Written Answers Nos. 121-140
121. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection for the up to date position on the Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner’s Pension) Bill 2025; the number of applications nationally received to date that are currently queued until this legislation is passed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33219/25]
View answerUnder the law as currently enacted, entitlement to a Widows, Widowers or Surviving Civil Partner’s Contributory pension is only available to a surviving partner who was party to a marriage or civil partnership. On 22nd January 2024, the Supreme Court delivered its judgment on the entitlement of an unmarried cohabitant to a Widower's Contributory Pension. The Supreme Court judgment overruled a previous High Court decision and found in favour of the claimant and his children.Following Government approval, the Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner's Pension) Bill 2025 was published on 13th March and Second Stage concluded in Dáil Eireann on 27th March. The Bill is scheduled for Dáil Select Committee Stage on 25 June. I look forward to working with the Oireachtas in ensuring this important legislation is enacted as soon as possible.In relation to the number of applications received by my Department, currently there are 477 applications on hand.I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
122. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on his Department's review of all its social assistance schemes; if he will consider adapting the means-testing with a view to permanently supporting people with intellectual disabilities and autism in employment without fear of losing essential supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33198/25]
View answerMy Department provides a suite of income supports for those unable to work due to illness or disability. These include insurance-based schemes, based on PRSI contributions, and means-tested social assistance schemes.Entitlement to these supports is generally not dependent on the type or category of illness or disability. Rather, entitlement to these supports is contingent on the extent to which a particular illness or disability impairs or restricts a person’s capacity to work.Disability Allowance is a social assistance payment for people who are aged between 16 and 66 with an injury, disease or disability that has continued, or may be expected to continue, for at least one year and, as a result of this disability, the person is substantially restricted in undertaking work that would otherwise be suitable. The payment is subject to a medical assessment, a means test and a habitual residency requirement. The purpose of the means test is to ensure that resources are directed to those with the greatest need for income supports by the State.Disability Allowance has one of the highest capital disregards operated by the Department of Social Protection. A recipient can have up to €50,000 in savings and still receive the full rate of payment. This is compared to €20,000 for most social welfare payments.The Department's disability-related schemes have been structured to support recipients to pursue employment opportunities, be that self-employment or insurable employment.People on Disability Allowance and Blind Pension can take up employment or self-employment and continue to receive all or part of their social welfare payment, depending on their income. The earnings disregard has increased by almost 38% since Budget 2021 from €120 to €165 currently. A person can currently earn up to €165 a week and keep their full rate of Disability Allowance and up to €517.60 a week and still keep their entitlement to the minimum rate of payment and their secondary benefits.In general, once a person continues to be in receipt of a Disability Allowance payment, in full or at a reduced rate, there should be no loss of eligibility to the Fuel Allowance, Household Benefits Package or Free Travel Scheme once they continue to satisfy all other remaining qualifying criteria for these individual schemes.As part of Budget 2024, access to the Free Travel Pass was expanded to support people who are medically certified as unable to drive for a period of 12 months or longer. Furthermore, as part of the “Make Work Pay” initiative a persons who moves directly from certain long term social protection schemes to employment is entitled to retain their Free Travel entitlement for a further period of 5 years, where they previously had the entitlement to free travel on the scheme.A review of means testing across all schemes in the Department is underway. The outcome of this review will be used to inform decisions regarding any further changes to means testing.Separate to that, the Programme for Government includes a commitment to reform the Disability Allowance Payment, to remove anomalies in the current means test and to introduce a cost of disability support payment. It also includes a commitment to examine key ancillary benefits such as the fuel allowance, household benefits package and living alone allowance to support vulnerable groups.We want to support disabled people to take up and remain in employment and the Programme for Government includes specific commitments in that regard. In particular we will examine ways to make it easier to regain Disability Allowance if employment ceases. We will also review aspects of the Wage Subsidy Scheme, a reformed version of which I launched recently. We also want to expand and build on successful programmes like WorkAbility, Employability and Work and Access. Employment will be a key pillar of the National Disability Strategy, the development of which is a priority for the Government.These commitments will be advanced over the lifetime of the government and in light of available resources.I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
123. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Social Protection the breakdown of illness benefit recipients by length of time they have been in receival of the payment, under 1 year, between 1 and 2 years, between 2 and 3 years, between 3 and 4 years and between 4 and 5 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32949/25]
View answerIllness Benefit is a payment for those who cannot work in the short term if they are ill. A person who has paid between 104 and 259 contributions at an appropriate class, since entering employment, is entitled to receive payment of Illness Benefit for a maximum of 312 paid days in any one period of interruption of employment, while a person who has paid a total of 260 or more contributions at an appropriate class, since entering employment, is entitled to receive payment of Illness Benefit for a maximum of 624 paid days in any one period of interruption of employment. There are exceptions to those limitations, for example for persons with claims starting prior to 5 January 2009 who had paid a total of 260 or more contributions at an appropriate class, since entering employment, are entitled to receive payment of Illness Benefit for as long as that person is incapable of work up to the age of 66. In the timeframe available to answer this parliamentary question, I regret that it is not possible to collate the information requested by the Deputy.
124. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection if his attention has been drawn to a report (details supplied); his plans to address the gap between the better off and those on the lowest welfare and work incomes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33109/25]
View answerI am aware of the Social Justice Ireland Report analysing how the gap between individuals on Jobseeker's Benefit and individuals earning €40,000 per year and €100,000 per year is affected by Budget measures and cost of living initiatives each year.As Minister for Social Protection, I am acutely aware, as we all are, of the pressures faced by those on the lowest welfare and work incomes given increases in the cost of living over the last number of years.As part of Budget 2025, a €2.6 billion Social Protection package was secured. This was, for the third year in a row, the largest in the history of the State.This package provided a mixture of lump sum cost of living payments, along with across the board €12 weekly rate increase in primary payments.As well as one-off measures and rate increases, Budget 2025 included the introduction of a Newborn Baby Grant; an increase to the income disregard for Carer’s Allowance, which becomes a qualifying payment for Fuel Allowance; increases to the Working Family Payment income thresholds; the extension of the Hot School Meals scheme to all remaining Primary Schools; and the commencement of the Jobseeker’s Pay-Related Benefit Scheme.Each year, the ESRI produces a post-Budget analysis of the main tax and welfare changes in the Budget. This analysis shows that the package of measures introduced under Budget 2025 will result in average gains in income for most households next year. It also shows that incomes have remained largely stable since 2020 despite a number of crises including the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise in the cost of living. I am, therefore, satisfied that the most recent Budget protected the most vulnerable in our society, particularly children in low-income families.The Irish social protection system continues to perform well in terms of its redistributive effect and reduction in the at-risk-of-poverty rate.The latest 2024 CSO Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC) data show that social transfers (excluding pensions) reduced the at-risk-of-poverty rate from 34.1% before social transfers to 11.7% after social transfers.This equated to a poverty reduction effect of 62.7% in 2024.In July, I will meet with stakeholders at our annual pre-Budget forum with a view to continuing this progress. I will listen to views on their priorities in the forthcoming budget. This will be a key input to my thinking on Budget formulation and the measures that I will bring forward for consideration of Government.I am fully committed to making the case for a fair budget that protects the people most in need in our society - particularly families on low incomes and those people, including pensioners and carers, who are dependent on social welfare payments.
125. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people in receipt of a widow’s pension who are under age 66; if he will provide an estimated cost of allowing persons in receipt of widow’s pensions to access illness benefit in the event that they get sick at work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33039/25]
View answerAs at end May 2025, there are 28,574 people aged under 66 years in receipt of Widow’s / Widower’s / Surviving Civil Partner’s (Contributory) Pension.As at end May 2025, there are a further 980 people in receipt of Widow’s / Widower’s / Surviving Civil Partner’s (Non-Contributory) Pension.Illness Benefit is the primary short term income support provided by my Department to those who are unable to work due to illness of any type and who are covered by social insurance. Eligibility for Illness Benefit depends on the person’s PRSI record and class. People must have made the required number of contributions under PRSI classes A, E, H or P to qualify.Widow’s / Widower’s / Surviving Civil Partner’s Pension (Contributory) is a weekly social insurance payment to those who have lost their spouse or civil partner and are covered by social insurance.Widow's / Widower's / Surviving Civil Partner’s (Non-Contributory) Pension is a means-tested payment payable to a widow, widower or surviving civil partner who does not qualify for a contributory widow's, widower's or surviving civil partner’s payment. It is not currently possible for the Department to develop a costing in this regard as we do not have collated information on the contribution and employment status of these two separate groups, which would be crucial in estimating potential costs for these sub-population to access Illness Benefit.However, if a person is getting a reduced rate of Widow’s / Widower’s / Surviving Civil Partner’s Pension (Contributory), they may also get a reduced rate of Illness Benefit, so that the combined amount of both payments is not greater than the maximum rate of Illness Benefit to which they would otherwise be entitled.With regard to additional supports, my Department also provides an additional needs payment under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme to help meet essential expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. This includes certain supplements to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from a person’s own resources and are deemed to be necessary.My Department will continue to keep its range of supports under review to ensure that they meet their overall objectives. Any changes to the current system, including those referred to in the Deputy's question, would need to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context.
126. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection when his Department became aware of the overpayment of pensions to Ministers and civil servants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33212/25]
View answerI became aware of the detail of overpayment of pensions to Ministers and civil servants when the matter was brought to Government by Minister Jack Chambers on Tuesday 10 June 2025.
127. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline his plans to abolish the means testing for carer's allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32977/25]
View answerThe Programme for Government sets out a timeline which commits to significantly increasing the income disregards for Carer’s Allowance in each Budget with a view to phasing out the means test during the lifetime of the Government.There have been a number of significant changes made to the Carer’s Allowance means test in recent years. Next month, there will be a further increase which will see the weekly income disregard rise from €450 to €625 for a single person, and from €900 to €1,250 for carers with a spouse/partner. This amounts to cumulative increases to the disregards of €292.50 and €585 respectively since June 2022. These increases make the scheme accessible to more people and may increase payment rates for those currently on a reduced rate. The increases in July will mean that a carer in a two-adult household with an income of approximately €69,000 will still retain their full Carers payment and even with an income of €97,000 will retain a partial payment.It should also be noted that my department also provides other supports for carers which are not based on a means assessment. These include the Carer’s Support Grant, Carer’s Benefit and Domiciliary Care Allowance. The Carer's Support Grant of €2,000 was paid to over 138,000 carers on 5 June.It is important that we make progress in a way that is sustainable, and which balances the allocation of the available budgetary resources each year across all priorities. This includes funding services to other vulnerable groups. That is why we have committed to a measured and phased approach over a number of budgets.I trust that this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.
128. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to provide increased flexibility to local CE, TÚS and rural social schemes to retain participants for longer, as committed to in the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32744/25]
View answerThe Department of Social Protection operates a number of employment support schemes for long term unemployed persons which also assist communities across the country in the provision of vital services. Community Employment (CE) and Tús are employment activation measures designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis. The Rural Social Scheme (RSS) is an income support initiative that provides part-time employment opportunities in community and voluntary organisations for farmers or fishermen who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments and who are underemployed in their primary occupation.Given the strong labour market performance, the reduction in the number of unemployed people on the Live Register has impacted on the availability of potential candidates to participate on these schemes. A number of changes have been introduced in recent times to support CE sponsors in their recruitment and retention of participants, including:
• A provision to allow CE participants who reach 60 years of age to remain in CE until they reach state pension age (66).
• Some flexibility granted to CE sponsors to retain existing participants for extended periods in cases where a replacement can’t be recruited immediately.
• Changes to eligibility criteria extending CE eligibility to the adult dependents of those in receipt of Jobseeker’s Allowance.
• A new pilot scheme to extend CE eligibility to those over 50 years of age in receipt of credits or a combination of credits & Jobseekers Benefit.
