Written Answers Nos. 1563-1582
1563. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to provide a dedicated telephone number or email address for a section (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1170/26]
View answerThe Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) was introduced in 2020 in response to the unprecedented disruption caused to the Irish labour market on foot of the Covid-19 Pandemic. Some 880,000 people received at least one payment under the scheme. In total, some 30 million individual payments issued under the scheme.
My Department is reviewing cases where there is an apparent overlap between PUP payment records and employer payroll returns to Revenue. When a customer is contacted about their overpayment, the letter advises them that they can provide clarification on the matter and/or submit supporting documentary evidence. The letter also advises the customer that they can do so by contacting the dedicated phone number on the letter or by writing directly to the officer who issued the letter.
If the Deputy has a query in relation to a PUP overpayment, the PUP section can be contacted directly by sending an email to the dedicated email [TDREPSWesternRegion@welfare.ie] or by choosing option 3 on calling 071 9157100.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1564. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection the current status of the carers allowance review for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1183/26]
View answerCarer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care.
CA was in payment to the person concerned from 14 February 2019. Once claims are in payment, my Department periodically reviews them to ensure that there is continued entitlement.
A review of the claim of the person concerned commenced on 29 August 2025.
Following this review, the person was notified on 13 November 2025 that they were no longer entitled to the payment from 03 December 2025 as they had failed to respond to information requests of 29 August 2025 and 23 October 2025. They were also notified of their right of review and appeal.
Following receipt of the requested information on 11 December 2025 and following re-examination of the claim, CA has been reinstated with effect from 04 December 2025. Payment will issue to the person's nominated bank account on 15 January 2026. Any arrears due will issue shortly.
The person concerned was notified of this decision in writing on 06 January 2026.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
1565. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the case of a person (details supplied); if the decision can be expedited given the person’s financial difficulties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1311/26]
View answerCarer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care.
An application for CA was received from the person concerned on 27 November 2025.
The application was examined and CA was awarded from 02 October 2025 with the first payment issuing to the nominated bank account on 15 January 2026. Any arrears due will issue shortly.
The person concerned was notified of this decision in writing on 06 January 2026.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
1566. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the carer’s benefit payment structure in cases where a full-time carer is providing intensive care to two dependants with equal and significant needs, given that such carers receive only one-and-a-half times the rate despite carrying out full-time care for both; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1382/26]
View answerThe weekly non-means tested, social insurance based Carer's Benefit payment is made up of a personal rate which is enhanced where care is provided to more than one person with additional amounts in respect of dependent children. Carer's Benefit is payable for up to 104 weeks in respect of each care recipient. As a result of Budget 2026, from this month, the weekly personal rate of payment has increased to €271 where a person is caring for one person and €406.50 where two or more people are being cared for.
The non-means-tested annual Carer's Support Grant is available for all full-time carers whether or not they receive a weekly carers’ payment from my department. A separate grant is paid for each person being cared for. The grant increased by €150 in 2025 to €2,000 - its highest ever level.
Domiciliary Care Allowance is payable to a parent/guardian in respect of a child aged under 16 who has a severe disability and requires continual or continuous care and attention substantially over and above the care and attention usually required by a child of the same age. The child must be likely to require this level of care and attention for at least 12 consecutive months. Where a person is caring for more than one child who qualifies for Domiciliary Care Allowance, they may claim the monthly allowance of €380 for each child. Just this month this payment increased by €20 as part of Budget 2026 measures. There is no restriction on the number of children for whom a person may claim Domiciliary Care Allowance.
The Programme for Government contains a number of commitments to improve the supports available to family carers. These include commitments to progressively increase weekly carer payments, to continue raising the Carer’s Support Grant and to examine how carers who provide full-time care and attention to more than one person can be better supported.
I trust that this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.
1567. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the rules governing carer’s allowance and carer’s benefit in cases where a full-time carer is providing care to three dependants, given that the current system provides no additional payment for the third person despite the significant extra workload involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1383/26]
View answerCarer's Allowance is made up of a personal rate for the carer and extra amounts for child dependants. If, however, the carer is providing full-time care and attention to more than one person, the rate of Carer's Allowance payable is increased by 50% of the standard personal rate.
