Parliamentary questions

Social Welfare Benefits

Pádraig O'Sullivan

200. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made on an invalidity pension application (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22205/24]

Tax and Social Welfare Codes

Pearse Doherty

201. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 469 to 471, inclusive, of 16 April 2024, and the correspondence with Department officials supplied (details supplied), when a response to the questions submitted will be received. [22224/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Paul McAuliffe

202. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection if a review will be carried out of the social welfare entitlements of a person (details supplied). [22238/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

John McGuinness

203. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if an application for carer's allowance submitted in November 2022, which was refused in 2023 and then reconsidered and refused again under review in the name of a person (details supplied), will be approved based on the further information submitted being considered in far greater detail in the appeal process. [22244/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

John McGuinness

204. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if an application for invalidity pension in the name of a person (details supplied) has been fully processed. [22245/24]

Public Services Card

Carol Nolan

205. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of public services cards distributed to international protection applicants in each of the years 2019 to 2023 and to date in 2024; the expiry date on PSC cards that were distributed in each of those years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22265/24]

Departmental Schemes

Seán Canney

206. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is aware that the fees paid to optometrists providing eyecare under her Department’s adult eyecare schemes are inadequate and do not reflect the cost of providing a modern eye examination; the steps being taken to address this matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22294/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Bernard Durkan

207. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection when an application for the one-parent family allowance can be processed in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22306/24]

Social Welfare Rates

Bernard Durkan

208. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the correct rate of disability allowance or other allowance payable in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22308/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Bernard Durkan

209. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if an exceptional needs payment might be considered in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22310/24]

Social Welfare Rates

Bernard Durkan

210. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the basis on which a disability allowance was reduced in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22312/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Neasa Hourigan

63. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to expand the threshold for the domiciliary care allowance up to 18 years of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21923/24]

Widow's Pension

Brendan Griffin

64. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision on a widower's pension application (details supplied) will be reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21938/24]

School Meals Programme

Ged Nash

65. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Social Protection if meal providers to schools are required to provide for the various dietary requirements of students, for example, coeliac; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21943/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Brendan Griffin

66. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will remove the means test for the carer’s allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21960/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Darren O'Rourke

67. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection if there is further leave to appeal after a section 317 appeal within her Department or elsewhere; if appellants are entitled to an oral hearing to challenge a section 317 appeal refusal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21993/24]

School Meals Programme

Catherine Murphy

68. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on the provisions she has put in place to reduce food waste in the context of the school hot meals initiative; if she engaged with specialists in the area of nutritional value ahead of rolling out the initiative; and her views on whether the initiative is targeted appropriately. [22002/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Colm Burke

69. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection the up-to-date status of a carers allowance application review (details supplied), given that further documentation was provided some time ago; when a decision will be reached; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22026/24]

Widow's Pension

Willie O'Dea

70. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the current stage of legislation that will allow for the enactment of the recent Supreme Court decision to allow a cohabitant to claim a widow's pension in certain circumstances; when she expects it to be in operation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22131/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Brendan Griffin

396. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person in County Kerry (details supplied) who has been deemed eligible for disability allowance will be transferred to an invalidity pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21200/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Michael Fitzmaurice

397. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Social Protection to clarify if a person (details supplied) over 65 and on over-65 jobseeker’s benefit, not having to actively seek employment and at home on a full-time basis, would be entitled to carer’s support grant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21225/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Michael Creed

398. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason an appeal of carer’s allowance application is taking so long. [21237/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

John McGuinness

399. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if an application for invalidity pension, which is under appeal, will be approved for a person (details supplied). [21274/24]

Departmental Data

Leo Varadkar

400. Deputy Leo Varadkar asked the Minister for Social Protection the annual cost of maternity benefit, paternity benefit and parents leave benefit; the initial cost estimate provided to the Minister and to the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform in the year the benefit was legislated for; his views on the discrepancy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21279/24]

Equality Issues

Leo Varadkar

401. Deputy Leo Varadkar asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on whether people medically determined to be intersex should be required to register as male or female; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21284/24]

Legislative Measures

Aindrias Moynihan

402. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection when legislation will be updated to reflect changes to qualifying measures for widow's, widower's and surviving partner's contributory pension on the Supreme Court ruling in relation to the entitlement of an unmarried cohabitant to widow's, widower's and surviving partner's contributory pension; how many applications have been received that are currently on hold due to the necessary legislation changes that need to be made; the timeline for application for a person (details supplied) to progress for decision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21332/24]

