TREOIR E-Bulletin November – December 2011
- Harsh effect of Budget 2012
- Specific Impact of Budget 2012
- Free Workshops available to workers working with unmarried parents in the North-East Area (Cavan, Louth, Meath and Dublin)
- Attitudes to Family Formation in Ireland
- Households and Family Structures in Ireland
- Child Protection and Welfare Practice Handbook
- Decisionmap.ie
Harsh effect of Budget 2012
Regrettably virtually nothing about this budget is advantageous to lone parents. Treoir is extremely concerned at the cuts in the Budget targeted at one-parent families who, as is well documented, are particularly vulnerable to poverty.
The plan to have the income disregard associated with One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) reduced to €130 in 2012 (for current and new claimants) and on a phased basis to €60 in 2016 will result in further barriers being put in the way of lone parents returning to work and a significant reduction in income for those in employment. It is difficult to comprehend this, as the stated policy of the Department of Social Protection is of promoting activation.
While Treoir broadly supported the policy of encouraging and supporting parents to return to work when their youngest child reaches fourteen years of age, we have huge reservations about the proposed new measure which will compel new claimants to cease claiming the OFP and to be available for employment when their youngest child reaches 7 years of age. Treoir’s reservations are based on the fact that there are insufficient supports in place e.g. affordable and suitable childcare, educational opportunities for lone parents to enable them to earn an adequate living and a serious lack of job opportunities. More significantly the preferred choice of many lone parents, to work part-time while their children are young, is effectively being denied them.
The provisions of Budget 2012 and how they impact on lone parents are detailed below.
Specific Impact of Budget 2012
Changes which impact on lone parents
One-Parent Family Payment (OFP)
The rates of payment for One-Parent Family Payment remain unchanged in 2012.
To get a One-Parent Family Payment a single parent must have at least one child below the age limit.
Age limit of a qualified child for NEW CLAIMANTS in 2012 -2014
A number of changes to the One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) were announced in Budget 2012. These changes require legislation and are not currently in force. The upper age limit of the youngest child for new claimants of the OFP will be reduced to 7 years of age on a phased basis.
- In 2012 the upper age limit of the youngest child will be reduced to 12 years of age
- In 2013 the upper age limit of the youngest child will be reduced to 10 years of age
- In 2014 the upper age limit of the youngest child will be reduced to 7 years of age.
Age limit of a qualified child for Claims made from 27th April 2011
On April 27th 2011 changes were introduced to the One-Parent Family Payment Scheme.Currently for new claimants from April 2011 the OFP is only paid to those who have a child under 14 years.
Age limit of a qualified child for Claims made before 27th April 2011
For those whose claims were made before April 2011 there will be no change to their entitlement to OFP in 2012 provided that they continue to satisfy the other conditions of payment. For these existing claimants it is important to know that:
- From January 2013, payment will stop when the youngest child reaches 17 years of age. If the child is in full-time education, and aged between 17 and 22 years, payment will continue until the end of the 2012-2013 academic year.
- From January 2014, payment will stop when the youngest child reaches 16 years of age.
- From January 2015, payment will stop when the youngest child reaches 15 years of age
- From January 2016 and beyond, payment will stop when the youngest child reaches 14 years of age.
Impact on earnings
One-Parent Family Payment and Work – New Means Test
The amount of earnings disregarded in the One-Parent Family Payment means test will be reduced from €146.50 to €130.00 per week from January 2012 for new and existing recipients. Further reductions will be introduced over the following 4 years:
- In 2013 the amount of earnings disregarded will be €110 per week
- In 2014 the amount of earnings disregarded will be €90 per week
- In 2015 the amount of earnings disregarded will be €75 per week
- In 2016 the amount of earnings disregarded will be €60 per week
The temporary payment of half of the rate of One-Parent Family Payment to a parent on OFP whose earnings exceed €425 per week will be discontinued from January 2012. Existing recipients of the temporary payment will not be affected.
Income from Home Help
Income from employment as a Home Help was disregarded in full for the purposes of receiving One-Parent Family Payment.
From January 2012 income as a home help funded by the HSE will be assessed in the means test for new and existing claimants of One-Parent Family Payment.
