Naoise Ó Cearúil
Ceist:87. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of new baby grants that have been made to parents in Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8460/25]
Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions
Grant Payments
Déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Leas-Cheann Comhairle sa ról nua atá aige agus leis an Aire chomh maith. Ba mhaith liom fiafraí den Aire Coimirce Sóisialaí cé mhéid deontas de naíonáin nuabheirthe atá tugtha anois do thuismitheoirí i gContae Chill Dara agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ar an ábhar. How many newborn baby grants have been made to parents in Kildare and will the Minister make a statement on the matter?
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. Déanaim comhghairdeas leis as a bheith tofa agus ar a leanbh nua i gCill Dara. Comhghairdeas leis féin agus lena bhean chéile agus guím gach rath orthu.
A newborn baby grant of €280 was announced in last year's budget to be paid to families of babies born on or after 1 December 2024. This grant is paid alongside, but in addition to, the first month's child benefit payment of €140, so parents of newborns will receive a total first payment of €420. This increased payment during the first month is an important recognition of the additional costs that accompany the birth of a child.
The benefit is payable in respect of newborn babies from the month after birth. Parents of children born in one month can, therefore, receive the child benefit payment, including the newborn baby grant, from the next month onwards. Given that the newborn baby grant is paid automatically with child benefit payments, there is no additional application for the grant. Therefore, parents of newborns do not need to do anything extra to receive the grant.
Child benefit, as the Deputy may be aware, is a monthly payment to the parents or guardians of children under 16 years of age. Child benefit can also be claimed for children aged 16, 17 or 18 if they are in full-time education or training or have a disability and cannot support themselves. At present, child benefit is in payment to 679,000 families in respect of 1.27 million children, with an estimated expenditure of €2.2 billion for 2025. The first payments for newborns issued on 11 February to more than 4,400 customers in respect of 4,522 children. These included 329 payments for County Kildare. To date, 6,345 customers have been paid the newborn baby grant in respect of 6,448 children. I congratulate all our new parents and wish them health and happiness on their journey.
Naturally, I welcome the grant. In the programme for Government, there are a number of very good commitments for families and young children and this grant, for example, goes a long way towards helping with the costs that come with having a newborn. There is talk in the document of examining the extension of parent's leave and benefit and providing additional flexibility. I ask that consideration also be given to that leave in the Houses of the Oireachtas. No formal paternity leave is granted to TDs and Senators and that is something we should look at in a modern Parliament to reflect what happens in wider society.
Separately, while I understand this is not directly part of the Minister's brief, childcare remains a major hurdle. We are going a long way as a Government towards assisting with the cost of childcare but access continues to be an issue. These are combined issues for new families and parents.
I welcome the level of work the Government and the Department in particular are doing.
I thank the Deputy. As I look around, I think that, apart from the Leas-Cheann Comhairle, I am the longest serving Deputy in this House, and on every day of those 18 years, I have heard references to trying to make ours a family-friendly Oireachtas, although we seem to be going further away from that. Even so, a lot of work has been done in respect of parental leave for Members of the Oireachtas and that should be continued during this term. I see that Deputy O'Gorman is in the Chamber, and I acknowledge his support for the newborn baby grant in the previous Government. That was something on which both he and my predecessor, Heather Humphreys, led out. It is to acknowledge that at what is a very happy time, there is also additional expense, and we have tried to make it as easy as possible for parents to access this payment at what is a very busy time in their lives.
On childcare, there are commitments in the programme for Government, on which the Minister, Deputy Foley, will be leading out, to improve access to it and to improve supports for parents as they rear their children and get through the early stages of their child's life. That is certainly something she will lead out on.
I thank the Minister. I also commend the fact the new baby grant is made automatically with the child benefit payment, without the need for an additional application.
Social Welfare Offices
Mark Wall
Ceist:88. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the current number of appeal officers working in the appeals office; the number for the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8583/25]
How many appeals officers are working in the social welfare appeals office and how many have been working there over the past three years, and will the Minister make a statement on the matter?
I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The social welfare appeals office is responsible for considering and determining appeals of first-instance decisions of the Department's deciding officers in relation to people's social welfare entitlements. The appeals service is designed to provide free-of-cost access to a second opinion by an officer at a senior grade within the Department. Prior to submitting an appeal to the appeals office, applicants also have the option of seeking a review of the decision by the relevant section in the Department. Those appointed as appeals officers are required to be independent in their decision-making functions.
