Written Answers Nos. 213-232
213. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of families in each county that will benefit from working family payment income thresholds increasing by €60 per week following Budget 2026, in tabular form. [55623/25]
View answerWorking Family Payment (WFP) is a weekly in-work support which provides an income support for employees on low earnings with children. To qualify for Working Family Payment, the customer must be working a minimum of 38 hours per fortnight in ongoing insurable employment and have at least one qualified child who normally resides with them.
Budget 2026 included an increase in the income thresholds for Working Family Payment. This increase will take effect from January 2026 and will see the income limit for all family sizes increase by €60. This will see an increase in payment of €36 per week across current claims. This change to income thresholds will lead to an increase in number of persons eligible to apply for WFP, however, it is not possible to predict the level of this increase.
Please see table provided with breakdown by county of customers in receipt of WFP at the end of September 2025.
|
County |
Recipients |
|
Carlow |
716 |
|
Cavan |
1,024 |
|
Clare |
1,128 |
|
Cork |
4,676 |
|
Donegal |
2,429 |
|
Dublin |
12,721 |
|
Galway |
2,292 |
|
Kerry |
1,565 |
|
Kildare |
2,302 |
|
Kilkenny |
953 |
|
Laois |
1,072 |
|
Leitrim |
344 |
|
Limerick |
2,107 |
|
Longford |
660 |
|
Louth |
1,873 |
|
Mayo |
1,340 |
|
Meath |
2,063 |
|
Monaghan |
938 |
|
Offaly |
850 |
|
Roscommon |
702 |
|
Sligo |
691 |
|
Tipperary |
1,732 |
|
Waterford |
1,466 |
|
Westmeath |
971 |
|
Wexford |
2,091 |
|
Wicklow |
1,088 |
|
|
|
|
Total |
49,794 |
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
214. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated additional number of recipients that will qualify for the carer's allowance after the income disregards increase in July 2026. [55669/25]
View answerBudget 2026 increased the earnings disregard for Carer’s Allowance by €375 to €1,000 for a single person and by €750 to €2,000 for a couple. This amounts to cumulative increases to the disregards of €667.50 and €1,335 respectively, since June 2022.
The measure will benefit both those current recipients who are on a means-reduced rate and who may see an increase in their payment rate, whether they be full-rate or half-rate recipients, and those people making new claim applications subject to a means reduced rate in 2026, including those whose earnings may been in excess the previous maximum disregard level.
The estimated number of people who will benefit from the measure in 2026 is approximately 3,000. The Department will continue to monitor the inflow into the scheme to assess any change in trends.
215. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated first year cost of Budget 2026 measures to increase the income disregards for carer's allowance which was provided on page 146 of the Expenditure Report 2025; when the Budget 2026 measure to increase the income disregards was announced. [55670/25]
View answerThe estimated first-year cost of increasing the Carer's Allowance income disregard to €1,000 for a single person and €2,000 for a couple in 2026 is €10 million. This measure will take effect in July 2026.
The costing is subject to change in the context of emerging trends and the associated revision of the estimated number of recipients.
216. Deputy Ann Graves asked the Minister for Social Protection in view of the fact that the domiciliary care allowance for a child with type 1 diabetes stops when the child is 16 years old, and not when the child finishes full time education, but the same support is required until the child is out of full time education, if he will consider changing the criteria to reflect this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55677/25]
View answerDomiciliary Care Allowance is a monthly non-means tested payment to a parent or guardian for a child aged up to 16 who has a severe disability. The child must require care and attention substantially over and above that required by other children their age. Eligibility is not based on the disability or diagnosis, but rather on the impact of the disability in terms of the level of care and attention required by the child.
As announced in Budget 2026, Domiciliary Care Allowance will increase by €20, bringing the monthly rate to €380 from January 2026.
At end September 2025, 61,116 families were in receipt of Domiciliary Care Allowance in respect of 69,356 children. The number of claims has doubled since 2015.
Eligibility for Domiciliary Care Allowance ceases when a child reaches 16 years of age. This aligns with the age of eligibility for Disability Allowance. If the young person continues to have a disability that significantly impacts their daily life, they can then apply for a Disability Allowance payment in their own right. Applications for Disability Allowance can be made within 3 months before the child’s 16th birthday to ensure continuity of support. If their parent or guardian continues to provide full-time care they can then retain, or apply for, a carer's payment.
My Department published the Green Paper on Disability Reform in September 2023. One of the key proposals in the Green Paper on Disability Reform was to extend the upper age limit for Domiciliary Care Allowance and the lower age limit for Disability Allowance to 18 years of age. The Green Paper was a consultation document and was withdrawn following feedback from disability stakeholders.
