Written Answers Nos. 696-714
696. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the most up-to-date average cost of delivering a new-build social housing unit in each local authority, including any relevant factors affecting cost variations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15175/26]
View answerThe relevant details are being compiled and will be provided to the Deputy in accordance with Standing Orders.
697. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide details of the annual maintenance and upgrade expenditure on social housing by each local authority for the past three years, including the average annual maintenance cost per unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15176/26]
View answerThe management and maintenance of local authority social homes, including pre-letting repairs to vacant properties, is a matter for each individual local authority under s.58 of the Housing Act 1966. Local authorities must also ensure all tenanted properties comply with the provisions of the Housing (Standards for Rented Houses) Regulations 2019.
Notwithstanding the legal obligation on local authorities, €40 million will be provided as a contribution towards the remediation of local authority housing through my Department's Planned Maintenance and Voids Programme in 2026, with the programme requirements, including target number of units and allocations issuing to local authorities in due course.
Details on funding recouped to local authorities under Planned Maintenance/Voids Programme to end 2024 is available on my Department's website at www.gov.ie/en/collection/0906a-other-local-authority-housing-scheme-statistics/#voids-programme
Details in relation to funding expended by local authorities from their own resources on annual maintenance and upgrade is not collated by my Department but should be available from individual local authorities on request.
Detail of delivery under the 2025 Planned Maintenance/Voids Programme will be published shortly.
Furthermore, statistics in relation to social homes, at a point in time, are published by the National Oversight and Audit Commission (NOAC) in its Annual Reports on Performance Indicators in Local Authorities. These reports provide a range of information in relation to social housing stock, including expenditure on maintenance in local authority owned properties.
The most recent NOAC report for 2024 is available at: www.noac.ie/noac_publications/report-77-noac-performance-indicator-report-2024/
699. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will make a statement on the need for greater supports for young people in Ireland; and his/her plans to allocate additional, targeted funding for same. [13992/26]
View answerThis Question seems to be more appropriate for my colleague, the Minister for Education and Youth. In saying that, my Department did try to make contact with the Deputy to clarify what was meant by 'greater supports for young people in Ireland' but a response is yet to be received.
700. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of buildings leased by his Department, or bodies or agencies under its aegis, during 2025; the total cumulative sum paid under these leases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14027/26]
View answerThe Office of Public Works (OPW) act as property agent and technical advisor for the department in all property related matters. With the exception of the department's headquarters, Áras Mhic Dhiarmada (ÁMD), all properties occupied by the department are either owned by the OPW or leased by the OPW on behalf of the department.
The Pensions Authority and Citizens Information Board are bodies under the aegis of the department and make and manage their own rental arrangements.
Information supplied by the OPW indicates that it leases 101 buildings in which the department has a presence. In relation to that accommodation requirement, the department funded the OPW circa €4.7m in 2025.
The following table sets the lease costs and the number of buildings relating to the department as well as the bodies under its aegis.
|
Department / Agency |
Number of Buildings |
Total |
|
Department Of Social Protection |
101 |
€4.7m |
|
Pensions Authority |
1 |
€0.8m |
|
Citizens Information Board |
7 |
€1.3m |
|
Totals |
109 |
€6.8m |
702. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection the conditions and requirements which apply to a national of another EU member state who intends to move to Ireland; whether they are required to have secured employment within a certain period of time after arriving in Ireland; what their entitlement to social welfare supports are; and how a particular individual (details supplied) who is a national of an EU member state could have been present in the State continuously since 1997 but never have held any paid employment. [14083/26]
View answerEU nationals have a right to move to and reside in Ireland under:
• Directive 2004/38/EC (Free Movement Directive)
• European Communities (Free Movement of Persons) Regulations 2015 (S.I. 548 of 2015).
EU nationals benefit from the freedom of movement provisions under EU law. Adult citizens of EU and EEA Member States, as well as Switzerland, have the right to enter and reside in Ireland without restriction for up to three months, or for up to six months if they are actively seeking employment.
