Written Answers Nos. 57-77
57. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Social Protection the plans within his Department to expand remote-work training and supports for jobseekers in County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46202/26]
View answerMy Department is committed to supporting jobseekers in County Mayo, and nationwide, to obtain sustainable employment.
Through the Intreo Employment Services, Employment Personal Advisers and Job Coaches work with jobseekers on an individualised basis to assess job readiness and identify opportunities for employment or gaps in the jobseekers suitability for employment. Intreo provides a variety of supports which may include job matching to suitable employment opportunities, support with CV preparation or interview training, referrals to further education or training, and placement on employment support schemes where appropriate.
Intreo Employer relations officers work with employers to match jobseekers with employers, they host events to support this engagement. A company called Grow Remote attended a Work and Skills event in Ballina, Co Mayo on 2nd of March, which was aimed at Carers and persons in receipt of a disability payment. Grow Remote work to connect jobseekers with employers recruiting for remote working positions.
My Department works closely at a local level with Education & Training Boards to ensure jobseekers engaging with Intreo can access training that can develop skills suitable for jobseekers to aid labour market progression. Where a jobseeker requires training to support them to develop remote work skills a referral can be made to the Local Education and Training Board or to an appropriate e-college training course where they are available.
The Training Support Grant is available to jobseekers to fund short-term training and certification up to €1,000 per annum. The Grant allows Employment Personal Advisors/Job Coaches to identify and address skills and certification gaps among jobseekers that prevent them from taking up an offer of employment.
58. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide an update on the rollout of the auto-enrolment pension system; the steps being taken to ensure workers and employers are compliant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46197/26]
View answerIreland's automatic enrolment retirement savings scheme, MyFutureFund commenced on the 1st January 2026. All elements of the system are operating as planned. Both the employer and participant website portals are fully functional and there is a very high level of compliance by employers registering for the scheme and remitting their contributions. Since the 1st January, based on analysis of payroll data from the Revenue Commissioners, 803,818 employees have been automatically enrolled in MyFutureFund. These employees work for 112,753 employers. In addition, more than 9,000 employees have applied to join the scheme voluntarily. Over €323m in contributions have been collected and invested on behalf of participants. This includes employer and State top-ups with participants seeing a 133% increase in their account over and above their own personal contribution and before investment returns are allocated.
The National Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Authority (NAERSA) was established in October 2025 to oversee and operate MyFutureFund including the collection and investment of contributions and the supervision and enforcement of compliance by employers.
As the data shows the overwhelming majority of employers are operating in compliance with their statutory obligations. However there are some cases where it appears that contributions have not been collected or remitted in respect of employees. NAERSA is following up in these cases. In the first instance it communicates with employers to understand the particular circumstances of the case and to assist employers in understanding and voluntarily taking steps toward full compliance. Where the employer cannot establish a valid reason for non-collection (e.g. in some cases there may be issues with how pension contributions that exempt an employment are reflected in the employer payroll) or does not take steps to comply on a voluntary basis NAERSA will exercise its statutory enforcement powers.
These enforcement powers include the issuances of compliance notices, fixed payment notices and criminal prosecution for serious offences. These powers escalate from fines to imprisonment and public naming of offenders.
I hope this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
61. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection whether he is considering advocating, as part of the pre-budget process, for targeted employer PRSI relief measures for SMEs, particularly in respect of lower-paid workers, in order to help locally owned businesses maintain employment and remain competitive in the face of rising business costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41556/26]
View answerIn general, the issue of targeted supports for businesses is a matter for the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment.
There are no proposals to introduce targeted employer PRSI relief measures for SMEs. However, in recognition of the pressures faced by businesses, the Government agreed, in Budget 2026, to increase the employer PRSI threshold from €527 to €552 per week, effective from 1 January 2026. This will ensure that employers with full time employees on the national minimum wage or employees with earnings under €552 per week will attract the lower employer PRSI rate of 9%.
