Written Answers Nos. 587-601
587. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will outline the number of oral hearings held by the Social Welfare Appeals Office in each of the years 2015 to 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37528/25]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office is a service of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making functions.
When a case is assigned to an Appeals Officer, he or she will examine the documentary evidence presented and consider if the appeal can be properly and fairly decided on a summary basis. Where an oral hearing of the case is required, the appellant is generally given 2-3 weeks’ advance notice. At any time during this process, up to and including the oral hearing of the appeal, an appellant can submit additional information, which affords them the opportunity to strengthen their case. Oral hearings can be held virtually, in person or by phone.
The number of Oral Hearings held by the Social Welfare Appeals Office for each year from 2015 to 2024 are outlined in the following table.
|
Year |
Oral Hearing |
|
2015 |
6,886 |
|
2016 |
6,527 |
|
2017 |
5,412 |
|
2018 |
5,397 |
|
2019 |
5,829 |
|
2020 |
1,712 |
|
2021 |
1,050 |
|
2022 |
835 |
|
2023 |
654 |
|
2024 |
432 |
There have been significant changes and technological advances across the Department and in the Appeals system over the period covered. This has allowed the Appeals Officer to adapt the manner in which appeals are finalised. Appellants now have the ability to easily transmit additional documentation and evidence to the Scheme Area or Appeals Office through the MyWelfare platform. This can mean that evidence that previously would not have been available to the Appeals Officer until an oral hearing can be provided earlier in the process and result in an Appeals Officer being able to decide a higher number of cases on a summary basis. The increasing ease with which an appellant can make contact and provide evidence prior to appeal has reduce the prevalence of “unresolved conflicts” and therefore allow for the increasing number of summary decisions.
There has also been an increase in the number of revised decisions made across Scheme Areas in the Department. These revised decisions mean that the appeal is finalised favourably for the appellant without the appeal having to be examined by an Appeals Officer. There is therefore no need for an oral hearing.
Under the Social Welfare Appeals Regulations 2024 (S.I. No. 744 of 2024) which were signed into law in December 2024 and came into effect from Monday, 28 April 2025 there is now a legal entitlement to request an oral hearing. While the Appeals Officer retains discretion on whether to hold a hearing, a refusal must now be accompanied by reasons, ensuring greater transparency.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
588. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on the ESRI's proposal for a second tier of child benefit; his views on whether the ESRI's proposal could give rise to work disincentives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37529/25]
View answer589. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if some families currently in receipt of the working family payment would receive a lower payment under the ESRI proposal for a second tier of child benefit; if his Department has any estimates on the number of families who could see their payment reduced under this proposal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37530/25]
View answer590. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on whether changes to expand the working family payment and the child support payment could be more effective at reducing child poverty than introducing a second tier of child benefit; if his Department has carried out any analysis in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37531/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 588 to 590, inclusive, together.
Child Benefit is a monthly payment to families with children up to the age of 16 years. The payment continues to be paid in respect of children until their nineteenth birthday where they are in full-time education or have a disability. It is paid in respect of almost 1.3 million children. Expenditure on the scheme is estimated at over €2.2 billion in 2025.
It is important to note that, in addition to Child Benefit, families on low incomes may be able to avail of other social welfare payments:
• the Child Support Payment with primary social welfare payments, €62 per week for those aged 12 and over, and €50 per week for under 12s.;
• the Working Family Payment for low-paid employees with children; and
• the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance.
These schemes provide targeted assistance that is directly linked to household income and thereby support low-income families with children.
Addressing child poverty is a key priority for the Government. That is why the Programme for Government includes a range of measures to support children and their families.
One such commitment is to explore a targeted child benefit payment and examine the interaction this would have with existing targeted supports to reduce child poverty such as the Working Family Payment and Child Support Payment.
My Department is progressing this work, having regard to the available body of evidence, including the work undertaken previously by the ESRI, The National Economic and Social Council and the Commission on Taxation and Welfare.
The ESRI proposal involves an amalgamation of the Working Family Payment with the Child Support Payment, the removal of core conditions for the Working Family Payment, as well as allowing those on payments such as Jobseeker's Allowance to claim Working Family Payment in addition to their core weekly payment. According to the ESRI, the measure would cost some €770m a year and would involve very large increases in weekly payment amounts for some cohorts. The ESRI analysis states that, under its proposal, 100,000 children would see losses in household income while 233,000 would experience gains. However, my Department does not have sufficient details of the ESRI analysis to definitively quantify the number of individuals affected and their associated schemes.