In relation to access to social welfare supports, entitlement depends on the nature of the payment. Contributory payments are based on an individual’s PRSI record; EU nationals may combine social insurance contributions paid in other EU/EEA countries although the most recent contribution must generally have been paid in Ireland.
For means-tested social assistance payments, such as Jobseeker’s Allowance, Disability Allowance or Supplementary Welfare Allowance, applicants must satisfy the statutory Habitual Residence Condition (HRC). This requires that they have both a right to reside in the State and sufficient evidence of their centre of interest being in Ireland, assessed through five statutory factors relating to residence history, length and purpose of absences, employment pattern, main centre of interest, and future intentions.
The Department does not comment on indivdual cases or circumstances.
703. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of disability allowance in each of the years 2020 to 2025 and to date in 2026. [14087/26]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following table.
Table 1. Disability Allowance Recipients, 2020-2026
|
Year |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
January 2026 |
|
Count of Recipients |
152,580 |
155,181 |
157,807 |
162,326 |
167,633 |
173,124 |
173,375 |
704. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection when the eligibility criteria for disability allowance was last reformed; and when an additional illness or medical condition was last included for the purpose of broadening the qualifying criteria. [14088/26]
View answerDisability Allowance is my Department's primary social assistance payment for disabled people who are aged between 16 and 66. Eligibility for this payment is dependent on the recipient having 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 for a person of their age, experience and qualifications. The payment is subject to a medical assessment, a means test and a habitual residency requirement.
Eligibility for Disability Allowance is not dependent on the type or category of illness or disability. Rather, entitlement is contingent on the extent to which a particular illness or disability impairs or restricts a person’s capacity to work.
The eligibility criteria for the Disability Allowance payment, as set out in Section 210 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, was last amended in 2019. Importantly, this amendment made provision so a person can continue to receive their payment while engaged in a prescribed course of education, training or development.
Since then there have been a number of other changes to the scheme, particularly the means test. Since October 2020, ex gratia State Claims Agency payments for Pandemrix vaccine claims settled are specifically excluded from the means assessment. From September 2020, certain PhD bursaries, scholarships and stipends are disregarded for means purposes. The value of disregard is up to €20,000 per year for up to four years. Since 4 June 2024, child maintenance payments are no longer included in the means test.
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 payment.
In addition, the personal rate of payment has been increased, most recently in Budget 2026 which increased the rate to €254 per week from January. In Budget 2026, I also provided for the highest ever increases in the weekly Child Support Payment - an increase of €16 to €78 for children aged 12 or over and of €8 to €58 for children aged under 12.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
705. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has a clearly defined and published set of criteria for qualifying for disability allowance; and if so, if he will provide details of those criteria. [14089/26]
View answerDisability Allowance (DA) is a means-tested payment for people aged 16 to 66 who have a disability expected to last at least one year. Applicants must demonstrate that they are substantially restricted in undertaking work that would otherwise be suitable given their age, experience, and qualifications, as a result of their condition. They must also satisfy the means test and habitual residence conditions.
The full eligibility criteria, including medical, means and residence conditions, are clearly set out and publicly available on www.gov.ie/disabilityallowance.
Each decision is made on its own merits, considering the applicant’s medical, vocational, and personal circumstances. Applicants dissatisfied with a decision may seek a review or appeal to the Social Welfare Appeals Office.
It is important to highlight that DA also supports participation in employment. Recipients of a weekly DA payment can earn up to €165 per week (after certain deductions) without affecting their payment; 50% of earnings between €165 and €375 are also disregarded. There is no restriction on the number of working hours in a week. Where a person leaves DA to take up work and that employment ends within 12 months, they can have their payment fast-tracked for reinstatement without a new medical assessment.
My Department keeps the qualifying conditions and income supports under review to ensure that the scheme is administered in a fair and consistent manner.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
706. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an exhaustive list of flood related compensation, paid from his Department's vote allocations over the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14108/26]
View answerThe Emergency Response Payment assists in minimising hardship by providing financial support to people whose homes are damaged from flooding and severe weather events and who need help to meet emergency costs for essential needs, household items and structural repair.
