Written Answers Nos. 662-681
666. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department maintains any internal classification, flag, incident category or reporting mechanism relating specifically to suspected AI-generated, digitally manipulated or synthetically altered documentation submitted in support of social welfare claims; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36880/26]
View answerMy Department does not currently have specific internal classification, flag, incident category, or reporting process dedicated solely to suspected AI-generated, digitally manipulated, or synthetically altered documentation submitted with social welfare claims.
In order to combat the use of forged documents my Department has a range of verification processes in place to validate and verify the information provided by a customer. The Department also engages in data matching with external bodies and agencies to identify inconsistencies in information provided. Information is only exchanged in line with the appropriate legislative provisions.
While the vast majority of individuals in receipt of social welfare payments are claiming the correct entitlements, my Department remains committed to ensuring that payments are made accurately, to the appropriate person, and at the correct time. To this end, all social welfare schemes are subject to ongoing control reviews and eligibility checks.
667. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Social Protection the supports currently in place and provided by his Department or agencies within his Department to support BOTPs and Ukrainian citizens; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36891/26]
View answerOn 4th March 2022, the Council of the European Union unanimously adopted the implementing decision regarding the Temporary Protection Directive. Temporary Protection has been extended until March 2027. This means that people arriving from Ukraine under the Temporary Directive can move through the EU as EU citizens. It also means that, subject to their accommodation arrangements, they have been granted the status to avail of all income supports and services from the Department of Social Protection on the same basis as Irish citizens.
Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BoTPs) who are resident in State provided Designated Accommodation Centre where meals and utilities are provided are disqualified from entitlement to social assistance payments such as Jobseekers Allowance, Disability Allowance and Carers Allowance. BoTPs who reside in Designated Accommodation Centres continue to have an entitlement to Child Benefit and to Additional Needs Payments if eligible. They may also be entitled to the BoTP weekly payment administered by my Department on behalf of the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, which is paid at the weekly rate of €38.80 per adult and €29.80 per child, subject to an income test.
If a Beneficiary of Temporary Protection leaves a Designated Accommodation Centre, they are entitled to apply for standard social protection assistance, subject to meeting the eligibility conditions.
The CSO publishes a regular series of releases called Arrivals from Ukraine in Ireland, which contains the latest published insights into Ireland’s response to the Ukraine crisis. This series provides data and analysis across a range of supports and services including employment and social protection data.
668. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the first year and full year cost of the emergency response payment; the estimated amount the payment will cost over the medium term; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36966/26]
View answer682. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if there will be categories provided for family composition and circumstances in the emergency response payment beyond the categories of single, couple and dependent child; if he will give consideration to the additional cost of disability or costs incurred on a household, when there is a member unable to work due to illness, injury or disability; if consideration will be given to the heightened risk of poverty faced by single parent families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37282/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 668 and 682 together.
The 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.
To the end of April 2026, some €27.57 million had been spent under the scheme since 2009, of which €645,000 has been spent as of end of April 2026. As the scheme is demand-led, funding is made available for emergency needs.
While the categories outlined under family composition for the Emergency Response Payment are in line with those of other schemes in my department, it is important to note that the income test for the Emergency Response Payment is more generous than that applied under means tested social welfare payments in general.
Stage 1 of the scheme is not subject to an income test, income limit levels are applied for stages 2 and 3 of the scheme. These are €50,000 for a single person, €90,000 for a couple and €15,000 per dependent child. Where a family has a gross household income over the income limit, a reduced or tapered level of support may be provided.
The basic principle of the income test for the Emergency Response Payment is that individuals and families with average levels of income will qualify for assistance, which includes non-Social Welfare recipients.
Each application is considered on a case by case basis, with due consideration given to the capability of the household to meet the costs involved.
I wish to assure the Deputy the scheme is kept under review to ensure that it continues to support those most in need of assistance.
669. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding any review of the living alone allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37018/26]
View answer671. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection if any consideration has been given to amending the living alone allowance into a universal benefit for all those living alone over the age of 66; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37020/26]
View answer672. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding any cost analysis carried out into expanding the living alone allowance into a universal benefit for all those living alone over the age of 66 [37021/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 669, 671 and 672 together.
Primary weekly social welfare payments are intended to enable recipients to meet their basic day-to-day income needs. In addition to these primary payments, my Department also provides a range of other payments on a weekly, monthly, or less frequent basis. These payments are considered secondary in nature with each of them having their own individual qualifying criteria.
The Living Alone Increase (LAI) is one of those secondary payments. It is not a scheme or a stand-alone payment, but it is a supplement to a primary social protection payment of €22 per week made to people aged 66 years or over, who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments and who are living alone.
