Parliamentary questions

School Meals Programme

Seán Sherlock

390. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection what action has been taken to monitor and reduce food waste and packaging waste in the school meals programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18277/24]

School Meals Programme

Seán Sherlock

391. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the action taken on each of the 18 recommendations contained within her Department's evaluation of the school meals programme undertaken in 2022, per recommendation, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18278/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Brendan Griffin

392. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision on a rent supplement application (details supplied) by a person who had to leave the family home will be reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17347/24]

School Meals Programme

Frankie Feighan

393. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide a list, by county, of all primary schools now providing hot school meals following this week's expansion, in tabular form; if she will include the address, location and roll number of each school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17362/24]

Community Welfare Services

Sorca Clarke

394. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of WTE staff, by grade, working in the National Community Welfare Contact Centre as of 15 April 2024. [17415/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Sorca Clarke

395. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for invalidity pension that were refused by her Department in the years of 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form. [17416/24]

Departmental Staff

Sorca Clarke

396. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide a list of all assistant secretaries and principal officers in her Department, with their current responsibilities. [17417/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Bernard Durkan

397. 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. [17430/24]

Social Welfare Schemes

Jim O'Callaghan

398. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if a change to the eye examination fee for contractors is now under consideration after Department officials met with stakeholders in March to discuss a change to the (optical) treatment benefit scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17465/24]

Tax Reliefs

Richard Bruton

399. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will indicate the number of claimants who are availing of the exemption from the means test of the renting of a room with revenue up to €14,000. [17480/24]

School Meals Programme

Ivana Bacik

400. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Social Protection the provenance of meat, vegetables and other ingredients for the hot school meals programme; if the ingredients are sourced in Ireland; and the procurement process for same. [17495/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Bernard Durkan

401. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection when payment of carer’s allowance will be urgently restored in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17523/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Bernard Durkan

402. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress to date in determining an appeal (details supplied); when a final determination is likely to issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17529/24]

School Meals Programme

Cathal Crowe

403. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection when the schools (details supplied) announced for the hot school meals programme can expect the meals to be rolled out; and what options are available for those with allergies. [17536/24]

School Meals Programme

David Stanton

404. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Social Protection if a school (details supplied) will be included in the hot school meals programme for the 2024-2025 school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17538/24]

Social Insurance

Pearse Doherty

405. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection if the scheduled increases in PRSI between 2024 and 2028 are factored into table 2 (showing cashflow projections with respect to SIF in selected years) of the actuarial review of the social insurance fund as at 31 December which was completed by her Department in December 2023; and if she will provide an updated equivalent table providing cashflow projections with respect to SIF for those selected years which take account of the aforementioned PRSI increases. [17553/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Louise O'Reilly

406. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if there are plans to expand the training support grant to cover longer-term courses and those above QQI Level 6; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17563/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Louise O'Reilly

407. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the supports available to someone returning to education part-time and continuing to work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17564/24]

School Meals Programme

Jim O'Callaghan

408. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will detail, on a county-by-county basis, a breakdown of the 150,000 children that will benefit from the expansion of the hot meals scheme announced on 15 April 2024, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17606/24]

Social Welfare Fraud

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

409. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons prosecuted for social welfare fraud in the years of 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17626/24]

Social Welfare Rates

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

410. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost to the Exchequer to increase child benefit by €10 per child in 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17627/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Éamon Ó Cuív

411. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made on an application for carer’s allowance submitted on 15 February 2024 (details supplied) in respect of a person caring for an individual who is terminally ill; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17699/24]

Social Welfare Rates

Marc MacSharry

412. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Social Protection when it is proposed to reduce the weekly social support payment for those already here under the temporary protection directive, and currently in receipt of €232 per week, to the same level as all other refugees, that is, €38 per week; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17749/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Brendan Griffin

413. 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. [17811/24]

Social Welfare Rates

Kathleen Funchion

414. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) is only receiving €130 in carer’s payment, given the circumstances. [17812/24]

