht, breoiteacht, dífhostaíocht agus iomarcaíocht. Sa dul chun cinn atá leagtha amach sa tuarascáil seo, léirítear an raon leathan athchóirithe seirbhíse agus athchóirithe beartais a chuir an Roinn chun feidhme in 2016, chun cabhrú le daoine dífhostaithe post a aimsiú, chun freastal ar na hathruithe atá ag teacht ar na riachtanais agus na mianta atá ag teaghlaigh agus chun feabhas a chur ar sholáthar seirbhíse. Ba chúis áthais dom é go háirithe in 2016 saoire atharthachta íoctha a thabhairt isteach ó mhí Mheán Fómhair, ionas go mbeidh tuilleadh deiseanna ag aithreacha chun ról gníomhach a ghlacadh sna céimeanna luatha de shaol a linbh, agus an tús is fearr is féidir a thabhairt don leanbh sin. I measc na mbuaicphointí eile in 2016 bhí laghdú na dífhostaíochta go dtí 7.3%, lenar sáraíodh an sprioc a bhí againn post a bheith ag 20,000 duine a bhí dífhostaithe go fadtéarmach. D’éirigh liom pacáiste Buiséid €330 milliún a fháil, a d’fhág gur fhéadamar €5 in aghaidh na seachtaine a chur leis an bpinsean stáit, mar aon leis na chéad mhéaduithe ó 2009 ar na híocaíochtaí seachtainiúla a dhéantar le daoine faoi mhíchumas, cúramóirí, daoine dalla, baintreacha, teaghlaigh aontuismitheora agus cuardaitheoirí poist, i measc eile. Ina theannta sin, bhain mé amach comhaontú go n-íocfaí bónas na Nollag ar an ráta méadaithe 85 faoin gcéad. In 2016, foilsíodh Ráiteas Straitéise nua na Roinne Coimirce Sóisialaí le haghaidh 2016 – 2019. Sa straitéis sin, cuirfear chun feidhme na tosaíochtaí atá leagtha amach sa Chlár don Rialtas Comhpháirtíochta. Is é an tosaíocht is mó dár gcuid do na blianta beaga atá romhainn ná coinneáil leis an gcur chuige stuama i leith an gheilleagair agus an chaiteachais phoiblí agus a chinntiú nach ndéanfaimid arís na botúin a rinneadh cheana, ach go ndéanfaimid soláthar le haghaidh méaduithe beaga, inbhuanaithe ar ioncam agus seirbhísí poiblí agus bonneagar feabhsaithe. Táimid ag iarraidh a chinntiú go rachaidh an téarnamh chun tairbhe gach duine, agus nach bhfágfar duine ar bith ar lár. Táim ag díriú go tréan ar fhostaíocht, ar athchóiriú pinsin, agus ar Íocaíocht do Theaghlaigh i bhFostaíocht a fhorbairt chun an bhochtaineacht i measc leanaí a laghdú agus a chinntiú nach mbeidh teaghlach ar bith níos fearr as agus iad ag maireachtáil ar íocaíochtaí coimirce sóisialaí ná mar a bheidís de bharr fostaíochta. Tá sé ina sprioc agam a chinntiú go mbeidh luach saothair ag daoine as an obair trí athchóiriú a dhéanamh ar an gcóras ÁSPC agus trí phrionsabal na ranníocaíochta a threisiú. Chomh maith leis sin, táim ag cur chun feidhme Beart Nua do Dhaoine Féinfhostaithe, ar féidir leo leas a bhaint as Sochar Súl agus Sochar Fiaclóireachta anois. Anonn sa bhliain, beidh fáil acu ar líontán sábhála na tacaíochta ioncaim ón Stát más rud é go bhfágfaidh drochbhreoiteacht nó drochghortú nach féidir leo a bheith ag obair, gan iad a bheith faoi réir tástáil acmhainne. Ó ceapadh i m’Aire Coimirce Sóisialaí mé, is mór a chuaigh ardchaighdeán na foirne i bhfeidhm orainn i gcónaí. Táim féin agus mo chomhghleacaí, an tUasal Finian McGrath, T.D., an tAire Stáit a bhfuil freagracht ar leith air i ndáil le Daoine faoi Mhíchumas, ag tnúth le leanúint leis an dlúthchomhar maidir le cur chun feidhme na dtosaíochtaí atá leagtha amach sa Chlár don Rialtas Comhpháirtíochta. Leo Varadkar T.D An tAire Coimirce Sóisialaí