For those aged 66 or over, payments eligible for the LAI include State Pension (Contributory), State Pension (Non-contributory), Bereaved Partner’s (Contributory) Pension, Bereaved Partner's Pension under the Occupational Injuries Benefit Scheme, Incapacity Supplement under the Occupational Injuries Benefit Scheme and Deserted Wife's Benefit. LAI is also paid to people aged under 66 who live alone and are in receipt of Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension, Incapacity Supplement or Blind Pension.
There are no circumstances where the LAI can be paid to people who are not in receipt of a primary qualifying payment from my Department or who do not meet the living alone eligibility criteria. Any change to the qualifying criteria for this payment would have to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context.
My Department does not hold statistics on the number of people aged 66 or above who are not in receipt of a payment from this Department, and who are living alone. Furthermore, to introduce a universal payment for all those aged 66 and above would change the targeted nature of the payment. As a result, my Department has not performed the cost analysis suggested by the Deputy.
Any changes to the rate and underlying conditions for receipt of the LAI will have to be considered in the overall policy and budgetary context.
670. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people in receipt of the living alone allowance in each of the years from 2020 to date in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37019/26]
View answerThe number of recipients of Living Alone Allowance for each of the years 2020 - 2026 are given in the table below. These figures are as of 31 December each year for 2020 - 2025 and as of 30 April 2026 for April 2026.
|
Year |
LAA Recipients |
|
2020 |
218,728 |
|
2021 |
224,821 |
|
2022 |
233,685 |
|
2023 |
241,450 |
|
2024 |
248,671 |
|
2025 |
255,698 |
|
End April 2026 |
258,035 |
673. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of rent supplement claims in an area (details supplied) in the years 2022 to 2026, in tabular form. [37110/26]
View answerI am advised that my Department collates statistics only at county level, not at the constituency level or below.
The number of recipients for Rent Supplement in County Dublin by year is provided in the following table. The figures for 2022 to 2026 are as of 31 December of each year respectively, while the figures for 2026 are as of 30 April 2026.
|
- |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
April 2026 |
|
Rent Supplement Recipients In Dublin |
4,486 |
3,825 |
3,183 |
2,451 |
2,267 |
674. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of one parent family payment recipients in an area (details supplied) in the years 2022 to 2026, in tabular form. [37111/26]
View answerThe One Parent Family Payment is a means-tested social assistance scheme designed to support people who are parenting alone.
I am advised that my department collates statistics only at county level, not at the constituency level or below.
The number of recipients for One Parent Family Payment in County Dublin by year are provided in the following table. The figures for 2022 to 2026 are as of 31 December of each year respectively, while the figures for 2026 are as of 30 April 2026.
|
Year |
Number of Recipients - County Dublin |
|
2022 |
14,639 |
|
2023 |
14,410 |
|
2024 |
14,520 |
|
2025 |
14,482 |
|
April 2026 |
14,441 |
675. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Social Protection whether foster carers qualify for the Christmas bonus. [37117/26]
View answerThe payment of allowances to foster carers does not fall under the remit of my Department. As such, decisions around the payment of a Christmas Bonus to foster carers is a matter for the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality.
676. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection the rationale for the requirement that a person must have at least 26 paid PRSI contributions in each of the governing contribution years to qualify for treatment benefit, regardless of a substantial lifetime contribution record; whether consideration has been given to alternative qualifying conditions that better recognise long-term contributors who temporarily leave and later return to the workforce (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37175/26]
View answerTreatment Benefit is a social insurance scheme provided by the Department. Under this scheme, eligible contributors can access dental and optical services, and grants towards certain medical appliances (hearing aids, medical lenses or wigs).
To qualify for most social insurance payments in Ireland, a person must satisfy two conditions, first have a certain number of PRSI contributions paid since they started work and secondly, they must have a certain number of PRSI contributions paid or credited in the relevant or governing contribution year. The Governing Contribution Year is the second last complete contribution year before the benefit year in which the claim is made. The reason for the requirement to have paid contributions in the manner set out in legislation is to demonstrate a person's attachment to the workforce.
Contributions made under social insurance (PRSI) Classes A, E, P, H or S count towards eligibility for Treatment Benefit. The amount of social insurance contributions required depends on the person's age, taking into account their opportunity to have accumulated contributions.
For example, a person aged 29 to 65 must have at least 260 paid contributions, and either have 39 paid or credited contributions in the governing contribution year or 26 paid contributions in each of the second and third last contribution year. If a person qualifies for Treatment benefit at age 60-65, they keep that entitlement for life.