Any further changes to the PRSI employer rates or threshold would have to be considered in a budgetary context, taking account of the economic circumstances and with a view to the sustainability of the Social Insurance Fund.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
62. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection for a breakdown of all persons currently on jobseeker's allowance, per Intreo area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45903/26]
View answerJobseeker’s Allowance is a means-tested payment for people who are unemployed and meet the qualifying conditions. In May 2026, there were 105,601 people in receipt of Jobseeker’s Allowance. A breakdown of these claims by county geography is set out in the table below.
The Department does not maintain Jobseeker’s Allowance statistics by Intreo centre area, as Intreo catchments do not correspond directly to the statistical units used for reporting. The closest available geographical data is the Live Register, which is published monthly by the Central Statistics Office and provides figures for the total Live Register by local office at https://data.cso.ie/table/LRM07.
Jobseeker's Allowance recipients by county are set out in the table below.
|
County |
Jobseekers Allowance 2026 May |
|
Carlow |
1,750 |
|
Cavan |
1,694 |
|
Clare |
2,471 |
|
Cork |
8,182 |
|
Donegal |
5,542 |
|
Dublin |
28,413 |
|
Galway |
4,867 |
|
Kerry |
3,575 |
|
Kildare |
3,890 |
|
Kilkenny |
1,975 |
|
Laois |
1,941 |
|
Leitrim |
1,064 |
|
Limerick |
4,191 |
|
Longford |
1,456 |
|
Louth |
4,154 |
|
Mayo |
3,547 |
|
Meath |
3,396 |
|
Monaghan |
1,182 |
|
Offaly |
1,903 |
|
Roscommon |
1,574 |
|
Sligo |
1,836 |
|
Tipperary |
3,515 |
|
Waterford |
3,584 |
|
Westmeath |
2,209 |
|
Wexford |
4,574 |
|
Wicklow |
3,057 |
|
Unknown |
59 |
|
Total |
105,601 |
63. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection the actions he plans on taking for those who have been working to date this year as reserves in the Defence Forces, and are now being left without certainty regarding income as they do not have the necessary PRSI contributions to qualify for jobseekers benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46151/26]
View answerMatters relating to the terms and conditions for members of the Reserve Defence Force are the responsibility of my colleague the Minister for Defence. I understand that membership of the Reserve Defence Force is a part-time voluntary role that can be carried out alongside a person's normal employment.
Reservists who undertake up to 21 days paid training are considered as Class M for Pay-Related Social Insurance (PRSI) purposes and therefore have no PRSI liability. For those who undertake more than 21 consecutive days training, they are liable to pay PRSI under Class H.
Class H contributions can be used to qualify for the social insurance-based Jobseeker's Pay-Related Benefit and Jobseeker's Benefit schemes, and can be combined with other qualifying contributions to meet the contribution requirements for these schemes.
Jobseeker's Pay-Related Benefit is available to those who are fully unemployed and who meet the contribution and other requirements of the scheme. Jobseeker's Benefit is available to those who are working on a part-time, casual, short-time or seasonal basis who meet the contribution and other requirements of the scheme.
If a person does not have enough contributions for Jobseeker’s Pay-Related Benefit or Jobseeker’s Benefit, they may be entitled to the means-tested Jobseeker's Allowance scheme.
I trust that this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
65. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide any analysis of use cases and business cases formulated by his Department regarding expanding the use of the Public Services Card prior to the initiation of the Social Welfare and Other Matters Bill (2026); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46266/26]
View answerOver the years, my Department has been asked why the Public Services Card (PSC), which is a card issued by Government cannot be used by the cardholder to prove their identity, if they wish to do so, whereas other Government issued documents, such as a driving licence or passport, can be used in this manner.
SAFE registration is the process used by my department to authenticate a person's identity. To become SAFE registered, the person must provide evidence of their identity and address, and their photo and signature are captured. To date, almost 5 million people have verified their identities through the SAFE registration process. Once a person is SAFE registered it is easier for providers of public services to verify the identity of customers in person and online.