Budget 2026 increased the personal rate of Carer's Allowance by €10 per week from this month, bringing the weekly maximum personal rate for a recipient caring for one person to €270 per week for a carer under age 66 and €308 for a carer aged 66 or over. A recipient caring for more than one person and in receipt of the maximum rate will now receive a personal rate of €405 per week if aged under 66 or €462 per week if aged 66 or over.
Similarly, the weekly non-means tested, social insurance based Carer's Benefit payment is made up of a personal rate which is enhanced where care is provided to more than one person with additional amounts in respect of dependent children. Carer's Benefit is payable for up to 104 weeks in respect of each care recipient. As a result of Budget 2026, from this month, the weekly personal rate of payment has increased to €271 where a person is caring for one person and €406.50 where two or more people are being cared for.
The non-means-tested annual Carer's Support Grant is available for all full-time carers whether or not they receive a weekly carers’ payment from my department. A separate grant is paid for each person being cared for. The grant increased by €150 in 2025 to €2,000 - its highest ever level.
Domiciliary Care Allowance is payable to a parent/guardian in respect of a child aged under 16 who has a severe disability and requires continual or continuous care and attention substantially over and above the care and attention usually required by a child of the same age. The child must be likely to require this level of care and attention for at least 12 consecutive months. Where a person is caring for more than one child who qualifies for Domiciliary Care Allowance, they may claim the monthly allowance of €380 for each child. Just this month this payment increased by €20 as part of Budget 2026 measures. There is no restriction on the number of children for whom a person may claim Domiciliary Care Allowance.
The Programme for Government contains a number of commitments to improve the supports available to family carers. These include commitments to progressively increase weekly carer payments, to continue raising the Carer’s Support Grant and to examine how carers who provide full-time care and attention to more than one person can be better supported.
I trust that this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.
1568. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection if support can be provided to a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1524/26]
View answerThe 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.
The School Meals Programme is designed so that meals are provided by contracted food business operators, with the responsibility for food safety and compliance with relevant legislative obligations placed on these professional providers and not on the schools themselves.
The recent refinements to the procurement process strengthens the programme by ensuring consistent standards across all participating schools. They also reflect the combined input of several Government Departments and State agencies, ensuring that schools and providers operate safely and compliantly across areas such as food safety and health and safety. The legislation referenced in the procurement documentation is existing legislation which all food business operators would already be familiar with and legally required to comply with.
Some 89% of primary schools with fewer than 50 pupils who participated in the School Meal Programme in 2024/2025 academic year received a hot school meal.
My officials in this Department have been working with officials in the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht and they have compiled a list of supports available to local community organisations who may wish to expand their operation into the school meals area. This information has been supplied to some rural schools and a range of other community organisations.
My officials have contacted Lough Gur National School in Hollycross to advise them of their options including engaging with local café, restaurants, local suppliers, and meals on wheels services etc. My officials will continue to support this school.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
1569. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the State pension (contributory) eligibility rules as they apply to former members of religious orders (details supplied); if he will consider the introduction of credited contributions, reckonable service, or other measures to recognise such service for contributory pension purposes; if he acknowledges that reliance on the State pension (non-contributory), which is assessed on household means, does not address the underlying inequity arising from the absence of recognised PRSI contributions for this cohort; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1526/26]
View answerThe Department of Social Protection provides State Pension payments through the State Pension (Contributory), which is a contributory payment based on a person's social insurance record and the State Pension (Non-Contributory) which is means-tested social assistance payment. To receive either a contributory or social assistance payment a person must qualify for that payment in their own right.
The State Pension (Contributory) is funded from the Social Insurance Fund through the social insurance contributions paid by workers, employers and the self-employed. There are a number of criteria which must be satisfied to qualify for a State Pension (Contributory). These include that the person must be aged 66 or over, and that they have at least 520 paid social insurance contributions (equivalent to 10 years). The rate of payment they receive reflects the number of social insurance contributions paid (or credited) over a working life.
Clergy and members of religious communities were excluded from the social insurance system on its introduction. In 1974, however, the Social Welfare Act 1974 made provision that ministers of religion and members of religious communities engaged solely on pastoral works for which remuneration was received, could be admitted to the social insurance system on the application of the appropriate representative body or authority. The provisions of the 1974 Act meant that all religious authorities or bodies had, if they so wished, the opportunity to apply for social insurance access for their employed members and, therefore, did not discriminate in any way against or in favour of any particular congregations.
Only the Church of Ireland availed of this provision. The position for other ministers of religion and members of religious communities, including those employed as teachers or nurses and remunerated as such, were not covered by social insurance in the absence of such an application by the appropriate representative body or authority.