One Parent Family Payment and other social welfare payments
Currently a person who gets One-Parent Family Payment may be entitled to half the personal rate of Jobseeker’s Benefit, Illness Benefit or Incapacity Supplement if they satisfy the qualifying conditions.These half rate payments will cease for new applicants for Jobseeker’s Benefit, Illness Benefit or Incapacity Supplement from January 2012 .
Community Employment Scheme (CE)
From January 2012 new participants on Community Employment schemes will not be able to claim another social welfare payment such as One-Parent Family Payment at the same time but they will receive the standard additional €20 per week paid to other participants.
Payment of two qualified child increases where the person is on a Community Employment Scheme and One-Parent Family Payment will be discontinued for new and existing recipients from January 2012
The training and material grant for CE schemes will reduce from €1,500 to €500 per participant per year from January 2012.
Child Benefit
Child Benefit rates will be maintained at €140 per month for each of the first two children. The rates applying to the third and each subsequent child will be standarised at €140 per child per month over the next two years. From January 2012 the monthly rate for the third child will be €148 and for the fourth and each subsequent child will be €160.
While the additional monthly payment for twins and triplets will be maintained, the grant of €635 paid at birth, at 4 years of age and at 12 years of age for these multiple births will cease from January 2012.
Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance
In 2012 the age at which a child is eligible for the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance will be raised from 2 to 4 years of age.
The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance will be reduced in 2012 from €305 to €250 for children aged 12 years or more and from €200 to €150 for children aged 4-11.
Rent and Mortgage Interest Supplement
From January 2012 the minimum contribution payable by a single parent towards rent or mortgage interest supplement will increase by €6 per week from €24 to €30.
Cohabitants
The minimum contribution payable by cohabitants will increase by €11 per week from €24 to €35 per week.
Mortgage Interest Supplement
Payment of Mortgage Interest Supplement will be deferred for 12 months while the person engages with the Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process.
Fuel Allowance
The Fuel Allowance season will be reduced by 6 weeks from 32 weeks to 26 weeks for all recipients in 2012.
Family Income Supplement
Income from weekly carers payments will be included in the means test for Family Income Supplement from January 2012 for new applicants and on renewal for all others.
Maternity Benefit
The rates of payment for Maternity Benefit remain unchanged.
Back to Education Allowance
The Cost of Education Allowance, the annual grant paid to participants on the Back to Education Allowance will be reduced from €500 to €300 in 2012.
Further information on the budget changes relating to social welfare schemes are available on the website of the Department of Social Protection at www.welfare.ie
Higher Education and Student Grants
Student grants will be reduced by 3% from January 2012.
There will be no maintenance payments for new entrant postgraduate students.
Youthreach and FAS
The two existing allowances paid to 16 & 17 year olds participating in Youthreach, Community Training Centres and FAS courses are being merged and reduced to one standard rate of €40 for new entrants from January 2012. Currently participants on these courses receive €76.65 per week if aged 16 and €95.75 per week if aged 17.
Further information regarding changes to the education budget are available on the website of the Department of Education and Science at www.education.ie
Childcare - Community Education & Training Support (CETS) programme
Under this programme, childcare is provided to certain FAS and VEC trainees by Childcare services who in turn receive a capitation payment of €170. From September 2012, this capitation will be reduced to €145, and services will be allowed charge a fee of up to €25 per week to parents. The charge that a parent will pay will vary, depending on the costs of childcare services and the fees they normally charge parents and the type of place being availed of (fullday, half-day or after-school). The maximum amounts allowable are €25 for full daycare, with pro-rata reductions for half-day and after-school places.
Further information on the budget changes relating to Childcare Funding is available on the website of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs at www.dcya.ie
Income Tax
Tax Credits
There are no changes to tax credits in 2012.
Tax Rates and Tax Bands
The tax rates and tax bands remain unchanged at 20% (standard rate) and 41% (higher rate). A single parent will be taxed at the rate of 20% for the first €36,800 that they earn and the remainder will be taxed at 41%.
Universal Social Service Charge
In 2011 the Universal Social Service Charge is paid by anyone who earns more than €4,004 per year.
From January 2012 those who earn less than €10,035 per year will not have to pay the Universal Social Service Charge.