A PSC is the token issued on completion of a SAFE registration process and evidence of a substantial level of assurance of identity.
Currently, it is an offence for any person or organisation other than those specified in social welfare law to request or accept a PSC as proof of identity. Under the scheme of the Social Welfare and Other Matters Bill 2026, I am proposing that a PSC holder will be allowed to use their PSC card for identity purposes, at his or her own discretion, in exactly the same way as they can use a driving licence or passport. The Bill provides that in instances where a person chooses to use their PSC as a form identity, the organisation who accepts the card as such proof will no longer be guilty of an offence.
Importantly, the legislation which restricts the bodies or organisations who can request a PSC from an individual is not being changed. This means that it remains the case that only those bodies or organisations specified in social welfare law may request a PSC. This safeguard continues in place.
The PSC does not currently display a cardholder’s date of birth. The proposed legislation also includes provisions for a cardholder to opt to have their date of birth inscribed on their PSC, and to subsequently opt, at any time, to have their date of birth removed.
I am very mindful of the cost a person incurs when they get, or renew, a passport or driver’s licence. One of the benefits of the PSC is that it is available free of charge. There is no fee associated with getting, or renewing, a PSC. My department receives queries from card holders, as well as political representatives, asking why it is not possible to use a PSC to verify their identity. Cardholders have expressed a wish to use their PSC to verify their identity for purposes such as opening a bank or credit union account, or for utility contract purposes, and they simply do not possess, or in some instances cannot afford, the alternative accepted forms of identity.
The legislative changes proposed in the Social Welfare and Other Matters Bill, 2026, will assist people in those very situations where they wish to use their PSC for identity purposes.
Further, it is only those individuals themselves who can choose if, or when, to use their PSC for such purposes.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
66. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people he expects to benefit from the forthcoming increase in income disregards for the carer’s allowance; the plans for further changes in Budget 2027; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46039/26]
View answerThe Programme for Government contains the commitment to abolish the means test for carers allowance over the life of the Government.
Budget 2026 will increase the earnings disregard for Carer’s Allowance by €375 to €1,000 per week for a single person and by €750 to €2,000 per week for a couple from July this year. These are the largest ever increases in the Carer's Allowance income disregards and are evidence of my Department's determination to deliver on its Programme for Government commitment.
With effect from July, this disregard will have increased cumulatively by €667.50 per week since 2022 for a single person and by €1,335 per week since 2022 for a couple.
This Budget 2026 measure will benefit both those current recipients who are on a means-reduced rate and who may see an increase in their payment rate, and those people making new claim applications otherwise subject to a means reduced rate in 2026.
On foot of the increases in the Carer's Allowance income disregards, a single person who provides full time care but also does some part-time work will this year be able to earn just over €54,000 and receive a full carer's payment. Similarly for a couple household, a person who is providing full-time care and where their partner might earn approximately €108,000 per annum will receive a full carer's payment.
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 in line with the Programme for Government commitment.
It is estimated that approximately 3,000 carers nationally will benefit from the measure. Given that the scheme is demand led and that it is likely that many people who would be outside the means threshold have not previously applied for Carer's Allowance, it is difficult to estimate potential inflow from this measure.
However, as with other schemes, the number of payments to be made under the scheme is not Budget-capped and the Department will closely monitor the inflow into the scheme to assess any change in trends. Data on take-up will be published in the Department's quarterly statistical releases.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
67. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection his key priorities under the Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2026–2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46026/26]
View answerThe Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2026 to 2030, which was published in May 2026, is the Government’s whole-of-Government strategy to reduce poverty and improve social inclusion over the next five years.
Its overarching ambition is to reduce consistent poverty to 2 per cent or less by the end of 2030, to reduce income inequality, and to make Ireland one of the most socially inclusive countries in the European Union.
