Parliamentary questions

Social Welfare Appeals

Niamh Smyth

424. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review correspondence (details supplied) and have the case reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6038/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Brendan Griffin

425. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made on an appeal for a disability allowance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6080/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Brendan Griffin

426. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been made on a carer's allowance appeal on behalf of a person in County Kerry (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6081/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Colm Burke

427. 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 be received, as this has been pending for some time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6085/24]

Public Sector Pay

Marc Ó Cathasaigh

428. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 889 of 17 January 2024, if her Department has taken steps to engage with all stakeholders including the Citizens Information Board (CIS), the employer and staff CIS representatives and the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan and Reform in relation to the WRC pay claim recommendation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6097/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Jim O'Callaghan

429. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of social welfare recipients that received the January 2024 bonus double payment, by county, in tabular form. [6135/24]

Employment Support Services

Cian O'Callaghan

430. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection whether the new model of local area employment service has been effective (details supplied); whether the method of referral from the Department, meaning the service cannot work with walk-in clients, has been effective; the duration of employment for the service to obtain funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6149/24]

Departmental Staff

Darren O'Rourke

431. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of WTE accountants working in her Department in 2021, 2022, 2023 and to-date in 2024, in tabular form. [6154/24]

Departmental Data

Darren O'Rourke

432. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of appeals received by the social welfare appeals office, per month in 2023, in tabular form. [6155/24]

School Meals Programme

Marc Ó Cathasaigh

433. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection the current number of schools and students enrolled in the free hot school lunches primary schools programme, broken down by county; anticipated additional schools and students to be added with the expansion of the scheme in April 2024, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6172/24]

School Meals Programme

Marc Ó Cathasaigh

434. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection whether there is an evaluation of the packaging and food waste impacts of the free hot school lunches programme; the percentage of packaging that can be and is recycled; the percentage of full lunches left over each day; if there is a Departmental plan to reduce the amount of waste generated as the scheme expands to provide packaged meals for more students; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6173/24]

School Meals Programme

Marc Ó Cathasaigh

435. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection whether delivery miles and transport emissions involved in distribution of the free hot school lunches programme is being assessed and evaluated; if there is a Departmental plan to address this for the long-term implementation of the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6174/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Seán Haughey

436. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Social Protection if drawdowns from approved retirement funds can be excluded as means when determining eligibility for the fuel allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6182/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Sorca Clarke

437. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost if the fuel allowance was increased by a further two weeks. [6214/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Sorca Clarke

438. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing the maximum rate of disability allowance and State pension contribution by €14 per week from 1 September 2024. [6215/24]

Pension Provisions

Mairéad Farrell

439. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection if it is possible for an Irish citizen and resident, who previously lived in Australia and obtained Australian citizenship, to receive an Australian state pension; whether the procedure for applying to receive this must also involve her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6241/24]

Departmental Reviews

Cormac Devlin

440. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the means review process; the number of people selected, by gender and county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6249/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Cormac Devlin

441. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is aware of an issue in relation to a payment to a person (details supplied); if she will ask her officials to review the situation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6252/24]

School Meals Programme

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

442. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a school (details supplied) will be assessed for a late application and included in the hot school meals programme in April which would rectify an administrative error due to extenuating circumstances. [6267/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Maurice Quinlivan

443. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review a case (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6289/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Noel Grealish

444. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason persons that are in receipt of a reduced rate of disability allowance as a result of a legacy pension following the death of a parent, and the disability allowance is reduced on a euro for euro amount, did not qualify for any bonus or cost of living payment, given that they are still only in receipt of an income up to the maximum rate of disability allowance payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6334/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Bernard Durkan

445. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection to indicate the progress to date in determining an application for carers allowance (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6485/24]

Maternity Leave

Robert Troy

446. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will rectify the issue where teachers on indefinite duration contracts, given they have to sign on for midterm and summer holidays, cannot work up the minimum 26 weeks continuous work to qualify for maternity benefit. [6486/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Michael Healy-Rae

447. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on an appeal of a decision on an invalidity pension (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6519/24]

Pension Provisions

John McGuinness

448. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will address a query in respect of a State pension benefit (details supplied). [6520/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Róisín Shortall

449. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection what supports are available for low-income households who are facing multiple price hikes by private waste collection companies; if her Department will consider additional supports for older people who may be facing these same price hikes while not being able to bring their waste to public waste collection centres; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6533/24]

