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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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Brollach ón Tánaiste agus Aire Coimirce Sóisialaí Joan Burton Cuirim fáilte roimh fhoilseachán Thuarascáil Bhliantúil na Roinne Coimirce Sóisialaí le haghaidh 2015. Taispeánann na forbairtí atá léirithe sa tuarascáil go soiléir an dul chun cinn atá tar éis a bheith déanta maidir le fíorfheabhsuithe suntasacha a chur i bhfeidhm sa Roinn atá, go bunúsach, tar éis a bheith athraithe ó bhonn ón soláthraí éighníomhach sochar a bhí inti roimhe seo sa dóigh gur eagraíocht nuálach í anois a dhíríonn ar sheachadadh agus a chuireann an cliant i gcroílár a cuid gníomhartha ar fad. Is léiriú é an tuarascáil freisin ar thiomantas an Rialtais do chóras coimirce sóisialaí a chur ar fáil a fhreastalaíonn ar na dúshláin atá roimh shochaí na hÉireann. Tá tacú á chur faoin tiomantas sin ag an gcaiteachas de timpeall €20 le haghaidh seirbhísí coimirce sóisialaí a cuireadh ar fáil in 2015. Bhí mé sásta go háirithe le tabhairt isteach réimse feabhsuithe dírithe ar fhaighteoirí leasa shóisialaigh, mar chuid de Bhuiséad 2016, lenar áiríodh an chéad mhéadú ar rátaí seachtainiúla pinsin ó bhí 2009 ann, agus bhí mé sásta freisin le tabhairt ar ais, suas go dtí luach 75 faoin gcéad, bhónas na Nollag, a chuaigh chun tairbhe 1.2 faighteoir leasa shóisialaigh agus a chuir leis an ngeilleagar inmheánach. Níl aon amhras ach go raibh ról ríthábhachtach ag an Roinn Coimirce Sóisialaí in 2015 i dtacú le dul chun cinn eacnamaíoch na hÉireann. Is sna tionscnaimh dírithe ar chuardaitheoirí poist a bhí an chuid is suntasaí den dul chun cinn siúd. I dteannta gach post nua a chruthaítear bíonn fíorbhuntáistí follasacha do dhaoine aonair agus, i mórán cásanna, do na teaghlaigh a dtacaíonn siad leo. Tá an dífhostaíocht i ndiaidh titim ó bhuaicphointe géarchéime 15.1 faoin gcéad in 2012 go dtí 8.8 faoin gcéad ag tús 2016 agus, cé go bhfuil roinnt mhaith oibre fós le déanamh, tá an tseirbhís Intreo, a bhfuil na seirbhísí fostaíochta a bhí á gcur ar fáil ag FÁS comhtháite aici leis na seirbhísí leasa shóisialaigh a bhí á gcur ar fáil ag Feidhmeannacht na Seirbhíse Sláinte (FSE) go dtí seo, ag dul go mór chun sochair do chuardaitheoirí poist. Rinneadh suirbhé neamhspleách ar shásamh custaiméirí i dtreo dheireadh 2015, agus fuarthas amach gur chreid 75 faoin gcéad díobh siúd a ceistíodh go raibh a ndeiseanna chun post a fháil feabhsaithe ag an tseirbhís Intreo. Choimisiúnaigh an Roinn an suirbhé, i gcomhréir lena cuid gealltanas faoi straitéis de chuid an Rialtais Bealaí chun na hOibre, le cuidiú le cuardaitheoirí poist dul isteach san obair, san oiliúint agus san oideachas. I ndiaidh dom a bheith ceaptha mar Aire Coimirce Sóisialaí i mí Márta 2011, cuireadh mé go díreach ar an eolas faoi ról ríthábhachtach na Roinne i saol an náisiúin. Téann na scéimeanna agus na seirbhísí chun sochair do gach duine sa tsochaí, bíodh sin go díreach nó go hindíreach, agus is cuí go ndíríonn an Roinn go leanúnach ar sheachadadh seirbhísí a nuachóiriú chun seirbhísí atá nua-aimseartha, éifeachtúil agus dinimiciúil a chur ar fáil dá réimse ilchineálach custaiméirí. Is féidir bród a bheith ar fhoireann na Roinne Coimirce Sóisialaí, agus údar maith leis, mar gheall ar a bhfuil bainte amach acu in 2015 agus gabhaim buíochas leo as a gcuidiú agus a dtiomantas i leith athrú a chur i gcrích i rith tréimhse a bhí an-dúshlánach ar fad. Joan Burton T.D. Tánaiste agus Aire Coimirce Sóisialaí 25 Aibreán, 2016 An Roinn Coimirce Sóisialaí Tuarascáil Bhliantúil 2015 (PDF)