While the CE scheme can offer formal training, Tús is focused on shorter term work experience and skills development. Overall, it is recognised by Government that both programmes are positive initiatives that enable participants to make a significant contribution to their communities whilst up-skilling themselves for prospective future employment.The priority for my Department is to ensure that all employment and activation programmes have the best outcomes for participants, and the contract duration applicable to the Tús scheme reflects this and ensures that as many people as possible who are eligible to participate, can benefit from the scheme.Generally, Tús participants who have completed 52 weeks on the programme may progress onto CE where it is considered appropriate.The maximum duration of each Tús contract is 12 months, to ensure that as many people as possible, who are long-term unemployed, are able to benefit from the initiative. The existing 12 months duration on the scheme is deemed to be adequate to meet the programme’s objectives. However, to assist schemes and maintain services in the current labour market, a number of reforms were introduced to the Tús scheme in the past. One of the changes introduced allows up to 30% of current Tús participants, who are due to exit the scheme to have their contracts extended for a period of up to six months, on a case-by-case basis. This rule applies where no suitable replacements have been referred to fill a Tús vacancy in particular circumstances and where it is deemed that the participant will benefit from the further period of 6 months in their work placement.As you may be aware, a review of the RSS was published on the 24th July 2024. The review was undertaken to examine the role of the scheme, its ongoing relevance to the changing landscape, the funding and resourcing required along with the appropriate governance and management arrangements. The review report includes 19 recommendations to address the sustainability of the RSS. The following recommendations have been recently introduced:
• the provision of 3-year contracts to existing RSS participants from 01 April 2025;
• the RSS renewal process will be undertaken at 3 yearly intervals instead of the current annual review;
• existing RSS participants who reach age 60 will not be subject to any further review of means or circumstances until they exit the scheme at age 66. However, it is important to note that the onus continues to remain on all RSS participants to notify my Department of a change in their household circumstances that could affect their rate of payment;
• the Implementing Bodies have also been asked to explore options with people who are exiting the scheme to encourage them to participate as a volunteer within the company, in particular those who have reached 66 years.
My Department is continuing to explore the remaining recommendations with a view to implementation. I wish to re-iterate that my Department keeps all aspects of its employment programmes under review to ensure the best outcomes for participants and communities whilst also having regard to the, thankfully, much reduced number of people claiming Social Welfare payments.I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
129. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection to detail the interaction there has been between his Department’s secretary-general and the counterpart in the Department of Defence regarding a person (details supplied) who was denied the transfer of a Defence Forces’ pension that was given to his late wife following the death of their son while on UN duty in Lebanon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32381/25]
View answerThe Secretary General of the Department of Defence spoke with the Secretary General of my Department on 12 June about this case.The case concerns access to a military pension for the father of a Defence Forces member who died in service.Military pensions are not a matter for my Department - they are neither provided for in Social Welfare legislation nor are they administered by the Department. The policy with respect to these pensions, the administration of payments and the terms under which they are made available are entirely a matter for the Department of Defence.That said, the Secretary General of my Department advised his counterpart that if the person concerned is suffering from financial hardship they may be entitled to receive other statutory benefits, including the non-contributory state pension, or supplementary welfare allowance, from this Department on the same terms as other people in the State. He undertook to ensure that the case was looked at expeditiously on receipt of the relevant details.It is important to note that the persons concerned status as a parent of a deceased member of the Defence Forces is not a material factor to be considered in the assessment their entitlement to social welfare payments.I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
130. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount of expenditure to date regarding the creation and operation of the Public Services Card; the amount expended in relation to regulatory and legal challenges regarding the card; if he accepts that the card records biometric data; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33202/25]
View answerThe Public Services Card (PSC) was provided for in legislation in 1998 when it was introduced alongside the PPS Number to replace the previous Revenue and Social Insurance number (RSI) and the Social Service Card (SSC). The most recent detailed cost benefit analysis, which was completed in 2021 showed, at that time and taking account of administrative as well as control savings, that the SAFE process had delivered benefits of about €218m as against costs of €98m and projected an NPV out to 2030, on a conservative basis, of at least €206m. Costs arising from regulatory and legal challenges relating to the Public Services Card are not borne by my Department but are instead carried by the Office of the Attorney General and the Chief State Solicitor’s Office.My Department received a copy of the Data Protection Commission’s (DPC) final decision on the processing of biometric templates in connection with the SAFE registration process on 9th June 2025. The Deputy should be aware that the biometric template created by my Department, as part of the SAFE identity authentication process, is not stored on an individual’s PSC and is not shared with any other Department or