Any changes to the current system would have to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context, taking account of the prevailing economic circumstances, and in particular the sustainability of the Social Insurance Fund.
677. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Social Protection the average processing time for applications for supplementary welfare allowance for the years 2023 to 2026, broken down by local authority area, in tabular form. [37192/26]
View answerBasic Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) provides immediate assistance for those in need who are awaiting the outcome of a claim or an appeal for a primary social welfare payment or for those who do not qualify for a payment under other State schemes. Basic SWA payments are means tested and are administered by Community Welfare Officers (CWOs) in the Community Welfare Services (CWS), who consider the requirements of the legislation and all relevant circumstances of the case. As part of the application process, a person is asked to provide personal, financial, household, and other information in support of their claim to determine eligibility and to establish a need as considered necessary.
The Department does not collate or hold records of processing times for SWA by Local Authority. Information is recorded based on national processing times only. Therefore, this information is not available for the Deputy.
The national average processing time for basic SWA for the years 2023, 2024, 2025 to date remains at one week on average per year. Historic information on basic SWA processing times is publicly available on gov.ie.
CWS is committed to providing a quality service to all citizens, ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible.
678. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection to urgently process and allow for an additional need's payment for a person (details supplied) who has submitted a file for review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37193/26]
View answerUnder the Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) scheme, my department may make an Additional Needs Payment 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 expense 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. This entails an assessment, as opposed to a specific means test, of an applicant’s weekly household income, their savings and investments, their outgoings and the type of assistance needed.
According to departmental records, the person concerned applied for an ANP on 07/04/2026 to assist with the cost of furnishing their new home. This claim was disallowed on the basis that the person concerned was deemed to have sufficient financial resources available to them to meet this need through their personal and/or household resources. A letter advising the person concerned of this outcome and offering them an opportunity to seek a review issued to them in writing on 16/04/2026.
Determinations made in relation to claims made under Sections 200, 201 and 202 of the Social Welfare (Consolidation Act) 2005, namely allowances-in-kind, Exceptional Needs Payments and Urgent Needs Payments, can be reviewed by a SWA Reviewing Officer under Section 323 of that Act.
Following a request from the person concerned, a SWA Review Officer has been assigned to review their claim and the original decision by the CWO.
Should the person concerned have any further information or documentation in support of their review, they can send it to: SWA Review Officer, Civic Offices, Main Street, Bray, Co. Wicklow, A98 X6N3.
The SWA Review Officer will contact the person concerned in writing regarding the outcome of their review.
679. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has any usage policy on or if it sanctions for official purposes the use of messaging apps (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37209/26]
View answerThe Department has ICT policies which cover electronic communications by Departmental staff across all platforms. These policies are:
• Electronic Communications & Internet Use Policy,
• Electronic Communications & Internet User Agreement,
• Portable Device Policy,
• Social Media Policy & Usage Guidelines, and
• ICT Acceptable Use Policy.
Electronic communications is defined as email, instant messaging, texting and any other channel through which staff or other users of the Departmental network (e.g. contractors) engage electronically. There is no separate specific policies on the use of the two named messaging Apps - as they are covered by the principles and rules set out in the above policies.
Misuse or breaches of the above policies may be investigated under the terms of the Civil Service Disciplinary Code. Staff members who violate the provisions our internet or other ICT policies may be subject to disciplinary action under the provisions of this Code. A serious breach could lead to a range of sanctions up to and including dismissal - under the terms of the Code.
The Department's Social Media Policy also applies to staff using social media in a personal capacity. The policy applies to all online social media sites and networks. Staff must ensure that any use of social media platforms, whether in an official or personal capacity, does not bring the Department into disrepute or undermine public confidence in its impartiality, integrity, or professionalism.
680. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection If he has spoken formally with his UK counterpart to date in 2026. [37271/26]
View answerThe Minister did not have an opportunity to formally speak with his UK counterpart this year. However, the Minister wrote to Secretary of State McFadden in January to congratulate him on his new appointment.
681. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost in 2027 if the child support payment increased to €91 per week for children aged over 12 years-of-age and increased to €63 per week for children aged under 12 years-of-age. [37272/26]
View answerThe estimated full year cost of increasing the Child Support Payment for children aged 12 and over by €13, from €78 to €91, is €80.2 million.
The estimated full year cost of increasing the Child Support Payment for children under 12 by €5, from €58 to €63, is €43.9 million.
These costings are based on the number of beneficiaries at the end of March 2026, and are subject to change in light of emerging trends and subsequent revision of the number of beneficiaries.