The current number of appeals officers working in the appeals office is 65, four of whom are work-sharing, and three deputy chief appeals officers. The number of appeals officers working in the appeals office in 2024 was 44, four of whom were work-sharing. There were also two deputy chief appeals officers. The number of appeals officers working in the appeals office in 2023 was 44, with five work-sharing and two deputy chief appeals officers. The number of appeals officers working in the appeals office in 2022 was 43, with three work-sharing and two deputy chief appeals officers. The increase in the number of serving appeals officers during 2024 reflects the measures the chief appeals officer has put in place to deal with the increased volumes of appeals to be processed. Twenty additional staff were assigned and attended training in December and January. They have now been appointed as appeals officers and are making decisions.
The implementation of a new IT system last year, which includes an online option for submitting appeals, makes it easier for customers to lodge appeals. New appeals regulations have been signed to come into effect from April this year which provide for simpler processes and specified response times. These should help to further reduce processing times.
I thank the Minister. I welcome that there are 20 additional appeals officers but, unfortunately, as far as I am concerned, appeals times are still growing. I am dealing with a large number of carer's appeals that have been in train for 12 or 14 months and invalidity pension appeals that have been live for more than six months. The problem is that it is very difficult to explain to a person who is under stress and who needs a payment that he or she will have to go through this system. We get letters stating that the relevant papers are with the appeals office in Longford. I would love if someone could explain why officials have to write such letters. Surely, as the Minister mentioned, all of this should be done online. The review should come very quickly from Longford and be with the office in D'Olier Street in Dublin. It is an unnecessary step that the appeals office has to look for the information first. That takes a number of months, and then more months pass before the appeal goes through. Will the Minister outline the plans for streamlining appeals that he hopes to put in place?
The backlogs are a matter of concern to me. That is why there has, as stated, been a lot of investment in additional appeals officers. A new IT system went live in November 2023. This facilitates an online capability to provide a more efficient and streamlined service for people who are making appeals. At end of 2024, a new update provided functionality on mywelfare.ie for people to make appeals. This new feature supports the end-to-end electronic processing of appeals and addresses some of the issues raised by the Deputy. It has reduced the administrative burden of validating and registering appeals. In addition to the appointment of new appeals officers at the end of 2024, this will begin to make a very big difference in the context of waiting times.
The new appeals regulations have been signed. They will also simplify the process and give more specified response times. The chief appeals officer has assured me that she is monitoring processing times and that they are making every effort to process appeals. However, the drive for the kind of efficiency that the Deputy and I agree on has to be balanced in order to ensure that decisions are consistent and of a high quality. We also endeavour to acknowledge that many people availing of the service do not have electronic capabilities, so we still rely on a lot of old-style communication to strike a balance to allow individuals to access the service in a manner that suits their specific circumstances.
I welcome the independence of the appeals office. It is a great system whereby we get a second opinion, and it is something I have used during my time as a public representative. I have always found the appeals officers to be very helpful.
With regard to the new appeals procedures, does the Minister have any indication of what the timelines for appeals will be or what he is working towards? That somebody is waiting for an appeal in respect of carer's allowance for over a year is simply not good enough in this modern age. I welcome the fact that there are 20 additional appeals officers, but what can we expect from the new appeals procedures? Something we discussed at the social protection committee in the previous Dáil - this was one of the biggest issues - was the length of time the process takes.
Are there are plans to continue to hold oral hearings as part of the appeals procedure? I have used this in the past as well. It is a very effective mechanism and allows people go and meet the appeals officers, but there seems to have been a lack of oral hearings in recent times. Was this down to a shortfall in the number of appeals officers?
For context, the average time taken to process an appeal in 2024 was 23.5 weeks. That jumped from 16 weeks in 2023. The average processing time for an appeal dealt with summarily in 2024 was 24.5 weeks, which, again, was an increase on 2023. As of 31 January last, the current processing times for social welfare appeals is 19.4 weeks. We are beginning to make progress. I will be very focused on reducing that to the shortest period possible. It has to capture the information, give people a chance to engage in the process and ensure consistency and fairness across the service.
The new IT system has given us much more online capability. The new online channel is improving people's experience and facilitating the new option we introduced via mywelfare.ie.
I will revert to the Deputy on the issue of oral appeals. I very much agree about the importance of oral appeals, and I will revert to the Deputy with figures relating to such appeals.
Social Welfare Benefits
Martin Daly
Ceist:89. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to provide better support to carers who are providing full-time care and attention to more than one person; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8382/25]
I formally congratulate the Leas-Cheann Comhairle on his election.
Thank-you.
What are the Minister's plans to provide better support to carers who are providing full-time care and attention to more than one person?
I take this opportunity to officially congratulate the Deputy on his election.
Spending on income supports for carers by the Department of Social Protection is expected to amount to over €1.9 billion this year. The carer’s allowance scheme is the main scheme by means of which my Department provides income support to carers in the community. In 2025, the expenditure on the carer’s allowance scheme is estimated to be over €1.2 billion, which will provide an allowance to more than 98,311 people.
