Know Your Rights: Treatment Benefit Scheme and the self-employed

Question

I run a small business and pay Class S PRSI. My wife works part-time. Are we both entitled to medical benefits under the Treatment Benefit Scheme?

Answer

Since 27 March 2017, the Treatment Benefit Scheme has been extended to cover self-employed people who have paid sufficient Class S PRSI contributions. The scheme is run by the Department of Social Protection (DSP) and provides dental, optical and aural services to qualified people. You should contact the DSP or your treatment provider to check your eligibility before proceeding with any treatment. The number of PRSI contributions required depends on your age.

Your wife may qualify in her own right if she has enough contributions. If she doesn’t have enough, she may still qualify for Treatment Benefit on your social insurance record. To do this, you must qualify for Treatment Benefit and she must be dependent on you. To be considered dependent she must:

·         Have a gross income of €100 or less per week or

·         Earn more than €100 per week and have been dependent on you before entering or resuming insurable employment (at Class A, E, H, P or S) or

·         Not be getting a social welfare payment (except Disablement Pension, Supplementary Welfare Allowance, Carer’s Benefit or Child Benefit) or

·         Have a Carer’s Allowance or State Pension (Non-Contributory) and have been dependent on you immediately before getting this payment

Benefits under the scheme include an annual oral examination by private dentists on a DSP panel. Most dentists are on the panel so you shouldn’t have difficulty finding one. The scheme also provides for a free eyesight test but does not include sight tests for computer screens or driving licences. Half the cost of medically required contact lenses and hearing aids, up to a maximum amount, may also be covered. Opticians, optometrists or hearing aid suppliers providing the treatment or hearing products must have a contract with the DSP.

You can get detailed information on the Treatment Benefit Scheme on welfare.ie. Further information is available from the Citizens Information Service below.

Know Your Rights has been compiled by Boyle Citizens Information Centre which provides a free and confidential service to the public. Tel: 0761 07 6330

Address: Elphin Street, Boyle, Co. Roscommon

Information is also available online at citizensinformation.ie and from the Citizens Information Phone Service - 0761 07 4000

Know Your Rights: Press Ombudsman

Question

I want to complain about an article that was in a national newspaper recently. How can I do this?

Answer

The Office of the Press Ombudsman deals with complaints against publications that are members of the Press Council of Ireland. This is done free of charge without having to go to court. You can make a complaint about any article that personally affects you. You can also complain about the behaviour of a journalist. The article or the behaviour must be in breach of the professional standards and behaviours set out in the Code of Practice for Newspapers and Periodicals.

You must first make your complaint to the editor of the newspaper or magazine which published the article, explaining why you think the Code has been breached. If you don’t get a response or you are not happy with the response, you can complain to the Office of the Press Ombudsman within three months of the publication of the article or the behaviour of the journalist. The complaint must be made in writing by email or post and must:

·         Show how you are personally affected

·         Indicate which parts of the code of practice have been breached and why

·         Include a dated copy of the article

·         Include copies of correspondence between you and the editor

The Office will first seek to have your complaint resolved through conciliation and/or mediation. This usually takes four to six weeks. If the matter is referred to the Press Ombudsman for a decision, it may take a further two weeks.

If the decision is in your favour, the newspaper or magazine must publish the decision unless it is appealed. If you are not happy with the decision, you can appeal to the Press Council of Ireland within two weeks.

You can get detailed information on how to make a complaint to the Press Ombudsman at citizensinformation.ie or from the Office of the Press Ombudsman.

Further information is also available from the Citizens Information Service below.

Know Your Rights has been compiled by Boyle Citizens Information Centre which provides a free and confidential service to the public. Tel: 0761 07 6330

Address: Elphin Street, Boyle, Co. Roscommon

Information is also available online at citizensinformation.ie and from the Citizens Information Phone Service - 0761 07 4000

Know Your Rights: Apprenticeships

Question

I’m leaving school soon but I don’t want to go to college. What other options do I have?

Answer

You could consider looking for an apprenticeship. An apprenticeship involves on-the-job training with an employer. It will prepare you for work in a specific area or craft such as construction, engineering, motor or electrical. You can find information about different types of apprenticeships on the website apprenticeship.ie.