It is important to note that the scheme does not provide a general compensation payment for damage or losses incurred as a consequence of a weather event.
Expenditure under the scheme for the last ten years, from 2016 to end of December 2025, was just over €23 million. Details on the breakdown of this expenditure by year is provided in Table 1 in the following tabular statement.
Additionally, Government decided in December 2010 that, on a once-off basis, the Department Social Protection could hold a provision of up to €4 million to assist households with relocation costs following the flooding of November 2009. The total paid under this scheme in the last ten years, from 2016 to end of December 2025, was some €800,000. Details on the breakdown of this expenditure on this once-off scheme by year is provided in Table 2 in the following tabular statement.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Tabular Statement
Table 1-Expenditure under the Emergency Response Payment by year for the period 2016 to end of 2025.
|
Year |
Expenditure under Emergency Response Payment |
|
2016 |
€1,682,000 |
|
2017 |
€613,000 |
|
2018 |
€350,000 |
|
2019 |
€96,000 |
|
2020 |
€83,000 |
|
2021 |
€132,000 |
|
2022 |
€201,000 |
|
2023 |
€1,904,000 |
|
2024 |
€2,481,000 |
|
2025 |
€15,483,000 (provisional) |
Table 2-Expenditure under the Relocation Scheme by year for the period 2017 to end of 2019
|
Year |
Expenditure under Relocation Scheme |
|
2017 |
€230,000 |
|
2018 |
€373,000 |
|
2019 |
€196,000 |
707. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the current illness benefit rate, in light of concerns that the existing payment is extremely difficult to manage during periods of illness; if he will consider introducing a higher rate for individuals with long and continuous work histories; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14356/26]
View answerIllness 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. As of January 2026, there were approximately 52,500 people in receipt of Illness Benefit.
The rate of payment is dependent on an individual’s average weekly earnings. The maximum rate of Illness Benefit is payable where the customer satisfies the contribution conditions and has average weekly reckonable earnings equal to or greater than a prescribed amount, currently €300, in the relevant tax year. Where the customer's average weekly earnings are less than the prescribed amount, a reduced rate is payable which is determined by reference to the appropriate earnings band. As of 1st January 2026, the maximum personal rate of Illness Benefit is €254 per week.
Increases on Illness Benefit are payable in respect of a Qualified Adult and in respect of a qualified child, called Child Support Payment, if their child meets certain conditions. In certain circumstances a person may only get a half-rate Child Support Payment.
Increases to rates are determined on an annual basis as part of the budgetary process. Every year my Department carries out a range of social impact assessments on the welfare measures contained in the Budget, using The Economic and Social Research Institute’s SWITCH tax-benefit microsimulation model.
A key feature of the social insurance system is the requirement to maintain a balance between coverage for various contingencies, such as Illness Benefit, with the sustainability of the Social Insurance Fund. Given that Illness Benefit may be paid for a maximum duration of two years, subject to the other scheme conditions being met, the current contribution requirements and graduation of payment rates are considered to be proportionate and appropriate.
Where a person exhausts their entitlement to payment of Illness Benefit and is expected to remain unfit to attend work for a further period of at least 12 months, they have the option of making an application for Invalidity Pension, which is another social insurance scheme paid from the Social Insurance Fund. Eligibility is based on PRSI contributions and medical condition. To qualify, the person must have been incapable of work for at least 12 months and be likely to be incapable of work for at least another 12 months or they must be permanently incapable of work.
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.
It's also important to note that workers have an entitlement to five statutory sick leave days in a year. Under the scheme, sick pay may be paid by an employer at 70% of a person’s normal pay, up to a maximum of €110 a day. Employers may operate sick leave schemes which are, on the whole, more favourable to the employee than what would be provided in terms of statutory sick leave. The legislation provides that these schemes are in replacement of and not in addition to statutory sick leave. Statutory sick leave is under the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Enterprise, trade and Employment.