In 1986, the Commission on Social Welfare published a range of proposals aimed at developing and enhancing the structure and operation of the social insurance system. The exclusion of clergy and other religious communities from social insurance coverage was examined. In this context, it was not considered appropriate to continue to exclude from the system those who are employed in what might be termed secular employment as employees under a contract of service. The categories involved were clergy and members of religious communities who were mainly employed in schools, hospitals, and other institutions. They came within the social protection system as employees, insurable at the ordinary or modified rate, as appropriate to their circumstances from 1988. The effect of this is that clergy and members of religious communities who are employed in public or private sector employment – i.e., in schools, hospitals and other public/social institutions – are afforded the same level of coverage as other employees in those sectors and generally insurable at PRSI Class A or D, as appropriate.
Clergy and members of religious communities involved in pastoral care only are generally insured as self-employed workers provided they meet the minimum income threshold. Social insurance contributions (Class S PRSI) were introduced for self-employed people on 6th April 1988. These contributions provide cover for self-employed people for a range of benefits including the State Pension (Contributory). In addition to the qualifying conditions above, to be eligible for the State Pension (Contributory) a person must have paid self-employment contributions in respect of at least one contribution year prior to reaching age 66, and all self-employment contributions payable must have been paid in full.
Where a person is unable to meet the qualifying conditions for a State Pension (Contributory) or is only eligible for a reduced rate of contributory pension, they may alternatively apply for State Pension (Non-Contributory) amounting up to over 96% of the maximum contributory pension rate which is subject to a means-test. To receive the State Pension (Non-Contributory) a person must also be aged 66 or over, satisfy the habitual residence condition and have a valid personal public service number. As with all other social assistance schemes, payments are based on an income need. The means test used plays a critical role in ensuring that the recipient has a verifiable income need and that resources are targeted to those who need them most.
This combination of both the contributory and social assistance State pensions means that no person with a viable income need falls outside these schemes.
Any future changes to State Pension system, including changes to credited contributions or the recognition of contributions outside of the existing criteria, would have to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context and also in the context of the sustainability of the Social Insurance Fund.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1570. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection the exact criteria applicable to an under 66 fuel allowance application; the current means test limit for such an application, and if this has been recently increased. [1572/26]
View answerThe criteria for Fuel Allowance are framed in order to direct the limited resources available to my Department in as targeted a manner as possible. To qualify for the Fuel Allowance, a person aged under 66 must satisfy all the relevant qualifying criteria including a means test, the household composition criteria and be in receipt of a qualifying payment. The full list of qualifying conditions can be found on [gov.ie].
The allowable means for those aged 66 is as follows:
|
Week Commencing |
Single Person under 66 years |
Couple, where the qualified spouse / civil partner / cohabitant is under 66 years |
Couple, where the qualified spouse / civil partner / cohabitant is over 66 years |
|
01/01/2026 |
€499.30 (€200 + €299.30) |
€698.70 (€200 + €299.30 + €199.40) |
€767.70 (€200 + €299.30 + €268.40) |
For those aged under 66, an applicant and members of the household may have a combined assessable income of up to €200.00 a week above the appropriate maximum State Pension Contributory rate. Therefore, the allowable means for those aged under 66 automatically increased in January 2026 in line with the recent increases to the State Pension Contributory rate.
While to qualify for Fuel Allowance a household must satisfy a means test, in the case of households where all members are receiving qualifying non-contributory payments other than Carers Allowance, then the means test is deemed satisfied.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1571. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the current status of work to introduce a cost of disability payment; when he expects to move from research and design to implementation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1594/26]
View answer1572. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has undertaken an assessment of the cumulative impact of Budget 2026 measures on households where a person is in receipt of disability allowance, particularly those living alone; and if he will publish any such analysis. [1595/26]
View answer1573. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration has been given to targeted transitional or seasonal supports for people with disabilities following the withdrawal of once-off cost-of-living payments provided in Budget 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1596/26]
View answer1574. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection whether the adequacy of the fuel allowance for people with disabilities, particularly those with higher heating needs, has been reviewed in light of winter energy costs; and if additional targeted measures are under consideration. [1597/26]
View answer1575. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will give consideration to the introduction of a targeted winter payment for people with disabilities to address additional disability-related costs during peak winter months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1598/26]
View answer1576. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the mechanisms in place to monitor the risk of poverty and social exclusion among people with disabilities following Budget 2026; and the way in which these align with Ireland's obligations under the UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities. [1599/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1571 to 1576, inclusive, together.
