Written Answers Nos. 767-786
768. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the total annual expenditure on the electricity allowance and natural gas allowance for each of the past five years; and the projected expenditure for the current year. [29804/26]
View answerThe expenditure on the Gas and Electricity Allowance elements of the Household Benefits Package from 2021 to 2025, as well as the estimated expenditure for 2026 is outlined in the table below.
|
|
Electricity Allowance |
Gas Allowance |
|
|
€'000 |
€'000 |
|
2021 Outturn |
181,937 |
22,068 |
|
2022 Outturn |
189,175 |
22,016 |
|
2023 Outturn |
192,812 |
23,486 |
|
2024 Outturn |
196,955 |
23,975 |
|
2025 Provisional Outturn |
204,555 |
24,999 |
|
2026 Revised Estimate |
204,369 |
26,131 |
770. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) in County Clare will receive a decision on their appeal for domiciliary care allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29970/26]
View answerI 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.
771. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people in receipt of bereaved partner's (contributory) pension that are under investigation for co-habiting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29978/26]
View answer772. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people in receipt of bereaved partner's (non-contributory) pension that are under investigation for co-habiting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29979/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 771 and 772 together.
I propose to take Parliamentary Questions 29978/26 and 29979/26 together.
Bereaved Partner's Pension is a payment made to a widow, widower, surviving civil partner or surviving qualified cohabitant on the death of a spouse or partner.
To qualify a person must
• be a bereaved partner, that is a widow, a widower a surviving civil partner or a surviving qualified cohabitant and
• not be cohabiting with another person as a couple, and
• satisfy certain social insurance contribution conditions or
• satisfy a means test.
Where a person in receipt of Bereaved Partners Pension cohabits, remarries or enters a new civil partnership, they are no longer entitled to the payment and must notify the Department immediately. My Department carries out a review when we are notified of a change of circumstances and initiates periodic reviews of claims to confirm ongoing entitlement.
My Department does not record statistics of the number of claims under review for cohabitation. Therefore, the data requested by the Deputy is not available.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
773. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection if the payment of statutory sick pay will impact on those receiving the bereaved partner's (contributory) pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29980/26]
View answerThe Bereaved Partner's (Contributory) Pension (BCP) is a weekly payment to the widow, widower, surviving civil partner or surviving qualified cohabitant of a deceased person (Bereaved Partner), who satisfies the PRSI requirements for the payment. The pension remains payable unless the person cohabits with another person or marries. The payment is not means tested. As a result, a person can be in receipt of a Bereaved Partner's (Contributory) Pension and earn income from employment or self-employment without their rate of payment being affected.
Statutory sick pay refers to the legal minimum payment that employees are entitled to from their employer, where medically certified as unfit to work. Since January 2024, workers have a right to five days’ sick pay per year. This is paid by their employer at 70% of normal pay, up to a maximum of €110 a day. As Bereaved Partner's (Contributory) Pension is not means tested, any income received from an employer, including sick pay, has no bearing on a person's entitlement to the payment, or the rate of payment awarded. Therefore, any statutory sick pay received by a person will not affect the rate of pay for the Bereaved Partner's (Contributory) Pension.
Separately, Illness Benefit is a weekly payment, administered by my Department, for people who are medically certified as unfit to work and satisfy certain PRSI contribution conditions. It is not payable at the same time as statutory sick pay.
There is a general principle of one person, one payment that applies across our social welfare system. Given the contingency-based nature of this system, it can happen that a person may experience more than one contingency at the same time, but generally they can receive only one payment. This principle is common to social security systems across the world.
Therefore, a person in receipt of the Bereaved Partner's (Contributory) Pension is not eligible for payments under the Illness Benefit scheme should their absence from employment extend past the limits of Statutory Sick Pay.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
774. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection the support available to a care worker (details supplied) [29997/26]
View answer775. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection the support available to a care worker (details supplied). [29998/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 774 and 775 together.
My Department provides a range of in-work supports to support people in employment and assist financially. These include the Working Family Payment which is tax-free payment available to employees with children, who meet the eligibility conditions, and Jobseekers payments for those working part-time. Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme, my department may make an Additional Needs Payment (ANP) to help meet essential expenditure which an eligible person could not reasonably be expected to meet from their weekly income or household and personal resources. This support is intended to assist with once-off or exceptional expenses that a person is unable to meet from their normal weekly income.
