Mark Wall
Question:75. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress his Department has made in reducing the waiting times for processing social welfare appeals. [67654/26]
View answerSocial Welfare Appeals
Questions (75)
Written answers
As of end of Q2 2026, the current average processing time for a decision to be made on appeals by the Social Welfare Appeals Office is 12 weeks. This is a reduction from 12.8 weeks as of end of Q1 2026 and from 21.2 weeks at the end of 2025.
Additional resources were allocated to the Social Welfare Appeals Office at the end of 2024 and throughout 2025. Furthermore, an Appeals Modernisation Project was completed in 2025. The project streamlined and enhanced the end-to-end appeals process for the customer and provided online capabilities on MyWelfare for making appeals. It provides a secure, comprehensive, online appeals service for customers. It improves the customer experience by offering an additional online channel, facilitating 24/7 access to view their current appeal status which has helped improve communications with appellants during the appeals process.
Additionally, New Social Welfare Appeals Regulations (S.I. No. 744 of 2024) came into effect in April 2025. The purpose of these regulations is to modernise and streamline the social welfare appeals process, providing greater clarity, improved consistency, and more defined timeframes. This has also helped reduce the length of time it takes for appeals to be processed and decided.
My Department understands the many pressures faced by people and always seeks to ensure that claims are processed as quickly and efficiently as possible. However, the drive for efficiency must be balanced with the competing demand to ensure decisions are consistent and made in accordance with the provisions set out in primary legislation and regulations.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
ENDS
Social Welfare Benefits
Questions (76, 113)
Colm Burke
Question:76. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection to confirm whether consideration would be given to introducing a support specifically for older people to help with the cost of home heating oil. [67543/26]
View answerColm Burke
Question:113. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration will be given to making fuel allowance an automatic entitlement to everyone over 70 years-of-age; and the estimated cost that will be incurred to make this change. [67575/26]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 76 and 113 together.
Fuel Allowance eligibility encompasses 22 qualifying schemes, demonstrating the comprehensive nature of the support available to eligible households. In addition to these qualifying schemes, people over 66 do not need to be in receipt of a payment from this Department to qualify for Fuel Allowance, subject to satisfying a means test. According to the latest CSO data, there are just over 1.8 million households in Ireland. Of these, 463,910 households are eligible for the Fuel Allowance scheme, representing approximately 26% of all households nationwide.
There have been significant improvements made in recent years to the Fuel Allowance scheme, especially in relation to the income threshold for those aged 66 or older.
In January 2023, in order to allow more pensioner households qualify for the Fuel Allowance payment, a new Fuel Allowance payment was introduced for people aged 70 and over. People over 70 years of age no longer needed to be in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment to be eligible for Fuel Allowance. A single person with means up to €500 per week or a couple with up to €1,000 per week became eligible. The amount of savings and investments that are disregarded was also increased for people aged 70 or over from €20,000 to €50,000.
From January 2025, this measure was extended to applicants aged 66 and over, with an increase to the weekly means that could be disregarded to €534 for a single person and €1,068 for a couple. Recent expansions to the scheme have resulted in many more households qualifying for the payment and have resulted in the Budget for the scheme increasing to an estimated €557.4 million in 2026 compared to an expenditure of €290.45 million in 2020. Since 2020, an additional 100,000 households have become eligible for fuel allowance.
I am aware that there may be exceptional circumstances where a person does not qualify for Fuel Allowance but may need support, and it is for this reason that the Department of Social Protection provides Additional Needs Payments as part of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme to help meet essential expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income or other personal and household resources. 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.
The Programme for Government includes a commitment to examine key ancillary benefits such as the Fuel Allowance, Household Benefits Package and Living Alone Increase to support vulnerable groups. This is an ongoing activity as part of the Department's budget planning each year.
I will continue, as part of the budget planning process, to examine improvements to key ancillary benefits to ensure that these benefits continue to support older and vulnerable cohorts.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Departmental Reviews
Questions (77)
Eoin Hayes
Question:77. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the review carried out by his Department on the system of means tests for all schemes in his Department; and if he will lay the report before the House. [67512/26]
View answerWritten answers
A comprehensive review of means testing in the social protection system is currently underway in my Department. This will take into account the report on Means Testing in the Social Welfare System in Ireland published by the Joint Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development, and the Islands. The purpose of the review of means testing is to look at the different means-tested schemes and to identify any issues in terms of the application of their respective means test.
