Parliamentary questions

Birth Certificates

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

344. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a birth certificate application by a person (details supplied) will be examined; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36008/21]

Social Welfare Schemes

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

345. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of families and children who received the back to school clothing and footwear allowance in 2020. [36013/21]

Social Welfare Schemes

Bernard Durkan

346. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the eligibility for the back to education allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36020/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Louise O'Reilly

347. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason the enterprise support grant for businesses impacted by Covid-19 is not available for those who closed their Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment on or after 1 May 2021 given many businesses reopened in May and are excluded from the scheme due to the 1 June 2021 date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36026/21]

Departmental Schemes

Paul Murphy

348. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she plans to introduce new work placement experience programmes for the unemployed (details supplied); if so, when it will be launched; the outlines of the schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36028/21]

Freedom of Information

Catherine Murphy

349. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of occasions her Department has refused to process a request under freedom of information using section 15(1)(g) of the Freedom of Information Act 2014; and the number of persons that have applied since January 2014. [36033/21]

Departmental Schemes

James Lawless

350. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if the travel pass scheme can be extended to persons (details supplied) who have epilepsy and may not be able to drive due to the condition; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36041/21]

State Pensions

James Lawless

351. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will examine a situation in relation to difficulties with the pension of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36042/21]

Employment Schemes

Éamon Ó Cuív

352. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection when it is planned to look for tenders for a national employment service; the remit this service will have; the body providing the services at present that will be provided by the successful tenderer; if this tender will provide totally new services not being provided at present by the State, directly or indirectly; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36048/21]

Social Welfare Appeals

Paul Murphy

353. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of individual cases heard by the Social Welfare Appeals Office in the context of scope section appeals on an annual basis over the past ten years given that the Chief Appeals Officer has stated in the Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands the appeals are heard with a number of cases attached to each one. [36092/21]

Freedom of Information

Catherine Murphy

354. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is satisfied in the context of the freedom of information publication scheme that all logs are published and up to date in compliance with the Freedom of Information Act 2014; if not, the reason they are not published; and if she will update them as a matter of priority. [36131/21]

Freedom of Information

Catherine Murphy

355. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount collected on an annual basis since the Freedom of Information Act 2014 commenced in respect of fees attached to freedom of information requests submitted to her Department. [36149/21]

Freedom of Information

Catherine Murphy

356. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of freedom of information requests refused by her Department since the Freedom of Information Act 2014 commenced for the reason that search and copy costs would exceed the maximum threshold; the number of requests that were subsequently granted following engagement with the requester to narrow the scope of the request; and the costs associated with same. [36167/21]

Social Welfare Benefits

Seán Haughey

357. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will facilitate employees of an airline (details supplied) to continue to receive jobseeker’s benefit when eligibility for this payment has been exhausted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36177/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic

Violet-Anne Wynne

358. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Social Protection if provisions were made to accommodate distance learning throughout the pandemic for those in receipt of social welfare payments; and if so, the number of courses available and or number of persons who registered and availed of these courses by county in tabular form. [36242/21]

State Pensions

Réada Cronin

359. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person who has worked all their adult life can be denied their old age pension with notification that arrears will not apply in their case due to a debt to the Revenue Commissioners of under €1,700 on which a repayment arrangement has been agreed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36322/21]

Social Welfare Payments

Réada Cronin

360. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of social protection payments that have been denied due to debts to the Revenue Commissioners both with repayment arrangements and without arrangements in each of the past five years and to date in 2021, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36323/21]

Social Welfare Schemes

Thomas Pringle

361. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the fact that an application for carer’s allowance was submitted to her Department in respect of a person (details supplied); and when a decision will be made on the application. [36349/21]

State Pensions

Bernard Durkan

362. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an invalidity pension in the case of a person (details supplied) in respect of which a review was requested on foot of updated documentation from their general practitioner; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36378/21]

Employment Schemes

Steven Matthews

363. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department is considering additional measures or initiatives to help address the extremely high rate of youth unemployment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36293/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment

Cian O'Callaghan

364. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if it is possible to receive the pandemic unemployment payment retrospectively in cases in which a person did not claim the payment at the time despite being entitled to it; if so, the process for making a claim; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36402/21]

Employment Schemes

Richard Bruton

365. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection the job activation measures being considered by her Department in order to facilitate persons going back to work; the work she is focussing on to optimise the opportunity to transition persons from a position of unemployment over to the highly successful biopharma, medtech, information and communications technology and foodtech sectors in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36425/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment

Brendan Griffin

366. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) has had their pandemic unemployment payment withdrawn; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36434/21]

Youth Unemployment

Violet-Anne Wynne

367. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress of the Pathways to Work strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36436/21]

Departmental Expenditure

Pauline Tully

368. 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. [36450/21]