Further information on the Universal Social Service Charge is available on the website of the Revenue Commissioners at www.revenue.ie
Free Workshops available to workers working with unmarried parents in the North-East Area (Cavan, Louth, Meath and Dublin)
Treoir will be providing a number of workshops specifically aimed at workers working with unmarried parents. The workshops will be of interest to those working in the HSE and in other organisations.
The workshops will consist of information sessions in relation to changes affecting unmarried cohabiting parents arising from The Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010, which was enacted in Jan 2011. Issues covered include:
- How are cohabitants defined in the Act
- What is the Redress Scheme that is available to qualified cohabitants if their relationship ends. This scheme deals with property, maintenance, pension etc.
The sessions will also include information on the legal rights of unmarried parents such as:
- Maintenance
- Guardianship
- Access/custody
The first workshop will take place in Treoir’s offices in Dublin 1 on Wednesday, January 25th from 10:00 – 13:00. Places will be limited so early booking is advisable. Other workshops will be held in February, March and April outside of Dublin. If you would be interested in attending any of these workshops or if you are working as part of a team and would like to host a workshop please contact us at info@treoir.ie or call Bella on 01-6700120.
Attitudes to Family Formation in Ireland
This study, produced by Trinity College Dublin and funded by the Family Support Agency, examines attitudes to family formation in a sample survey of 1,400 Irish men and women between the age of 20 and 49 from various family types and from a variety of socio-economic groups.
Among the main findings are the following:
- Attitudes to marriage and cohabitation
84% of the sample believes that it is better to live with someone before getting married. 85% believe that religious reasons for marriage have become less important. There was a general consensus that marriage provides security and stability for children; however only 47% felt that people who want to have children ought to get married. This reflects the growing acceptance of cohabitation as an alternative household arrangement, even when there are children. Over two thirds of the sample believe that deciding to have a child together is a far greater commitment than getting married.
- Cohabiting Behaviour and Related Attitudes
The average period of cohabitation was just under four years. The more experience people have cohabiting the more likely they are to form longer lasting relationships. 43% of cohabiting people said that they definitely would marry their partner. There were many common drivers toward cohabitation and marriage, the primary of which were psychological factors. The main barriers to marriage for cohabiting people were financial, particularly the high cost of housing and weddings and the wish to have a secure job/income first.
- Attitudes of Childcare, Work-Life Balance and Related Policies
There was almost unanimous support for the universal provision of childcare and a national programme of childcare facilities for pre-school aged children. There was strong support for fathers to have a right to paid paternity leave. Attitudes showed a readiness for greater sharing of childcare between men and woman. Half of the sample felt that both men and women should ideally work part-time and co-parent.
- Effects of Family Status on Well-being
Married people were found to have the highest level of well-being on most measures, including social integration, life satisfaction, positive life experiences, etc. In second place were cohabiting people. Single mothers had the lowest life satisfaction and were the loneliest of all groups.
Download this report at: http://www.tcd.ie/Communications/news/pressreleases
Households and Family Structures in Ireland
This is the second of two reports on the structure of families in Ireland based primarily on a detailed analysis of Census 2006. It was produced by Pete Lunn and Tony Fahey for the ESRI and funded by the Family Support Agency.
Among the main findings are the following:
- Cohabitation
The norm for couples with children, including those in their twenties, remains marriage. Although it is increasingly common for couples with young children to be cohabiting it is estimated that most marry within five years of the birth of a first child. Almost one quarter of cohabiting couples contain at least one partner who has left a previous marriage. Couples with higher educational attainment are significantly more likely to marry, especially among couples with a mean age greater than 30 years.
- Children’s Family Circumstances
The large majority of children reside within a traditional family structure. It is estimated that one-in-forty children live in a step-family. Nevertheless, children’s family circumstances are dominated by two family forms: living with both of their biological parents and living with a lone parent. Second attempts at family formation remain relatively rare. The likelihood of living in one or other of these two dominant family types is strongly linked to socio-economics. Children whose mothers have only lower second-level qualifications are very much more likely to live with a never-married lone parent and also more likely to live with a lone parent who has experienced marital breakdown.