It is my intention that the review's findings will inform decisions regarding potential changes to means testing in future. The review is currently being finalised and reviewed internally, and I expect that it will be submitted to me shortly.
Any prospective changes to means-testing arrangements would need to be evaluated and considered within the overall policy and budgetary context.
Social Welfare Eligibility
Questions (78)
Seamus Healy
Question:78. Deputy Seamus Healy asked the Minister for Social Protection to implement a disregard of carer’s allowance and carer’s benefit in the assessment of income for other social protection payments such as the working family payment. [67664/26]
View answerWritten answers
My Department has over 90 schemes, a significant number of which are means-tested schemes. Social welfare legislation provides that various 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 can include income from employment, self-employment, occupational pensions and maintenance payments depending on particular rules of the scheme concerned. They also include consideration of property owned, other than the family home, and capital such as savings, shares, and other investments.
As each scheme addresses different contingencies, there are variations in the manner in which income is assessed across means tests.
The Working Family Payment is an in-employment support, as such it is an income-assessed scheme and is not subject to a means test. The main legislative provisions are contained in the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act 2005, as amended, primarily Part 6, Sections 227 to 233 and in the Social Welfare (Consolidated Claims, Payments and Control Regulations) 2007 to 2017, as amended, primarily Part 6, Articles 172 to 177.
All income from employment assessed is net of income tax, pay-related social insurance, the universal social charge and pension-related deductions. In general, income from social protection payments, including Carer’s Allowance, is included in the assessment. Certain sources of income are not included in the calculation, including Child Benefit, the Supplementary Welfare Allowance, Rent Allowance and certain payments made directly or indirectly by or on behalf of the Minister for Justice.
Any changes would need to be considered in an overall budgetary and policy context.
Social Welfare Application Forms
Questions (79)
Louise O'Reilly
Question:79. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps he is taking to remove financial and administrative barriers faced by people when obtaining medical evidence and legal aid required for social welfare and housing applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67576/26]
View answerWritten answers
My Department is committed to reducing any administrative, financial and other barriers that may prevent people from accessing their social welfare entitlements.
The Department's schemes are generally accessed through two main mechanisms:
• by assessing the PRSI contribution record of a person in respect of Social Benefit schemes; or
• by applying a means test, and other conditions as appropriate, in the case of Social Assistance schemes.
In respect of contributory schemes, the Government has broadened access and entitlements in recent years through the introduction of new schemes such as Jobseekers Pay-Related Benefit; the expansion of access to existing schemes, such as provision of access to Carer's Benefit for the Self Employed and the extension of the duration of schemes, such as Parent's Benefit.
In respect of means tested Social Assistance schemes, significant adjustments have been made in income disregards, which have enabled more people to qualify for schemes such as Carer's Allowance, Fuel Allowance and Disability Allowance in recent years.
I would like to make it clear that the department does not require applicants to obtain private assessments or specialist medical reports in order to submit an application for a social welfare payment. All available evidence submitted as part of the application or appeal process is considered.
In addition, the department funds GPs to complete the medical portion of relevant social welfare application forms.
Social Welfare Eligibility
Questions (80)
Ruairí Ó Murchú
Question:80. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason carer's allowance payments are included in the calculation of income when deciding the eligibility for the BSCFA when other payments, such as WFP, are not; and whether there are plans to remove carers allowance from the BSCFA calculations. [67423/26]
View answerWritten answers
The Government acknowledges and values the important role of family carers and is committed to continuing to improve the supports available to them.
The main income supports to carers provided by the Department are Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant. Expenditure on these payments this year is expected to exceed €2.2 billion.
The Programme for Government commits to strengthening supports for family carers with a particular focus on the concerns raised by carers and their representative groups. The main priority has been the progressive removal of the Carer’s Allowance means test and substantial progress has been made in that regard.
