Parliamentary questions

Social Welfare Code

Matt Shanahan

205. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Social Protection if, in relation to the recent Supreme Court findings (details supplied) concerning the right of the bereaved partner to receive social welfare entitlements after the death of their loved one and in support of their family obligations, she will provide an update as to the specific steps the Government is taking to recognise such rights in new or amended legislation; when such legislation or amendments will be tabled; when other single-parent families to whom this judgement is relevant can expect recognition by the Department of Social Protection as to their access to State support as outlined; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24480/24]

Social Welfare Schemes

John McGuinness

206. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if a new bus pass will be issued immediately to a person (details supplied). [24518/24]

School Meals Programme

Brendan Griffin

207. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of primary and secondary schools in Kerry approved for the hot school meals programme; the total number actively in receipt of hot meals at this point; the total number of schools approved but not yet commenced; the total number of schools not approved yet; the number of children benefitting from the programme nationwide; her plans for further expansion of the programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24524/24]

Social Insurance

Rose Conway-Walsh

208. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide a complete list of all payments from the social insurance fund, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24452/24]

Social Insurance

Rose Conway-Walsh

209. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide details on the current social insurance fund reserves and projected expenditure and revenue into the fund out to 2027; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24453/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Mairéad Farrell

210. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) will receive a decision on their working family payment application. [24458/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Brendan Smith

211. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason there are so many reviews of persons’ entitlements to carer’s allowance causing stress and some costs in preparing submissions (details supplied); her views on whether carer’s allowance plays a major role in reducing admissions to residential care and is a major saving on the State, taking into account that the majority of people want to remain at home, with supports, if at all possible; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24461/24]

Social Welfare Payments

John McGuinness

212. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if an invalidity pension will be approved for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24471/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Michael Healy-Rae

213. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection to review a welfare payment (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24495/24]

Social Welfare Payments

John McGuinness

214. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if the funeral costs associated with the death of a person (details supplied) will be paid to a local undertaker, as the deceased had no family or next-of-kin. [24509/24]

State Pensions

John McGuinness

215. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if the queries from her Department relative to the State pension (non-contributory) of a person (details supplied) have been resolved; and if they are in receipt of the maximum pension. [24510/24]

Social Welfare Payments

John McGuinness

216. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application for carer's allowance in the name of a person (details supplied); if the appeal submitted by this Deputy has been considered; and if a positive response will be issued. [24515/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Bernard Durkan

217. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if an application for the fuel allowance (details supplied) will be reviewed with a view to ascertaining if other persons in the household might qualify for such payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24532/24]

Social Welfare Payments

David Stanton

218. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Social Protection the total amount expended to date under her Department’s humanitarian assistance scheme, activated on 19 October 2023 following storm Babet; the number of payments made, to date, to those affected by the resulting flooding in each local authority area; the number of cases, if any, still being processed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24557/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Robert Troy

219. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures that have been taken to address an issue (details supplied). [24564/24]

Paternity Leave

Catherine Connolly

126. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of extending paternity leave by two weeks. [24135/24]

Parental Leave

Catherine Connolly

127. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of extending parental leave by two weeks. [24136/24]

Departmental Data

Catherine Connolly

128. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of a €1 increase in each of the social insurance schemes, social assistance schemes, other weekly schemes and other schemes payments, in tabular form (details supplied). [24152/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Catherine Connolly

129. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of making the fuel allowance available for 32, 40 and 52 weeks per annum. [24153/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Catherine Connolly

130. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of reinstating the bereavement grant at a rate of €850. [24154/24]

Legislative Measures

Mairéad Farrell

131. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will confirm that no legislation exists to allow certain precedential group/class decisions to be made (details supplied). [24165/24]

International Protection

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

132. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection the payment method of the daily expenses allowance to applicants of international protection in Ireland; whether the recipient has discretion in this regard; the choices that are available to them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24191/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

133. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection the circumstances in which the maintenance for a child (details supplied) will not be assessed in the means test; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24203/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

134. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person (details supplied can be reviewed for a support; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24207/24]

Social Insurance

Niamh Smyth

135. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason legislation was introduced in 2013 to deprive a person of class S contributions from rental income due to the fact that the person had eight class A contributions in that contribution year. [24215/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Darren O'Rourke

136. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the invalidity pension; the criteria necessary to qualify; and to provide a breakdown of the number of people that were in receipt of the invalidity pensions in 2020 to 2023 and to date in 2024. [24249/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Darren O'Rourke

137. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the invalidity pension; the mental health conditions that qualify for the receipt of the invalidity pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24250/24]

Social Welfare Payments

John McGuinness

138. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if disability allowance will be approved for a person (details supplied). [24255/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Maurice Quinlivan

139. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of the case of a person (details supplied) who was declined a carer’s allowance in January 2024 and immediately submitted an appeal, but is yet to receive a response; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24329/24]

State Pensions

Michael Creed

140. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person who is eligible for a reduced rate of State pension (contributory) due to not meeting the level of PRSI contributions for the maximum payment can improve their level of payment by deferring pension payment after their 66th birthday; and if she will outline how this works; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24382/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Richard Boyd Barrett

304. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the recourse a person (details supplied) has in circumstances; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23534/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Brendan Griffin

305. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been made on the review of further medical and financial evidence submitted for a review of a decision on a disability allowance appeal by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23537/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Michael Healy-Rae

306. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection if an oral hearing will be facilitated for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23558/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Bernard Durkan

307. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress to date in the determination of the review for DCA in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23592/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Pádraig O'Sullivan

308. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made on an appeal by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23599/24]

Departmental Data

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

309. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost to the Exchequer of increasing maternity benefit to cover the first 12 months of a child’s life; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23601/24]

Legislative Process

Pauline Tully

310. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Social Protection the timeframe within which the Social Welfare and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2024, which was signed into law in March 2024, will be applied. [23603/24]

Departmental Policies

Francis Noel Duffy

311. Deputy Francis Noel Duffy asked the Minister for Social Protection the position on means testing home carers who may wish to return to work; if a scheme is being developed to ensure that such persons are not penalised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23607/24]

Social Welfare Schemes

Ivana Bacik

312. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason parents of twins and triplets only receive one entitlement to parent's benefit until the child attains the age of two, given that 130 days' parental leave is provided per child. [23639/24]

Social Welfare Schemes

Aindrias Moynihan

313. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection the timeline for legislation to be enacted on the Supreme Court’s judgement to the entitlement of a unmarried co-habitant to a widows, widowers or surviving civil partner’s contributory pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23665/24]

Social Welfare Schemes

Pauline Tully

314. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Social Protection if exemptions are in place for pensioners, disabled people or other groups in relation to the recently announced changes to the supports to those fleeing the war in Ukraine. [23674/24]

Social Welfare Schemes

Richard Boyd Barrett

315. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 701 of 2 February 2024, by what criteria schools that are expressing interest in the hot school meals programme are appraised in order to be granted provision of meals under the scheme; if she will provide the appropriate guidelines for schools expressing interest; when her Department projects achieving universal school cover by this scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23675/24]

Social Welfare Schemes

Willie O'Dea

316. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made on the appeal of a person (details supplied) against the refusal of disability allowance; if an oral hearing will be granted in this case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23698/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Willie O'Dea

317. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made on the appeal of a refusal of a disability allowance (details supplied); if an oral hearing will be granted in this case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23699/24]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Pauline Tully

318. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Social Protection the supports her Department has in place for people who are unable to work due to long-Covid. [23727/24]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Pauline Tully

319. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Social Protection if healthcare staff who are unable to work due to contracting long-Covid are eligible to the occupational injuries scheme; and if not, if she has plans to extend eligibility of the occupational injuries scheme to healthcare staff who have contracted long-Covid. [23729/24]

State Pensions

Brendan Griffin

320. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been made on a review/appeal of a decision to apply a State pension (non-contributory) overpayment on the estate of a person in County Kerry (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23741/24]

Departmental Data

Rose Conway-Walsh

321. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide projections of social insurance fund receipts, expenditure and total cumulative reserve out to 2030; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23818/24]

Social Welfare Schemes

Claire Kerrane

322. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the instructions that have been given to staff in Intreo offices regarding changes to the means testing of the one parent family payment; the process in place since 1 May 2024 for existing claimants to remove maintenance from their means test assessment; when this will be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23819/24]

Departmental Data

Rose Conway-Walsh

323. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide a list of all payments and schemes that are funded or part-funded by the Social Insurance Fund; to provide information on the percentage share of the cost paid from the Social Insurance Fund, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23820/24]