The Government recognises the significant additional costs that disabled people can face in their daily lives and is committed improving outcomes for disabled people by introducing permanent measures.
That is why the Programme for Government includes a range of commitments to support disabled people. Our Programme for Government commitments will be advanced over the lifetime of the Government, having regard to the overall policy and budgetary context.
The Programme for Government commits to introducing a permanent Annual Cost of Disability Support Payment with a view to incrementally increasing this payment. In addition, under the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030 my Department will lead a Strategic Focus Network on the Cost of Disability.
The work of this network, which will include disabled people and their advocates, will inform the approach to be taken in delivering on the Programme for Government commitment. I have asked my officials to expedite this work with a view to bringing a proposal to Government in the first half of this year.
My officials have held meetings with a number of organisations to discuss the possible structure and content of the Strategic Focus Network on the Cost of Disability. In December, my officials met with a number of organisations at my Department's Disability Consultative Forum, at which the Cost of Disability Strategic Focus Network was the main Agenda item. Officials from across government were also in attendance given that this is a whole of Government issue.
In advance of Budget 2026, Government were very clear that there would be no once-off measures. We are at the start of a five-year programme for Government and not everything can be done in year one.
In Budget 2026, I provided for a €1.15 billion package of new social protection measures. This contained significant targeted measures to support disabled people, including:
• A €10 increase in the weekly rates of payment, bringing the personal rates of payment to €254 per week from this month.
• A Christmas bonus double payment to all persons getting a long-term disability payment, paid in December 2025.
• The highest ever increases in the Child Support Payment – an increase of €16 to €78 for children aged 12 or over, and of €8 to €58 for children under 12 from this month.
• A €5 increase in the Fuel Allowance, bring it to €38 per week from this month.
• People moving from Disability Allowance or Blind Pension to take up work will be able to retain their Fuel Allowance payment for five years.
• People getting Disability Allowance or Blind Pension who have children will be eligible for Back to Work Family Dividend when taking up employment and moving off those payments.
• Expansion of the Wage Subsidy Scheme to people who acquire a disability while in employment and to those who transfer from Invalidity Pension to Partial Capacity Benefit, and increasing the rates paid from April.
The Department of Social Protection package also contained measures aimed at supporting carers, and recipients of Domiciliary Care Allowance.
• Increase 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 from July 2026.
• The income limit for Carer’s Benefit will increase by €375 to €1,000 per week from July 2026.
• €20 increase in the monthly Domiciliary Care Allowance payment bringing the payment to €380 per month from this month.
The Government also allocated €3.8 billion to the Department of Children, Disability and Equality for disability services in 2026, including funding for Community Based Specialist Disability Services to ensure people with disabilities receive the right support, at the right time, in the right place. This represents a 20% increase year on year and represents an overall increase since 2020 of €1.8 billion.
These measures clearly demonstrate the Government’s commitment to support disabled people by introducing permanent changes rather than relying on once-off measures.
The impact of Budget measures, whether one-off or permanent varies depending on people's circumstances. For example, whether or not they are in receipt of the Fuel Allowance and whether or not they have children.
The Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme is the safety net within the overall social welfare system in that it provides assistance to eligible people in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependents.
Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, my department may make Additional Needs Payments to help meet essential expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income or other personal and household resources. These payments are available through our Community Welfare Officers and are available to anyone who needs then and qualifies, whether the person is currently receiving a social welfare payment or working on a low income.
Furthermore, under the scheme, a Heating Supplement may be paid to assist people that have exceptional heating costs due to ill health, infirmity or a medical condition and are unable to meet those costs out of household income. Heating Supplement is not restricted to the fuel season and can be paid throughout the full year.
Any person who considers that they may have an entitlement to an Additional Needs Payment or a Heating Supplement is encouraged to contact their local community welfare service. There is a National Community Welfare Contact Centre in place - 0818-607080 - which will direct callers to the appropriate office. In addition, applications for Additional Needs Payments can be made online via[w ww.mywelfare.ie].
My Department will publish a social impact assessment of Budget 2026, with distributional analysis of the measures in this Budget.