The carer's allowance payment is intended to provide an income support to a person whose capacity to earn an income from employment is restricted. In other cases, the requirement for an income support may arise due to illness, disability or unemployment. In the case of carers, the requirement arises due to their need to forgo full-time employment to allow them to take up caring responsibilities.
Where a person is providing care to more than one person, the personal rate is increased by up to 50% of the standard rate. In addition, the annual carer's support grant, which is not means tested, is paid in respect of each person being cared for - that is €2000 or doubled, in other words, to €4000.
These two provisions are intended to recognise the particular challenges faced by people caring for more than one person. We are committed to further examining how we can better support carers who are providing full-time care and attention to more than one person including a commitment in the programme for Government to increase the carer's support grant. I am very happy to engage with the Deputy on suggestions and proposals he may have in this space.
I thank the Minister. In Fianna Fáil, we recognise the major contribution carers make to this society, many giving up careers and job opportunities and often providing full-time care to their loved ones. They take away a huge burden that would otherwise have to be met by the State by means of the use of third-party residences and institutional care for people who are disabled or had special or additional needs is something we moved away form many years ago.
Fianna Fáil has been the party of the carer's allowance. It introduced the carer's allowance and the half-rate carer's allowance, and it is important that we take a lead on this. Will the Minister comment on the programme for Government pledge regarding parents who are over 66 and receiving both the carer's allowance and a pension?
I assure the Deputy that we will continue the work of recent Governments in terms of supporting the work of carers, which we feel is very important.
We have already discussed this morning the increases in the income disregard, the weekly increase to carer's allowance and carer's benefit and the increase in the carer's support grant. Since January, the carer's allowance is now included as a qualifying payment for the fuel allowance, which is opening up that payment. The income disregard has increased from €20,000 to €50,000 since June 2022. As and from July of this year, we will ensure that carer's benefit payment is extended to the self-employed for the first time. In that context, the earnings limit will increase from €450 to €625.
I will revert to the Deputy with regard to carers over 66 years of age and the work we are doing in that space. It is very important that the work we will do at the committee on social protection be aligned with the work of the committee on health in order to ensure that there is agreement between the two on the importance of carers and that there is co-ordination in respect of the proposals around that. I will engage with both committees to ensure that carers are as supported as possible in order to keep people in their homes, where possible, and that carers are recognised for that very important work.
I welcome the Minister's reply. I also welcome the increases in the income rates to allow people to qualify for the carer's allowance. I recognise and welcome the commitment of the Government to a phasing out of the means test for the carer's allowance.
I welcome the improved benefits under the carer's allowance scheme, the extension of the allowance to the self-employed and the provision of access to the State pension. It is absolutely important that we continue to support carers in their very onerous tasks. Many of them do it without any complaint because of their commitment to their loved ones. It is very important that the State continues to recognise their contribution to society in this regard.
I do not think anyone here would disagree with the Deputy's assessment. I will ask my Department to do a lot of work on the supports that are available to carers. They are often so engaged in giving the care that they do not have the chance to know of the full supports that exist, many of which are not mean tested, including the carer's support grant, carer's benefit, the domiciliary care allowance and the various other supports that are available. We will be asking the Department to do a great deal of work on that this year in order to provide information to carers on the channels and the full range of supports available and to ensure that they are using those supports, which are in recognition of the very important work they do.
As stated, prior to the budget later this year, I will be engaging with the carers groups at the annual carers forum. That forum provides family carers with a voice at policy level and gives officials from my Department the opportunity to engage directly with people experiencing care issues. The forum will allow us to plan our approach to the next budget, with carers at the heart of that approach.
Disability Services
Naoise Ó Cearúil
Ceist:90. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans for ensuring that the social welfare system is progressive and empowers people with a disability to live full and independent lives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8462/25]
Fiafraím den Aire maidir lena na gcuid pleananna chun a chinntiú go bhfuil an córas leasa coimirce forásach agus go gcumhachtaítear do dhaoine faoi mhíchumas saol iomlán neamhspleách a chaitheamh agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ar an ábhar? What are the Minister's plans for ensuring that the social welfare system is progressive and empowers people with disabilities to live full and independent lives?
Go raibh maith ag an Teachta agus tá sé thar a bheith tábhachtach go seasaimid le daoine faoi mhíchumas agus is rud an-tábhachtach don Rialtas nua é go mbeidh athruithe sa chuidiú sa Roinn Coimirce Sóisialaí do dhaoine atá faoi mhíchumas. My Department already provides a range of income and employment supports to people with disabilities. These include payments such as the disability allowance, the invalidity pension and blind pension. Also included in these supports are the partial capacity benefit, the wage subsidy scheme, the work and access programme, and the EmployAbility service.