organisation. The data is stored only on a secure database and is used only by my Department’s facial matching system. It should be noted that the DPC did not find any evidence of inadequate technical and organisational security measures and that there are no examples of any person suffering damage or loss as a result of SAFE registration. The DPC decision does not find that there is no legal provision for the processing involved but that the legal provision that exists is not, in its view, clear and precise enough to satisfy the requirements of GDPR. The DPC decision allows the Department nine months to identify a valid legal basis. The decision therefore has no immediate implications for the processing of this data, or for users of the PSC or MyGovID or anyone wishing to, register or avail of, these services in the next nine months.My Department is carefully considering the DPC's decision report in conjunction with colleagues in the Attorney General's Office with a view to determining an appropriate response within the nine month timeframe provided for in the decision. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
132. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Social Protection when the carer's allowance weekly income disregard will increase from €450 to €625 for a single person, and from €900 to €1,250 for carers with a spouse-partner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32903/25]
View answerThe increases which the Deputy refers to which will see the weekly income disregard rise from €450 to €625 for a single person, and from €900 to €1,250 for carers with a spouse/partner, will be introduced on 3 July.From that date, a carer in a two-adult household with an income of approximately €69,000 will still retain their full carers payment and even with an income of €97,000 will retain a partial payment.There have been cumulative increases to the disregards of €292.50 and €585 respectively since June 2022. These increases make the scheme accessible to more people and may increase payment rates for those currently on a reduced rate. It should be noted that after July, some 99 % of current Carer’s Allowance recipients will be on a full rate of payment. The majority of the remaining 1 % will also likely see an increase in their rate of payment.The current Programme for Government sets out a timeline which commits to significantly increasing the income disregards for Carer’s Allowance in each Budget with a view to phasing out the means test during the lifetime of the Government.It is important that we make progress in a way that is sustainable, and which balances the allocation of the available budgetary resources each year across all priorities. This includes funding services to other vulnerable groups. That is why we have committed to a measured and phased approach over a number of budgets.I trust that this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.
133. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will report on his Department’s annual social inclusion forum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32904/25]
View answerThe Social Inclusion Forum was held on 8th May 2025. The Forum brings together government officials, people experiencing poverty and social exclusion, and the community and voluntary sector groups representing them, to discuss and debate national policy on poverty reduction and social inclusion. The Forum was arranged by the Department of Social Protection with the European Anti-Poverty Network Ireland (EAPN) and Community Work Ireland (CWI) as event partners.
The Social Inclusion Forum is an important event in the calendar of the Department of Social Protection. The Social Inclusion Forum this year was the twentieth social inclusion forum. It provides a valuable opportunity for persons experiencing poverty and social exclusion to share their lived experiences with policymakers from the Department of Social Protection and other government departments.
The theme for this year's Social Inclusion Forum was looking towards the Government’s new Roadmap for Social Inclusion, which is the national strategy to reduce poverty and improve social inclusion. The Roadmap for Social Inclusion builds on the work of its predecessors with the aim of reducing the number of people in consistent poverty in Ireland and increasing social inclusion for those who are most disadvantaged. This is reflected in its ambition to “Reduce consistent poverty to 2% or less and to make Ireland one of the most socially inclusive countries in the EU”.
The Roadmap for Social Inclusion is an overarching statement of Government strategy, which acknowledges the range of sectoral plans already in place that have social inclusion as a core objective, in areas such as education, health, children and childcare, community development and housing. These plans remain key to ensuring that social inclusion is at the core of public policy and service strategy across all government departments and services.
A consultation for a successor strategy was launched in April and runs until 30th June. Discussions at the Forum fed into the consultation for the Roadmap, which involved stakeholder engagement on the day.
The Department will prepare and publish a conference report, which will encapsulate the breadth of the discussions and contributions throughout the day. This will be published in the coming weeks on the Department’s website.
I look forward to discussing feedback from the Forum with my Government colleagues.
135. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if a poverty impact assessment was carried out on the Government’s decision to allow for rents to be reset to market rates between tenancies; if provision will be made for increasing rent supplement in line with the increase in rents that will arise from this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33027/25]
View answerThe Housing Assistance Payment scheme and the Rental Accommodation scheme, administered by the local authorities, are now by far the largest schemes providing rental supports.
Policy relating to the Housing Assistance Payment, including a review in the rent limits are a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
Furthermore, the policy in respect of the the recently announced reforms to the rental sector are also a matter for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
However, my Department operates a flexible policy on a case-by-case basis that allows for higher Rent Supplement payments in certain circumstances.