Social Welfare Schemes

Neasa Hourigan

415. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Social Protection , further to Parliamentary Question No. 46 of 16 April, the date her Department will launch the reformed scheme combining the reasonable accommodation fund and the disability awareness support scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17815/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Robert Troy

416. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will expedite a domiciliary care allowance review for a person (details supplied). [17933/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Robert Troy

417. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection if an invalidity appeal will be urgently expedited for a person (details supplied). [17935/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Michael Creed

418. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Social Protection when it is expected a decision will issue on a carer's allowance application (details supplied). [17948/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Bernard Durkan

419. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection whether any interim payment is available in the case of a person (details supplied) who is a HSE worker who contracted Covid on the frontline during the pandemic but has suffered with ill health ever since and currently has no income; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17975/24]

Social Insurance

Matt Carthy

420. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person on class D contribution within a State agency is unable to change to class A contributions; if she has considered implementing changes to facilitate same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18020/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Ivana Bacik

421. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Social Protection , further to Parliamentary Question No. 731 of 9 April, how an assessment is conducted with respect to determining the extent to which a particular illness or disability impairs or restricts a person's capacity to work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18082/24]

Registration of Births

Ivana Bacik

422. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on the making public of the stillbirth register; if she has further plans for reform to support families through pregnancy loss and stillbirth; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18083/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Duncan Smith

423. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection when a domiciliary allowance payment, which was submitted on behalf of a person (details supplied) in November 2023, will be awarded to the applicant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18116/24]

School Meals Programme

Brendan Griffin

226. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection the up-to-date position regarding the rolling out of further hot school meals in schools in County Kerry; the number of new schools that are included in the most recent addition of schools; if she will provide a list of all schools in County Kerry now benefitting from the scheme, including the date on which the schools were approved for the programme; the number of schools in County Kerry that remain outside the programme; the number of them that expressed an interest in the programme in the most recent call; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17236/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Brendan Griffin

227. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection when an application for supplementary welfare will be processed in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17082/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Cian O'Callaghan

228. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will reconsider classifying Covid-19 as an occupational illness, as has been recommended in many EU member states; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17095/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Jackie Cahill

229. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection when the oral appeal for a person (details supplied) will be heard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17103/24]

Departmental Data

Carol Nolan

230. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 781 of 9 April 2024, the number of payments stopped where her Department was made aware of an international protection applicant travelling out of the State for the period 2010 to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17119/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Brendan Griffin

231. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if the practice of the Social Protection Appeals Office accepting appeals in the context of scoping decisions without grounds for those appeals being set out and-or examined will be discontinued; how frequently this practice occurred in each of the past five years; the amount of time, on average, between an appeal being lodged and a case being further decided upon; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17125/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Colm Burke

232. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection to confirm the status of a person’s (details supplied) appeal and 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. [17131/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

John McGuinness

233. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if carer’s allowance will be approved for a person (details supplied); if the letter of refusal issued by her Department will be reviewed as it refers to the person receiving the care as another person; and if the matter will be expedited. [17134/24]

Social Welfare Code

Colm Burke

234. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider extending the living alone increase to elderly people who have their disabled child living with them but the children attend disability day services and they cannot work due to their severe needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17150/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Colm Burke

235. 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. [17192/24]

Personal Public Service Numbers

Bernard Durkan

236. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if and when a PPS number might issue in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17261/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Bernard Durkan

237. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason adequate consideration was not given to the application for disability allowance in the case of a person (details supplied) given the history of continuous domestic abuse resulting in homelessness and the need to allow a period of rehabilitation in order to restore their health; if disability allowance or a similar payment might be awarded given that they cannot return to work due to their child’s special needs and the aforementioned issues; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17263/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Bernard Durkan

238. 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) who has numerous health issues and who recently moved into new accommodation but needs some assistance towards fitting out the property; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17264/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Bernard Durkan

239. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if disability allowance might be restored in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17265/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Bernard Durkan

240. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the current position in relation to an application for carer’s allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17267/24]

State Pensions

Michael Healy-Rae

74. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection if the case of a person (details supplied) will be examined and a resolution found for the matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16776/24]