Parliamentary questions

Social Welfare Eligibility

Bernard Durkan

193. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the entitlement to an appropriate payment in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8586/24]

Social Welfare Code

Bernard Durkan

194. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the maximum hours or income a person (details supplied) can work or receive to retain the one-parent family payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8604/24]

Social Welfare Code

Frankie Feighan

107. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she would consider reviewing the means test for non-contributory and part-contributory pensioners who may rent their home and live with relations or friends, within the framework of the next budget, to incentivise older people who have options around moving in with relatives and may have sizeable homes to consider the rental market without a serious implication for their income. [8148/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Louise O'Reilly

108. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if any changes to provide children's benefit payments to 18-year-olds in full-time education will be backdated for the school year in which the change is introduced. [8162/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Michael Lowry

109. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Social Protection when the ruling concerning the free fuel allowance, which states that a household payment can only be paid when the residence is on an approved site (publicly or privately owned) with planning permission for the caravan or mobile home, was introduced and if this ruling will be reviewed in cases where someone lives in a residence without planning permission, such as when an additional mobile home or caravan is placed, as these ‘additional’ places of residence are not currently legally distinct households, impacting a person’s eligibility for fuel allowance in view of the current housing crisis and lack of availability of houses to rent, and many families find themselves with no option but to move a mobile home or caravan onto their parents’ site or land in an effort to avoid homelessness; if an exception can be made from this ruling to enable many struggling families to qualify for free fuel allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8266/24]

Social Welfare Code

Chris Andrews

110. Deputy Chris Andrews asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider increasing the hours a person in receipt of the full rate of carer’s allowance is permitted to work from 18.5 hours to 20 hours a week; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8333/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Michael Creed

111. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person (details provided) who has been denied a benefit payment recently has sufficient contributions to be eligible for a contributory pension when they reach 66 years in January of next year; if she will review the decision to refuse the benefit payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8343/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Paul McAuliffe

112. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on a carer's allowance application for a person (details supplied). [8351/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Michael Creed

113. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will expedite a decision on a carer's allowance application (details supplied). [8390/24]

EU Directives

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

50. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection to clarify what the beneficiaries of the temporary protection directive will be entitled to upon the elapsing of the directive, and what preparations her Department is undertaking for this date. [8088/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Seán Sherlock

51. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection if, in light of the recent Government decision to grant payments of child benefit, she will work with her counterpart, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, and consider fast tracking the proposed payment to foster carers. [8074/24]

Children in Care

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

52. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review the fact that standard disregards for maintenance that apply in the means testing of other payments do not apply in the means testing of the guardians payment, non-contributory. [8089/24]

Pension Provisions

Catherine Connolly

53. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the long-term carers contribution scheme; the number of applications received to date; the number approved; the number rejected; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8028/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Michael Collins

54. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection her current policy regarding the carer’s allowance (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8086/24]

Public Services Card

Aindrias Moynihan

55. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures that are being taken to tackle the backlog of appointment requests for public service cards in County Cork as it is ten years since the roll-out and a high volume of renewals is required; the progress that is being made to have an online application and renewal system available for public services cards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7936/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Ruairí Ó Murchú

56. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on the establishment of an interdepartmental working group with the Department of Health to examine and review the system of means testing for carer payments and related schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7231/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Bernard Durkan

57. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which she is aware of a tendency to refuse applications for carer's allowance and disability allowance, which subsequently go to appeal, causing delays resulting in hardship; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7787/24]

School Meals Programme

James O'Connor

58. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated amount her Department spent on the hot school meals programme in schools in Cork East in 2023; the total number of pupils who benefited in the same schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7858/24]

Social Welfare Schemes

Brendan Griffin

59. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will outline the detail of the expansion of child benefit for over 18s in full-time education; if she will address how the scheme will apply to 18-year-olds who will turn 18 before 1 May 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7851/24]

Social Welfare Code

Violet-Anne Wynne

60. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update with respect to the Green Paper on disability which has been drafted by her Department and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7912/24]

Social Welfare Schemes

Paul Murphy

61. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will extend the free travel scheme to children for whom child benefit is paid, and in the case of young children and their travel companions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7898/24]

Fuel Poverty

Gary Gannon

62. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on her Department's work on combating energy poverty. [7892/24]