Any future reform of disability or carers payments, including Domiciliary Care Allowance, will be considered in the context of our commitments in the Programme for Government and the recently published National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
217. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the procurement and certification standards applied to meat and poultry products supplied under the free school meals and school lunch schemes; if halal-certified meat is being used as a default standard by State-contracted caterers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55681/25]
View answer218. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether her Department requires lunch providers participating in the free school meals programme to inform schools and parents if meat products are halal-certified; and if she will consider introducing mandatory labelling or disclosure rules to ensure transparency and parental awareness. [55682/25]
View answer219. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department has undertaken any assessment of whether the use of halal-certified meat in school meals is compatible with the principles of religious neutrality in State-funded education [55683/25]
View answer220. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide a list of approved school meal contractors currently supplying halal-certified meat or poultry products under Department-funded school lunch schemes. [55684/25]
View answer221. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether schools or parents are given any option to request non-halal meat or vegetarian alternatives within the free school meals programme; and if not, the reasons. [55685/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 217, 218, 219, 220 and 221 together.
The objective of the School Meals Programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children to support them in taking full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement.
Under the School Meals Programme, the primary relationship is between the school and supplier. My department provides the funding for the meals directly to the school and it is the responsibility of each school board to administer the Programme in their school, including handling the procurement process. All schools who wish to avail of funding under the programme are responsible for choosing their schools meals supplier on the open market, in a fair and transparent manner in accordance with public procurement rules. These rules clearly define the successful tenderer’s responsibilities and obligations.
Under the Programme, parents can choose food for their child every week from an approved menu which contains a range of options that are offered by the school’s supplier in accordance with Nutritional Standards for School Meals and Nutritional Standards for Hot School Meals. Under tender documentation, as stipulated by the Schools Procurement’s Unit, the menu is to accommodate those with food intolerances and allergies, including those with Coeliac disease and cultural/religious requirements. In addition, the supplier is required to check these details with the school upon award of the contract, in order to accommodate those children. The supplier must also provide clearly visible menu boards with an allergens list. There is no evidence that halal-certified meat is being used as a default standard.
All schools must submit a sample menu with their application for the School Meals Programme. Funding will not be provided for food that does not comply with these standards. All participating schools must also submit to my department a signed Service Level Agreement which clearly sets out the school’s responsibilities and obligations in terms of compliance with nutritional standards.
On any occasion, where there may be any concerns or queries about the options available for children in any specific school, they should be brought to the attention of the School Principal/Board of management and as the awarding body of the contract, the school can then liaise with the supplier directly to discuss same and receive an explanation from the supplier on the matter.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
222. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department is using agentic AI in the delivery of its services or operations; if it is considering the use of agentic AI, and in what contexts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55705/25]
View answerMy Department is currently examining the potential future use of Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) technologies. This has involved active participation in several stakeholder groups, such as, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment's working group on the implementation of EU AI Act. My Department follows the "Guidelines for the Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Public Service", published in May 2025.
Currently there are no such agentic A.I. systems in place for service delivery in the Department.
223. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason the expenditure allocation for disability activation supports will decline in 2026 to €25.99 million from €26.545 million in this year according the estimates published for Budget 2026; the programmes under subhead A.29 his Department expects to make savings; to confirm the number of people that will be supported under each programme and the projected increase or decrease on 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55733/25]
View answer224. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the rationale for a cut of over €22 million in the 2026 allocation for additional needs payments under estimate subhead A.10, with the allocation reduced to €58.134 million in 2026, from €80.671 million this year; the number of payments and the number of recipients the 2025 and 2026 allocations will support respectively; if he will confirm if the value of payments will be reduced next year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55734/25]
View answer225. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of recipients for basic supplementary welfare allowance payments are projected for 2025 and 2026, respectively; the reason for the reduction in allocation underestimate subhead A8 from nearly €137 million to €118.6 million; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55735/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 223, 224 and 225 together.
As part of the annual budgetary process, my Department engages with the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to agree the level of expenditure required to carry out existing functions in the following year, prior to the introduction of any new Budget measures. This is referred to as the "Existing Level of Service" (ELS). ELS funding provides for the maintenance of services and schemes into the following year on a 'no policy change' basis.
Most of my Department's schemes and services are demand-led, and as such, the ELS estimates for the next year are for the most part informed by financial and claim performance on schemes in the year to date.
The estimates published on Budget Day reflect both the agreed ELS estimates and any additional funding allocated as part of Budget 2026, where applicable. For example, additional funding has been allocated to most social protection schemes in 2026 to provide for the €10 increase for weekly paid schemes, as well as the increases to the Child Support Payment.
The funding allocation for schemes and services within the Disability Support Services subhead in 2025 is €26.55 million. However, taking into account the actual level of expenditure in the year to date, it is not currently envisaged that the full 2025 allocation will be spent. The 2026 allocation provides for an increase in expenditure in 2026 relative to current expenditure levels.