- Rights and Obligations of Partners
The Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Responsibilities of Cohabitants Act 2010 came into force in 2011. Following the introduction of this new legislation a significant number of cohabiting couples who break up may now find themselves going to court to decide the division not only of their property but also of their future income. Crucially a cohabiting couple will now enter a similar contract to marriage by default. The danger here is that individuals or couples may not be fully apprised of their legal situation. Those with lower educational attainment are more likely to cohabit rather than marry and more likely to have children with a cohabiting relationship and are most likely to acquire new rights and obligations under the Act. (See Treoir’s publication ‘Cohabitants’ at http://www.treoir.ie/target-co-habiting.php)
This publication is available to download from www.esri.ie
Child Protection and Welfare Practice Handbook
This publication was launched by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Ms. Frances Fitzgerald in November on behalf of the HSE. The HSE states in in this Handbook that it has been written as a practice resource to support best practice in front-line child protection and welfare work. It is designed to be a companion volume and to complement Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children (2011) and sets out the key issues in the areas of recognising abuse, responding to referrals, risk factors, assessment, planning and intervention. It is written primarily for HSE Children and Family Services’ Social Work practitioners, with Section 2 of the Handbook dedicated to allied professionals and volunteers who work with children and their families. It will be of use to the whole spectrum of agencies and services that are directly or indirectly involved in the protection and welfare of children.
You can access a copy of Children First, Child Protection and Welfare Practice Handbook and supporting material by visiting:
· http://www.hse.ie/go/childrenfirst
Decisionmap.ie
www.decisionmap.ie has been developed by Ordinance Survey Ireland (OSI) and web company Twelve Horses. It uses a combination of statistics already available through sources including the Central Statistics Office and the All Island Research Observatory laid over a combination of different maps.
By illustrating this information over maps by county and electoral district, “you can see a lot more, you can intuit a lot more, and take action”, said Gabrielle Stafford of Twelve Horses. The aim of this website is to give policymakers, among others, instant access to easily digestible statistical data.
TREOIR Bulletin: July - October 2011
1. Treoir Publication – Being there for them
2. Treoir Strategic Plan
3. Treoir promoting the rights and best interests of unmarried parents:
Pre-Budget Submission,Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare
4. Treoir Workshops
5. CSO figures for the First Quarter 2011
6. Changes to the Domestic Violence Act 1966
7. EC (Mediation) Regulations 2011 (the “Regulations”)
8. Maintenance payments
9. NEW Child Contact Centre Service
10. The National Longitudinal Study of Children - Growing Up in Ireland
11. Courts Service Annual Report 2010
12. Household Benefits Package
13. Medical Cards
14. National Minimum Wage
15. Healthcomplaints
16. Guide to Social Welfare Appeals
17. ‘Working for Work'
18. Barnardos Knows Campaign
19. Immigrant Council of Ireland (the Council) - Irish Times 3/8/2011
20. Equality Authority Annual Report 2010
21. Percentage of births to unmarried women, selected countries, 1980 and 2007
Treoir Publication – Being there for them
The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Andrew Montague recently launched the 2nd edition of Being there for them –a booklet for grandparents of children whose parents are not married to each other. It is particularly for grandparents who:
- have their adult children and their grandchildren living with them
- are grandparents of children whose parents are in their teens
- are providing full-time care to their grandchildren
- are grandparents who are not in touch with their grandchildren
‘Being there for them’ is funded by the HSE Crisis Pregnancy Programme. Contact us on 01-6700120 or info@treoir.ie to request a free copy.
Treoir Strategic Plan
Treoir is in the process of developing its strategic plan for 2012 – 2017. To assist us in the process, we will be contacting members, funders and a selection of users for their assistance in examining our work and to inform us of their experiences of working with Treoir. If you have not been contacted and would like to be consulted please contact Treoir on 01-6700120 or info@treoir.ie.
Treoir promoting the rights and best interests of unmarried parents
Treoir is committed to promoting the rights and best interests of unmarried parents and their children in Ireland and makes representations and submissions to government and other relevant bodies to promote change. To this end Treoir made a number of recent submissions to government departments, as follows:
Pre-Budget Submission made to the Department Of Social Protection. In its submission Treoir focused on two recommendations rather than reiterating recommendations it has made over many years. Firstly, that the basic social welfare rate is not cut in Budget 2012 and secondly that affordable, flexible, quality childcare is the single most crucial issue for unmarried parents in accessing education or the workforce, where there is one resident parent. The implementation of both of these recommendations would go some way towards achieving Treoir’s aim of promoting equity for unmarried parents and their children in Ireland.
