Parliamentary questions

Social Welfare Benefits

Colm Burke

274. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection if the community ophthalmic services scheme standard eye examination contractors’ fee is now to be equal to the eye test fee payable to contractors under her Department’s optical benefit scheme; will the optical benefit scheme fee itself now be raised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11301/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Éamon Ó Cuív

275. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection if there are published national guidelines or SWA policy guidelines in relation to the operation of the supplementary welfare system and, in particular, in relation to additional needs payments and exceptional needs payments; if so, how can they be accessed by public representatives and the public; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11378/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Éamon Ó Cuív

276. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection the maximum percentage payment payable to a person living on jobseekers' allowance who has no savings under the exceptional needs payment supplementary welfare allowance; the reason for the maximum percentage if the applicant cannot borrow money or pay the difference; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11379/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

277. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection when a person will receive their pension (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11455/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Bernard Durkan

278. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if the entitlement, if any, to rent a room in any way inhibited the entitlement to widow’s pension in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11479/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Bernard Durkan

279. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection whether application for an exceptional needs payment can be reviewed in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11485/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Bernard Durkan

280. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection whether reconsideration can be given to the application for fuel allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11489/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Bernard Durkan

281. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person (details supplied) can continue in less than full-time or part-time employment along with reduced social welfare payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11493/24]

Public Transport

Claire Kerrane

119. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review eligibility for the free travel scheme for people who have a severe illness but who are not in receipt of the relevant qualifying payment; if consideration has been given to allowing discretion in certain cases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10905/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Brendan Smith

120. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection are insurance contributions carried over to persons who are foster parents and not in employment outside the home; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10916/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Brendan Smith

121. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if persons who are foster parents are eligible for contributions to be included under the homemaker’s scheme for pension purposes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10917/24]

Pension Provisions

Bernard Durkan

122. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if a statement of widow’s pension paid in 2022 to a person (details supplied) can issue to the client as soon as possible; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10927/24]

Departmental Staff

Carol Nolan

123. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection to clarify the number of redundancies, or so called ‘exit-packages’, that have been paid to staff or personnel at any level of seniority in her Department, or in any agency or body under the aegis of h Department, from 2018 to date; the value of each and the total value, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10993/24]

Departmental Staff

Catherine Murphy

124. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of exit and or severance and or redundancy packages granted by her Department, and bodies under her aegis, and of bodies he funds in full or in part, of €200,000 and above in the years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024; and if she will provide the amount of same, body, name and year. [11022/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Bernard Durkan

125. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of his appeal against the decision to reduce a person's payment (details supplied) with particular reference to their high outgoings on medical costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11027/24]

Pension Provisions

Seán Crowe

126. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if any pensioners lost out between the time of pension increases in January 2024 and the raising of the fuel allowance means threshold some eight weeks later; and if all pensioners were compensated for the loss incurred to them if there was a discrepancy during that time. [11037/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

127. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Social Protection if an application for disability allowance (details supplied) will be assessed on current means only; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11054/24]

Pension Provisions

Brendan Griffin

128. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been made on an application for invalidity pension by a person in County Kerry (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11103/24]

Departmental Staff

Alan Kelly

129. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Social Protection to list all staff/management exit packages for staff/management in their Departments that they sanctioned since 2016 (details supplied).
[11167/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Paul Kehoe

130. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Social Protection the current status of a domiciliary care allowance application (details supplied), and when a decision be made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11191/24]

Social Welfare Schemes

Marian Harkin

435. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Social Protection how plans are advancing in introducing a pay related benefit scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9967/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Seán Sherlock

436. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the current status of a rent supplement claim in respect of a person in County Cork (details supplied); and if any documentation is outstanding which may be pertinent to the application in advance of a decision being made. [9968/24]

Legislative Measures

Emer Higgins

437. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection to review the Assisted Human Reproduction Bill to ensure benefits akin to adoptive and maternity leave are provided for the care of newborn infants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9980/24]

Social Welfare Code

Paul Murphy

438. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection why 'S' class contributions do not quality for carer’s payment; if there are any exceptions to this rule; if there is consideration around changing this; and if not, why not. [10056/24]