People with disabilities are also supported in pursuing further education and training programmes through payments such as the back to education allowance and direct referral to training courses via Intreo and the EmployAbility service. This combination of income support payments and education and employment supports is being developed to help people with disabilities live full and independent lives.
Over successive budgets, payment rates have been increased and supports have been improved for people with disabilities, including: a €41 increase to disability income support payments since budget 2021; an increase in the earnings disregard for disability allowance by 38% since budget 2021; and a suite of once-off lump sum and double payments to assist disabled people with the cost of living.
In recent years, my Department has also reformed grants for reasonable accommodations and introduced an early engagement model for young and newly disabled people interested in work. I will also launch a reform of the wage subsidy scheme in the coming weeks.
We have a lot more to do. We recognise that people with disabilities face higher poverty and lower employment rates than others in society. That is why the programme for Government prioritises investment in services and supports for people with disabilities, including commitments to improve income and employment supports to empower people with disabilities. These will include: an annual cost of disability support payment; a reform of the disability allowance payment and means test; a review of the minimum hours requirement and examination of the payment rate for the wage subsidy scheme; and an expansion of successful programmes like WorkAbility, EmployAbility and work and access. That work is being led by a newly created Cabinet committee specifically dedicated to disability issues.
Go raibh maith ag an Aire. It is great to see the progress the Government and the Minister and his Department are making in such a short space of time. As the Minister outlined, people with disabilities face additional costs, be it in the context of healthcare, medication, transport of whatever. It is important that we provide people living with a disability with the ability to not just live but also to thrive, that we ensure there is no hindrance on the part of the State and that we are assist them as much as possible.
In the context of the additional positive measures outlined in the programme for Government, such as a permanent annual cost of disability support payment, an increased weekly disability payment and a domiciliary care allowance, are there timelines for the introduction of these?
I thank the Deputy. This is a key priority for the Government. The Taoiseach convened a meeting on Monday to discuss support across government for people with disabilities. About seven Ministers were present at that meeting.
The Department of Social Protection commissioned Indecon to research issues around the cost of disability. Indecon's report was published in 2021. It identified the additional costs of disability across a number of areas of expenditure, including housing, transport and health. It found that there is not a single typical cost to disability. Rather, it is a spectrum from low to high additional costs of disability which depend on everybody's individual circumstances. The report concluded that a multifaceted whole-of-government approach is required to address the cost of disability which will be a key priority for the new Cabinet committee and that is why the Taoiseach is leading out on this.
The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, under the Minister, Deputy Foley, and the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, is in the process of developing a new national disability strategy. Officials in the Department of Social Protection are contributing to the development and implementation of that strategy with a view to supporting people with disabilities through schemes from my Department.
It is great to see the amount of work that is happening in the Department. I ask that those involved in dealing with this matter might look at the councils in how they approach this issue. The likes of the housing adaptation grant should be more readily available. People should have greater opportunities to apply for that grant in order to allow them to have the works it covers carried out.
I agree with the Minister that there are increased costs for those with disabilities and their families. There has been a failure to address this. That is a matter we need to look at. Has the Minister had an update on the reasonable accommodation fund and the disability awareness support scheme? The idea is to look at this from the point of view of facilitating employers as much as possible - I dealt with the previous Minister on this - and ensuring that there are reasonable accommodations, whether they are technological or operational in nature, in the workplace. On many occasions, there has been a reliance on an employer applying for schemes when some of what was involved could have been done beforehand. It is about ensuring that we streamline the system and ensure delivery.
I also agree with Teachta Ó Cearúil on the housing adaptation grant. While that is beyond the remit of the Minister, it needs to be looked at in the context of those with disabilities. What is happening at present does not really cut the mustard.
I thank Deputies Ó Cearúil and Ó Murchú for raising this. I agree with them on housing. We will bring that to the Minister, Deputy Browne for attention. Deputy Ó Murchú raised the reasonable accommodation fund. My Department published a review of that scheme in 2023 and we have made changes. The new scheme offers seven supports to help reduce and remove barriers in the workplace for people with disability, including support for communication, job coaches, personal readers, work equipment, workplace adaptations and training. Jobseekers, employees, self-employed people and employers can apply for those supports both for business premises and remote workplaces. The scheme is being expanded to all non-public sector employees, including the community and voluntary sector. In July 2024, we launched the work and access to replace former schemes. We published a review of the wage subsidy scheme. Through the WorkAbility programme, which is a fantastic programme nationwide, we are bringing much more awareness of supports available for people with disabilities in work spaces but also supports that are available for employers. That touches on the Deputy's concerns that we are not communicating enough to employers about the supports that are there to assist them to employ people with disability. As a former Minister of State with the Department of enterprise, I will be focused on bringing communication to employers that there are supports there, not just to adapt their premises but to support them as employers to take on people with disability and allow them to make a full contribution to society.