A submission to the Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare at the Department of Social Protection. In its summary Treoir states that it supports an approach which places Child Income Support within a broader strategy which aims to reduce poverty for all, and which focuses on coordinated policy development and implementation designed to achieve positive outcomes for children and their families.
View Treoir’s submissions here.
Treoir Workshops
Treoir will be hosting four workshops over the next six months in the HSE North-East Area. These workshops will consist of information sessions in relation to the new legal rights and obligations of cohabitants arising from the enactment of The Civil Prtnership and Certain Rights and Obligation of Cohabitans Act 2010, which came into effect on 1st January 2011. The information sessions will also deal with legal rights for unmarried parents in relation to maintenance, guardianship and custody/access issues. If you are working with unmarried parents in Cavan, Monaghan, Louth, Meath or Dublin and would like to either attend or host one of these workshops please contact us on 01-6700120 or veronica@treoir.ie
CSO figures for the First Quarter 2011
There were 19,950 births registered in quarter 1 of 2011. This is the highest number of births registered in a quarter since the CSO office first started compiling quarterly figures in 1960. There were 6,768 births registered as outside marriage in this quarter. This accounted for 33.9% of all births, a decrease of 0.1% on quarter 1 of 2010 and an increase of 1.3% on quarter 1 2006. The highest percentage of births outside marriage was in Limerick City at 52%, while the lowest percentage of births outside marriage was in Leitrim at 21%. Over half of births outside marriage were registered by both parents giving the same address.
The average age of mother at maternity outside of marriage was 28.5 years. 6% of births registered as outside of marriage were to teen parents.
Changes to the Domestic Violence Act 1966
The recently (partly) enacted Civil Law Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 2011 has amended the Domestic Violence Act 1996 and extended eligibility requirements for domestic violence orders as follows:
- Parents with a child in common are now eligible to apply for Safety Orders without any cohabitation requirements
- Cohabiting partners are now eligible to apply for Safety orders without any specific duration of cohabitation required
- Eligibility criteria for Domestic Violence Orders are now the same for same sex cohabitants as for their opposite sex counterparts.
EC (Mediation) Regulations 2011 (the “Regulations”)
EC Directive 2008/52/EC (the “Directive”) introducing new procedural rules to promote the use of mediation and other forms of Alternative Dispute Resolution has now been transposed into Irish law in the form of the EC (Mediation) Regulations 2011 (the “Regulations”). Under these Regulations, a court may, on application or by its own motion, adjourn proceedings and invite the parties to use mediation as a means of settling their dispute. However, the Regulations are confined to cross border disputes to which the Directive applies. The Minister did not exercise his discretion to extend the scope of the Regulations to cover domestic disputes, as had been recommended by the Law Reform Commission’s recently published report on Alternative Dispute Resolution.
For Directive see: http://eurlex.europa.eu/Result.do?arg0=Directive+2008%2F52%2FEC+&arg1=&arg2=&titre=titre&chlang=en&RechType=RECH_mot&Submit=Search
For Regulations see: http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2011/en/si/0209.html
Maintenance payments
New legislation on cross-border payments of maintenance for children came into effect on 18 June 2011. Decisions on maintenance payments made in one EU member state are now enforceable in the other states without any special procedures being required. Every member state must have a central authority to facilitate the operation of the regulation and to help individuals use the processes.
The regulation has been brought into effect in Ireland by the European Communities (Maintenance) Regulations 2011 (SI 274/2011). The central authority for Ireland is the Department of Justice and Equality and can be contacted at mainrecov@justice.ie.
The 2007 Hague Maintenance Convention sets up a worldwide system for recovering child support and other family maintenance payments. The EU signed the Convention on 6 April 2011. This applies to cases of maintenance orders made outside the EU and their enforcement within the EU.
(Citizens Information Board, EU Supplement - July 2011)
NEW Child Contact Centre Service
The Barnardos & One Family Child Contact Centre is a new service that will operate on a two year pilot basis in three locations in Dublin: Ballymun, Clondalkin and Tallaght. The Child Contact Centre offers a safe, friendly and neutral place where children can spend time with the parent/s they do not live with. A wide range of family supports are offered to help families move on to self arranged contact in the future. Supports include - working with parents individually and jointly, parenting supports and counselling.
