Written Answers Nos. 711-729
711. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of rent supplement in County Clare for each of the years 2020 to 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3036/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe number of recipients of Rent Supplement in County Clare for each of the years 2020 - 2024 are shown below.
|
- |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
|
Rent Supplement |
126 |
66 |
56 |
58 |
52 |
712. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people in receipt of the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance in County Clare, in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3040/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra732. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people in receipt of the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance in County Clare for each of the years 2020 to 2024 inclusive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3343/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 712 and 732 together.
The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance (BSCFA) 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.
The allowance is paid in respect of eligible children between the ages of 4 and 17 on or before 30 September and eligible children between the ages of 18 and 22 on or before 30 September, if returning to full time second level education. To qualify for the allowance, the applicant must be in receipt of an increase for a qualified child in respect of the child for whom the allowance is being claimed, the applicant must be in receipt of a qualifying payment and the assessable income for the household must be within a set income limit.
The number of BSCFA recipients and the number of qualified children for whom BSCFA was approved in County Clare in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 is set out in tabular form below.
|
Year |
BSCFA recipients in County Clare |
Number of children benefiting in County Clare |
|
2020 |
3,172 |
6,004 |
|
2021 |
3,008 |
5,743 |
|
2022 |
3,679 |
6,644 |
|
2023 |
3,622 |
6,499 |
|
2024 |
3,440 |
6,220 |
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
713. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people in receipt of the back to work family dividend in County Clare, in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3041/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra715. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people in receipt of one parent family payment in County of Clare, for each year from 2001 to 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3043/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra733. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people in receipt of the back-to-work family dividend in County Clare for each of the years 2020 to 2024 inclusive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3344/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra735. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people in receipt of one-parent family payment in County Clare for each of the years 2001 to 2024 inclusive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3346/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 713, 715, 733 and 735 together.
The number of recipients of One Parent Family Payment and Back to Work Family Dividend in County Clare for each of the years 2020 - 2024 are shown below.
|
- |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
|
One Parent Family Payment |
667 |
833 |
1023 |
1024 |
938 |
|
Back to Work Family Dividend |
48 |
58 |
65 |
44 |
55 |
716. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of students who benefit from the school meals scheme in the county of Clare for each of the years 2020 to 2024 inclusive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3044/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra736. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of students who benefit from the school meals scheme in County Clare for each of the years 2020 to 2024 inclusive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3347/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 716 and 736 together.
The objective of the School Meals Programme is to provide regular, nutritious food to children to support them in taking full advantage of the education provided to them. The programme is an important component of policies to encourage school attendance and extra educational achievement.
In Budget 2025, it was announced that the Hot School Meals Scheme will be extended to all remaining primary schools in 2025, meaning that approximately 3,700 schools and 682,000 children will be eligible for school meals in 2025.
The number of students who benefit from the School Meals Programme in County Clare for each of the years 2020 to 2024 are listed in the table below.
County Clare students who benefit from the School Meals Programme from 2020 to 2024
|
Schools Only (Primary & Secondary) in Clare |
|
|
Academic Year |
Pupils Benefitting |
|
2020-2021 |
3,748 |
|
2021-2022 |
3,942 |
|
2022-2023 |
5,368 |
|
2023-2024 |
9,937 |
I trust this clarifies the matter.
717. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people in receipt of the working family payment in County Clare, in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3045/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraWorking Family Payment (WFP) is a weekly in-work support which provides an income top-up for employees on low earnings with children. To qualify for Working Family Payment, the customer must have at least one qualified child who normally resides with them and be working a minimum of 38 hours per fortnight in ongoing insurable employment.
Please find table below with the number of WFP recipients per year (end of each year) for county Clare:
|
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
|
990 |
929 |
903 |
911 |
928 |
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy
720. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Social Protection about the case of a person (details supplied) who, having applied for and being refused an invalidity pension, appealed this decision and has been denied her request for an oral hearing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3127/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making functions.
The regulations governing appeals provide that it is a matter for the appeals officer to decide whether an oral hearing is required or whether an appeal can be decided by way of summary decision.
I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to disallow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision on 17th June 2024. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
721. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will issue in relation to a carer’s allowance (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3131/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Social Welfare Appeals Office is an Office of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals Officers are independent in their decision making functions.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 25th September 2024. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Social Protection. These papers have been received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office on 24th October 2024. The case is currently with an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on documentary evidence presented or, if necessary, hold an oral hearing.