To support these ambitions, the Roadmap sets out 63 cross-Government actions, recognising that poverty is multi-dimensional and must be addressed across a broad range of areas. These include income supports, employment, housing, education, health, transport, childcare and other public services.
A key priority under the Roadmap is to focus efforts on those groups most impacted by poverty and social exclusion, including families with children on low incomes, lone parents, disabled people, older people and disadvantaged communities, such as Travellers and Roma.
In this context, reducing child poverty is a particular priority. In September 2025, the Government agreed a new national child poverty target of 3 per cent or less, based on consistent poverty, to be achieved by the end of 2030. The actions in the Roadmap will support the delivery, and the reporting of, this ambitious target.
The Roadmap also places a strong emphasis on co-ordinated delivery, evidence-based policymaking and ongoing engagement with stakeholders, including people with lived experience of poverty and social exclusion. It was developed following a public consultation process that received almost 500 responses and was launched at the Social Inclusion Forum in May 2026 that brought together Government and organsiations working with people impacted by poverty and social exclusion.
Progress under the strategy will be measured against 25 high-level indicators and reported on annually in published progress reports following their noting by Government. Oversight will be provided through a Steering Group chaired by me, the Minister for Social Protection, with representation from all relevant Government Departments and the community and voluntary sector.
My priority, working with Cabinet colleagues, is to ensure that the actions in the Roadmap translate into real outcomes for individuals, families and communities, and that the State continues to build a fairer and more inclusive society in which everyone can live with dignity and participate fully.
68. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the average processing times for carer's allowance, disability allowance, and domiciliary care allowance applications; the number of applications awaiting decision in each scheme; the average time taken to determine appeals in each scheme in 2025 and to date in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46257/26]
View answerAn Appeals Modernisation Project was successfully finalized in Q1 2025 to streamline the end-to-end user experience. This initiative successfully launched online appeal functionalities directly through the MyWelfare platform, ensuring a significantly faster intake process for citizens.
Following this rollout, the new Social Welfare Appeals Regulations (S.I. No. 744 of 2024) officially came into operation on 28 April 2025. These modernised regulations introduced strict operational timeframes and standardized consistency across all files. Coupled with active caseload management by the Chief Appeals Officer, these combined measures have successfully driven down both the overall volume of appeals on hand and average processing durations.
The Chief Appeals Officer continues to monitor processing times and every effort is made to reduce the time taken to process an appeal. However, the drive for efficiency must be balanced with the competing demand to ensure that decisions are consistent and made in accordance with the provisions set out in primary legislation and regulations.
The table below sets out the average time to award for each month of 2025 and to date in 2026 for Disability Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, and Invalidity Pension.
|
|
|
|
Average time to award in weeks |
|
|
Carer's Allowance |
Disability Allowance |
Domiciliary Care Allowance |
|
Jan-25 |
9 |
7 |
6 |
|
Feb-25 |
8 |
6 |
5 |
|
Mar-25 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
|
Apr-25 |
6 |
6 |
5 |
|
May-25 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
|
Jun-25 |
5 |
6 |
6 |
|
Jul-25 |
6 |
6 |
8 |
|
Aug-25 |
7 |
6 |
9 |
|
Sep-25 |
6 |
6 |
10 |
|
Oct-25 |
5 |
6 |
8 |
|
Nov-25 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
|
Dec-25 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
|
Jan-26 |
8 |
6 |
7 |
|
Feb-26 |
7 |
6 |
7 |
|
Mar-26 |
6 |
5 |
5 |
|
Apr-26 |
6 |
6 |
7 |
|
May-26 |
6 |
6 |
7 |
The table below sets out the number of applications pending at end of the period for each month of 2025 and to date in 2026 for Disability Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, and Invalidity Pension.