ANPs are administered by Community Welfare Officers (CWOs) in the Community Welfare Service (CWS), considering the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case. All applications are considered on a case-by-case basis based on the need presenting.
If the Deputy wishes to provide details of the person concerned, my Department will contact the person to discuss what supports the person may be entitled to.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
776. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the treatment of near-neighbour community benefit payments made to households living in proximity to onshore wind farm developments under the renewable electricity support scheme, with particular regard to their impact on eligibility for means-tested payments and entitlements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30000/26]
View answerMy Department has over 140 schemes and services, a significant number of which are means tested schemes.
Social welfare legislation provides that means tests take account of the income and assets of the person (and their spouse or partner, if applicable) applying for the relevant scheme. Means assessments generally include income from employment, self-employment, occupational pensions and maintenance payments. They also include assessment of property owned other than the family home and capital such as cash, savings, shares, and other investments.
Means tests and income thresholds are kept under regular review and a number of significant changes have been made in recent years, including as part of the Budget 2026 announcements.
Changes to the means tests have been implemented through amendments to the Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control) Regulations 2007 and the Social Welfare (Consolidated Supplementary Welfare Allowance) Regulations 2007. Articles 8, 155 and 174 of the Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control) Regulations 2007, and Article 36 of the Social Welfare (Consolidated Supplementary Welfare Allowance) Regulations 2007 provide for the disregard of certain specified income when assessing the means of a person.
The disregard of payments from the Community Benefit Fund, under the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS), is not currently provided for in social welfare regulations. Disregarding income arising from payments from the Community Benefit Fund would need to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context.
777. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on a review of a domiciliary care allowance application (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30134/26]
View answerDomiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is a monthly allowance payable to a parent / guardian in respect of a child aged under 16 who has a severe disability requiring continual or continuous care and attention substantially in excess of the care and attention normally required by a child of the same age and where the level of that disability is such that the child is likely to require this level of care and attention for at least 12 consecutive months. This level of care and attention must be required to allow the child to deal with the activities of daily living in areas such as mobility, personal care, feeding / diet, communication, speech / language, sleeping, behaviour, safety, sensory issues, including any other additional needs.
Eligibility for DCA is not based entirely on the type of disability or diagnosis but primarily on the impact of the child's disability, in terms of the associated overall level of care and attention required by the child compared to a child of a similar age who does not have such a disability. The decision process that applies in the consideration of whether a child meets the conditions for DCA includes the examination of all relevant factors identified as impacting on the child's additional care needs.
An application for DCA in respect of the child concerned was received by my Department on 7 December 2025. A Deciding Officer disallowed the claim as per decision dated 16 February 2026. Based on the information provided, the child was not considered to satisfy the conditions for DCA. This determination considered the supporting medical evidence that was provided by the applicant in their application. The Deciding Officer also had regard to the professional opinion of a departmental Medical Assessor in making their decision and a copy of this opinion was issued to the applicant for information along with the decision notification.
On the 27 March 2026 the person concerned requested a review and appeal of the above decision. Following a re-examination of their application, including all the further new information/evidence that was provided by the applicant in support of their review request, a Deciding Officer decided not to revise the above original decision. The Deciding Officer then forwarded their file to the Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO) for the consideration of an Appeals Officer who will write to the person concerned once an appeal decision has been made.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
778. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide details on all open EU infringement proceedings where the subject of the infringement relates to the functions of his Department; the reason the infringement proceedings were initiated; the procedural stage of the infringement proceedings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30275/26]
View answerI am pleased to report that the Department of Social Protection has no open EU infringement proceedings.
779. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision for a jobseeker allowance application will be made for a person (details supplied); if any additional information or documents are required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30314/26]
View answerJobseeker's Allowance is a means-tested payment made to people who are unemployed. Whether a person qualifies for Jobseeker’s Allowance depends on their income and whether they are habitually resident in Ireland.
The person concerned applied for Jobseeker's Allowance on 06/02/2026. Documentation requested by the local Intreo Centre on 24/02/2026 was not received and the application was closed on 06/03/2026.
The person concerned re-applied on 19/03/2026 and this Jobseeker's application was disallowed on the 26/03/2026 as it was considered by the Deciding Officer that they did not show they were habitually resident in accordance with Sections 141(9) and 246 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, as amended.