Disability Services

Louise O'Reilly

403. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection what supports are in place under his/her Department to assist a person with a disability to get back to into work, including supports for entrepreneurs; and the organisations that might assist; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21350/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Cormac Devlin

404. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is aware of the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21358/24]

Departmental Data

Violet-Anne Wynne

405. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of disability allowance applications that were received by her Department in 2023; the number that were from applicants in County Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21369/24]

Social Welfare Schemes

Violet-Anne Wynne

406. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Social Protection how many disability allowance applications were disallowed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21370/24]

Social Welfare Schemes

Violet-Anne Wynne

407. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Social Protection how many carer’s allowance applications were received by her Department in 2023; how many applicants were in County Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21371/24]

Social Welfare Schemes

Violet-Anne Wynne

408. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Social Protection how many carer’s allowance applications were disallowed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21372/24]

Departmental Data

Violet-Anne Wynne

409. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Social Protection how many carer’s benefit cases will be administered in 2024, by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21373/24]

Departmental Data

Violet-Anne Wynne

410. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Social Protection how many carer’s benefit cases will be administered in 2023, by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21374/24]

Departmental Staff

Sorca Clarke

411. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of WTE staff by grade working in the local debt recovery unit of her Department as of 7 May 2024. [21413/24]

Departmental Data

Pádraig O'Sullivan

412. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 976 of 17 January 2024, if it has an independent company with a service level agreement with the funder, the Citizens Information Board; if the Citizens Information Service has control to set and review their employees’ salary scales; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21473/24]

Pension Provisions

Cian O'Callaghan

413. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will outline, in relation to the pension auto-enrolment scheme, how maternity leave and people with caring responsibilities where they may be in part-time employment due to these responsibilities will be treated under the scheme; if there is provision to account for these people (the majority of whom are women) who will not reap the benefit of having a full-time employer under the scheme; if measures will be introduced to prevent people from being at a disadvantage for not being part of the AE scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21478/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Brendan Griffin

414. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been made on an invalidity pension appeal by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21544/24]

School Meals Programme

James O'Connor

415. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding inclusion of school (details supplied) in the hot school meals programme for the coming school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21618/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Duncan Smith

416. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will confirm having received the required information as sought from a person (details supplied) in order to have their eligibility for disability allowance fully reviewed and awarded; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21658/24]

Departmental Data

Peadar Tóibín

417. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection for a breakdown, by county, of the number of times persons in receipt of carer's allowance had their allowance stopped in each of the past ten years, and to date in 2024. [21678/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Peadar Tóibín

418. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection for a breakdown, by county, of the number of times persons who were initially refused disability allowance were successful on appealing the decision in each of the past ten years, and to date in 2024. [21679/24]

Employment Rights

Ged Nash

419. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Social Protection if any State, semi-State or commercial semi-State agency under the aegis of their Department is aware of any cases of bogus self-employment in any bodies under their remit from 2020 to 1 May 2024; if they will outline if there are currently any cases from such agencies or bodies currently before the SCOPE section of the Department of Social Protection for investigation or determination; if there are any SCOPE findings and recommendations relating to any agencies or bodies under their remit where SCOPE has found in favour of the worker, and where they recommended the reclassification of the workers’ employment status to that of direct employee between 2020 and 1 May 2024; if they will provide information on the numbers involved and the names of the individual agencies and bodies in all cases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21699/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Bernard Durkan

420. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress to date in the determination of an appeal for invalidity pension in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21713/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Bernard Durkan

421. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if a review can be undertaken into the recent decision to offer a reduced rate of disability allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21731/24]

Gender Recognition

Róisín Shortall

422. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason Irish nationals who are not ordinarily resident in the State and who do not hold any of the documents specified in section 9(1)(a) of the Gender Recognition Act 2015 are precluded from applying for a gender recognition certificate (details supplied); the rationale for their exclusion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21755/24]

Departmental Advertising

Carol Nolan

423. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection the total costs incurred by her Department from 2019 to date relating to the placing of advertisements in print media; the names of the print media publications involved, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21872/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Colm Burke

217. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection if a living alone increase payment for a widower (details supplied) will be backdated to the date of death of their spouse; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20947/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Patricia Ryan

218. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Social Protection to investigate the reason a person (details supplied) has had their carer’s allowance cut. [21000/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Robert Troy

219. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will investigate the reason a couple, who are separated but forced to live together due to financial constraints, must be assessed jointly for a working family payment application. [21009/24]