Social Welfare Code

Seán Canney

439. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person paying PRSI contributions between the ages of 66 and 70 can use those contributions to reach the threshold of 520 contributions to access a contributory pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10164/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

440. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection what the average wait time for an additional needs payment application is; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10206/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Colm Burke

441. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an appeal by a person (details supplied); when a decision is likely to issue, given this has been pending for some time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10227/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Michael Fitzmaurice

442. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Social Protection when maintenance payments to carers will be disregarded as means for social welfare payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10237/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Duncan Smith

443. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection to ensure that the €500 grant towards the cost of a hairpiece, wig or hair replacement for people who suffer hair loss due to illness is not restricted, therefore preventing people who suffer from alopecia to avail of this grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10246/24]

Departmental Advertising

Pauline Tully

444. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount spent on advertising and promotions within her Department in 2023 and for January 2024, in tabular form. [10273/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Duncan Smith

445. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will indicate when an appeal by a person (details supplied) to the Chief Appeals Officer against a refusal to award him the invalidity person will be heard, and if same can be expedited; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10277/24]

Redundancy Payments

Christopher O'Sullivan

446. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the expected time scale for employees to receive information on their redundancy entitlements (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10324/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Michael Creed

447. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person in County Cork (details supplied) has been refused illness benefit. [10396/24]

Departmental Properties

Matt Carthy

448. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection the ground rents payable by her Department or agencies under its remit, by named property, by name of landlord and by amount payable, in the years 2016 to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10422/24]

Legislative Measures

Ivana Bacik

449. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on recent legislation which passed in Westminster to create an optional bereavement certificate for pregnancy loss before 24 weeks’ gestation; and her plans to introduce such a similar initiative here. [10428/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Violet-Anne Wynne

450. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on the number of applications received for exceptional needs payments from County Clare in the past 12 months; how many were granted; how many were rejected, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10440/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Patrick Costello

451. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of the fuel allowance; the number of applications for the fuel allowance; the number of refusals for the fuel allowance over the past three years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10513/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Brendan Griffin

452. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection why a payment has been reduced for a person in County Kerry (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10517/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Michael Creed

453. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Social Protection why a person (details supplied) has had their disability allowance withdrawn. [10525/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Peter Fitzpatrick

454. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has any plans to extend the eligibility of the living-alone allowance to Irish citizens who have moved home from the UK, are in receipt of a UK pension but are not in receipt of any Irish social welfare payments. [10534/24]

Departmental Data

Mairéad Farrell

455. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 323 of 27 February 2024, the meaning of travel itinerary; what information must be included in this as evidence of travel; if a signed letter from the DA recipient outlining the dates they will be abroad is acceptable; and the legal basis for requesting and holding the travel data of DA recipients. [10612/24]

Social Welfare Code

Ivana Bacik

456. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Social Protection how income (details supplied) is assessed when an individual is elected to a local authority; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10631/24]

Personal Public Service Numbers

Emer Higgins

457. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider launching an awareness campaign for women needing to check their updated PPSN numbers from the old ‘W’ format; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10695/24]

School Meals Programme

James O'Connor

458. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection if it is possible for schools (details supplied) to seek a higher allowance than that of the €1.70 currently available, should they opt for cold lunch options, through the hot school meals scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10700/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Brendan Smith

459. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review the tax treatment of statutory sick leave payments made by employers in order that they are not subject to the deductions such as USC that the State avoids it when it pays illness benefit to employees; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10706/24]

Cost of Living Issues

Brendan Griffin

460. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a cost of living payment will issue to a person in County Kerry (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10796/24]

Social Welfare Offices

Bernard Durkan

461. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if the relevant personnel from the local office in Kildare can make contact with a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10803/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Joan Collins

230. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision on an application for fuel allowance can be reviewed (details supplied). [9743/24]

Pension Provisions

Duncan Smith

231. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection why a person (details supplied) is not receiving the full increase granted in respect of her pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9752/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Robert Troy

232. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will expedite an appeal for domiciliary care allowance for a person (details supplied). [9762/24]