Parliamentary questions

International Protection

Carol Nolan

328. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount of funding provided to beneficiaries of temporary protection to reimburse them for taxi-related fees through the social welfare system from March 2022 to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20782/24]

International Protection

Carol Nolan

329. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount of funding provided to beneficiaries of international protection applicants to reimburse them for taxi-related fees through the social welfare system from 2019 to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20783/24]

Social Welfare Code

Cian O'Callaghan

330. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will reassess the means test threshold for carer’s allowance, where people who are providing care are at risk of falling below the poverty line and require higher support from Government; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20799/24]

Educational Disadvantage

Cian O'Callaghan

331. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason schools that have recently been designated as DEIS schools are not being included in the hot school meals scheme; if she will ensure that a school (details supplied) is granted eligibility for the scheme as soon as possible, as it requires the same support as other DEIS schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20801/24]

School Meals Programme

Sorca Clarke

332. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection the plans she has in place to ensure that children with coeliac disease are properly catered for in the school meals programme; if she will provide additional funding to ensure same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20830/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Michael Healy-Rae

333. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 454 of 30 April 2024. if he will review the matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20858/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Thomas Pringle

334. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made on an invalidity pension appeal (details supplied) which has been in processing for a number of months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20894/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Bernard Durkan

185. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the basis on which payment has been refused in respect of carer’s allowance in respect of a person (details supplied); if her case can be fully and independently examined without reference to previous decisions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20123/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Paul McAuliffe

186. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection if a review of the entitlements of a person (details supplied) could be reviewed. [19952/24]

Departmental Policies

David Stanton

187. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has considered classifying Covid-19 as an occupational illness or as an accident at work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19985/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Mattie McGrath

188. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will increase the grant for people who suffer hair loss due to illness to reflect the rising costs of materials; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20032/24]

Pension Provisions

John McGuinness

189. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if retired nurses who paid a D stamp all their working life and were not allowed to opt for paying an A stamp will have their pension entitlements reviewed to allow them to qualify for a maximum pension rather than the reduced pension they are currently in receipt of; and if she will explain the rationale of the decision that has led to this anomaly. [20041/24]

Departmental Policies

Seán Canney

190. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Social Protection if there is a copy of the rules, regulations and procedures in place to guide the fitting, replacement and ownership of hand controls being fitted to car for people with a disability; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20074/24]

State Pensions

Niamh Smyth

191. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection to review the State pension for a person (details supplied) who worked in the Civil Service from 1968 to 1975; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20077/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Bernard Durkan

192. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection whether family income supplement might be made available in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20120/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Bernard Durkan

193. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if and when a basic social welfare payment will be made available in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20127/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Bernard Durkan

194. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which she and her Department have examined the full circumstances of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20129/24]

Public Transport

Carol Nolan

177. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider addressing the inequality that still exists regarding the availability of transport in rural areas by making changes to the free travel scheme whereby pensioners could be given the option of obtaining a lump sum payment to cover the cost of taxis or hackney services in rural communities where there is either no public transport or no frequent public transport; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19604/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Michael Healy-Rae

178. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection if the case of a person (details supplied) will be urgently reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19538/24]

Citizens Information Services

Pádraig O'Sullivan

179. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is aware that staff in the citizens information service have not received a wage increase since 2008; if there are plans to implement a wage increase; if there is a timeline for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19543/24]

Departmental Staff

Cormac Devlin

180. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection to detail the arrangements in place for where an employee of the Department and each organisation under its aegis, becomes elected or co-opted to a local authority; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19571/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Colm Burke

181. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of a person's (details supplied) appeal; 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. [19578/24]

State Pensions

Darren O'Rourke

182. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is aware of the anomaly that some people with less contributions are receiving greater State pensions due to the method of calculation (details supplied); if she has assessed this anomaly; if she intends to address it, perhaps by moving away from the ‘first date of contribution’ criteria; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19616/24]

Social Insurance

Leo Varadkar

183. Deputy Leo Varadkar asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on her plans to introduce pay-related social insurance benefits for jobseekers; the estimated cost of same; and the estimated the cost to extending this approach in case to maternity benefit, paternity benefit, parents benefit and illness benefit. [19664/24]

Gender Recognition

Leo Varadkar

184. Deputy Leo Varadkar asked the Minister for Social Protection when she received the review of the Gender Recognition Act 2015; whether it has been presented to Cabinet or to a Cabinet Sub-Committee; when she will make a recommendation to Government on the matter; and the process that is being followed to aid her to do so. [19665/24]

Gender Recognition

Leo Varadkar

185. Deputy Leo Varadkar asked the Minister for Social Protection if she plans to make provision for people who are medically determined to be intersex due to their chromosomes or characteristics to be recognised in law. [19666/24]