|
|
|
|
Applications pending at months end |
|
|
Carer's Allowance |
Disability Allowance |
Domiciliary Care Allowance |
|
Jan-25 |
2,283 |
2,724 |
1,016 |
|
Feb-25 |
2,168 |
3,056 |
1,169 |
|
Mar-25 |
2,052 |
3,077 |
1,404 |
|
Apr-25 |
2,198 |
3,201 |
1,576 |
|
May-25 |
2,300 |
2,986 |
2,272 |
|
Jun-25 |
2,382 |
3,195 |
2,458 |
|
Jul-25 |
2,407 |
3,023 |
2,401 |
|
Aug-25 |
2,682 |
3,194 |
2,370 |
|
Sep-25 |
2,500 |
3,396 |
2,080 |
|
Oct-25 |
2,248 |
3,706 |
1,863 |
|
Nov-25 |
2,687 |
3,210 |
1,772 |
|
Dec-25 |
2,727 |
2,960 |
1,822 |
|
Jan-26 |
2,793 |
2,888 |
1,793 |
|
Feb-26 |
2,938 |
3,282 |
1,868 |
|
Mar-26 |
2,860 |
3,732 |
1,997 |
|
Apr-26 |
2,780 |
3,490 |
2,339 |
|
May-26 |
2,629 |
3,617 |
2,782
|
The table below sets out the average appeals processing time for each month of 2025 and to date in 2026 for Disability Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, and Invalidity Pension. Please note that figures refer to the appeals being progressed on the new platform developed as part of the aforementioned Appeals Modernisation Project; there may have been some legacy appeals in progress on the old system which are not captured here.
|
|
|
|
Average appeal processing times in weeks |
|
|
Carer's Allowance |
Disability Allowance |
Domiciliary Care Allowance |
|
Jan-25 |
21.3 |
20.2 |
21.5 |
|
Feb-25 |
20.7 |
23 |
18.4 |
|
Mar-25 |
24.2 |
24.4 |
19.4 |
|
Apr-25 |
17.5 |
28.7 |
16.3 |
|
May-25 |
15 |
27.2 |
35.2 |
|
Jun-25 |
22.2 |
23.7 |
29.3 |
|
Jul-25 |
34.9 |
26.8 |
12.1 |
|
Aug-25 |
38.6 |
16.3 |
11.3 |
|
Sep-25 |
25.8 |
17.9 |
9.9 |
|
Oct-25 |
18.6 |
19.8 |
11 |
|
Nov-25 |
18.9 |
12.8 |
12.1 |
|
Dec-25 |
21.3 |
14.3 |
15.3 |
|
Jan-26 |
22.5 |
14.1 |
14.7 |
|
Feb-26 |
19.3 |
12.3 |
10.4 |
|
Mar-26 |
13.7 |
12.2 |
14.7 |
|
Apr-26 |
13.3 |
10.7 |
12 |
|
May-26 |
13 |
10.5 |
12.3 |
69. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps that will be taken towards abolishing the means test for carers’ allowance in the Budget; if he has considered abolishing the means test for disability allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46272/26]
View answerThe Carer’s Allowance is the main scheme by which the Department provides income support to carers.
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 already underway. 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 next month. From the 2nd of 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.
Removing the means test is a significant shift in policy direction and there may be further implications above the cost exposure. For this reason, the income disregard is being abolished in a measured way over a number of Budgets, having regard to the prevailing budgetary conditions.
The Programme for Government and the new National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025 - 2030 both contain a commitment to reform the Disability Allowance Payment and remove anomalies in the current means test for the payment. There is no commitment to abolish the means test for Disability Allowance.
My Department is currently reviewing means testing across all its social assistance schemes. The outcome of this review will be used to inform decisions regarding any further changes to means testing.
70. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection the number that received the carer’s support grant in 2026; the way in which this compares to 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46034/26]
View answerThe Carer's Support Grant is an annual payment of €2,000 provided to full-time carers in Ireland. It is paid automatically to recipients of Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit, and Domiciliary Care Allowance. It can also be paid to certain other carers providing full-time care.