In July 2025, the income disregards increased from €450 to €625 for a single person and from €900 to €1,250 for a couple. As part of Budget 2026, and with effect from July of this year, the Government further increased the weekly income disregard by 60%, from €625 to €1,000 for a single person, and from €1,250 to €2,000 for carers who are part of a couple.
These changes are the largest ever increases in the history of the scheme with virtually all those in receipt of Carer's Allowance now in receipt of the maximum rate of payment. A carer in a two-adult household with an income of approximately €110,000 can retain their full Carer’s Allowance payment and with an income of €138,000 will retain a partial payment. This covers up to 90% of couple households.
A single carer working part-time can now earn up to €50,000 and retain their full Carer’s Allowance Payment. The disregard is over double the average earnings for part-time workers.
Progress has also been made on weekly carer rates of payments. In January 2026 there was a €10 increase in the maximum personal rate of Carer's Allowance and Carer's Benefit to €270 and €271, respectively, for carers aged under 66. For those aged 66 and over, the weekly rate for Carer’s Allowance is now €308. There are proportionate increases for people getting a reduced rate. This is the fifth successive rise in weekly welfare rates which have increased by €51 over the last five years.
As part of Budget 2026, the monthly rate of Domiciliary Care Allowance was increased by €20, bringing it to €380 in January. This payment has increased by €70.50 per month since January 2023.
The Child Support Payment also increased to €78 for children aged 12 and over and €58 for those under 12.
The Carer’s Support Grant was increased by €150 to €2,000 in June 2025, its highest ever level. The grant is paid in respect of each person being cared for. This year’s grant was paid to over 147,000 carers on 4 June.
The Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn. The scheme operates from June to September each year.
In order to qualify for Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance, an applicant must satisfy a number of qualifying conditions, one of which requires the applicant’s household income to be within the relevant income limits. The income limits for the scheme are increased annually as part of the budget process.
The Weekly Household Income Limits for 2026 are:
|
Number of Children |
Income Limit |
|
1 child |
€726.70 |
|
2 children |
€804.70 |
|
3 children |
€882.70 |
|
4 children* |
€960.70 |
* Limit is increased by €78.00 for each additional child.
The household income includes weekly social protection payments, gross income from employment, minus employee PRSI and a €20 travel allowance and any other income the household may have.
Any income from Working Family Payment, Child Benefit, Rent Supplement, Back to Work Family Dividend, Guardian’s Payments, Domiciliary Care Allowance, Blind Welfare Allowance, Foster Care Allowance, Higher Level Education grants is not assessable. Rehabilitative employment (up to €165 per week) is also not assessable.
Any future changes to the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme would have to be considered in an overall Budgetary context.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Question No. 81 answered with Question No. 25.
Social Welfare Eligibility
Questions (82)
Peadar Tóibín
Question:82. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of carers whose applications for carer's allowance were refused solely as a result of the means test in each of the past five years; and the average amount by which applicants exceeded the income threshold. [67315/26]
View answerWritten answers
Carer’s Allowance is a means-tested social assistance payment for people who are providing full-time care and attention to a person who requires such care.
There are a number of qualifying conditions for Carer’s Allowance. These include conditions relating to the care recipient’s need for full-time care and attention, the provision of that care by the applicant, the applicant’s employment or education circumstances, residency requirements and satisfaction of the means test.
An application may be disallowed where one or more of the qualifying conditions for the scheme are not satisfied. My Department’s administrative systems do not record disallowed applications in a manner that enables cases where the means test was the sole reason for disallowance to be separately identified. It is therefore not possible to provide the number of applications disallowed solely on means grounds in each of the past five years.
Similarly, the Department’s systems do not capture the amount by which the assessable means of unsuccessful applicants exceeded the applicable limit in a manner that would enable the average amount requested by the Deputy to be calculated. Accordingly, this information is not available.
The means test for Carer’s Allowance has, however, been significantly improved in recent years. As part of Budget 2026, I announced further improvements which took effect from 2 July this year. The weekly income disregard increased by 60%, from €625 to €1,000 for a single person and from €1,250 to €2,000 for carers who are part of a couple.