The desire to process appeals quickly has to be balanced with the competing demand to ensure that decisions are consistent and of high quality and made in accordance with the legislative provisions and the general principles of fair procedures and natural justice.
Where a claimant has been refused a social welfare payment, regardless of the scheme involved, and is appealing that decision, if their means are insufficient to meet their needs it is open to them to apply for supplementary welfare allowance in the interim. If their application for supplementary welfare allowance is refused, they can also appeal that decision. The supplementary welfare allowance appeal will be prioritised for attention within the Appeals Office as soon as the appeal file and submission is received from the Department.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
722. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of community welfare officers per county; the number for the past three years per county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3132/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe delivery of vital locally based Community Welfare Services (CWS) to meet the challenges and the needs of citizens across the country is a priority for me and for my Department. The Community Welfare Service provides a flexible service to meet the different needs of people, who may find themselves in a financially difficult or vulnerable situation. It is a priority that this service is easily accessible and responsive to our client’s needs.
Community Welfare Officers (CWOs) are physically on site daily in over 50 Intreo Centres across the country where they are available without an appointment, during business hours, Monday to Friday. In addition to meeting people in Intreo Centres and Department of Social Protection offices, CWOs can facilitate an appointment within a short time of a person requiring such a meeting, at a mutually agreed location, including at the person's home. This reflects my commitment to continue to support the delivery of locally based services.
The number of CWOs engaged in the delivery of CWS nationwide from October 2022 to December 2024 are as follows:
|
- |
CWO By County |
|
County |
Oct-22 |
|
Carlow |
3.00 |
|
Cavan |
3.00 |
|
Clare |
9.00 |
|
Cork |
40.00 |
|
Donegal |
12.00 |
|
Dublin |
78.00 |
|
Galway |
16.00 |
|
Kerry |
17.00 |
|
Kildare |
10.00 |
|
Kilkenny |
5.00 |
|
Laois |
5.00 |
|
Leitrim |
3.00 |
|
Limerick |
19.00 |
|
Longford |
4.00 |
|
Louth |
10.00 |
|
Mayo |
12.00 |
|
Meath |
4.00 |
|
Monaghan |
3.00 |
|
Offaly |
4.00 |
|
Roscommon |
4.00 |
|
Sligo |
4.00 |
|
Tipperary |
15.00 |
|
Waterford |
13.00 |
|
Westmeath |
7.00 |
|
Wexford |
7.00 |
|
Wicklow |
6.00 |
|
Total CWOs |
313.00 |
While local face-to-face engagement with people continues to be a cornerstone of the community welfare service, it is important to mention that a person does not need to meet with a CWO to make an application and any person who needs to access the CWS can call the National CWS freephone number at 0818 60 70 80, to make an appointment or to speak directly to a CWO. A person can speak with a CWO over the phone if they do not wish to travel to meet with a CWO in person. This service is used by customers in rural areas in particular, who can have their needs met without the requirement to travel.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
723. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of functions previously carried out by community welfare officers which now have been centralised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3133/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Community Welfare Service 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. It is a key service providing Basic Supplementary Welfare Allowance payments, Additional Needs Payments, Rent and other supplement supports.
Community Welfare Officers (CWOs) are physically on site daily in over 50 Intreo Centres across the country where they are available without an appointment, during business hours, Monday to Friday. In addition to meeting people in Intreo Centres and Department of Social Protection offices, CWOs can facilitate an appointment within a short time of a person requiring such a meeting, at a mutually agreed location, including at the person's home. This reflects my commitment to continue to support the delivery of locally based services.
To deal efficiently with the volume of claims being received and to ensure a consistent level of service, local Community Welfare Officers (CWOs) are supported by a network of national administration support teams based in seven ‘hubs’ located around the country. These hubs take on routine administrative tasks associated with claim processing which frees up front-line CWOs to deal directly with people and their claims and allows them to respond to any other events or incidents that arise.
The Community Welfare Service support hubs continue to play a vital role in the response to priority projects, including supporting people arriving from Ukraine, dealing with the ongoing increase in international protection applicants and providing Humanitarian Assistance during and after adverse weather events.
There are no delays in any of the support hubs and all claims received into a hub are made ready for decision as quickly as possible. They are then returned to the locally based CWOs within a short time for decision. There are no backlogs and work on hand is within normal CWS processing levels. Where the required claim application forms and documentation are supplied, claims are sent to local CWOs on the same day. Where it has been identified that a person has an urgent or immediate need, regardless of whether they have provided all the required documentation, these claims are referred immediately to a CWO. The hubs play a very important part in ensuring that decisions on entitlement are made without delay.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
724. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is considering any changes to the back-to-education allowance to allow PhD students or those studying a course that is not under the EU Erasmus programme to receive a disability allowance payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3135/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Back to Education Allowance scheme provides people, including those in receipt of Disability Allowance, with a second chance education that will improve their prospects of securing employment. Over €29 million has been provided for the scheme in 2025.