Apprentices get an allowance while training on the job. Their employer pays a recommended apprenticeship wage. The rates of pay can vary, depending on the apprenticeship and on your employer. Generally, rates will rise as you gain more skills.  During off-the-job training, a craft apprentice allowance is paid. The allowance is calculated in relation to the take-home wages paid in each trade sector. Sometimes, you will also get a contribution towards travel or accommodation costs.

It can take two to four years to complete an apprenticeship.

To be accepted, you must be at least 16 years of age and have a minimum of grade D in any five subjects in the Junior Certificate or equivalent. Some employers may require higher educational qualifications. If you don't have the required grades, you can still be registered by an employer as an apprentice if you satisfactorily complete an approved pre-apprenticeship course.

To secure an apprenticeship, the first step is to find an employer who employs apprentices in the specific craft or occupation that you are interested in. The website apprenticeship.ie lists websites that advertise apprenticeship vacancies.

If you are interested in taking up an apprenticeship, contact the Apprenticeship Section of your local Education and Training Board (ETB) for advice.

Further information is available from the Citizens Information Service below.

Know Your Rights has been compiled by Boyle Citizens Information Centre which provides a free and confidential service to the public. Tel: 0761 07 6330

Address: Elphin Street, Boyle, Co. Roscommon

Information is also available online at citizensinformation.ie and from the Citizens Information Phone Service - 0761 07 4000

Know Your Rights: Public petitions

Question

There is an important issue that I feel isn’t being considered by the Oireachtas but should be. I’ve heard that it is possible to make a petition directly to a parliamentary petitions committee. How does this work?

Answer 

The Joint Committee on Public Petitions considers petitions from members of the public on matters in which the Houses of the Oireachtas have the power to act. Anyone except for members of the Oireachtas can submit a petition.

To make a petition, you fill out a form which is available on the Oireachtas website oireachtas.ie. The form can be submitted by post, by email or online and only one signature is required. The committee secretariat can assist you in completing the form and can also give advice on the type of petitions which can be accepted.

You should be able to show that you have already taken steps to resolve the issue, for example, through raising it with the Ombudsman or directly with the relevant government department.

The Joint Committee will not consider a complaint which has been the subject of a decision by an Ombudsman, a regulatory public body or a body set up for the purpose of redress.

If the petition is accepted, the Committee may respond to it in a number of ways. It may:

• Refer the petition to another appropriate committee, Ombudsman, regulatory public body or redress body

• Report to the Dáil and Seanad with recommendations

• Request the petitioner to attend a meeting and address the committee

The parliamentary petitions system is a way that you can take your concerns directly to Parliament and seek to influence the parliamentary agenda. Further information on the Joint Committee on Public Petitions is available on oireachtas.ie or from the Citizens Information Centre below. 

Know Your Rights has been compiled by Boyle Citizens Information Centre which provides a free and confidential service to the public. Tel: 0761 07 6330 

Address: Elphin Street, Boyle, Co. Roscommon

Information is also available online at citizensinformation.ie and from the Citizens Information Phone Service - 0761 07 4000

Know Your Rights: Bringing a dog into Ireland

Question

I am moving back to Ireland after living in Greece for some years. Am I allowed to bring my dog with me?

Answer

There are strict controls about importing pets into Ireland to ensure that diseases such as rabies are not introduced. The EU system of passports for pets allows cats, dogs and ferrets to travel between EU member states.

You may bring your dog with you if you are moving to Ireland or coming on holiday (or any other movement that is not commercial and doesn’t involve the sale or change of ownership of the pet). Your dog must have an EU Pet Passport. This is available from private veterinary practices.

The Passport certifies that the pet is travelling from an eligible country, is identified by an implanted microchip and has been vaccinated against rabies at least 21 days before travel.

Dogs coming from countries other than the UK, Finland or Malta must be treated against tapeworm between 24 and 120 hours before travel. The time and date of treatment are entered on the passport. Treatment for ticks is not compulsory but it is advisable to get it at the same time as the tapeworm treatment.