These are the largest ever increases in the income disregards. They mean that a carer in a two-adult household with an income of €110,000 can retain their full Carer’s Allowance payment, and a partial payment may be payable at household income of up to €138,000. This encompasses up to 90% of couple households in the State.
In addition, almost 2,700 existing Carer’s Allowance recipients benefited from an increase in their rate of payment following the July change, and virtually all Carer’s Allowance recipients are now receiving the maximum rate applicable to their circumstances.
The Government recognises the vital contribution made by family carers and remains committed to supporting them through the social protection system.
Social Welfare Eligibility
Questions (83)
Peadar Tóibín
Question:83. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons holding a free travel pass on 31 August 2026, by qualifying category including State pension, disability allowance, invalidity pension, blind pension and carer's allowance recipients; the beneficiaries of temporary protection from Ukraine, where applicable, international protection applicants, where applicable, and all other qualifying categories; and the estimated cost to the Exchequer of providing free travel under each category in each of the past five years. [67316/26]
View answerWritten answers
As of 31 August 2026, a total of 1,180,276 recipients held a free travel pass. The breakdown by qualifying scheme is provided in the table below:
|
Scheme |
Number of Recipients |
|
Blind Persons Pension |
883 |
|
Carers Allowance |
81,393 |
|
Deserted Wifes Benefit |
2,913 |
|
Disability Allowance |
175,120 |
|
Free Travel Only |
150,696 |
|
Incapacity Supplement |
497 |
|
Invalidity Pension |
50,933 |
|
Jobseekers Transitional Payment |
61 |
|
Occupational Injuries Pension |
540 |
|
One Parent Family Payment |
217 |
|
Partial Capacity Benefit |
2,366 |
|
State Pension Contributory |
516,535 |
|
State Pension Non Contributory |
100,909 |
|
Bereaved Partner’s (Contributory) Pension |
97,016 |
|
Bereaved Partner’s (Non-Contributory) Pension |
197 |
|
TOTAL |
1,180,276 |
As of the 31 August, there were 12,280 recipients of the Free Travel scheme who were beneficiaries of temporary protection from Ukraine.
The annual expenditure for the Free Travel scheme for each of the last 5 years is provided in the table below in millions of euro. Expenditure is reported at the scheme level and we are unable to break down expenditure by the qualifying category for recipients.
|
- |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
|
Expenditure (€million) |
91.27 |
89.57 |
92.58 |
96.62 |
102.45 |
Social Welfare Benefits
Questions (84)
Brian Stanley
Question:84. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection the plans in place to enhance and expand Social Welfare and Intreo Services in County Laois to match local population growth to ensure timely access for claimants. [67396/26]
View answerWritten answers
The people of Laois are currently served by Social Welfare Branch Offices in Portlaoise, Rathdowney and Portarlington. Community Welfare Service and the Social Welfare Inspectorate are based in Government Buildings in Portlaoise. The Department’s Employment Support Service and Employer Relation teams are based in JFL House in Portlaoise.
These services provide access to a broad range of supports, including employment services, income supports and the Community Welfare Service. Depending on the service required, customers can engage with the Department either by appointment or through the walk-in facilities available at the relevant office.
Client Identity Services (registration for Public Service Cards) are provided in Portlaoise, Rathdowney and Portarlington Branch Offices. Appointments for processing PPSN applications are provided at Portlaoise Branch Office.
While direct, face-to-face contact remains an important part of the department’s service to customers, there are a number of alternative ways in which people in County Laois can access supports without having to travel to any of these offices Centre. In particular, the department’s online services provide customers with convenient access to employment and income-support services from their own homes.
Through MyWelfare, customers can apply for a range of schemes and payments, manage existing claims and submit supporting information or documentation electronically. The majority of applications for Jobseekers payments are made online. Paper applications continue to be available for customers who prefer or require that option.
Employment services can also be delivered remotely where appropriate. This includes access to online Group Information Sessions, which provide customers with information on employment supports, services and opportunities available to assist them in returning to employment. Customers can also engage on a one-to-one basis with Employment Personal Advisers, including through remote and online engagement where appropriate. This enables people in County Laois to receive personalised employment guidance and activation supports without necessarily having to attend in person.