Though described as a Child Benefit proposal, the ESRI proposal would involve a fundamental reengineering of working age supports along the lines of the proposed Working Age Payment. As the ESRI acknowledges, further work is required to understand the impacts this change would have on work incentives and the labour market, as well as implications for the core one-person-one-payment rule of the social welfare system.
My Department has engaged with the ESRI on the proposal. It will input to my Department's considerations on second tier Child Benefit; however, there are a number of possible approaches to reduce child poverty. This work is ongoing and will be considered as part of proposed Budget 2026 measures.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
591. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will outline the child poverty rate according to the survey on income and living conditions for each year 2005 to 2025, in tabular form; if he will further outline progress on reaching the current child poverty target of 2.8%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37532/25]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy on the rate of consistent child poverty from 2005 to 2024 is set out in tabular form below:
Consistent poverty (0-17 years)*
|
SILC 2004-2019 |
|
|
2004 |
9.2% |
|
2005 |
10.8% |
|
2006 |
10.5% |
|
2007 |
7.4% |
|
2008 |
6.2% |
|
2009 |
8.7% |
|
2010 |
8.8% |
|
2011 |
9.3% |
|
2012 |
10.4% |
|
2013 |
12.7% |
|
2014 |
12.0% |
|
2015 |
10.9% |
|
2016 |
10.9% |
|
2017 |
8.8% |
|
2018 |
7.7% |
|
2019 |
8.1% |
|
SILC 2020-2024 |
|
|
2020 |
6.7% |
|
2021 |
6.3% |
|
2022 |
7.0% |
|
2023 |
4.8% |
|
2024 |
8.5% |
*The implementation of a new EU Regulation on Social Statistics has resulted in a break in the time series, which means that the SILC data from 2020 onwards is not directly comparable with data from previous years.
Childhood poverty is a complex, multidimensional issue and the Government is committed to reducing child poverty and is keenly aware of the welfare issues affecting children, particularly in relation to child poverty.
The publication of Survey of Income and Living Conditions (SILC) 2024 figures in March 2025 by the CSO, showed an increase in consistent child poverty, from 4.8% in SILC 2023 to 8.5% in SILC 2024.
While these figures are disappointing, it should be noted the latest SILC figures do not take account of any Budget 2024, Budget 2025 or the wide range of cost of living measures that were paid in 2024. Neither do they take account of a range of other measures such as free school books, free hot school meals or increased investment in childcare provision.
The previous national child poverty target was not 2.8% rather it was contained in “Better Outcomes Brighter Futures” and aimed to reduce the number of children in consistent poverty by at least two-thirds from 2011 levels, lifting 70,000 children out of poverty by 2020.
The Programme for Government 2025 – Securing Ireland’s Future, contains a commitment to set a new child poverty target and examine ways to lift more children out of poverty.
The Government is determined to see a reduction in child poverty in the coming years. A new child poverty target will be set in the coming months, together with a series of related indicators on child well-bring.
592. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department or any body under its aegis has any estimate of the value of unclaimed private pension assets in Ireland; if he outline what happens to such funds; if he will outline the current tracing system in place to ensure that deferred scheme members receive the pension they are entitled to; if he has any plans to improve the pension tracing system including, for example, through the introduction of a form of digital portal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37544/25]
View answerNeither my Department nor the Pensions Authority receive data returns from scheme providers in relation to unclaimed private pension assets. Data in relation to unclaimed pots is currently only available directly from providers.
Having said that, in November 2023, the Pensions Authority, at the request of the then Minister for Finance, obtained information from a selection of pension providers in relation to Defined Contribution (“DC”) pension pots where the assets were unclaimed and the member was past normal retirement age for the scheme. According to the information provided at that time, there were 11,666 as yet unclaimed policies with a value of approximately €965 million. It is important to note that just because an asset is unclaimed past the normal retirement age for the scheme, this does not mean the asset is ‘lost’. It may mean that the member has not yet retired and may contact the scheme provider at a later stage when the member decides to drawdown their benefits.
Unclaimed benefits within occupational pension schemes can remain in the scheme indefinitely. Such funds remain there in trust for the member.