In addition, the "Beyond GDP – Quality of Life Assessment Reports" prepared by the Department of Finance show that after accounting for the Budget 2026 measures the at-risk-of-poverty rate for the whole population falls in both 2025 and 2026 with the largest reductions for older people and the population affected by disability.
I trust this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.
1577. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will bring forward legislation to amend section 108 entitlement to pension of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 to allow contributions made during the year in which pensionable age is reached be considered in pension entitlement calculations on a pro-rata basis in order that those born later in a given year are not progressively penalised; if not, the reasons he will not consider such an amendment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1635/26]
View answerFrom September 2012 to December 2024, the State Pension (Contributory) was calculated under two different methods known as the Total Contributions Approach (TCA) and the Yearly Average (YA) method. The elements which make up each calculation method are set out in legislation. Applications were assessed under all possible rate calculation methods with the most beneficial rate paid to the applicant.
The provision in section 108 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 that counts contributions “ending at the end of the last complete contribution year before the date of his or her attaining pensionable age or deferred pensionable age” is a feature of the YA method. This provision is designed to ensure that a person who drawdowns their pension later in the year is not penalised. If these contributions were counted, it would also add another year onto the divisor and possibly lower the YA of the person.
Following on from the Pensions Commission's recommendations, a number of State pension reforms were enacted in the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2023, which represented the biggest ever structural reform of the Irish State pension system.
Since January 2025, a ten-year phasing out of the YA method of calculating State Pension began. The ten-year transitional arrangements are to avoid a ‘cliff edge’ effect. From 2034 the YA method of calculation will no longer be used, and all State Pension (Contributory) calculations will be done using the TCA method. TCA is a fairer and more transparent method for calculating the contributory pension and will remove the existing anomalies that exist in the YA calculation method.
To qualify for a full rate pension under the TCA method, a person must have 2080 contributions (equivalent to 40 years) and unlike the YA method contributions are counted up to the date a person draws down their State Pension (Contributory), which as a result of the reforms introduced can be up to the age of 70 where a person choses to defer drawing down their State Pension (Contributory).
TCA is a more equitable approach as pension outcomes are more in line with the total number of contributions paid and credited. The principle of higher contributory entitlements for those who contribute more frequently into the social insurance fund is central to contributory pensions around the world.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
1580. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the feedback his Department has received to date from businesses that are partaking in the auto enrolment pension scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1776/26]
View answer1581. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the feedback his Department has received to date from employees that are partaking in the auto enrolment pension scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1777/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 1580 and 1581 together.
The Programme for Government contains a commitment to introduce the Automatic Enrolment (AE) Retirement Savings System. The aim of introducing AE is to address the pension coverage gap that exists in Ireland and to provide workers with access to a quality assured retirement savings scheme, thereby giving greater comfort and security regarding their retirement income.
The new system - known as My Future Fund - commenced on the 1 January 2026.
Over 760,000 employees that weren't actively contributing to a qualifying pension or PRSA through payroll have now been automatically enrolled in My Future Fund.
My Future Fund is easy for employees and employers alike to engage with through an online portal.
To date over 90,000 employers, who employ approximately 690,000 employees, have registered their contact and payment details on the My Future Fund employer portal. These registrations are continuing.
This outcome is reflective of the huge effort made by my Department in engaging with employers and employees in advance of the launch of My Future Fund.
It also reflects the ongoing support for the automatic enrolment project from representative groups of employers and employees and the feedback from such groups since the commencement of My Future Fund remains positive.
I hope this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
1582. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Social Protection the date on which a supplementary estimate or supplementary estimates was sought in respect of his Department’s Vote for each of the past ten years, and to the date in 2026; the gross and net amount involved in each case; and the Vote subheads to which each supplementary estimate related. [1802/26]
View answerThe dates on which a Supplementary Estimate was sought in respect of Vote 37 each year since 2016 are outlined below:
2025 - 12th November 2025
2024 - 15th October 2024
2023 - 21st November 2023
2022 - 16th November 2022
2021 - 24th November 2021
2020 - No Supplementary Estimate sought
2019 - 19th November 2019
2018 - 21st November 2018
2017 - 21st November 2017
2016 - 24th November 2016
Each year, following Dáil approval of the Supplementary Estimate, a full breakdown of the additional funding required or surrendered at individual subhead level is published. These documents also outline the gross and net amount of additional funding required at an overall level, and are available on Gov.ie.