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 would need to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context, taking account of social insurance contribution rates and the overall sustainability of the Social Insurance Fund.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
708. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide a list of all State agencies within his Department that allocate programme and project funding to section 39, section 56 and section 10 organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14398/26]
View answerThe statutory bodies operating under the aegis of my Department are the Citizens Information Board, the National Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Authority, the Pensions Authority, the Pensions Council and the Social Welfare Tribunal. I can confirm that none of these bodies allocate programme and project funding to either section 39, section 56 or section 10 organisations.
709. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the State agencies within his Department that have made provision for the pension auto-enrolment payment as part of their allocation to funded organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14416/26]
View answerThe 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 MyFutureFund - commenced on the 1 January 2026. Over 763,000 employees that weren't actively contributing to a qualifying pension or PRSA through payroll were eligible and were automatically enrolled in MyFutureFund.
The State agencies under the aegis of my Department are the Citizens Information Board (CIB), the Pensions Authority, the Pensions Council, the Social Welfare Tribunal and National Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Authority (NAERSA).
The Pensions Authority, Pensions Council, Social Welfare Tribunal and NAERSA do not fund any organisations and on that basis, no provision for pension auto enrolment payments as part of their allocation to funded organisations has been required.
The CIB does provide funding to organisations. However the CIB funded organisations provide an occupational pension scheme to their employees which exempts those employees from participation in MyFutureFund and on that basis, no provision for pension auto enrolment payments has been required.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
710. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the means test for carer’s allowance, in light of concerns that the current thresholds are excluding many full-time family carers who provide essential care in the home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14573/26]
View answerThe Carer’s Allowance is the main scheme by which my department provides income support to carers. Expenditure on Carer’s Allowance in 2026 is estimated to exceed €1.4 billion. At the end of January there were more than 105,000 carers receiving this payment.
The Programme for Government has set out a timeframe 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 this Government.
This process is underway. From last July the amount of weekly earnings disregarded was increased to €625 for a single person and €1,250 for a couple. As part of Budget 2026, I announced further improvements to the Carer’s Allowance means test that will be introduced this July. The weekly income disregard will increase by 60% from €625 to €1,000 for a single person, and from €1,250 to €2,000 for carers who are part of couple.
It is important to acknowledge that the income disregards for Carer’s Allowance are already the highest within the social welfare system.
The upcoming change will amount to cumulative increases to the disregards of over 200% since June 2022.
These increases will result in more carers qualifying for Carer’s Allowance, even those in households that are regarded as having relatively high incomes. For example, from July, a carer in a two-adult household with an income of approximately €110,000 will retain their full Carer’s Allowance payment and even with an income of €138,000 will retain a partial payment.
Removing the means test is a major reform of the Carer's Allowance payment, and of the Irish social welfare system generally. It is important to acknowledge that there are wider implications of departing from a means-tested approach above the cost exposure and for this reason the income disregard is being abolished in a measured way over a number of Budgets.
The recent improvements outlined are evidence of the Government’s determination to deliver on its commitment to phase out the Carer's Allowance means test over the lifetime of the Government. We will continue to progress this commitment in light of the prevailing budgetary conditions.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
711. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the income thresholds for disability allowance, with a view to ensuring that people with disabilities are not discouraged from taking up part-time or flexible employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14574/26]
View answerDisability Allowance is my Department's primary disability related social assistance scheme. It is a means-tested payment for people with a disability who are aged between 16 and 66. In order to be eligible the person's disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the person must satisfy a medical assessment and a habitual residency condition.
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.
Disability Allowance is structured to support recipients to avail of opportunities to pursue employment, be that self-employment or insurable employment. Over the last five budgets the Government has progressively improved payment rates and income disregards for disabled people. 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 payment.
People can earn up to €165 per week and keep their payment in full. Furthermore, a person can earn up to €527.60 per week and keep their entitlement to the minimum rate of Disability Allowance and their secondary benefits. The weekly payment rates for Disability Allowance have increased by €51 since Budget 2021 to the current rate of €254.
Building on this, Budget 2026 included several measures to encourage participation in employment for disabled people.
• 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.
The number of Disability Allowance recipients who are currently engaged in employment is approximately 27,000.