Unclaimed personal pension funds and PRSAs established with an insurance undertaking are subject to the Unclaimed Life Assurance Policies Act 2003. Where the policy owner cannot be traced, those funds are transferred to the Dormant Accounts Fund. The Dormant Accounts Fund is part of a framework for the administration of unclaimed accounts. Statutory functions related to the Fund are held by me in my capacity as the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht.
If a person believes that they may have an unclaimed pension entitlement, they should, in the first instance, contact their former employers and/or pension scheme providers. Where the administrator of a pension scheme or a life company is unable to trace a member using their own resources, they can use my Department’s ‘Host Mailing Service’ (‘HMS’). As per the HMS protocol, the pension provider must have made an unsuccessful attempt to contact the scheme member. The HMS is a contact only service whereby my Department forwards a letter, which contains minimal information, to the last known address of a pension scheme member.
In June 2024, the then Minister for Finance tasked the Interdepartmental Pensions Reform and Taxation Group (IDPRTG), which is chaired by the Department of Finance, to examine the demand, and potential approaches, for a pension tracking system. The initial phase of this examination will involve engagement with private pension providers who manage and hold pensions data.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
593. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Social Protection if the €20,000 cap for scholarship income for the purpose of claiming disability allowance, DA, will be revised in line with IRC stipends; and if the cap of "scholarships of up to €20,000" should be read as indicating that funding in excess of €20,000 is counted as means, or if scholarships in excess of €20,000 are counted as means in their entirety, for the purposes of claiming DA. [37577/25]
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 Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contributions, and means-tested social assistance schemes.
Disability Allowance is a means tested social assistance scheme, which is also subject to a medical assessment and habitual residency requirement.
My Department seeks to support persons in receipt of Disability Allowance to pursue educational or training opportunities and as a result, a number of disregards are in place.
There are a number of scholarships, such as those awarded by certain charitable organisations, which are not assessed as part of the means test for any social welfare payment.
A PhD stipend disregard was introduced effective from 2021, for persons in receipt of Disability Allowance and from 2022 for persons in receipt of Blind Pension who have been granted a bursary, stipend or scholarship towards completing a PhD. An annual disregard of €20,000 was introduced with the disregard available for a maximum of four years.
Any income in excess of the disregard of €20,000 is assessed as means for the purposes of claiming Disability Allowance and Blind Pension.
Any changes to means testing arrangements will have to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context.
I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
594. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if an accommodation recognition payment overpayment to a person in County Kerry (details supplied) will be reviewed given the circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37580/25]
View answerThe Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) is a tax free monthly payment of €600 (from 1 June 2025) available to people who are providing accommodation to a person or people who arrived in Ireland under the EU Temporary Protection Directive since March 2022.
There are a number of conditions that must be satisfied for ongoing receipt of ARP and one of those conditions is that the resident(s) must be hosted on the last day of the month for which payment is due.
ARP is payable monthly in arrears and payment for December 2024 was issued on 14/01/25. The person concerned contacted my Department on 22/01/25 to confirm that the sole resident had vacated the property on 27/12/24. As the resident was not being hosted on the last day of December, ARP was not payable for that month. This resulted in the over issue of ARP being assessed. Officials of my Department confirmed this with the person concerned on 29/01/25, and the repayment options were also provided at that time.
I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
595. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if an application for sickness benefits in the name of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37609/25]
View answerThe person concerned is self-employed. He is not eligible for Illness Benefit, as only those who pay PRSI A, H, E or P class contributions qualify for Illness Benefit. Those who are self-employed pay PRSI S class contributions.
He has made a claim for Disability Allowance. This claim has yet to be decided. He applied for Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA). This is being paid to him at present, as he awaits the decision on his claim for Disability Allowance. The SWA is due for review on the 25/08/2025.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
596. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of additional humanitarian assistance payments still awaiting review, decision, and payment; the number of applications that are under review; the number of applications from each County, decided, paid out, under review and rejected, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37672/25]
View answerThe Humanitarian Assistance Scheme, administered by my Department through the local Community Welfare Services (CWS), was activated on Thursday 23 January 2025 to assist householders affected across the country by Storm Éowyn.
The Humanitarian Assistance Scheme (HAS) is operated in 3 stages. The majority of payments made to people to date as a result of Storm Éowyn have been Stage 1, to meet the additional cost of feeding their families in the immediate aftermath of the storm where people remained without power and/or water. The scheme does not provide a general compensation payment for damage or losses incurred as a consequence of a weather event.