Customers who need assistance from the Community Welfare Service may access the service in person and also by contacting the National Community Welfare Service by freephone. They can speak directly with a Community Welfare Officer by telephone where an in-person meeting is not required.
Alternatively, all scheme areas in my department are contactable by phone. Telephone queries relating to Intreo services are dealt with by the National Intreo Contact Centre, which is available to support customers with their queries on 0818 405060 from 8.15am to 5pm Monday to Friday. Customers can find contact details, including phone numbers and emails, for all other DSP schemes and services on my department's www.Gov.ie site.
The Department continues to keep access to services under review to ensure timely access for customers.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Departmental Reviews
Questions (85)
Matt Carthy
Question:85. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection whether the review of means testing in the social protection system will be completed this quarter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66609/26]
View answerWritten answers
My Department is conducting a review of means testing within the social protection system.
The aim is to examine various means-tested schemes and identify any issues related to their respective means tests. With over 140 schemes and services, many of which are means-tested, this is a complex and detailed task.
It is my intention that the review's findings will inform decisions regarding potential changes to means testing in future Budgets.
The review is currently with senior management of the Department for review and I expect that it will be submitted to me shortly.
Due to the complexity of the review, I will carefully and thoroughly evaluate it to determine the best way to utilise its findings and identify those that may warrant further consideration.
However, any prospective changes to means-testing arrangements will need to be evaluated and considered within the overall policy and budgetary context.
Question No. 86 answered with Question No. 37.
School Meals Programme
Questions (87)
Shay Brennan
Question:87. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection If he will provide a county breakdown of the numbers of students receiving a hot school meal every day. [67249/26]
View answerWritten answers
Since September 2025 all 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 are eligible for support. This equates to the distribution of up to 3.4 million school meals per week.
The table below gives the breakdown of the number of children in receipt of Hot School Meals per day, by county for the 2025/26 academic year. The 2026/27 academic school year started three weeks ago and applications are currently being processed.
|
County |
Number of Children in Receipt of Hot School Meals per day |
|
CARLOW |
6728 |
|
CAVAN |
9614 |
|
CLARE |
11471 |
|
CORK |
52227 |
|
DONEGAL |
18063 |
|
DUBLIN |
92105 |
|
GALWAY |
26669 |
|
KERRY |
14694 |
|
KILDARE |
22498 |
|
KILKENNY |
10413 |
|
LAOIS |
10300 |
|
LEITRIM |
3504 |
|
LIMERICK |
20340 |
|
LONGFORD |
4726 |
|
LOUTH |
13703 |
|
MAYO |
13802 |
|
MEATH |
20793 |
|
MONAGHAN |
6749 |
|
OFFALY |
8450 |
|
ROSCOMMON |
7056 |
|
SLIGO |
4129 |
|
TIPPERARY |
17722 |
|
WATERFORD |
11854 |
|
WESTMEATH |
11004 |
|
WEXFORD |
17922 |
|
WICKLOW |
14976 |
|
Total |
451,512 |
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Social Welfare Eligibility
Questions (88)
Brendan Smith
Question:88. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people in Cavan Monaghan that are eligible for Fuel Allowance. [67384/26]
View answerWritten answers
The Fuel Allowance scheme is a means-tested payment that assists qualifying households with their heating costs during the winter season. Budget 2026 extended eligibility for Fuel Allowance to recipients of the Working Family Payment, increasing the total number of households expected to benefit from the scheme to 470,000.
As Fuel Allowance is a demand-led scheme, the total number of eligible households cannot be determined in advance, as eligibility is assessed through an individual means test. In addition, the number of qualifying households fluctuates over time as recipients enter and leave the scheme depending on their circumstances.
Based on the most recent county-level data provided for August 2026, the estimated number of households that will receive Fuel Allowance in the 2026/2027 fuel season is 8,800 for Cavan and 7,100 for Monaghan. A total of 15,900 households across the Cavan-Monaghan constituency.
Departmental Policies
Questions (89)
Michael Murphy
Question:89. 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. [63668/26]
View answerWritten answers
In general, the issue of targeted supports for businesses is a matter for the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment. However, the following is the position with regards to employer PRSI.