Fuel Poverty

John McGuinness

450. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if an application for fuel allowance in the name of a person (details supplied) will be re-examined. [6540/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Brendan Griffin

451. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a late illness benefit application will be accepted from a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6541/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

John McGuinness

452. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if the payment of carers allowance and arrears due will be made immediately in the case of a person (details supplied). [6548/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Claire Kerrane

453. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection with regard to child benefit for children over 16 years who are in full-time education, if she is aware of child benefit payment being suspended whilst a child is not in school and resuming in September at the start of the school year; if consideration has been given to addressing this anomaly to ensure consistency for families throughout the year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6549/24]

Tax Credits

Pearse Doherty

454. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on commitments made to introduce a mortgage interest supplement for those with insufficient income tax liability to avail of the mortgage interest tax credit introduced in the Finance Act 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6554/24]

School Meals Programme

Michael Lowry

455. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Social Protection the options available to small rural primary schools that do not have the equipment or staff to heat, maintain and serve hot school meals through the hot meals programme; if her Department will provide such schools with additional funding to obtain heating equipment and the finances to compensate an existing member of staff, such as the school secretary, for the additional work and time needed to prepare, heat, and serve these meals to students five days per week; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6564/24]

Food Poverty

Paul Donnelly

456. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Social Protection what supports are in place for persons with dietary requirements, specifically coeliacs for assisting with the cost of foods available for those with special dietary requirements. [6613/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Denise Mitchell

457. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person applying for disability allowance on the basis of a recently diagnosed medical condition would have to quit their current employment in order to be eligible before seeking reemployment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6648/24]

Departmental Strategies

Thomas Pringle

229. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Social Protection what progress has been made to realise recommendation 41.2 of Young Ireland: the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People (0-24) 2023-2028 (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5795/24]

Departmental Staff

Brendan Griffin

230. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 828 of 13 June and 829 of 13 June 2023, what if any benefits accrued to Department of Social Protection employees who were former community welfare officers under the HSE and who paid a 5% levy on their incomes from October 2011 to December 2015; if no pension benefit has accrued in respect of these payments, if her Department will sanction the return of these payments to the employees; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6010/24]

Departmental Strategies

Thomas Pringle

231. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Social Protection if foster carers will be included in the access to the State pension (contributary) measures (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5794/24]

Departmental Staff

Cathal Crowe

232. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a cohort of workers funded by her Department (details supplied) have not received a pay increase in 15 years; if any pay increases are planned; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5813/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Seán Haughey

233. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Social Protection if a review has taken place in relation to the issue concerning class S PRSI contributions arising solely from personal pensions and the implications for those who are applying for the benefit payment for 65 year olds; if it will be acknowledged that these potential claimants are not self-employed and that they should be considered for this payment provided all other criteria are met; if this payment can be made to claimants in these circumstance who reached 65 years in the last 12 months; the position regarding a particular claimant (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5814/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Joan Collins

234. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 882 of 17 January 2024, if the case will be reviewed, given the person (details supplied) did not receive the payment.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5831/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Thomas Pringle

235. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Social Protection the entitlements under class P PRSI contributions; how long a person needs to pay class P contributions in order to benefit; if there are other qualifying requirements for persons to claim class P; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5840/24]

State Pensions

Duncan Smith

236. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if an application for the old age pension (contributory) by a person (details supplied) has been processed and awarded; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5902/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Duncan Smith

237. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person who is in receipt of an old age pension (contributory) and is now aged 67 years, but who continued in employment, which is now about to cease, is entitled to receive a redundancy payment, in such circumstances; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5903/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Michael Creed

238. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will expedite a decision on a carers allowance application (details supplied). [5925/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Michael Creed

239. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will expedite a decision on a domiciliary care allowance application (details supplied). [5926/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Bernard Durkan

240. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress to date in the determination of a person (details supplied); whether they are entitled to an increase in the qualified adult payment in respect of their payment of invalidity pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6025/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Bernard Durkan

241. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person (details supplied) qualifies for a domiciliary care allowance in respect of her four-year-old child; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6026/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Bernard Durkan

242. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress to date in the determination of eligibility for the fuel allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6028/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Bernard Durkan

243. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress to date in the determination of eligibility for fuel allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6029/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Bernard Durkan

244. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress to date in the determination of eligibility for disability allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6030/24]