Citizens Information Services

Pádraig O'Sullivan

186. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department will engage with members of the Citizen Information Board regarding pay equality concerns; if she will outline the engagement her Department has had to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19683/24]

Postal Services

Michael Healy-Rae

187. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the section of the regulations outlining the penalties that can be given to post masters (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19742/24]

Oireachtas Committees

Brendan Griffin

188. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review the evidence submitted to an Oireachtas Committee by a person (details supplied) concerning activities in her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19856/24]

State Pensions

John McGuinness

189. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if a State pension (non-contributory) will be approved immediately for a person (details supplied); if pension benefit is being paid to their husband is respect of the person; and if the application will be expedited. [19892/24]

General Register Office

Richard Bruton

434. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is aware that the research room for the general records is now only open one day a week, down from five, which is considerably hampering research; and if she will consider arrangements to make it more accessible. [19415/24]

Departmental Correspondence

Fergus O'Dowd

435. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will respond to concerns raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18733/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Paul McAuliffe

436. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will carry out a review of a disability allowance for a person (details supplied). [18762/24]

Carer's Leave

James Lawless

437. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection to examine the current criteria regarding carers leave/benefits (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18784/24]

Social Welfare Schemes

Bríd Smith

438. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the available State supports for people with disabilities seeking work or already working; if she plans to improve supports; if there are proposals to change these supports in any way in the foreseeable future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18800/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Michael Fitzmaurice

439. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Social Protection with reference to the Departmental contract with An Post, if her Department has put in a penalty clause on any welfare overpayment, given it was always paid back by postmasters who are now being informed of a €500 penalty per overpayment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18824/24]

Broadband Infrastructure

Denis Naughten

440. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of copper communication lines within her Department that are currently in active operation and for which her Department is paying for on a monthly basis, inclusive of ISDN, PTSN and copper-based lease lines; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18844/24]

School Meals Programme

Mairéad Farrell

441. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection if a DEIS school (details supplied) will receive funding for hot school meals; if so, when this will be approved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18879/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Seán Canney

442. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Social Protection if people receiving a disability payment and who transfer to the State pension will still be eligible for any additional one-off cost-of-living payments which are made to a person with a disability; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18890/24]

State Pensions

Catherine Murphy

443. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for State pension (contributory) that were refused by her Department in each month of 2023 and to-date in 2024, in tabular form. [18899/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Michael Lowry

444. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Social Protection to confirm the current status of the application for domiciliary care allowance in respect of an individual (details supplied) who was previously unsuccessful; to confirm if the diagnosis of 'Classic PKU - Non-Responsive to Kuvan' (Phenylketonuria) fulfils the qualifying medical criteria for payment of domiciliary care allowance, given that the child does not respond to Kuvan treatment and requires a very specific diet and continuous monitoring on a daily basis for a lifetime; the reason some parents of children diagnosed with this condition qualify for domiciliary care allowance, while others with the same diagnosis do not; to specifically clarify the reason that this applicant was unsuccessful in their application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18927/24]

Social Welfare Schemes

Seán Canney

445. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will address the anomaly whereby people who are wheelchair users and who are receiving a civil service pension and who are not in receipt of a disability allowance cannot access free travel while under 66 years of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18965/24]

Widow's Pension

Peter Fitzpatrick

446. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Social Protection if the State plans to open eligibility to widow's pension to those who were not legally married but in a long-term committed relationship; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18978/24]

State Pensions

Robert Troy

447. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on a contributory pension investigation (details supplied). [18979/24]

State Pensions

Robert Troy

448. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on a contributory pension investigation (details supplied). [18980/24]

Departmental Data

Thomas Pringle

449. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of disability allowance applications which were submitted in the period 2020 to 2023 and to date in 2024; the number of applications which were successful on first processing; the number which were eventually successful following a review; the number eventually successful following an appeal, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19000/24]

Departmental Data

Thomas Pringle

450. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of carer's allowance applications submitted in each of the years 2020 to 2023 and to date in 2024; the number of applications which were successful on first processing; the number which were eventually successful following a review; the number which were eventually successful following an appeal, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19015/24]

Departmental Data

Thomas Pringle

451. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of invalidity pension applications which were submitted in each of the years 2020 to 2023 and to date in 2024; the number of applications which were successful on first processing; the number which were eventually successful following a review; the number which were eventually successful following an appeal, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19019/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Niamh Smyth

452. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection what protocols are in place for people who refuse the offer of work while in receipt of jobseeker’s payments; if employers are being liaised with; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19027/24]

Social Welfare Payments

John Lahart

453. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is considering any measures that would assist in the reduction of the cost of bin charges for older persons (details supplied). [19043/24]