School Meals Programme

Brian Leddin

63. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Social Protection when primary schools not included in the April 2024 hot meals scheme expansion will have an opportunity to formally express their interest in availing of the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7862/24]

Pension Provisions

Gary Gannon

64. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the work that remains in the process of introducing the auto-enrolment pension scheme. [7893/24]

School Meals Programme

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

65. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the roll-out of the hot school meals programme. [7916/24]

Social Welfare Rates

Gary Gannon

66. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on whether the domiciliary care allowance payment of €340 per month is sufficient to care for a child with a severe disability that requires full time care and attention. [7889/24]

Departmental Schemes

Paul Murphy

67. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will extend the free travel scheme to all social welfare recipients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7897/24]

Poverty Impact Assessment

Paul Murphy

68. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if a poverty impact assessment was carried out into extending child benefit to 18 year-olds in full-time education or training compared to extending it to 16, 17 and 18 year-olds not in full-time education or training; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7895/24]

Departmental Schemes

Ruairí Ó Murchú

69. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on the work to operationalise the recommendations in the review of the reasonable accommodation fund and the disability awareness support scheme, and the plans to launch a reformed scheme this year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7230/24]

Social Welfare Schemes

Matt Carthy

70. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she intends to add additional schemes to those currently deemed non-assessable income with regard to farm assist; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7886/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Paul Murphy

71. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will extend child benefit to 16, 17 and 18 year-olds not in full-time education or training; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7894/24]

State Pensions

Alan Dillon

72. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline the changes to the State contributory pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7876/24]

Departmental Reviews

Claire Kerrane

73. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the Green Paper on Reform of Disability Payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7802/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Christopher O'Sullivan

74. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection to consider increasing the weekly earnings disregard for disability allowance recipients as when using the benefit of work estimator (details supplied) recipients seem to have less take home now post budget than before; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7804/24]

School Meals Programme

Ciarán Cannon

75. Deputy Ciarán Cannon asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the roll-out of hot school meals. [7884/24]

School Meals Programme

Alan Dillon

76. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the hot school meals programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7875/24]

Social Welfare Schemes

Emer Higgins

77. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection if the expanded child benefit payments up to the age of 19 years includes those in third level education. [7785/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Michael Lowry

78. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the implementation of the new pay-related jobseeker's benefit system; how this reform is improving the social welfare system for persons with a strong work history so they can receive enhanced benefits if they lose their employment; what measures are being taken to ensure its successful implementation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7455/24]

Departmental Schemes

Thomas Gould

79. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason the Irish Sign Language Act voucher scheme is to be suspended. [7906/24]

School Meals Programme

Brendan Griffin

80. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection the up-to-date position on the hot school meals programme; if she will provide details of the scheme in County Kerry; her future plans for Kerry schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7852/24]

Community Employment Schemes

David Stanton

81. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to expand and develop the community employment scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7805/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Richard Bruton

82. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider undertaking a pilot to inviting people to check if they are getting their full entitlements and targeting categories of persons who may be more likely to be missing out, perhaps in co-operation with other public bodies that may experience underpayment of benefits; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7860/24]

Departmental Data

Pádraig O'Sullivan

83. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of families in Cork city and county that have benefited from the double child benefit payment in December 2023, and from the January 2024 cost of living bonus, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7774/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Ciarán Cannon

84. Deputy Ciarán Cannon asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the changes to child benefit for 18 year-olds. [7883/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

85. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has considered whether illness benefit can be extended to self-employed persons. [7913/24]

Social Welfare Schemes

David Stanton

86. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline her plans to expand and develop the Tús initiative; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7806/24]

Legislative Programme

Rose Conway-Walsh

87. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on the legislative programme. [3501/24]

Social Welfare Code

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

88. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection whether she has considered the situation of those providing kinship care, and the discrepancy between the financial supports provided to kinship carers by comparison to non-familial foster carers. [7915/24]

Medical Aids and Appliances

Emer Higgins

89. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider allowing children suffering hair loss to avail of the grants for wigs based on their parents PRSI contributions. [7786/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Richard Bruton

90. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has considered initiatives to identify the extent of underclaiming of entitlements from her Department by categories such the low paid at work, by carers, and by pensioners, for whom rules of entitlement may be poorly understood; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7859/24]