Disability Services

Pauline Tully

369. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Social Protection the funding that was allocated for assistive technologies for persons with disabilities in 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021, respectively; the unmet need for assistive technologies in 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021, respectively; the additional funding needed to increase funding for assistive technologies by 5%, 10% and 25%, respectively; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36451/21]

Disability Services

Pauline Tully

370. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Social Protection the funding allocated to the disability awareness support scheme in 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021; the additional cost of increasing funding to the scheme by 5%, 10% and 25%, respectively; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36452/21]

State Pensions

Pauline Tully

371. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated additional cost of introducing a total contribution approach to the State pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36453/21]

Disability Services

Pauline Tully

372. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated additional cost of increasing the earnings disregard for the disability allowance by €10, €50 and €100, respectively; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36454/21]

Disability Services

Pauline Tully

373. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Social Protection the maximum period a person with a disability can spend with the EmployAbility service; the estimated additional cost of increasing the duration of participation with the EmployAbility service by one week, one month and three months, respectively; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36455/21]

Food Poverty

Louise O'Reilly

374. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the details of the new working group to tackle the issue of food poverty; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36516/21]

Registration of Births

Gary Gannon

375. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the average time for birth registration in the Civil Registration Office in the Lombard St. office; if there was a backlog before the HSE cyber-attack; if the office has caught up on this backlog; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36556/21]

Employment Schemes

Claire Kerrane

102. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason she is proposing a move away from the not-for-profit model which currently exists for contracted employment services, local employment services and job clubs to a payment-by-results model as per the recent tender launched by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35200/21]

Employment Schemes

Seán Sherlock

103. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of proposed public tendering of local employment schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35630/21]

Community Employment Schemes

Claire Kerrane

104. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to issues communities and organisations are facing in filling community employment places; if so, if she will consider removing limitations on the length of time those aged over 55 years can spend on a community employment scheme, especially in cases in which there is no one there to replace them as a solution to the issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35201/21]

Disability Services

Gary Gannon

105. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost of disability for persons and families, on which there is a commitment in the programme for Government. [35631/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment

Joan Collins

106. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection if the pandemic unemployment payment will be reviewed as workers return to work; if the payment will remain open beyond 1 July 2021; and if workers who return to work on fewer hours or on a reduced hourly rate of pay will retain their payment level based on their weekly pay pre-March 2020. [35754/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment

Steven Matthews

107. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to cases whereby persons currently in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment are offered short-term, temporary work; if they will be allowed return to the payment following the completion of this work; if not, if they will they be required to apply for jobseeker’s allowance; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that the latter may act as a disincentive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35268/21]

Pension Provisions

Dara Calleary

108. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress on the provision of pensions for community employment scheme supervisors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35338/21]

Social Welfare Benefits

Gary Gannon

109. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of removing the 13-week requalification period for those persons on partial capacity benefit; and the status of removing the 13-week anomaly by early intervention and referral. [35390/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment

Steven Matthews

110. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to cases whereby full-time musicians who are currently in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment, PUP, due to the ongoing closure of their industry, are receiving phone calls from social welfare officers to ask if they have considered moving to the jobseeker's payment; if this is an operational procedure by her Department; if all persons in receipt of the PUP are likely to receive such a call; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34832/21]

Proposed Legislation

Joan Collins

111. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department has, in conjunction with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, initiated the drawing up of anti-victimisation and blacklisting legislation within six months in line with the recommendation in the report of the Joint Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands entitled, Examination of Bogus Self-Employment, published on 16 June 2021; and if so, when this legislation will be published. [35331/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Réada Cronin

112. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Social Protection if in the event of longer restrictions in the matter of the pandemic, she will commit to increasing expenditure on the pandemic unemployment payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31891/21]

Pension Provisions

Seán Sherlock

113. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of pension entitlements for community employment supervisors. [35357/21]

Poverty Impact Assessment

Claire Kerrane

114. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection when she plans to publish the poverty impact assessment of the reduced rates of jobseeker's payments for young persons in consideration of the serious inadequacy of these rates and the impact of the pandemic on youth unemployment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35179/21]

Employment Support Services

Rose Conway-Walsh

115. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review the profit-focused approach set out in a tender for the expansion of local employment services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35409/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Brendan Griffin

116. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on the treatment of seasonal workers who had not returned to work prior to the outbreak of the pandemic in March 2020; the way her Department plans to deal with these cases into the future given the severe reduction in contributions made due to their loss of employment due to Covid; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35297/21]

Bord na Móna

Denis Naughten

117. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 489 of 10 February 2021, the steps which she has taken to address the plight of workers as outlined in the correspondence referenced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34172/21]

Social Welfare Offices

Aindrias Moynihan

118. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures being taken to ensure continuance of face to face appointments for the public with community welfare officers given the importance of this service continuing and not being on a virtual office basis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35345/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment

Mick Barry

119. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider not reducing the pandemic unemployment payment given the level of poverty experienced by those on social protection payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34794/21]