The main finding of the most latest Actuarial Review of the Social Insurance Fund was that the Fund will experience significant long term sustainability challenges. It is in this regard that the previous Government agreed to a series of annual incremental increases in all PRSI rates, including employer PRSI, up to and including 2028. A further evaluation of the position of the Fund will be held after the completion of the next Actuarial Review next year.
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 similar or further employer PRSI relief measures for businesses 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.
Social Welfare Eligibility
Questions (90)
Mairéad Farrell
Question:90. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration has been given to the way that eligibility reviews are communicated to persons in receipt of the State Pension (non-contributory), particularly given that these individuals are often vulnerable. [67603/26]
View answerWritten answers
My Department has a commitment to an annual level of control reviews and operates an ongoing continuous schedule of control and review activity for those in receipt of a pension.
The objective is to ensure that customers on a pension, regardless of age, continue to receive their correct rate of payment over the lifetime of their claim. On review, claimants on a means tested payment or in receipt of a means tested allowance may have their weekly payment rate unchanged or adjusted upwards or downwards as appropriate, based on their up-to-date means assessment.
Reviews can arise from customer requests for a review of their claim, from targeted and random case selections, or where specific information comes to the attention of my Department. Factors such as length of time since last review, or where information is received from other agencies such as the Revenue Commissioners, or from members of the public, can also trigger control reviews.
Information letters are issued annually from the State Pension Non-Contributory area to a proportion of recipients, on a rolling basis, to remind them of the conditions for continuing receipt of their payment and their obligation to notify the Department of changes in their circumstances in a timely manner.
My Department understands the many pressures faced by people and always seeks to ensure that reviews are processed quickly and efficiently. Each decision made following a review is open to a review and/or an appeal to the Social Welfare Appeals office.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Budget 2027
Questions (91)
Michael Cahill
Question:91. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has had any engagement with an organisation (details supplied) in relation to Budget 2027. [67198/26]
View answerWritten answers
Consultation with stakeholders is a key element of my Department's work. I regularly meet with representatives of civil society organisations across a range of areas, as do my officials. These engagements may be held bilaterally, or as part of my Department's regular meetings with the Community and Voluntary Pillar, at the Pre Budget Forum, at the Social Inclusion Forum, the Annual Carer's Forum or other events. My Department also has a dedicated Disability Consultative Forum, of which the organisation to which the Deputy refers is a member.
Since October last my officials have met with several groups, including Disabled Persons' Organisations and the organisation referred by the Deputy, to discuss the cost of disability and other issues. The Cost of Disability Strategic Focus Network was a main agenda item of the Disability Consultative Forum meetings in December 2025, and February and April this year. Officials from across government were in attendance at the December meeting given that addressing the cost of disability requires a whole of Government response. I personally attended the February and April meetings, which gave me the opportunity to engage directly on many of these issues.
The next meeting of the Disability Consultative Forum is set to take place on 30 September, and I will be attending this session and engaging further with the member groups in advance of the Budget.
I hosted the Pre-Budget Forum on 1 July where we had a session on issues relating to disability and caring, which was attended by the named organisation. That organisation was also represented at the Strategic Focus Network Summit which I hosted on 13 May.
In July, I presented a report on the Strategic Focus Network on the Cost of Disability to the Delivery and Monitoring Committee under the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People which is Chaired by An Taoiseach. We had a good discussion at that meeting at which the organisation to which the Deputy refers was represented.
All of these engagements together with the output of the public consultation on the cost of disability are informing the approach that we, across Government, take in Budget 2027.
I trust this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.
Youth Unemployment
Questions (92)
Darren O'Rourke
Question:92. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to tackle youth unemployment. [66583/26]
View answerWritten answers
The seasonally adjusted youth unemployment rate in August was 12.3%. This is down from a revised rate of 12.4% in July, and from 12.6% in August last year.
Youth unemployment is highly seasonal and volatile, and is generally expected to increase over the summer months. This volatility is demonstrated in the typical rise in youth unemployment seen in quarter 2 and quarter 3, followed by a reduction in quarter 4. This trend reflects the increased number of young people entering the labour market and looking for work over the summer months coinciding with the break in the academic year.