The funding allocations for Supplementary Welfare Allowance and Additional Needs Payments in 2025 are €137 million and €80.6 million respectively. However, taking into account expenditure trends in the year to date, it is not currently envisaged that the full 2025 allocation will be spent on either scheme.
Expenditure on both schemes is demand-driven. The 2026 allocations are in line with current expenditure levels and the projected full-year outturn in 2025, with additional funding of €8.6 million for Supplementary Welfare Allowance to provide for rate increases announced as part of Budget 2026.
As is the case with the majority of my Department's schemes, the actual number of beneficiaries of both schemes in 2026 will be determined by the number of applicants who meet the qualification criteria in the year ahead.
226. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider allowing partial capacity payment as a qualifying payment for fuel allowance (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55742/25]
View answerPartial Capacity Benefit allows a person who is in receipt of Illness Benefit for 26 weeks, or Invalidity Pension to enter or return to employment or self-employment and to continue to receive a partial or full payment.
The personal rate of payment of Partial Capacity Benefit is based on a medical assessment of a person’s restriction regarding their capacity for work, whether the person was in receipt of Illness Benefit or Invalidity Pension. After the medical assessment, if a person's disability is rated as moderate, severe or profound their previous payment continues at 50%, 75% or 100% respectively.
The duration that a person can be in receipt of Partial Capacity Benefit is linked to the payment they moved from. For someone moving from Illness Benefit, the maximum duration is as long as the recipient has an underlying entitlement to payment of Illness Benefit. In the case of Invalidity Pension, a maximum duration of 156 weeks applies.
Partial Capacity Benefit has been designed so there are no restrictions or limits on earnings from employment or on the number of hours a person can work.
The criteria for Fuel Allowance are framed to direct the limited resources available to the Department in as targeted a manner as possible, and so it is focused on long term payments where an applicant satisfies a means test.
As persons in receipt of Partial Capacity Benefit continue to receive some or all of their income support payment while working, without any restriction or limits on earnings, or on the number of hours they can work, they are not eligible for Fuel Allowance.
My Department provides Additional Needs Payments as part of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme to help meet essential expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income. Payments are made at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme, taking into account the requirements of the legislation, and all the relevant circumstances of the case in order to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance.
While the Department continues to keep the range of supports available under review, any decision to change the qualifying criteria for the Fuel Allowance payment would have budgetary consequences and would have to be considered in a wider budgetary context.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
227. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Social Protection the funding sources available to foodbanks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55752/25]
View answerFoodbanks play an important role in many local communities in providing food to people who can't afford the food that they need.
The European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) Food and Basic Material Assistance programme in Ireland is a continuation of the EU Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD) programme. This supports EU countries’ actions to provide material assistance (including food and clothing) to the most deprived.
The specific objective of addressing material deprivation through food and basic material assistance through ESF+ funding is managed by my Department on behalf of DFHERIS.
Currently there are 161 approved charities operating the programme supporting over 213,000 people with food. Eight of these are registered foodbanks. Each charity is allocated credits, which entitles them to collect ESF+ food product. In 2025 €3.76 million was spent on food product to date under the programme.
Funding was secured under Budget 2023 for a caseworker service to work with people regularly accessing food provision. This programme provides assistance in identifying and tackling the underlying issues that contributed to people seeking such support through quality advice and case advocacy.
Following a procurement process, the service commenced in September 2023 and is provided by organisations involved in emergency food provision in three regions: Crosscare in Dublin, Feed Cork in Cork and Mid-West Simon in Limerick.
Funding may be available to foodbanks from a range of other Government departments.
228. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures being taken to address delays in fuel allowance payments for persons who are in receipt of another welfare payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55798/25]
View answerThe Fuel Allowance scheme is a means tested payment to assist pensioners and other long-term social welfare dependent householders with their winter heating costs.
In addition to the means test, applicants must satisfy a number of eligibility conditions including living alone or only with other qualifying person(s). To assess entitlement, Deciding Officers must have sufficient information to assess whether all necessary eligibility conditions for the payment are met. In certain cases, additional information may be awaited to allow the Deciding Officer to complete their assessment.
I am advised that higher than normal volumes of applications continue to be received and my officials are working through these applications currently. I can assure the Deputy that the staffing needs for all areas within my Department are continuously reviewed, including requirements for processing fuel applications, taking account of workloads, management priorities and the ongoing need to respond to new and increasing demands in a wide range of services. This is to ensure that the best use is made of all available resources with a view to providing an efficient service to those who rely on the schemes operated by the Department.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
229. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person in receipt of carers allowance and is working 18.5 hours is paid by their employer for their break times and are included as working hours; the measures her Department uses to ensure that the person is not subject to repayments or review when not physically working during their lunch break. [55877/25]
View answerCarer’s Allowance is a means-tested payment for people who are providing full-time care to someone who needs significant support due to age, physical or learning disability or illness, including mental illness. The main objective of the Carer’s Allowance payment is to provide an income support to carers whose ability to earn is substantially reduced because of their caring responsibilities.