Social Welfare Payments
Roderic O'Gorman
Ceist:91. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of children who have benefited from the baby boost triple child benefit payment to date; the number his Department estimates will benefit from it in 2025; the estimated additional cost in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8526/25]
I congratulate the Leas-Cheann Comhairle on his election, and I congratulate the Minister on his appointment. Last October, the Green Party and I championed the idea of a baby boost payment of an additional €280 when a new child is born. I was happy to see it included to see it included in budget 2025 and it was implemented in late 2024. Will the Minister give an update on its uptake around the country and its costs to date?
I thank the Deputy for his good wishes. I acknowledge him for his work in this area, and also that of my immediate predecessor, Heather Humphreys who was committed to the newborn baby grant of €280, which was announced in budget 2025 and was paid to families of babies born on or after 1 December 2024. Taken together with the normal first month’s child benefit of €140 parents of newborns will receive a total first payment of €420, which is three times the normal payment. The Deputy and his colleagues led strongly on this. I am sure he will agree that it is a welcome initiative that recognises the extra costs incurred by a family, and by parents, at a very happy time.
It is important to note that the newborn baby grant is paid automatically with child benefit payments, so there is no additional requirement for an application process. That payment will be made with the first payment in the month after the child is born. The first payments issued on 11 February to more than 4,400 people in respect of 4,522 children. They included payments for children born on or after 1 December. To date, 6,345 people have been paid the newborn baby grant in respect of 6,448 children. The total number of payments to be made is demand driven and obviously depends on the birth rate. Looking at recent trends, we estimate that in 2025 newborn baby grants will be paid in respect of 54,000 children and that will cost €15 million. I hope that clarifies the matter.
Getting this idea over the line was surprisingly pretty hard. It was a long negotiation to get full agreement to get this into budget 2025. That surprised me considering that it is quite a small overall cost of €15 million compared with €180 million to do the double payment on child benefit. In light of that fight to get it over the line, I want the Minister's assurance that he sees the baby boost as a staple part of range of social welfare supports given and paid to families to support them and that he sees this continuing at least at the current rate from budget 2026 onwards.
Everything with the Department of public expenditure is hard in terms of negotiations. I agree with the Deputy that this is an important payment at what is a happy time, but which can also be a stressful time in terms of a new arrival. It can also be an expensive time. It is important that we support families and give them the best start at the very start. My Department is certainly committed to doing that. We will continue to support this and other supports available for parents at this time. Now that it is there, I do not see any circumstances where it would be removed. It is a statement of intent on the part of the State to support newborns and parents at a time they are under a lot of pressure. It was also designed to ensure that there would be minimal administrative pressure on parents. That is a reflection that we understand the pressure people are under. We want to get payments and support to them with as little burden on them as possible at a time their time is under so much pressure.
I appreciate the Minister's clarification that the baby boost payment is here to stay. It is an initiative that the Green Party and I are proud to have led in introducing. A universal payment that is targeted at a particular time in a family's life where almost every single family is under pressure financially when a new baby arrives is a meaningful step the Government and the State can take to help. The programme for Government makes reference to other targeted payments, particularly looking at a new targeted child benefit payment. When will we find out more information about the Minister's and his Department's thinking on this? Does he see it as simply bringing together some existing payments such as the working family and qualified child benefit payment or is he thinking about this as something new, which will give additionality to children and families who are maybe most at risk of child poverty?
Addressing child poverty is a key priority for the Government and the Taoiseach has made it clear to me in my appointment that he wants this prioritised. As the Deputy has said, one of the commitments in the programme for Government is to explore a targeted child benefit payment and examine the interaction that would have with existing targeted supports to reduce child poverty, including the working family payment and the child support payment. My Department is beginning to progress this work under the auspices of the newly established Cabinet committee on children, and with regard to a lot of evidence and work that has been done in this space, including by the ESRI, NESC and the Commission on Taxation and Welfare. Among other matters the work will have to consider is how a targeted child benefit might interact with existing payments. That will be considered as part of the broader examination of the potential design. We are at early days in this, so we are not in a position of looking at timelines, but I am open to suggestions for it. We are putting a lot of work into the new committee for social protection, but that will also be a good forum in which to discuss it.
Social Welfare Payments
Peter 'Chap' Cleere
Ceist:92. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of newborn baby grants that have been made to parents in both counties Kilkenny and Carlow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7937/25]
I congratulate the Minister on his new role. I look forward to working with him for the betterment of the civilians throughout the country. My question is on a similar theme to other speakers relating to the number of children who have benefited from the newborn baby grant in the counties of Carlow and Kilkenny.