The Programme for Government commits to reforming the Disability Allowance Payment and removing anomalies in the current means test for the payment. More generally a review of means testing is being undertaken by my Department. The outcome of the 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 that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
712. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review correspondence (details supplied); the status of the application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14588/26]
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.
I can confirm that an application for CA was received from the person concerned on 20 January 2026.
It is a condition for receipt of CA that every claimant shall furnish such certificates, documents, information, and evidence as may be required for the purposes of deciding their claim. A request for further information issued to the person concerned on 28 January 2026.
Once the information requested is received, a decision will be made, and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
713. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason recipients, despite being required to provide at least 35 hours of care per week over five to seven days subject to DSP assessment, receive a payment that is significantly below the minimum wage for an equivalent number of hours (details supplied); if he will consider reviewing the hourly payment level of carer’s allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14614/26]
View answerCarer’s Allowance is the main income-support scheme for carers, with expenditure in 2026 expected to exceed €1.4 billion. Its primary purpose is to support people whose capacity to work is significantly reduced due to their caring responsibilities. Carer’s Allowance is means-tested, does not require social insurance contributions, and is designed to target support to those most in need. It is an income-support payment and not a payment for caring.
Carer's Allowance is a payment is for people who are providing full time care to people who are in need of such care. It is an income support payment. It is not, and was never intended to be, a payment for caring. In order to satisfy the full time care requirement a person must be providing care for at least 35 hours per week. However, that is not to suggest that the payment is paid at an hourly rate - it is not. It is a weekly income support payment like many others and not a wage and so it is not appropriate to compare the rate of payment with the National Minimum Wage.
Supports for carers have been improved over recent years through increasing payment rates and widening eligibility to payments through, for example, increasing income disregards in the case of Carer's Allowance and making Carer's Benefit available to the self-employed.
As a result of Budget 2026 measures, the personal rate of payment for a carer under aged 66 and caring for one person is €270. For those aged 66 or over caring for one person the maximum personal rate is now €308 per week. These rates are higher than other weekly social welfare payments.
People in receipt of Carer's Allowance may also qualify for other supports from my Department. The annual Carer's Support Grant is paid for each person being cared for. The grant has increased to €2,000 and is issued in June.
The Household Benefits Package is available to help people with the cost of electricity or gas bills and the TV licence. It is available to everyone over 70 and to carers under 70 who are getting Carer’s Allowance, at either full rate or half-rate. Carer’s Allowance became a qualifying payment for Fuel Allowance from January 2025. The other qualifying conditions for Fuel Allowance must also be satisfied.
The Programme for Government commits to progressively increasing weekly carer’s payments, continuing to increase the annual Carer’s Support Grant, and significantly increasing the income disregards for Carer’s Allowance with a view to phasing out the means test over the lifetime of the Government, subject to available resources.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
714. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection to review the amount awarded in jobseeker's benefit for a person (details supplied). [14670/26]
View answerThe person concerned applied for Jobseeker's Pay Related Benefit (JPRB) on the 27th January 2026 and was authorised for payment on the 5th February 2026. A decision letter was outlining the decision issued on the same date.
The person concerned contacted the National Intreo Contact Center (NICC) by phone and requested clarification regarding their rate of payment. The Deciding Officer spoke to them on the 16th February and explained that the rate of payment was based on their earnings and was correct.
A further review was carried out on the 19th February 2026 and the rate of payment has remained unchanged. A review letter was issued on the 19th February 2026 explaining that :
• The rate of payment is directly linked to their previous earnings subject to a maximum or minimum rate.
• This rate is calculated on their weekly average gross earnings for the 12 months previous to the 8 weeks before they lost their employment.
• The person's concerned total earnings from 26/11/2024 to 26/11/2025 was €26,183.66, therefore their gross average weekly earnings were €503.53.
• The rate of payment based on their gross average weekly earnings has been calculated at :
- €302.10 payable for 13 weeks.
- €276.90 payable for the next 13 weeks.
- €251.80 payable for the subsequent 13 weeks.
If the person concerned is not satisfied with their rate of payment, the option to appeal directly to the Social Welfare Appeals Office is open to them and this has been communicated to them on the decision letter.