To qualify for the Carer’s Allowance payment, the applicant must provide full-time care and attention to a person who is so incapacitated that they require this level of care for at least 12 months.
A carer is regarded as providing full-time care and attention to a relevant person, where the number of hours providing such care is not less than 35 hours in a period of seven consecutive days, and care is provided on any five days, whether consecutive or not, within a period of seven consecutive days.
While carer income support payments are based on the provision of full-time care and attention, it also allows carers to engage in work, training or education for up to 18.5 hours per week. In effect, a carer can engage in these activities for half of a full-time working week. During this time, adequate provision must be made for the care of the relevant person.
Both the full-time care and attention requirement and the 18.5-hour limitation are contained in the respective legislative provisions of the Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit and Carer’s Support Grant schemes.
In relation to working hours, the Department relies on the hours reported by the carer regarding their weekly engagement in employment, education or training. The application form includes a question regarding the number of hours of work, self-employment, education or training. It does not include any question regarding break times.
In setting the relevant working hours thresholds, it is essential to balance the needs of the carer and the person to whom care is being provided.
I am satisfied that the 18.5-hour limitation for Carer’s Allowance represents a reasonable balance between meeting the requirement for providing full-time care for the care recipient and the needs of the carer to engage in education, training or employment, supporting a carer’s continued connection to the workforce and broader social inclusion.
Any proposals for changes to this condition would need to maintain this balance and would have to be considered within a wider budgetary and policy context.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
230. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason his Department is projecting less spending on jobseekers benefit by €175 million in Budget 2026 when compared with spending in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56023/25]
View answerAs part of the annual budgetary process, my Department engages with the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to agree the level of expenditure required to carry out existing functions in the following year, prior to the introduction of any new Budget measures. This is referred to as the "Existing Level of Service" (ELS). ELS funding provides for the maintenance of services and schemes into the following year on a 'no policy change' basis.
The estimates published on Budget Day reflect both the agreed ELS estimates and any additional funding allocated as part of Budget 2026, where applicable. For example, additional funding has been allocated to most social protection schemes in 2026 to provide for the €10 increase for weekly paid schemes, as well as the increases to the Child Support Payment.
Since April 2025, a new scheme, Jobseeker's Pay-Related Benefit (PRJB), has replaced Jobseeker's Benefit (JB) for fully unemployed jobseekers who meet the PRSI contribution criteria. As such, expenditure on the Jobseeker's Benefit has been declining throughout the year as existing claimants close their claims and new claimants apply instead for PRJB.
While the allocation for 2026 JB represents a decline compared to 2025, the combined allocation for JB and PRB has increased by €230 million compared to 2025. This increase is as a result of the full-year cost of PRJB, rate increases announced as part of Budget 2026 for JB recipients, and an overall higher number of recipients between both schemes.
231. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if any directive has been issued to State agencies, local authorities or public bodies regarding the use of Chinese-manufactured surveillance equipment (details supplied) within State premises or public infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55936/25]
View answer232. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to confirm whether the National Cyber Security Centre has issued any guidance to Departments or local authorities concerning cybersecurity and data-security risks arising from Chinese suppliers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55937/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 231 and 232 together.
I am informed that the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has published detailed guidelines for use by Public Sector Bodies when planning procurement of ICT goods and services. These guidelines address a range of cybersecurity domains including supply chain security.
The NCSC has also recently published, in draft form, ‘NIS2 Risk Management Measures Guidance’, which is intended as recommendations for those within scope of the NIS2 Directive in the State. This Directive will be transposed into national law in the forthcoming National Cyber Security Bill which will introduce legal obligations to meet certain requirements which are intended to ensure that essential and important entities take appropriate and proportionate technical, operational and organisational measures to manage the risks posed to the security of network and information systems. The Risk Management Measures set out actions related to the implementation, operation, and maintenance of an organisation-approved network and information system supply chain policy that includes security related aspects.
In addition, the NCSC is a member of the EU-led NIS2 working group that is tasked with drafting an EU ICT Supply Chain Toolbox. This vendor agnostic Toolbox will take into account the need to assess the risk profile of suppliers based on several factors, such as the likelihood of the supplier being subject to interference from a third country, the supplier’s ability to assure supply and the overall quality of products and cybersecurity practices of the supplier. Publication of the EU ICT Supply Chain Security Toolbox is expected before the end of the year.