My Department will now carry out a review of this decision and will advise the person concerned of the outcome as soon as possible. It is also open to the person concerned to appeal this decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office. An appeal can be submitted online at MyWelfare, or by completing an appeal form which is available at any Intreo Centre.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
780. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection if the backdating of disability allowance for cam be urgently allowed for a person (details supplied), as this man is very sick and could not submit the form due to illness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30341/26]
View answerDisability allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged 16 or over and under the age of 66. This disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, means test and Habitual Residency conditions.
I can confirm that my department received an application for DA from the person concerned on 30 January 2026.
The person concerned was awarded the maximum rate of DA, Increase for Living Alone, Fuel and Telephone support allowance effective from 04 February 2026. The first payment and arrears of payment due from 04 February 2026 to 03 March 2024 was made by their chosen payment method on 04 March 2026.
This person was notified in writing of these decisions on 25 February 2026.
I can confirm receipt of your representation on 05 March 2026, requesting backdating of the person concerned DA claim to 18 November 2025 due to illness.
Backdating can be allowed up to six months where good cause is shown, including incapacity due to illness or infirmity. Lack of knowledge alone is not sufficient but complex circumstances such as hospitalisation and medical incapacity will be considered.
Following a review and having taken into account the matter raised in your representation of 05 March 2026, the person concerned DA claim has been backdated to Wednesday 19 November 2025,
Arrears payment from 19 November 2025 to 28 April 2026 have issued and will be paid on 29 April 2026 to the person concerned.
They were notified in writing of this decision on 20 April 2026
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
781. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection the locations of INTREO offices that currently do not have a defibrillator available for use within the offices; and the estimated costs required to ensure all remaining INTREO offices have defibrillators ready for use. [30438/26]
View answerMy department places a strong emphasis on health and safety, embedding it into every aspect of its operations. It works to maintain safe, accessible, and well-managed environments for both staff and the public, supported by clear policies, regular risk assessments, and ongoing training. It is committed to protecting wellbeing and ensuring that services are delivered in a secure and responsible way. The availability of defibrillators and trained staff in Intreo offices is part of that commitment.
We have identified 11 Intreo offices across 8 counties where a new unit is required. The cost of purchasing new AEDs for Intreo offices that are currently without one, is estimated to be less than €30,000.
A new supplier for the provision and maintenance of the Department’s AEDs has recently been procured. The supplier will visit all of the department's offices to upgrade the existing unit/s or install new units, as required. Self-monitoring AEDs alert both the supplier and the department if they go into an ‘error’ state. Any required action can then be carried out immediately. The roll out commenced mid-April 2026 and will be carried out over the next 3 months.
Following the roll-out, we expect to have installed a self-monitoring AED in every Intreo office, supported by a robust maintenance system that guarantees the highest standards of safety and performance.
782. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Social Protection the main policy achievements of his Department since 22 January 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30485/26]
View answerMy Department has delivered significant achievements since 22nd January 2025. The Social Protection Budget for 2026 is €28.9 billion, which includes an above inflation increase of €10 per week in the maximum weekly personal rates of payment. It also includes measures targeted to assist families and to tackle child poverty, including the largest Child Support Payment increase in the history of the state.
Additional supports were provided such as the largest ever increase in the income disregard for Carer’s Allowance, i.e., an increase of €375 to €1,000 for single people, and an increase of €750 to €2,000 for a couple. This means that a carer in a two-adult household with an income of over €100,000 will retain their full Carer’s Allowance payment. Other measures included in the Budget saw increases in the weekly rate of Fuel Allowance, Working Family Payment and Domiciliary Care Allowance, among others.
The collection of contributions for the Automatic Enrolment retirement savings system called MyFutureFund, commenced from 1st January 2026. This initiative will provide workers with greater security regarding their retirement savings and will provide some comfort in the years ahead for around 750,000 workers, who currently are not actively paying into a pension through payroll, but who will now have access to quality assured retirement savings since 1st January 2026. I also formally established NAERSA - the National Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Authority which will oversee the administration of My Future Fund.
Another significant development was the roll-out of the Free Hot School Meals Programme to all primary schools who became eligible from September 2025. Revised procurement guidelines for the programme were published on 15 August 2025, which means that new schools joining the programme can avail of the cold lunch option until procurement for Hot Schools Meals has been completed.