The operator of the airline or ferry company is legally obliged to send notice of the arrival of the animal to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine by email at least 24 hours before the journey to petmove@agriculture.gov.ie.

Further information is available from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (agriculture.gov.ie/pets) and from the Citizens Information Centre below.

Know Your Rights has been compiled by Boyle Citizens Information Centre which provides a free and confidential service to the public. Tel: 0761 07 6330

Address: Elphin Street, Boyle, Co. Roscommon

Information is also available online at citizensinformation.ie and from the Citizens Information Phone Service - 0761 07 4000

Know Your Rights - Prescription Charges

Question

I have a medical card but I seem to be paying more than the monthly cap for prescription charges for my family. Why would this happen and how can I get a refund?

Answer

If you have a medical card, there is a charge for each prescription item you receive. The prescription charge is €2.50, up to a maximum of €25 per month per person or family. For medical card holders over the age of 70 there is a reduced prescription charge, from 1 March 2017, of €2 per item up to a maximum of €20 per month.

Usually your pharmacy keeps records of how much you have paid in prescription charges and makes sure that you do not pay more than the limit each month. However, you may use different pharmacies in the same month, or your family members may not be set up as a family group, and you may end up paying more than the maximum.

If this happens, the Health Service Executive (HSE) will issue a refund without the need for you to apply for it. This is done on the basis of the information received from pharmacies. Refunds are issued every six months for amounts over €10. Amounts that are less than €10 are carried over to the next refund date.

You can set up your family as a family group on medicalcard.ie and print off a family certificate to give to your pharmacist. This will show all of the members of your family so that your pharmacy will not collect charges above the monthly limit. Your family is defined as you, your spouse or partner, any children under 16 years of age and any children between 16 and 21 years of age who are in full-time education.

If you do not have access to the internet you can ask your Local Health Office to help with setting up a family group. You can also call the HSE on 1890 252 919 or ask your local pharmacist who may be able to help you.

Further information is available from the Citizens Information Centre below.

Know Your Rights has been compiled by Boyle Citizens Information Centre which provides a free and confidential service to the public. Tel: 0761 07 6330

Address: Elphin Street, Boyle, Co. Roscommon

Information is also available online at citizensinformation.ie and from the Citizens Information Phone Service - 0761 07 4000

Know Your Rights: Farm Assist means test

Know Your Rights: Farm Assist means test

Question

How is income from different sources assessed for Farm Assist? I do some contracting as well as farming and my spouse works part-time. We have two children.

Answer

The means test for Farm Assist takes into account virtually every type of income you may have but it assesses different income in different ways.

Your income from farming and other self-employment (like contracting) is assessed as the gross income that you or your spouse may be expected to receive, less any expenses you incur to earn that income. From 8 March 2017, €254 of the income each year is disregarded for each of your two children (it would be €381 for a third or subsequent child). 70% of the balance is assessed (it was 100% up to March 2017).

Payments under rural environmental schemes such as GLAS and SAC are assessed separately from other farm income. €2,540 is deducted from the total amount of all these payments each year and 50% of the remainder is disregarded. Expenses incurred in complying with these environmental measures are then deducted and the balance is assessed as means. Income from an occupational pension or leasing of land or milk quotas is assessed in full. Capital (including any property that you do not live in) is assessed using the formula applied to means-tested social welfare payments.

If you have an off-farm job, €20 per day (up to a maximum of €60 per week) is deducted from your assessable weekly earnings and then 60% of the remainder is assessed as weekly means. Your spouse’s income from employment is assessed in the same way. If you have seasonal work, you are assessed on your earnings only during the period you are actually working.

When you apply for Farm Assist, a social welfare inspector will visit you and ask to see various documents. The inspector will then assess the costs incurred in running the farm. You are entitled to receive a copy of this farm income calculation.

You can get detailed information on how farm income is assessed at welfare.ie.

Further information is available from the Citizens Information Centre below.

Know Your Rights has been compiled by Boyle Citizens Information Centre which provides a free and confidential service to the public. Tel: 0761 07 6330

Address: Elphin Street, Boyle, Co. Roscommon

Information is also available online at citizensinformation.ie and from the Citizens Information Phone Service - 0761 07 4000