For further information you can contact the Service on 01 4032085/89/80 or email childcontact@barnardos.ie.
The National Longitudinal Study of Children - Growing Up in Ireland
The National Longitudinal Study of Ireland has launched new findings from its research which was officially launched by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Frances Fitzgerald T.D on 22nd September 2011. The research captures the experiences and perceptions of children on a range of issues including their family life, their health and wellbeing and expectations for the future.
This latest research from Growing Up in Ireland draws on in-depth qualitative interviews conducted with 120 nine-year-old children and their parents as part of the GUI Qualitative study. These families are participating in and were selected from the larger GUI Quantitative study which is tracking the lives of 8,500 nine-year-old children. These children and their families are currently taking part in a follow-up interview now that the children have turned 13 years of age.
A series of three Key Findings documents as well as a full research report are available to download at http://www.growingup.ie/index.php?id=62
Included in the Key Findings are the following:
- Relationships between children and their parents were broadly positive. Children reported spending more time with their mothers. Time spent with fathers was frequently activity based.
- Children commented on how they felt less close to parents who worked long hours and were less available.
- Parental separation had a considerable impact on children’s routines and made for relationships with non-resident parents that were challenging to sustain though still valued.
Courts Service Annual Report 2010
There was an increase in applications relating to guardianship of children, custody and access in 2010, the vast majority of which were granted or withdrawn, normally following agreement. The maintenance and guardianship figures below are in relation to applications made by unmarried parents.
MAINTENANCE (unmarried parents)
|
|
2010 |
2009 |
|
Granted |
2413 |
2205 |
|
Refused |
73 |
97 |
|
Withdrawn/Struck Out |
655 |
645 |
|
TOTAL |
3141 |
2947 |
GUARADIANSHIP (unmarried parents)
|
|
2010 |
2009 |
|
Granted |
2072 |
1861 |
|
Refused |
68 |
81 |
|
Withdrawn/Struck Out |
643 |
521 |
|
TOTAL |
2783 |
2463 |
Applications for guardianship by unmarried fathers increased by 13% in 2010.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
BARRING ORDERS: applicants
|
|
2010 |
2009 |
|
|
Spouse |
1515 |
1594 |
|
|
Common law partner |
842 |
861 |
|
|
Parent |
360 |
392 |
|
|
Health Service Exec. |
5 |
6 |
|
|
Other |
4 |
2 |
|
|
TOTAL Orders Granted |
1064 |
1106 |
|
PROTECTION ORDERS: applicants
|
|
2010 |
2009 |
|
|
Spouse |
1552 |
1247 |
|
|
Common law partner |
1004 |
1584 |
|
|
Parent |
321 |
262 |
|
|
Health Service Exec. |
45 |
4 |
|
|
Other |
4 |
37 |
|
|
TOTAL Orders Granted |
2672 |
2867 |
|
SAFETY ORDERS: applicants
|
|
2010 |
2009 |
|
|
Spouse |
1836 |
1776 |
|
|
Common law partner |
1195 |
1037 |
|
|
Parent |
460 |
436 |
|
|
Health Service Exec. |
39 |
70 |
|
|
Other |
1 |
3 |
|
|
TOTAL Orders Granted |
1457 |
1339 |
|
Household Benefits Package
As of September 2011 changes were made to the value of the Household Benefits Package.
- The Electricity Allowance has been reduced from 2,400 units a year to 1,800 units
- The Natural Gas Allowance has been reduced from €52 every two months in the summer to €42 and from €111 every two months in winter (November – June) to €89.
- Telephone Allowance reduced from €21.41 plus VAT each month to €18.36 plus VAT each month.
Further information is available from www.welfare.ie
Medical Cards
Since 1st July 2011 all new Medical Card applications and reviews are being processed centrally. An online application service is now available at www.medical card.ie. You can follow the progress of your application online. If you qualify for a medical card you should receive your card within 15 days. If you are over the income guidelines you may still be eligible for a Medical Card, or a GP Visit Card, on a discretionary basis. If you believe that your circumstances may entitle you to Medical Card services on a discretionary basis you should contact your local health office.
The National Minimum Wage… which was cut by €1 a week on 1 February 2011 has been reversed and is now €8.65 per hour.
healthcomplaints.ie is a new website that has been developed to provide information on appeals mechanisms. It provides information on how to make a complaint or give feedback about health and social care services.