The Government’s commitment to supporting young people in finding and sustaining employment is underpinned by the Reinforced Youth Guarantee, which was approved by the European Social Council in 2020, and states that young people should receive a quality offer of employment, education, apprenticeship or training within four months of becoming unemployed.
Under the previous Pathways to Work strategy, the engagement model for young jobseekers was reviewed and strengthened. This was carried out to address and prevent the potential scarring effects resulting from prolonged periods of labour market detachment. Young jobseekers screened to be at a high risk of long-term unemployment receive intensified support from Job Coaches and EPAs, including more frequent interviews.
Young people benefit from reduced eligibility requirements for a number of employment support schemes. JobsPlus, a recruitment subsidy for employers of up to €10,000 to hire an unemployed person, is co-funded by the EU for jobseekers under 30. Under-30s need only be in receipt of a qualifying payment for 4 months to become eligible for the standard rate of JobsPlus.
The Work Placement Experience Programme (WPEP) was designed to support jobseekers and break the cycle of “no work, no experience” by providing 6-month work placements of 30 hours per week. Participants gain valuable on-the-job experience and complete 60 hours of training, including 20 hours of accredited or sector-specific training. This keeps young jobseekers close to the labour market and aims to prevent scarring effects from long-term unemployment. Under-30s also require only 4 months in receipt of a qualifying payment before becoming eligible for WPEP.
My Department works closely with employers to support the hiring of young jobseekers and promotes the uptake of supports like JobsPlus and the use of the JobsIreland vacancy platform. In addition, the Employment and Youth Engagement Charter was launched by the Department in 2024. Employers who sign up to the Charter pledge to support young jobseekers by taking part in activities such as mentoring, CV assistance, or attending information sessions on hiring young jobseekers through Intreo. To date, over 300 employers have signed up to the Charter.
My Department is currently drafting the successor strategy to Pathways to Work, the national employment services strategy. The finalisation of the strategy is now at an advanced stage. It has been informed by the wide-ranging public consultation process held last year that involved civil society groups, employers, and unions, and individual young jobseekers. The strategy will recognise the labour market challenges facing certain cohorts, including young people, despite broader positive employment developments. It will focus on ensuring those facing additional barriers to work are supported to find and sustain employment. It is expected to be published in the coming weeks.
Social Welfare Payments
Questions (93)
Naoise Ó Cearúil
Question:93. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has assessed the impact of the child benefit payment rate remaining unchanged since 2016; and whether any review of the payment rate is planned. [67341/26]
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Child Benefit is a universal monthly payment, supporting families with the cost of raising children. It is paid in respect of almost 1.3 million children. Expenditure on the scheme this year will exceed €2.2 billion.
The monthly rate of Child Benefit has been €140 for each qualifying child since 2016, with higher rates for twins and other multiple births. The scale and universal nature of Child Benefit means that any increase carries a significant Exchequer cost. Even a modest €5 increased in a monthly Child Benefit would cost over €75 million.
The focus over recent years has been to target families with children through payments linked to household circumstances.
For example, Child Support Payments are paid with most weekly social welfare payments to support low-income households with dependent children. As part of Budget 2026, weekly rates increased by €8 to €58 for children under 12 and by €16 to €78 for children over 12. On annual basis this equates to over €3,000 for under 12s and over €4,000 for children 12 and over. These payments provide additional targeted support to approximately 330,000 children. Since 2020, the payment has seen a 61% increase for children under 12, and a 95% increase for children aged 12 and above.
Budget 2026 also increased the weekly income thresholds for Working Family Payment by €60, helping existing recipients and allowing more low-income working families to qualify. The Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance continues to assist eligible families with the cost of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school.
The impact of social welfare supports on family incomes is considered as part of the annual budgetary process, taking account of available resources, Government priorities and the overall package of social welfare measures under consideration. However, it is important that the Government targets its resources to support those most in need and existing measures such as the Child Support Payment and the Working Family Payment are highly effective in this regard in terms of supporting families with children.
Question No. 94 answered with Question No. 25.