Parliamentary questions

Widow's Pension

John Lahart

92. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Social Protection the terms of the widows' or widower's pension, particularly in respect of non-married or co-habiting couples; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4343/24]

School Meals Programme

Fergus O'Dowd

93. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to address the needs of coeliac diagnosed children with regard to the ever-growing and welcome roll-out of the school meals programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4404/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Mark Ward

94. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection what options are open to a person who was previously in full-time employment and is now in full-time education in regard to availing of social welfare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4406/24]

State Pensions

Bernard Durkan

95. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress to date in the determination of eligibility for an increase in the rate for a qualified adult in respect of a State pension (contributory) in the case of a person (details supplied); if she will list the information still outstanding, if any; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4408/24]

Social Welfare Code

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

96. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of expanding Catherine’s Law to exempt the receipt of scholarships or grants from An Chomhairle Ealaíon by recipients of disability allowance or the blind pension from their means testing. [4476/24]

Social Welfare Code

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

97. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of expanding Catherine’s Law to exempt the receipt of the basic income for the arts scheme by recipients of disability allowance or the blind pension from their means testing. [4477/24]

School Meals Programme

Michael Ring

98. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Social Protection if a programme could be extended to a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4489/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Denis Naughten

99. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will confirm that Irish citizens can only receive child benefit if the child is resident within the State; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4519/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Michael Healy-Rae

100. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review an overclaim for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4587/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Violet-Anne Wynne

101. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) was refused an exceptional needs payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4632/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Violet-Anne Wynne

102. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Social Protection that average length of time it takes from the day of application for an applicant to be either granted or denied disability allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4651/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Noel Grealish

364. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Social Protection if her officials have been in discussions with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage regarding a policy to have local authorities authorise works/ purchases under the exceptional needs/additional needs payments applications for individuals who have recently been allocated local authority properties, if this is a requirement to qualify for an exceptional needs/additional needs payment in these circumstances; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3616/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Francis Noel Duffy

365. Deputy Francis Noel Duffy asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 978 of 17 January 2024, the definition of qualified children; the definition of dependant children eligible for the fuel allowance; if there is an age limit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3731/24]

Social Insurance

Seán Haughey

366. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Social Protection if she can introduce a mechanism whereby teachers who are on career breaks are able to pay PRSI contributions and to have these contributions recognised; if she is aware that teachers who are on career breaks are unable to make contributions, which risks affecting their State pension entitlements and eligibility for maternity leave and so on; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3754/24]

Social Welfare Fraud

Peadar Tóibín

367. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of fraudulent claims of payments through her Department, by payment type of those residing in the State and those residing outside the State, by county in each of the past ten years; the number of fraudulent claims, by payment type currently under investigation of those residing in the State, and those residing outside the State, by country; the cost to the State of all fraudulent claims and legal investigation costs for the same time period, per year of those residing in the State and those residing outside the State, by country, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3771/24]

Departmental Contracts

Catherine Murphy

368. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department has availed of services and-or consultancy from a list of related companies (details supplied) in the past five years to date; if so, if she will provide a schedule of costs and the purpose for which the company was engaged; and if she continued to use services provided by it. [3788/24]

State Pensions

Éamon Ó Cuív

369. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection when an appeal for a State pension contribution for a person (details supplied) will be processed and a decision made; the reason for the delay in processing this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3823/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Bernard Durkan

370. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection when the full amount of disability benefit will be paid in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3831/24]

State Pensions

James Lawless

371. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on a non-contributory pension application (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3906/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Dara Calleary

372. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Social Protection the current timeframe for social welfare appeals; what resources are in place to address appeals; if she will allocate extra resources to address backlogs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3915/24]

Oireachtas Committees

Paul Murphy

373. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection in relation to comments made by the Secretary General of her Department at the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) (details supplied), to correct the record with the PAC that sample/test cases were and are used to ensure that the same conclusion is reached in cases, contrary to the erroneous information given to the PAC. [3952/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Éamon Ó Cuív

374. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection when an appeal for invalidity pension lodged on 8 May 2023 will be decided (details supplied); the reason for delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3959/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Éamon Ó Cuív

375. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of invalidity pension appeals awaiting a decision for eight months or more; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3960/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Joe McHugh

376. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Social Protection to clarify the recent Supreme Court decision with regard to unmarried widowers without children; his Department's timescale with regard to implementing this Supreme Court decision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4049/24]

Social Welfare Rates

Catherine Murphy

377. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the last time the back to school clothing and footwear allowance was increased; and the estimated full year cost if this allowance increased by 15%. [4080/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Catherine Murphy

378. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of appeals officers assigned to assessing both applications and appeals, respectively, for disability allowance. [4081/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Seán Canney

379. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will examine the review process by which carers are having their carers allowance reviewed and the invasive nature of the information being requested; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4092/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Michael Healy-Rae

380. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection what the current processing times are for all social protection payments in her remit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4093/24]

School Meals Programme

Ruairí Ó Murchú

381. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection the options open to parents of primary school children who are coeliacs to avail of the school meals programme and whose school supplier is not providing gluten-free options; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4114/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Michael Creed

382. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) in County Cork will receive child benefit. [4151/24]

Pension Provisions

Bernard Durkan

383. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection to indicate if an entitlement to the widow’s pension can be backdated in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4175/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Michael Ring

384. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Social Protection when a file will be sent from the disability allowance section of her Department to the social welfare appeals office to determine an appeal for a person (details supplied) in County Mayo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4176/24]

Social Welfare Rates

Paul Kehoe

385. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider an increase in the qualified adult allowance payment in line with any increase in social welfare payments, particularly in the instance of those qualified adults over 80 years of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4177/24]

Personal Public Service Numbers

Colm Burke

386. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of PPS numbers issued in Ireland from 1 January to 31 December 2023; the breakdown by nationality that each of the PPS number was issued to, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4192/24]

Ministerial Staff

Catherine Murphy

387. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide a schedule of the number of civilian drivers and Garda drivers attached to him and to Ministers of State of his Department; to provide the official work pattern for each driver and the total annual hours worked by each driver; and to indicate the number of drivers assigned to each Minister and Minister of State. [4227/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Paul Murphy

388. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason for the delayed decision on a disability allowance in the case of a person (details supplied).; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4237/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Bernard Durkan

389. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress to date in the determination of an application for a domiciliary care allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4272/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Violet-Anne Wynne

390. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made in a case (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4330/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Catherine Murphy

271. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if there is any social protection support that provides for a door-to-door taxi service in respect of hospital appointments for persons that cannot use other forms of public transport due to ill health (details supplied). [3426/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Denise Mitchell

272. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Social Protection if any consideration has been given to increasing the income threshold for means testing qualified adult payment applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3429/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Colm Burke

273. 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. [3436/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Colm Burke

274. 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. [3437/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Paul McAuliffe

275. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection what social protection entitlement a person (details supplied) is entitled to while an appeal of their disability allowance is ongoing. [3445/24]

Departmental Data

Sorca Clarke

276. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of individuals and couples in Westmeath and Longford who are in State-supported homeless accommodation via their local authority but also on reduced rate of jobseeker's. [3457/24]

State Pensions

Paul Kehoe

277. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Social Protection to confirm if a person (details supplied) has enough paid contributions to make an application for a contributory pension from before she left Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3513/24]

Departmental Data

Richard O'Donoghue

278. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of adults in receipt of disability payments from her Department as of 31 December 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3540/24]

Social Welfare Code

Éamon Ó Cuív

279. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection whether people who were employed for many years and were farming in a very small way at the same time and then went on illness benefit for a year and a half, are entitled to job seeker's benefit on recovery from the illness affecting them, subject to the normal conditions; and if not the reason they are not entitled to it; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3546/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

John McGuinness

280. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if an application for a disability allowance now under review and appeal will be expedited and approved in the name of a person (details supplied).; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3547/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Seán Canney

281. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Social Protection if the credit scheme for electricity users will also cover consumers who have a credit built up on their account; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3563/24]

Social Welfare Code

Patrick Costello

282. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department will liaise with the relevant authorities to introduce a school pupils free travel scheme bus pass, similar to the free travel scheme for adults, recognising that children in rural areas can avail of free travel, but not those in urban areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3608/24]