Parliamentary questions

Social Welfare Appeals

Brendan Griffin

287. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been made on a carer’s allowance appeal by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35507/21]

Public Services Card

Cian O'Callaghan

288. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person (details supplied) will receive a PPS number for their newborn daughter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35508/21]

State Pensions

Marc Ó Cathasaigh

289. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the difficult circumstances that workers who are nearing retirement are faced with whereby they cannot obtain an estimated prediction of their State pensions due to time spent working in jurisdictions outside of Ireland; if her Department is in a position to provide such estimates to persons who are close to retiring; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35514/21]

Vaccination Programme

Pearse Doherty

290. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection if client identity applications can be expedited for persons (details supplied) to access the Covid-19 vaccination programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35523/21]

Social Welfare Schemes

Seán Haughey

291. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason applicants for the new transitional payment for persons aged 65 years are deemed ineligible to receive this benefit and considered to be self-employed and engaged in insurable self-employment if they are paying class S contributions arising from sole income from a self-funded private pension scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35531/21]

Social Welfare Schemes

David Cullinane

292. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Social Protection the annual spend on the treatment benefit scheme in 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35598/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

293. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) was refused the wage subsidy scheme to enable them to employ a person with a disability; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35599/21]

Social Welfare Schemes

Brendan Griffin

294. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection the supports that are available for single parents with 50% or less custody of their child and or children; if her Department has considered the issue of single parents with significant minority custody time who may be struggling financially to provide for their children while in their care due to their ineligibility for child benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35602/21]

Social Welfare Appeals

Kieran O'Donnell

295. Deputy Kieran O'Donnell asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35604/21]

Social Welfare Schemes

Michael Healy-Rae

296. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection if the payment of the fuel allowance for the full year will be examined (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35632/21]

Social Welfare Schemes

Gary Gannon

297. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of the research being carried out in association with an organisation (details supplied) into the cost of bereavement. [35636/21]

Social Welfare Rates

Róisín Shortall

298. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost in 2022 and in a full year for every 1% and every €1 per week increase in basic social welfare rates by each social welfare payment. [35682/21]

Social Welfare Rates

Róisín Shortall

299. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost in 2022 and in a full year of a €20 per week increase in the basic rate of disability allowance with a proportionate increase for qualified adults and no proportionate increase for qualified adults. [35683/21]

Social Welfare Rates

Róisín Shortall

300. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost in 2022 and in a full year of every €10 increase in the upper income disregard currently €350 applying to disability allowance. [35684/21]

Employment Schemes

Róisín Shortall

301. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection the approximate number of job coaches in whole-time equivalent terms currently funded through EmployAbility; the way in which the number has changed in recent years; and the full year cost of every ten additional job coaches. [35685/21]

Social Welfare Rates

Róisín Shortall

302. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost in 2022 and in a full year of restoring the subsidy under the wage subsidy scheme for persons with disabilities to 55%, 60% and 65% of the national minimum wage. [35686/21]

Social Welfare Schemes

Róisín Shortall

303. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection the way in which she plans to meet the commitment in the Programme for Government to expand the Ability Programme; the funding set aside in 2020 and 2021 for this programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35687/21]

Employment Equality Training

Róisín Shortall

304. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount of funding currently devoted to training for employers in relation to diversity and disability awareness. [35688/21]

Employment Support Services

Róisín Shortall

305. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection the funding currently devoted to disability grants and other supports for employers and to the promotion of these amongst employers. [35689/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Bernard Durkan

306. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which the level of Covid-19 related payments has tapered off in recent weeks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35713/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Bernard Durkan

307. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which there are indications that persons on the pandemic unemployment payment have returned to their previous employment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35714/21]

Youth Unemployment

Bernard Durkan

308. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which she and her Department have continued to monitor youth unemployment levels; the extent to which such levels have increased or otherwise in recent weeks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35715/21]

Labour Market

Bernard Durkan

309. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which she foresees an improvement culminating in a drop in unemployment levels in all age cohorts as we approach quarter four in 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35716/21]

Social Welfare Benefits

Bernard Durkan

310. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which exceptional needs payments have been availed of in the past 12 months by various applicants in terms of age profile; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35717/21]