I thank the Deputy and formally congratulate him on his election. I look forward to working with him. The newborn baby grant of €280 was announced in budget 2025 and is paid to families of babies born on or after 1 December 2024. This grant is paid alongside, but in addition to, the first month’s child benefit payment of €140. Parents of newborns will receive a total first payment of €420. The benefit is payable in respect of newborn babies from the month after birth. Parents of children born in one month, therefore, can receive the child benefit payment, including the newborn grant, from the next month onwards. As the newborn baby grant is paid automatically with child benefit payments there is no additional application for the grant, so parents of new babies do not need to do anything to receive it. As the Deputy will be aware, child benefit is a monthly payment to the parents or guardians of children under 16. Child benefit can also be claimed for children aged 16, 17 and 18 if they are in full-time education, full-time training or have a disability and cannot support themselves. At present, child benefit is in payment to 679,000 families in respect of 1.27 million children with an estimated expenditure of €2.2 billion for 2025.
The first newborn payments issued on 11 February to more than 4,400 people in respect of 4,522 children.
The number of newborn baby grants paid to parents in Carlow is 88 while 104 payments have been made in respect of children from Kilkenny. Nationally, 6,345 people have been paid the newborn baby grant. This corresponds to 6,448 children.
It is really important to give credit where credit is due. In my constituency, almost 200 families have benefited from the newborn baby grant. It is a fantastic initiative that is to be welcomed. I am thrilled the Minister said that it is here to stay. I absolutely welcome that. As he will know, there are substantial additional costs when starting a family. Unfortunately, my days of starting families are over - my youngest is ten years of age - so I will not be in a position to personally benefit from it but, in fairness, hundreds of families around the country will. It is a fantastic initiative. Considering the popularity of the newborn baby grant when people are starting their families, could we look at the once-off payment of a lump sum for those coming towards the end of child benefit? There are an awful lot of costs when children are starting college and so on. While it is fantastic that we are looking after those people who are starting families, in the context of budget 2026, could we look at some kind of bonus payment when people are coming to the very end of their child benefit?
The introduction of this payment is a highly popular initiative of the Department. Unfortunately, we cannot backdate payments ten years or longer in these cases. On the question of a potential payment at the other end of the spectrum, we are certainly open to any suggestions in the context of the budget, although that process will not get under way for a while. We have made changes in respect of child benefit in recent years. As I have said, these changes relate particularly to children who are in full-time education. The payment used to be cut off at the age of 18 regardless of where you were. We have made some changes there. We recognise that end of the spectrum is particularly challenging and expensive for parents. Supports are available there. As I previously said to Deputy O'Gorman, I am very focused on the area of child poverty and how the child benefit payment interacts with existing payments. It is something I intend to do a lot of work on during my time in this Ministry.
I appreciate the Minister's comments and note his commitment to this issue, which is most welcome. I know committees have not been set up yet, which is a little frustrating, but when they are set up, the committee on social protection can examine this. The double payment of child benefit, which is separate from the baby grant, has been really welcome in recent years. However, monthly costs are increasing. The cost-of-living crisis is still there and people are still struggling every month. Again in the context of budget 2026, could we look at the possibility of additional monthly payments instead of or in addition to the double payment, if finances allow?
Again, we will look at all issues and proposals in the context of budget 2026, which will be delivered later this year. At the moment, our priority is to get these payments out and to get work on child poverty very much under way within the Department in the context of programme for Government commitments. We are looking at targeted child benefit payments and how these would interact with existing payments. We are looking at work that has been done by the ESRI, the NESC and the Commission on Taxation and Welfare and how a new child benefit payment might interact with the working family payment, which is also available for people facing any kind of income pressure, and the child support payment. That will be looked at as part of a broader examination of the design of the new targeted child benefit payment. Right across government, we are very focused on child poverty; it is not just the Department of Social Protection. We are asking all other Departments that engage in this space to come to the table with proposals as to how we can work collectively to assist children in poverty.
School Meals Programme
Louise O'Reilly
Ceist:93. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection how Healthy Ireland nutrition standards and specific dietary requirements are enforced in the school meals programme. [8362/25]
We understand the importance of the school meals programme but it is equally important that when kids are availing of this programme, the food is decent, of good quality, healthy and nutritious. I know from talking to teachers in my constituency that, for some kids, these meals may represent a significant proportion of the food they eat on any given day. It is important that those standards are upheld.