Guide to Social Welfare Appeals
The Free Legal Advice Centre (FLAC) has produced this guide to explain the social welfare appeals process for claimants who wish to appeal a decision on a social welfare payment. The Guide also includes information on making a Freedom of Information request. Available to download at www.flac.ie/download/pdf/april_2011_guide_to_sw_appeals_process_final.pdf
‘Working for Work’
The 18th annual ‘Working for Work’ booklet published by the Irish National Organisation for the Unemployed (INOU) was launched in July by the Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton, TD.
The Working for Work booklet is a comprehensive publication bringing together a wide range of information and supports available for unemployed people who are trying to return to work, education or training. It outlines individuals’ right and entitlement with regard to social welfare payments as well as providing valuable information and advice on the options and opportunities available to those seeking to enter the labour market or to pursue further education and training.
Barnardos Knows Campaign
Over 90,000 children in Ireland are already living in consistent poverty. 2011 has been a tough year for many families and children are already suffering as a result of the recession. There are real fears that further cuts to welfare, health and education in Budget 2010 will push more children deeper into deprivation and disadvantage. Barnardos are asking you to promote their Barnardos Knows Campaign by signing their online petition, available on their home page - www.barnardos.ie, before November 30th.
Immigrant Council of Ireland (the Council) - Irish Times 3/8/2011
The Council’s confidential helpline received almost 5,000 calls in the first six months of the year. The most common inquiry (791) related to the residence rights for the parents of Irish citizen children. This follows a landmark judgment in the European Court of Justice in which the court found that a non-EU national parent of an EU citizen child has the right to reside within an EU member state and to be granted a work permit. To find out more about this judgment you can view Treoir’s January-March 2011 Bulletin and a video that describes the situation of non-Irish parents of children born in Ireland who are Irish citizen children (available from the publications section) on our website.
Among other issues cited by callers were:
- Leave to remain as a family member of an Irish national (214)
- Family reunification (204)
- Visit visas (148)
Equality Authority Annual Report 2010
The Annual Report shows that there was a substantial increase in enquiries under the equality legislation. The Equality Authority provides information on equality legislation and a range of family leaves (Maternity, Parental and Adoptive). Speaking at the launch, the Chairperson of the Equality Authority Angela Kerins said that "the make-up of families in Ireland has transformed in the last number of decades. It is important that our legislation keeps up with these changes. The best interests of children require that the diversity of parenting and family arrangements be acknowledged in family law, so that the rights and responsibilities of both the father and the mother and all those in a parenting role are appropriately recognised."
See Annual Report at http://www.equality.ie/index.asp?locID=136&docID=980 or e-mail info@equality.ie.
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Percentage of births to unmarried women, selected countries, 1980 and 2007 - Compiled by USA Department of Health and Human Services 
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TREOIR Bulletin: April – June 2011
Contents
- Treoir AGM
- Perinatal Statistics Report 2009
- Central Statistics Office Yearly Summary 2010
- Abortion Statistics
- Social Housing
- Back to school Clothing & Footwear Allowance
- Medical Cards
- Guidelines clarify social welfare for returned migrants
- DCYA
- Irish Association of Young People in Care
- HSE Service for children in care
- Arc Adoption
- Magdalene Laundries
- Expert work group on abortion to be set up
- Pregnancy at Work: A National Survey
- Supporting an unplanned pregnancy
- The self-employed have rights too
- Link2B Active
TREOIR Bulletin: January – March 2011
Contents
- Treoir’s New Website
- Treoir's New Information Leaflets
- Information Pack 2011
- Cohabitants – new legal rights and obligations
- Cohabiting Parents
- International Child Abduction – where parents are not married to each other
- Members’ Meeting
- CSO Statistics
- Emergency Contraception
- Mediation
- Research on Family Law
- Non-EU parents of citizens entitled to residency, Court rules
- Delay in Welfare Appeals
- Birth fathers wishing to get in touch
- HSE National Director for Child & Famiy Services
- Our Children First: A Parent’s Guide to the National Child Protection Guidelines
- Baby Steps: guide to help expectant parents manage finances
- Shaping Your Future
- Child law clinic opens in Cork City University
- Families, Fathers and Friends