Social Welfare Schemes

Bernard Durkan

311. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which satisfactory provision has been made for those retiring at 65 years of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35718/21]

Cross-Border Co-operation

Bernard Durkan

312. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the degree to which cross-Border employment trends and opportunities are being restored as the levels of Covid-19 recede; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35719/21]

Departmental Budgets

Bernard Durkan

313. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which she expects the budgetary requirements of her Department to fluctuate in the next 12 months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35720/21]

Social Welfare Benefits

Bernard Durkan

314. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which the number of applications for various social welfare payments has fluctuated over the past 12 months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35721/21]

State Pensions

Bernard Durkan

315. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of State pension (contributory) or State pension (non-contributory) aged 100 years or more; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35722/21]

Social Welfare Benefits

Bernard Durkan

316. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if an application for a carer’s allowance in the case of a person (details supplied) will be accepted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35753/21]

Social Welfare Benefits

Brendan Griffin

137. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been made on the request for a disability allowance rate review by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35040/21]

Social Welfare Benefits

Richard Bruton

138. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration has been given to adjusting the term of short-term working support to ensure that workers in sectors which continue to be seriously reduced in activity due to continuing Covid-19 restrictions will be able to continue to receive this important supplement to their income which would otherwise expire due to limits on the duration of claims. [35053/21]

Social Welfare Benefits

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

139. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will intervene in the case of a person (details supplied) involving an application for the over 65s benefit payment. [35082/21]

Maternity Leave

Colm Burke

140. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider proposals for the equal entitlement to mothers of children born through surrogacy to apply for maternity leave, maternity benefits and parental leave; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35112/21]

Community Employment Schemes

Sorca Clarke

141. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection if the workers who were forced onto the pandemic unemployment and are subsequently made redundant will have the length of time on the payment counted towards eligibility for community employment schemes. [35140/21]

Community Employment Schemes

Paul Kehoe

142. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding community employment supervisor pensions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35123/21]

Social Welfare Benefits

Pauline Tully

143. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated annual expenditure on the disability allowance for 2021; the estimated additional cost of increasing disability allowance payments by €5, €15 and €20, respectively for those currently in receipt of this payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35149/21]

Social Welfare Benefits

Pauline Tully

144. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated additional cost of increasing the upper limit of the earnings disregard for the disability allowance from €350 to €400, €450 and €500, respectively; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35150/21]

Youth Work Supports

Paul Murphy

145. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on the potential abuse of the youth employment support scheme by employers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35162/21]

Departmental Schemes

Paul Murphy

146. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the timeframe and details of the proposed new work placement scheme including the proposed level of remuneration; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35163/21]

Social Welfare Benefits

Róisín Shortall

147. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider matters raised in correspondence (details supplied) regarding the payment for persons who retire at 65 years of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35230/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment

Paul McAuliffe

148. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on a press release (details supplied); if the information is correct; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35231/21]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Michael Healy-Rae

149. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will address a matter in relation to the fuel allowance (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35235/21]

Departmental Strategies

Holly Cairns

150. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps she is taking to fulfil the Programme for Government commitment to review and update the National Carers’ Strategy. [35312/21]

General Practitioner Services

Holly Cairns

151. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps she is taking to fulfil the Programme for Government commitment to extend free general practitioner care to carers in receipt of the carer’s support grant. [35313/21]

Social Welfare Benefits

Holly Cairns

152. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on recognising the costs associated with caring in the deductions allowable for carer’s allowance and assess income on its net rather than gross value; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35314/21]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Holly Cairns

153. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on extending eligibility for carer’s benefit to include persons who are self-employed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35315/21]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Holly Cairns

154. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on extending eligibility for domiciliary care allowance to children residing in hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35311/21]

Social Welfare Benefits

Gary Gannon

155. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in each of the past three years who received partial capacity benefit broken down by those who were in receipt of illness benefit and those in receipt of invalidity pension in tabular form. [35393/21]

Social Welfare Rates

Violet-Anne Wynne

156. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Social Protection the annual incremental increases in the disability allowance each year since 2008, in tabular form. [35395/21]