In 2026, the number of recipients of the Carer's Support Grant was 146,428, compared with 117,269 recipients in 2020.
71. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection whether he is aware that applications for assistance with bills under the urgent needs payment scheme in the first three months of this year has doubled. [46299/26]
View answerThe 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.
I am acutely aware of the difficulties people face and it is for this reason that 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.
The main items eligible for assistance under the scheme include help with utility bills, repairs to or replacement of household appliances, clothing, child related items such as cots and prams, assistance with funerals or burial costs, and travel costs.
I am aware that applications for assistance with bills has increased this year and I want people that need help to apply for these payments. The scheme is demand led and my department officials have done a lot of work to promote Additional Needs Payments. As you are aware, in February this year, officers from the Community Welfare Service attended Leinster House to provide relevant information to Oireachtas Members.
I continue to encourage any person who considers that they may have an entitlement to an Additional Needs Payment 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 can be made online via www.mywelfare.ie.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
72. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Social Protection his priorities for Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46021/26]
View answerMy Department has an ambitious policy programme for the 2026 Presidency of the Council of the European Union that dovetails with the three priorities of Competitiveness, Values and Security. The coordination of the Employment and Social Policy Council ( EPSCO) for Ireland falls within the remit of the Department.
My priorities include progressing the negotiations on the Fair Labour Mobility Package, due to be published in September and part of the One Europe One Market Roadmap. In particular, I will seek to advance the digital European Social Security Pass (ESSPASS) to reduce administrative friction for businesses and mobile workers, and do further work on Regulation 883/2004 to improve social security coordination.
In addition, though progressing through the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN), there are two supplementary pensions files that are of strategic importance, part also of the One Europe One Market Roadmap, one of which falls under the aegis of my Department and on which my officials are working closely with officials from the Department of Finance to progress to finalisation.
Progressing the first European Anti-Poverty Strategy and reinforcing the European Pillar of Social Rights is a priority for the Irish Presidency. Specifically, my Department will support work that delivers on our commitments to reduce the number of people at risk of social exclusion which is more likely to affect unemployed people, lone parent families, migrant and ethnic minority communities and disabled people. I plan to focus on addressing the disability employment gap, in particular on those policy levers that can successfully harness the skills and talents of people with disabilities in the workplace and contribute to a more inclusive and competitive economy. In addition, my Department will support the strengthening of the European Child Guarantee and will work to improve outcomes for children experiencing disadvantage, with a particular focus on parenting supports.
At EPSCO, our presidency programme will demonstrate that our European values are not just abstract ideals but practical principles which underpins the fairness, trust and stability of the system providing the EU with a clear economic and social advantage.
74. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures he will put in place to ensure that the Hot School Meals Programme supports local employment, delivers freshly prepared meals on a daily basis, and ensures the programme supports sustainability and local economic development across all eligible providers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46031/26]
View answerAll 3,200 primary schools and 550,000 children are eligible for hot school meals. Across all meal types, there some 3,700 schools and 682,000 children eligible for support. This equates to the distribution of up to 3.4 million school meals per week.
My Department provides the funding for food to schools. All schools who wish to avail of funding are responsible for choosing their school meals supplier on the open market, in a fair and transparent manner in accordance with public procurement rules.
Under the Hot School Meals mandatory procurement documentation there are four delivery options the school as the contracting authority can choose. Hot School Meals delivered ready to eat and fully prepared on-site are two of those options.
Green Procurement and Sustainability account for a fifth of the total marks in the Call for Tender Procurement documentation.
There are some 300 suppliers in the School Meals Programme with the majority of these supplying one to three local schools. In addition, there are meals on wheels organisations and community organisations supplying local schools. Local suppliers are creating local employment and some of the larger suppliers have local hubs who employ local drivers for transport and local staff in schools to serve the meals. This Department has also worked with officials in the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht and compiled a list of supports available to local community organisations who may wish to expand their operation into the school meals area.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
75. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to increase the top-up payment for participants on community employment schemes, TÚS, and rural social schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46246/26]
View answerMy Department provides a range of supports and programmes catering for the long term unemployed, those most distant from the labour market and low-income farmers and fishers. These supports include programmes such as Community Employment (CE), Tús and the Rural Social Scheme (RSS).