I thank the Deputy. I really appreciate her raising this issue today. This is something I will be focused on. A specific nutritional standard was set for school meals. This is based on the Food Safety Authority of Ireland food-based dietary recommendations for healthy eating. These were developed by a technical working group led by the health and well-being programme of the Department of Health, Safefood and the HSE's healthy eating and active living programme.
The Department of Social Protection has an oversight role in relation to the school meals programme. It conducts regular inspections of schools. Under the existing audit process, 400 schools are inspected annually. Every school must submit a sample menu with its application for the school meals programme. Funding will not be provided for food that does not comply with the standards I have referred to. All participating schools must also submit to my Department a signed service level agreement that clearly sets out the school’s responsibilities in terms of compliance with nutritional standards. It is important to note that there are a range of food options on the menu including lactose-free, vegetarian and gluten-free options. It is the parents who select the food choices for their children.
In December 2024, the Department of Social Protection established an interdepartmental working group, which includes the Departments of Health, Education, and Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to make recommendations on the operation of the scheme including recommendations on nutrition. In addition, my Department participates in the Department of Health’s obesity policy implementation oversight group.
Under the programme for Government, my Department will continue to expand and improve the hot school meals scheme and we will ensure that suppliers adhere to robust guidelines on the nutritional value of meals and the dietary requirements of students, reduce food waste and utilise recyclable packaging. On any occasion there are specific concerns about food choice or the quality of food provided under the scheme, these should be brought to my Department’s attention. I assure the Deputy that the nutritional side of this scheme is very important to me. It is something I will very much focus on. I will ask the interdepartmental working group being established within my Department to focus on delivering the best value nutritionally as well as best value everywhere else.
Irish Country Living has found that traceability of the food can be poor and that ingredients are often just listed as "pasta sauce" on the website. This has been widely reported in the media. We also know that the same amount of funding, €3.20 per meal, and the same portion sizes are given to children from junior infants right up to sixth class. That should be looked at because children's nutritional needs change and grow as they get older. I am concerned that of the 2,200 schools availing of the scheme, only 400 will be assessed this year. That is a fraction. I absolutely respect the Minister's bona fides and I know that, if he says this will be a priority, it will be but I wonder how that information will get to him. It is not an efficient system for him to wait for complaints to be made. Increasing the number to be assessed is important, as is eliminating the use of catch-all phrases like "pasta sauce". The ingredients should be known. As I have said, for some kids, these meals represent a significant proportion of the food they will eat in any one day.
I do not want catch-all phrases. We cannot do that any more. That day is gone. I want to see what people are eating. There are also students with different dietary needs and we are not in a good space to account for those needs if we are using catch-all phrases. This is something I will look at. I have asked for full information on the audit process and what is involved in it because, like the Deputy, I have had feedback from parents and teachers on the operation of this scheme. We have come a long way and it is important to acknowledge how successful this scheme has been. We now have 1,884 schools in the scheme. We will expand that again later. The reason this scheme was implemented in the first place was to ensure consistency of nutrition for our students across all cohorts. Let us not forget that consistency or the original intention of the scheme. Let us not forget the importance of nutrition in anyone's life and particularly a child's. We have had a lot of feedback regarding the issue the Deputy has just raised, the different tastes of kids of different eras.
We all know how difficult it is. This is something I will zero in on and particularly the entire audit process.
We all saw the Jamie Oliver programmes in England and his war on turkey twizzlers and all of that. We have an opportunity to not let the situation get to that level. I welcome the Minister's commitment to monitoring the system. The Department must be very proactive as a significant amount is being spent here. That buying power should be used to drive up and maintain standards rather than allow standards to slip.
It may not be the best idea to wait for complaints to be made; they will come, and I will be happy to channel them in to the Department. I agree with increasing the number of schools inspected from 400 so that schools and providers know there is a high likelihood they are going to be assessed. At the moment there is a very low likelihood of that happening. No one wants to see the standards slip. Everyone wants to see kids get good quality, decent food. A little increase in the surveillance would be very helpful in that regard.
I disagree with very little of what the Deputy said. I will certainly look at that. This year we will introduce a pilot project based on the Department of Education's summer programme to ensure that schools that are eligible for the school meals programme will be able to make meals available for the summer programme. That will support approximately 40,000 of the most vulnerable children who have complex special educational needs, who are at risk of educational disadvantage. We will work with the Department of Education to ensure that gets rolled out.
I am very focused on the nutritional side of this scheme. The initiative has been a wonderful success. I thank the officials in my Department who have worked very hard to get it right. We want to make sure that it is working and does what we all want it to do, which is to give a minimum nutritional value to the youngest citizens of the country and to ensure that everybody gets it, regardless of income. I am aware of the impact it has. Yesterday, I joined Tesco in regard to its Stronger Starts programme for vegetables. I saw some fantastic examples of that programme around the country. None of us understands the impact of good nutrition for younger children, which is what this scheme is intended to be about.