Additional Needs Payments are also available to assist those who have essential expenses, such as rent deposits, rent in advance and household bills, that they cannot pay from their weekly income.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
136. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will ensure that improved supports will be provided for foster carers, in view of the issues raised by a representative organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33137/25]
View answerThe Government is very conscious of the important role of foster carers in our society. Support for foster carers is the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Department for Children, Disability and Equality, and Tusla.The Foster Care Allowance is paid by Tusla. In 2025 it is paid at rate of €400 per week for children aged under 12 and €425 per week for children aged 12 and over. The payment is not means tested and it is paid in respect of each foster child.My Department provides a comprehensive package of income supports covering a range of contingencies such as disability, caring and job seeking. Foster carers may qualify for these income supports, as long as they meet the eligibility conditions. Where a foster carer is in receipt of a primary payment from my Department they may be eligible for a Child Support Payment in respect of any foster child in their care.It is important to note too that, the Foster Care Allowance is not assessed as means for any social welfare payments provided by my department.Where a child is placed into care, the qualified parent, usually the child’s mother, retains the Child Benefit payment for six months thereafter. After six months in continuous care, the Child Benefit for the child may be paid to the foster carer. This is in order to preserve the birth parent’s entitlement where the child is placed in short-term foster care.I know pensions are another issue of concern to foster carers. The current State Pension Contributory system provides measures including PRSI credits, Homemaking Disregards and HomeCaring Periods to recognise caring periods of up to 20 years outside of paid employment in the calculation of a payment rate. Foster carers are entitled to the benefits of the Homemaker’s Scheme or HomeCaring Periods, and they may also be entitled to long-term carer’s contributions where they meet the criteria and 20-year threshold.Officials from my Department have met with Foster Carer Representatives and provided detailed explanations on the State pension system and the related contributions and the options open to them.In the Programme for Government we committed to examining the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance eligibility criteria to allow flexibility for foster carers. We have done that and I am really pleased that children for whom Foster Care Allowance is being paid will be eligible for the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance this year, once they meet the qualifying conditions for the payment. This is something that representative groups have been calling for. It is estimated that up to 2,300 children, for whom Foster Care Allowance is being paid, will now qualify for the payment. Applications for this scheme are now open until 30 September.I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
137. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department is responsible for issuing gender recognition certificates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33213/25]
View answerI can confirm for the Deputy that my Department is responsible for the issue of Gender Recognition Certificates under the Gender Recognition Act 2015, which came into operation on 4th September 2015. These applications are processed by the Client Identity Services area. Applicants who meet the eligibility criteria are issued a Gender Recognition Certificate in their preferred gender, which becomes their legal gender for all purposes. Applicants whose birth has been registered in Ireland can, if they wish, obtain a new birth certificate from the General Register Office which shows their preferred gender and new name(s) where relevant. I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
138. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection when the new roadmap for social inclusion will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32905/25]
View answerThe Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-2025: Ambitions, Goals and Commitments was published in January 2020. It is the successor to the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion which concluded at the end of 2017 and is the latest in a series of such plans dating back to 1997.The Roadmap for Social Inclusion builds on the work of its predecessors with the aim of reducing the number of people in consistent poverty in Ireland and increasing social inclusion for those who are most disadvantaged. This is reflected in its ambition to “Reduce consistent poverty to 2% or less and to make Ireland one of the most socially inclusive countries in the EU”.The Roadmap for Social Inclusion is an overarching statement of Government strategy, which acknowledges the range of sectoral plans already in place that have social inclusion as a core objective, in areas such as education, health, children and childcare, community development and housing. These plans remain key to ensuring that social inclusion is at the core of public policy and service strategy across all government departments and services.The theme for this year's Social Inclusion Forum in 2025 was looking towards the Government’s new Roadmap for Social Inclusion, which will be the national strategy to reduce poverty and improve social inclusion going forward. This year, the Forum included five workshops on key areas – building inclusive communities, families and children, supporting people with disabilities, supporting older people and Traveller and Roma – with facilitators from the community and voluntary sector, and presentations from expert practitioners.A public consultation for a successor strategy to the Roadmap for Social Inclusion was launched in April and runs until 30th June. Discussions at the Forum this year fed into the consultation for the Roadmap, which involved stakeholder engagement on the day. As the Department of Social Protection begins to develop the new social inclusion strategy, I want to hear the views of stakeholders and interested parties on the progress made in improving social inclusion and reducing poverty. I very much welcome comments, ideas and suggestions as to how these could be improved in the future and as to what issues might be included in the next strategy.The Department of Social Protection will prepare and publish a new successor strategy to the Roadmap for Social Inclusion in the first half of 2026.
139. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of supplementary welfare allowances paid out, by county, over the past five years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33120/25]
View answerThe Supplementary Welfare Allowance is a means-tested weekly payment provided by the Department to individuals and families who do not have sufficient income to meet their basic needs. It serves as a safety net for those awaiting decisions on other social welfare claims, those in emergency financial situations, or individuals with no income. The allowance includes both a basic payment and additional supplements for specific needs such as rent, heating, or urgent expenses. Data for quarter 1 figures of the number of persons receiving Supplementary Welfare Allowance is set out in the table below.
|
County |
Q12020 |
Q12021 |
Q12022 |
Q12023 |
Q12024 |
Q12025 |
|
Total |
25,560 |
15,451 |
21,285 |
18,659 |
20,251 |
17,797 |
|
Carlow |
385 |
228 |
296 |
278 |
306 |
224 |
|
Cavan |
310 |
138 |
285 |
240 |
217 |
208 |
|
Clare |
331 |
159 |
718 |
366 |
324 |
330 |
|
Cork |
2,308 |
1,381 |
1,988 |
1,812 |
1,872 |
1,669 |
|
Donegal |
891 |
406 |
598 |
553 |
671 |
667 |
|
Dublin |
8,177 |
5,631 |
7,033 |
5,690 |
6,720 |
5,510 |
|
Galway |
830 |
442 |
567 |
633 |
751 |
666 |
|
Kerry |
644 |
370 |
717 |
549 |
567 |
435 |
|
Kildare |
904 |
564 |
729 |
663 |
701 |
547 |
|
Kilkenny |
693 |
418 |
471 |
447 |
469 |
433 |
|
Laois |
482 |
244 |
297 |
291 |
322 |
362 |
|
Leitrim |
202 |
84 |
164 |
152 |
133 |
116 |
|
Limerick |
894 |
517 |
759 |
729 |
811 |
655 |
|
Longford |
313 |
122 |
224 |
176 |
183 |
166 |
|
Louth |
964 |
579 |
748 |
655 |
694 |
707 |
|
Mayo |
538 |
268 |
351 |
369 |
392 |
361 |
|
Meath |
863 |
536 |
861 |
860 |
829 |
728 |
|
Monaghan |
285 |
157 |
200 |
196 |
223 |
169 |
|
Offaly |
567 |
317 |
411 |
457 |
377 |
287 |
|
Roscommon |
440 |
240 |
273 |
295 |
279 |
241 |
|
Sligo |
473 |
237 |
338 |
286 |
269 |
249 |
|
Tipperary |
1,112 |
621 |
839 |
740 |
761 |
750 |
|
Waterford |
648 |
418 |
568 |
524 |
550 |
584 |
|
Westmeath |
530 |
285 |
408 |
425 |
424 |
340 |
|
Wexford |
760 |
419 |
641 |
677 |
768 |
796 |
|
Wicklow |
1,016 |
670 |
801 |
596 |
638 |
597 |
140. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection when the means test for disability allowance will be abolished; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32965/25]
View answerDisability Allowance is my Department's primary disability related social assistance scheme. The means test takes account of the income a person or couple has in terms of cash, property – other than the family home – and capital. Disability Allowance has one of the highest capital disregards operated by the Department of Social Protection. A recipient can have up to €50,000 in savings and still receive the full rate of payment. This compares with €20,000 for most social welfare payments.Applying a means-test ensures that the recipient has an income need and that scarce resources are targeted to those with the greatest need. This approach supports an economically efficient and socially equitable allocation of scarce resources. There are no proposals to remove the means test.The Programme for Government commits to reform the Disability Allowance Payment and remove anomalies in the current means test. There are also commitments in relation to the rate of payment and the development of an annual cost of disability support payment. These commitments will be progressed over the lifetime of the Government, having regard to the available resources.Over the last four budgets the Government has progressively improved payment rates and income disregards for disabled people. The weekly payment rates for Disability Allowance have increased by €41 in that time. The earnings disregard has increased by almost 38% since Budget 2021 from €120 to €165 currently. This enables those in receipt of Disability Allowance to earn more without having a negative impact on their means tested payment. It means that people can earn up to €165 per week and keep their payment in full and can earn up to €517.60 per week and keep a small portion of their payment. My Department is currently reviewing means testing across all its social assistance schemes. The outcome of this review will be used to inform decisions regarding any further changes to means testing. All prospective changes to means testing arrangements will have to be considered in both an overall policy and budgetary context.I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