My Department launched the Pay Related Benefit (PRB) for jobseekers on 31 March 2025, and the Department is exploring options to extend this to other schemes.
The Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner's Pension and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2025 was enacted on the 21st July 2025. This legislation provides entitlement to unmarried cohabitants to the Bereaved Partner's Pension, which replaces the Widow’s, Widower’s or Surviving Civil Partner’s Contributory Pension.
My Department is committed to significantly increasing the income disregards for Carer’s Allowance in each Budget with a view to phasing out the means test during the lifetime of the Government. The largest ever income disregard for Carers was announced as part of Budget 2026, and this will be introduced from July this year.
The Department is also committed to providing greater support to people with disabilities and has already engaged with relevant stakeholders regarding the introduction of a permanent annual cost of disability support payment, with a view to incrementally increasing this payment. The National Disability Strategy has also been launched and my Department is progressing the commitments under this strategy, including in relation to employment.
Progress on a developing a successor to the current Pathways to Work Strategy 2021-2025 continued during 2025. A public consultation was launched and this concluded near the end of the year, with the aim to publish the revised Pathways to Work Strategy in mid-2026. My Department is also developing a successor to the current Roadmap for Social Inclusion and this will also be published in the middle of this year.
A new Child Poverty Target was approved by Government and announced in September 2025, while the successor to the Roadmap for Social Inclusion is also underway and being developed.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
783. Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Social Protection if the case of a person can be reviewed (details supplied); to provide an update on their social welfare application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30548/26]
View answerI 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.
784. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Social Protection if it is the current policy of his private office/Department to formally invite or notify all local Oireachtas members of constituency events at which Ministers are in attendance in the course of performing their ministerial duties and functions; if he will provide the Department's current policy or protocol on this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30605/26]
View answer785. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide a list of all events across every constituency attended by the Minister in the course of his ministerial duties since 1 January 2026, where formal invitations/notifications to attend were not issued by his office to all local Oireachtas members; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30623/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 784 and 785 together.
My Ministerial diary of events is published online on a quarterly basis at www.gov.ie. My diary of attended events during Quarter 1 2026 is currently being finalised and will be published online in due course.
In terms of the protocol for inviting or notifying local Oireachtas members of constituency events at which Ministers are in attendance in the course of performing their ministerial duties and functions, this depends on the particulars of each event and is usually the responsibility of the organiser.
786. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection if there are solar panels in place on the rooftop or within the grounds of his Department building; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30704/26]
View answer787. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has a solar panel policy in place in relation to the installation of solar panels on all buildings operated and owned by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30722/26]
View answer788. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has a solar panel policy in place in relation to the installation of solar panels on all buildings operated and owned by agencies under the control of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30741/26]
View answer789. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on the merits of installing solar panels on all buildings operated and owned by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30759/26]
View answer790. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on the merits of installing solar panels on all buildings operated and owned by agencies under the control of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30780/26]
View answer793. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding any buildings operated and owned by his Department that have solar panels in place to support the energy demands of the building; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30850/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 786, 787, 788, 789, 790 and 793 together.
My Department’s annual Climate Action Roadmap sets out our commitment to reducing energy consumption, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, and supporting the transition to renewable energy sources across our estate and operations.
The Office of Public Works (OPW) acts as the building agent for my Department and the programme of replacement and refurbishment of buildings, including the delivery of energy-efficiency projects and renewable energy measures such as solar panel installations, where appropriate, is progressed by the OPW in close cooperation with department officials.
The policy or inventory of solar panel installations across the buildings it occupies or operates. This information forms part of the OPW's management of the wider State property portfolio.
The Citizens Information Board and the Pensions Authority, which operate under the aegis of my Department, have each published their own Climate Action Roadmaps. At present, there are no solar panels installed on buildings operated or owned by either body. Both organisations are engaging with relevant stakeholders on potential energy efficiency and renewable projects, including the installation of solar panels where feasible and appropriate.
I support the installation of solar panels on buildings operated and owned by both my Department and by the bodies under our aegis. The generation of on-site renewable electricity would reduce reliance on electricity generated by fossil fuels, contribute to a reduction in carbon emissions associated with our operations, assist in achieving our climate objectives, and reduce energy costs.
My Department will continue to work with the OPW to identify opportunities to improve energy efficiency and to support the rollout of renewable energy measures across its accommodation portfolio, in line with Government climate and energy objectives.