In addition to providing valuable occupational experience and training as a stepping-stone to employment for people who are unemployed and income support, the schemes also provide important and, in many cases essential, services to their local communities.
CE and Tús are employment activation measures designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis.
The RSS is an income support initiative that provides part-time employment opportunities in community and voluntary organisations for farmers or fishermen who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments and who are underemployed in their primary occupation.
There are currently 19,641 participants on CE, 4,407 participants on Tús and 2739 on the RSS. Government investment in these schemes will amount to over €565 million in 2026.
The weekly rate of pay on CE/Tús/RSS is determined by the underlying social welfare payment which would be payable to the participant based on their household composition and financial circumstances, plus a minimum weekly top up rate. Participants may also be entitled to increases in respect of a qualified adult, qualified children, or the Fuel Allowance.
Last year, I secured a package worth over €1.15 billion in ongoing Social Protection measures as part of Budget 2026. This package provided vital and much needed support our pensioners, carers, people with disabilities, lone parents and families.
As part of this package, I announced that weekly social welfare rates were to increase by €10 along with an increase of €5 to the top-up payment for Community Employment, the Rural Social Scheme and Tús schemes. The value of the top-up payment now stands at €32.50 weekly. In effect, these changes ensured that the minimum payment for participants increased from €271.50 to €286.50 per week effective from 1st January 2026. Additionally, there were proportional increases for qualified adult dependents and a substantial increase in child support payments.
Any further changes to the top-up payment would need to be considered in an overall budgetary context.
I am fully committed to the future of employment support programmes and will continue to support and improve the schemes for the benefit of all participants, given the valuable contribution being made to local communities through the provision of services.
76. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the timeline for the conclusion of the public consultation on a potential new targeted child payment and new working age payment launched by his Department on 5 May 2026; the number of submissions received to date; when he expects to bring proposals arising from the consultation to Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46256/26]
View answerThe Programme for Government sets out a commitment to explore the introduction of a targeted child benefit payment, and to introduce a working age payment. In line with this commitment on May 5th my Department launched a public consultation on a potential new targeted child payment and working age payment. The consultation process concluded on June 12th.
As of close of business on June 12th, my Department had received 191 submissions.
My Officials will review and analyse all submissions. These are complex reforms, and it will take time to consider the input from the consultation process, and to progress more detailed design. Proposals will be brought to Government in due course.
I trust this clarify the matter for the Deputy.
77. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the evidentiary requirements for carer’s allowance applications and reviews; if he will examine whether carers are being asked to repeatedly provide medical or supporting documents already held by the Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45626/26]
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.
My Department is committed to ensuring that only those people who are eligible receive welfare and other payments. The objective is to ensure that we pay the right people, the right amount, through the right scheme or programme, at the right time.
CA cases have a number of complex qualifying conditions. In considering applications for CA, evidence must be provided in respect of the care recipient’s medical condition, the care needs of the care recipient and the provision of care conditions by the carer, the carer's means and habitual residency conditionality.
Some applications require more detailed interaction with the customer and this can lead to further information requests. The Department seeks to use existing records wherever possible so customers are not asked to provide the same details twice.
The ambition to process applications and reviews quickly must be balanced with the competing demand to ensure that decisions are consistent, of high quality, and made in accordance with the legislative provisions, and the general principles of fair procedures and natural justice.
Operational processes, procedures, and the organisation of work are continually reviewed to ensure that processing capability is maximised, and repeated requests for information are minimised to avoid any undue stress to the customer.
If there is a specific case that the Deputy would like examined, the Department would be glad to assist.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