Question No. 94 replied to with Written Answers.
Social Welfare Benefits
Michael Cahill
Ceist:95. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans for phasing out the means test for the carer's allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8262/25]
I too congratulate the Minister on his recent appointment and wish him the very best going forward. Carers do great work and a provide a great service for the State. In that context, means-testing for the carer's allowance should be phased out. What are the Minister's plans for the phasing out of the means test?
I thank the Deputy. I formally congratulate him on his election and welcome him back to Leinster House.
The carer's allowance is the main scheme by which my Department provides income support to the very important work done by carers in the community. The primary objective of the carer's allowance payment is to provide an income support to those carers whose earning capacity is substantially reduced. There are currently 98,311 people in receipt of carer's allowance and expenditure in 2025 is estimated to be more than €1.24 billion.
A number of significant improvements have made to the means test in recent years. As part of budget 2025, the weekly income disregard will increase from €450 to €625 for a single person, and from €900 to €1,250 for carers with a spouse or partner. This amounts to cumulative increases to the disregards of €292.50 and €585, respectively, since June 2022.
An interdepartmental working group involving the Departments of Health and Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth was established last year to examine and review the system of means-testing for carer payments. I hope to have the report on its findings in the coming weeks.
The Government is very aware of the key role family carers play in society and the challenges they face on a daily basis. We have set out a timeline that commits to significantly increasing the income disregards for carer's allowance in each budget over the course of the next five years, with the ultimate view of phasing out the means test during the lifetime of the Government.
It will be a priority for me to do that, as I have discussed this morning, over the five budgets that will be presented by the Ministers for Finance and Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform during the lifetime of the Government. This is a key commitment in the programme for Government and it is something that will be a priority for me as Minister in the Department of Social Protection.
Recent media reports suggest the cost of abolishing the means test for carer's allowance is in the region of €3 billion per annum. I understand that is the Department's own estimate. In the Minister's opinion, how definitive is this estimate?
In March 2023, the Parliamentary Budget Office estimated the cost of fully abolishing the means test at €397 million. It also costed raising the income threshold so that all households earning under €100,000 would qualify for carer's allowance at €387 million. In 2024, the Parliamentary Budget Office, using new CSO data from 2022, provided three costing scenarios - low, central and high - which gave an annual cost estimate at the central level of €375.3 million. In April 2024, the Department of Social Protection estimated the additional cost of abolishing the means test at €600 million. It seems extraordinary that it could now be five times that amount.
There is a range of costs. The figure of €3 billion only arises in the context of everybody who self-declared as a carer in 2022 census qualifying. Even if only 70% of those carers were to qualify, the cost would go up to approximately €2 billion.
The very important work done by carers is recognised. It has been recognised consistently by this Government and the previous one. We have made substantial changes to the supports available. In budget 2025, the carer's support grant increased to €2,000, which is the highest rate ever for this grant. The carer's allowance weekly income disregard will increase to €265 for a single person and to €1,250 as part of budget 2025. That is a very substantial increase in the payment in recent years. I will continue to engage with carers and their representative organisations, including at the carer's forum in the summer to ensure their voice is central to the work ahead of the next budget to support carers in the very important work that they do.
Following budget 2025, the carer's allowance income disregard will be increased to €625 for a single person and €1,250 for a couple from July 2025. How many additional carers are now likely to qualify on the basis of this change? Does the Minister intend to increase the disregard year on year, over five budgets?
It goes without saying that the means test must be removed for carers. We all know the financial impact on a home of dealing with a child with additional needs. The issue must be addressed.
I also agree that the discrepancy in the figures must be addressed. There must be some element of flexibility for carers who work as carers, who sometimes go over the 18.5 hours, in particular in cases where they are making up for somebody not coming in. Could we deal with the time over a longer period to allow for that and also deal with these anomalies? We need to make it possible to provide information on working hours on a more regular basis. This must be done with the Department. I have come across people who suddenly get a huge bill and they owe tens of thousands of euro. We need to deal with this issue.
A lot of points have been raised. I ask the Deputy to come back to me on the last issue he raised.
I assure all Deputies that we are very focused on the work done by carers, which is incredibly important. As I said earlier, it should be work done across the Oireachtas, not just in the committee on social protection but also the health committee. It is the Government's intention, over its lifetime, and by means of the five budgets that we hope to present, to remove the means test. It will be done in a manner that is reflective of the budgets at the time.
This is a major priority. Supporting carers and the very important work they do is not just a priority for the Government; it is a priority for me. I intend to champion it during my time as Minister for Social Protection.
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