As of 01st July 2025, I can advise that 95,607 claims for the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme have been registered and 57,848 claims have been awarded, with over €14.13 million being paid in respect of Storm Éowyn related claims.
There are 36,851 applicants, whose claims have been decided and have not been awarded a payment in respect of Storm Éowyn. A person may request a review of a decision and review requests are undertaken by a SWA Review Officer. The review process may lead to a fresh examination of the initial decision made or include further contact/engagement with the customer and/or a requirement for additional supporting information or evidence to be provided, in order to assist the Review Officer with their consideration of the review request reasons.
Up to 04th July 2025, 6490 individual HAS1 review requests have been finalised and 24 remain outstanding, while 12 HAS2 review requests have been finalised and 119 remain outstanding. My Department does not currently have a breakdown of all review requests registered by county.
I can advise the Deputy that in the majority of finalised review cases, the applicant has provided additional information/clarification on review which results in a payment being awarded. Where a review has yet to be finalised, this is generally because further information or clarification is awaited from the applicant.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
597. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made on an appeal by an individual (details supplied) against a refusal of invalidity pension for a named person which was submitted several months ago; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37688/25]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office is a service of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making functions.
I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned will be notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision in the coming days.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
598. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Social Protection if there is an early entry process for the back-to-work enterprise allowance scheme for those people who have completed the required proposal process but fall short of the 234-day jobseeker threshold; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37746/25]
View answerThe Back to Work Enterprise Allowance scheme offers support for people who are long-term unemployed and who are interested in self-employment as a route to entering the labour market. The scheme supports people in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment to develop a business while allowing them to retain a reducing proportion of their payment over two years. The Government has provided funding of over €30 million for the scheme in 2025.
To qualify for the scheme a person is required to have received an eligible income support payment for nine months. An applicant who is a part time or casual worker is required to be in receipt of a jobseeker’s payment for 12 months prior to their application and can have worked up to 30 days of insurable employment during that period.
There are no plans to amend the qualifying period for this scheme at this time.
I trust this clarifies the position.
599. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of fish assist applications received by his Department; and the number of these applications that were approved in each year from 2014 to date, in tabular form. [37845/25]
View answer600. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of fish assist applications approved in each county in each year from 2014 to date, in tabular form. [37846/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 599 and 600 together.
Fish Assist is a form of Jobseekers Allowance. A self-employed fisherman or woman on a low income may apply for Fish Assist which, in itself, is not a separate scheme but falls under the jobseeker's allowance (JA) scheme.
To enable the accurate enumeration of recipients of Fish Assist, the Department uses a unique administrative code which is applied to a claim that has already been awarded. Statistics are maintained on the total applications, awards, refusals, and withdrawals for Jobseeker’s Allowance but such detailed data is not separately collated in respect of Fish Assist. Accordingly, the data sought cannot be provided in the manner referred to by the Deputy.
The number of Fish Assist recipients by county as of the 31 December of each year from 2014 - 2024 is provided beneath. Note that the figures for some counties were combined to avoid disclosing information about individual customers.
|
County |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
|
Cavan/Louth/Mayo/Sligo/Westmeath |
24 |
21 |
18 |
19 |
17 |
11 |
10 |
7 |
8 |
7 |
5 |
|
Clare/Cork/Kerry/Limerick |
41 |
35 |
29 |
21 |
22 |
15 |
11 |
13 |
10 |
11 |
9 |
|
Donegal |
14 |
16 |
14 |
10 |
12 |
10 |
10 |
8 |
9 |
6 |
8 |
|
Galway |
31 |
32 |
28 |
25 |
24 |
29 |
25 |
25 |
24 |
18 |
14 |
|
Waterford |
12 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
10 |
9 |
8 |
6 |
5 |
|
Dublin/Wexford/Wicklow |
14 |
12 |
15 |
14 |
14 |
12 |
11 |
9 |
9 |
9 |
7 |
|
Total |
136 |
127 |
115 |
100 |
100 |
88 |
77 |
71 |
68 |
57 |
48 |
601. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection the up-to-date position on a review of an application request under the carer's support grant for an individual (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37848/25]
View answerThe Carer’s Support Grant (CSG) is an annual payment made to full-time carers who satisfy certain conditions.
I can confirm that my Department received an application for CSG from the person concerned on 28 May 2025.
I can confirm that the person has been awarded the CSG payment for the year 2025. Payment of €2,000 will issue to the person's nominated bank account on 10 July 2025.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