The Back to Education Allowance is not intended to provide a basis for a long-duration participation in extended education. In limited cases, post-graduate courses can be supported under this scheme. However the scheme does not provide for PhD courses. The Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI) grant represents the primary support for persons pursuing education.
A person in receipt of Disability Allowance can pursue a PhD in Ireland outside of the Back to Education Allowance scheme. In this case, the first €20,000 of the stipend is disregarded for the means test for Disability Allowance. If the Deputy has a particular case, he should contact the Department for further clarity.
I trust that this clarifies the position for the Deputy
725. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection if individuals whose local post office has been closed due to storm Éowyn and who have not been able to attend a neighbouring post office, will be allowed to collect any missed payments when effected post offices re-open; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3153/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department provides two main payment options for its customers: payment in cash at post offices (Electronic Information Transfer EIT) or payment directly into customer accounts (Electronic Fund Transfer EFT).
All EIT payments include a payment expiry date hard coded into the payment instruction. The life span of each payment varies depending on the social welfare scheme being paid. For example, payment expiry dates range from 8 days for Jobseeker payments to 90 days for State Pension payments. The vast majority of payments have expiry dates in excess of 20 days.
Following the impact of Storm Éowyn which prevented the opening of several post offices, An Post transferred the payments to an alternative post office where this was possible. In some cases, it is possible that customers will not have been able to collect their payments at either their normal post office or at the alternative post office organised by An Post. In these circumstances, no customer will be disadvantaged in these cases as my Department will reissue such payments for the customer to collect.
The Department’s advice for such customers is that they should contact a Social Protection office to inform staff of their inability to collect a payment. The Community Welfare Service of the Department is also available to provide an emergency payment in hardship cases.
726. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department, or any body under its aegis, currently outsources cleaning services and/or service officer/security officer roles to private companies; the value and length of any related contract, by body, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3204/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Social Protection and the bodies under the aegis of the department currently outsource cleaning services and security services as listed below. These services are conducted in line with Government procurement processes.
|
Department /Body under the Aegis of the Department |
Service |
Value (Inc VAT at 13.5%) |
Duration |
|
Department of Social Protection |
Cleaning |
€4,256,250 per year |
Initial 2-year contract. The Department has the option of 2 twelve-month extensions if required. |
|
Department of Social Protection |
Window cleaning services |
€461,065 per year |
Initial 2-year contract. The Department has the option of 2 twelve-month extensions if required. |
|
Department of Social Protection |
Security |
€4,988,625 per year |
Initial 2-year contract. The Department has the option of 2 twelve-month extensions if required. |
|
Pensions Authority (including the Pensions Council) |
Cleaning |
€20,000 per year |
3 years |
|
The Citizen’s Information Board |
Cleaning |
€12,240 per year |
Initial 2-year contract. The Citizen’s Information Board has the option of 2 twelve-month extensions if required. |
My department keeps all contracts for the services as outlined above under regular review.
727. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department, or any body under its aegis, currently directly employs cleaners and/or service officers; if so, the number of staff employed in each role; the value and length of any related contract, by body, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3222/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs of the 31 December 2024, my Department directly employs 137 Service Officers and 5 cleaners. The agencies under the aegis of my Department do not directly employee cleaners or service officers.
729. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Social Protection the total value of the annual mileage claims for each Ministers of State assigned to his Department in 2023 and 2024 respectively; to provide a breakdown for each year of the individual claims; the annual cost of overnight allowances related to the civilian drivers of each relevant Minister of State in 2023 and 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3258/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe following individuals were Department of Social Protection Ministers of State for the period 2023 and 2024.
|
NAME |
TERM OF OFFICE |
TERM OF OFFICE |
|
Joe O'Brien |
19-Jul-20 |
23-Jan-25 |
|
Damien English |
19-Jul-20 |
12-Jan-23 |
|
Neale Richmond |
13-Jan-23 |
10-Apr-24 |
|
Emer Higgins |
10-Apr-24 |
23-Jan-25 |
The Department did not pay any Travel and Subsistence to said Ministers of State during these periods.
The annual cost of overnight allowances related to the civilian drivers for the relevant Ministers of State in 2023 and 2024 was €501 and €195 respectively.
