Written Answers Nos. 495-515
495. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to ensure Local Area Plans (LAPs) are published in a timely fashion and that out-dated LAPs are updated on time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15800/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe statutory provisions governing the preparation, amendment and revocation of Local Area Plans (LAPs) are primarily found in sections 18, 19 and 20 of the Planning and Development Act 2000.
The Act provides for the preparation of LAPs on both a discretionary and mandatory basis. Accordingly, a planning authority may decide to prepare an LAP for any part of its functional area which it considers suitable. Typically, an LAP may be prepared on a discretionary basis in the case of areas that are considered to require economic, physical and social renewal, or areas likely to be subject to large scale development.
The 2000 Act provides that an LAP must be prepared in respect of an area which—
(i) is designated as a town in the most recent census of population, other than a town designated as a suburb or environs in that census,
(ii) has a population in excess of 5,000, and
(iii) is situated within the functional area of a planning authority which is a city and county council or a county council.
An LAP is also required to be prepared in respect of a town with a population exceeding 1,500 persons unless the planning authority decides to indicate objectives for the town in its development plan, or a local area plan has already been made in respect of the town.
In addition, two or more planning authorities may co-operate in preparing an LAP in respect of any area which lies within the combined functional area of the authorities concerned.
Further guidance in relation to the preparation of LAPs can be found in section 5.6 of the Development Plans Guidelines for Planning Authorities (2022) and the Local Area Plans Guidelines for Planning Authorities (2013), which were issued by the Minister under section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000.
The act of making, amending, extending or revoking a local area plan is a reserved function of the elected members of each local authority. Under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001 the Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he/she is responsible, including its planning functions.
In terms of building capacity generally in the local government planning sector, my Department is working in conjunction with the LGMA on a programme of support to provide planning authorities, on a phased basis, with the requisite level of staffing resources and expertise to efficiently and effectively perform their planning functions. In October 2024, my Department published a Ministerial Action Plan on Planning Resources to respond to capacity challenges in the planning sector. This Action Plan provides a detailed roadmap to increase the pool of planning and related expertise needed to ensure a planning system fit for future needs.
Under Part 3 of the Planning and Development Act 2024 (Act of 2024), amended provisions relating to the preparation and content of development plans, in addition to a new set of area-specific plans, are provided for. The zoning of land will only be undertaken in the city or county development plans, and other area-specific plans (details of which are set out below) will replace the current provisions relating to Local Area Plans. These area-specific plans include: urban area plans, priority area plans and coordinated area plans.
Urban area plans (UAPs) will be developed for a settlement that has been identified in a corresponding development plan and will specify how the ‘settlement-specific objectives’ and the various strategies and statements as set out in the development plan will be implemented in respect of the settlement concerned.
Priority area plans (PAPs) will include similar requirements as those set out above for UAPs and will also be identified under a relevant development plan. However, PAPs will concern settlement-specific objectives for a part of a city that is suitable for significant growth and regeneration and would benefit from being the subject of specific objectives. Where a development plan sets out settlement-specific objectives in respect of any Gaeltacht or inhabited offshore island the relevant planning authority will prepare a PAP for one or more such Gaeltacht or islands.
Coordinated area plans (CAPs) will be similar to the plans outlined above but will be required for an area designated by a regional authority in a regional spatial and economic strategy that is within the functional area of more than one planning authority. CAPs will be prepared by a ‘principal planning authority’ and an ‘associate planning authority’, the designation of which will depend on matters such as town centre locations, urban areas within a given local authority functional area and population or employment growth.
As set out in the Implementation Plan, recently published on my Department’s website (https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/b6c82-implementation-plan-for-the-planning-and-development-act-2024/), Part 3 of the Act of 2024 is scheduled to be brought into effect under the second phase of commencements, known as ‘Block B’. It is anticipated that this second phase of commencements will be carried out midyear. Transitional provisions under the Act of 2024 provide for the continuation of any LAPs that are in force at the time of the repeal of the 2000 Act.
496. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 83 of 15 February 2023 and 294 of November 2022, and in light of recent court rulings (details supplied), if he plans to review his position and deliver individual conservation plans for each special area of conservation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15802/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra497. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his views on whether it is important that concerned stakeholders get the opportunity to make submissions on any future SAC conservation plans; the way in which he plans to facilitate same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15803/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 496 and 497 together.
Article 6.1 of the Habitats Directive relates to the appropriate management of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). There are site specific conservation objectives (SSCOs) published for all SACs in Ireland. These are tailored to the site in question, taking account of the threats and pressures on the protected habitats and species for which the site is designated. The SSCOs form the basis for conservation planning and protection of relevant habitats and species at the site, setting out concrete targets to be reached in order for those habitats and species to maintain or reach favourable conservation status. Neither the Habitats Directive nor the judgement mentioned contains an obligation on member states to publish conservation plans for all SAC sites.
At present there is no commitment to the publication of individual conservation plans for each SAC in Ireland. There are conservation measures in place, in progress and planned for many habitats and species across the SAC network. Many of these are being delivered by landowners who are participating in schemes and programmes such as Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) under the CAP Strategic Plan, European Innovation Partnership (EIP) Scheme, NPWS Farm Plan Scheme and the LIFE programme. Participation in these is voluntary and landowner involvement is essential for their successful design and implementation at site level. It is envisaged that this will continue to be the case, including where detailed planning is required to design bespoke conservation plans for specific sites.
498. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of short-term lets granted planning permission in 2024, broken down by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15815/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra499. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of short-term lets granted planning permission in 2024, broken down by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15815/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraLegislative reforms to regulate the short-term letting sector through the planning code, in areas designated as “rent pressure zones” (RPZs), were introduced under the Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development) (No. 2) Regulations 2019 which came into effect on 1 July 2019.
Local planning authorities are responsible for the implementation and enforcement of the short-term letting planning arrangements and submit quarterly data returns to my Department. The information requested in relation to the number of planning permissions granted for change of use to short term letting has been taken from these returns and is provided in the table attached. These figures do not include the Returns for December 2024 which will be available in due course.
|
Planning Authority |
2024 No. of STL Change of Use Planning Applications Granted |
|
Carlow |
0 |
|
Clare |
0 |
|
Cork City |
0 |
|
Cork County |
87 |
|
Dublin City |
1 |
|
DLR |
0 |
|
Fingal |
0 |
|
Galway City |
1 |
|
Galway County |
0 |
|
Kerry |
0 |
|
Kildare |
0 |
|
Kilkenny |
0 |
|
Laois |
0 |
|
Limerick |
0 |
|
Louth |
0 |
|
Mayo |
1 |
|
Meath |
1 |
|
Offaly |
0 |
|
Sligo |
2 |
|
South Dublin |
1 |
|
Waterford |
1 |
|
Westmeath |
0 |
|
Wexford |
0 |
|
Wicklow |
5 |
|
Total |
100 |
500. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he is aware of the fact that at present there is no dedicated pathway for migrants with disabilities within Ireland’s housing system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15855/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe overarching aim of social housing support is to ensure that households who do not have sufficient resources to provide accommodation themselves to meet their needs are provided with adequate housing.
It is open to anyone to apply for social housing support, applications for which are assessed by the relevant local authority, in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended. As social housing support is intended to address a household’s long-term housing need it is expected that households applying for such support have a long-term right to reside in the State.
Migrants with disabilities who have met the eligibility and need criteria outlined above qualify for the suite of social housing supports, including HAP, and are placed on the housing list to be considered for the allocation of suitable tenancies in accordance with the authority’s allocation scheme.
Ultimately, decisions on the qualification of households for social housing support, the most appropriate form of such support, and the allocation of that support are a matter solely for the local authority concerned.
Where a household requests a priority based on the medical or disability needs, the authority will request the completion of the HMD1 form specifying the nature of the medical condition or disability and, if applicable, an occupational therapist's report in respect of any specific accommodation requirements. The purpose of the HMD1 form is to obtain sufficient information to allow the local authority to assess the nature of the applicant’s condition in order to award a priority to the applicant if that is merited. Decisions on the awarding of medical priority are a matter solely for the respective local authorities.
501. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is aware of the fact that at present there is no dedicated pathway for migrants with disabilities social support systems; if he will instruct his Department to create the necessary steps to ensure people with disabilities are given the support they need; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14979/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department provides a number of income supports for people with a disability who are of working age. These include Disability Allowance, Blind Pension and Invalidity Pension. Both Disability Allowance and Blind Pension are means tested social assistance schemes, while Invalidity Pension is a social insurance based scheme. These are part of the suite of working age payments. This Department does not have responsibility for social support systems.
Eligibility for the Department’s income support schemes is not dependent on the type or category of illness or disability. Rather, entitlement to these supports is contingent on the extent to which a particular illness or disability impairs or restricts a person’s capacity to work.
Every application for the Department's schemes is individually assessed, in line with the provisions specified in the relevant social welfare legislation. Assessment is based on the medical information provided by healthcare providers and the claimant and taking into account the opinion of the Department’s Medical Assessor. In addition, persons must be habitually resident in Ireland to qualify for Disability Allowance. People who have come from Ukraine and who are covered by the Temporary Protection Directive will satisfy the Habitual Residence condition.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
502. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on proposals to amend eligibility for fuel allowance, including by making it identical to that of medical cards; and if he will make a statement on fuel poverty. [15024/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe criteria for Fuel Allowance are in place to direct the limited resources available to my department in as targeted a manner as possible. This ensures that the Fuel Allowance payment goes to those who are more vulnerable to fuel poverty.
While my Department's schemes are reviewed on an ongoing basis, any further decision to amend the qualifying criteria for Fuel Allowance, including making it identical to that of Medical Cards can only be considered in a wider budgetary and policy context.
With regard to fuel poverty, the Government is committed to protecting vulnerable households from the impact of energy costs through a combination of financial supports, energy efficiency awareness initiatives and investment in programmes to improve the energy efficiency of the housing stock. The supports provided by the Government are cross Departmental and, in this regard, my Department is represented on the Energy Poverty Action Group, with the overall strategy to combat Fuel Poverty and Energy Poverty under the remit of the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications.I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
503. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on a HAS application for a person (details supplies). [15070/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Humanitarian Assistance Scheme (HAS), administered by my department through the Community Welfare Service (CWS), was activated on 23 January 2025 to assist householders affected across the country by Storm Éowyn.
According to the records of the Department, the person concerned applied for a HAS payment on 03/03/2025. I am pleased to advise you that the customer has been awarded payment under HAS. A letter confirming this award has issued to the person concerned and payment will be issued to their nominated bank account in 2 – 3 days.
I am advised that the person concerned has also noted home repairs on their HAS1 application however, they have also advised that they have home insurance on their application. Stage 2 and 3 claims are only paid where the losses are not covered by insurance or where there is a valid reason for non-insurance and where the person can show they do not have the resources to cover the losses themselves. These are reasonable checks to ensure that the state does not take on a liability for losses that should properly be covered by insurance.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
504. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration has been given to extending the annual cost of disability support payment to persons in receipt of the State pension; the form this consideration has taken; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15127/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department provides a number of income supports for people with a disability who are of working age. These include Disability Allowance, Blind Pension and Invalidity Pension. Both Disability Allowance and Blind Pension are means tested social assistance schemes, while Invalidity Pension is a social insurance based scheme. These are part of the suite of working age payments.
In contrast, the State Pension, whether Contributory or Non-Contributory, is not a working age payment. It is paid to those who have reached pensionable age 66. Currently, the maximum weekly personal rate of State Pension (Contributory) is €289.30, some €40 per week more than those in receipt of a disability payment.
As part of Budgets 2023, 2024 and 2025 the Department of Social Protection assisted families and vulnerable citizens through a mix of lump sum supports and increases to weekly payments. The measures introduced included the provision of once-off cost-of-living lump sums, to recipients of Disability Allowance, Blind Pension, Invalidity Pension and the Carer's Support Grant.
While people in receipt of the State Pension who also had a disability did not qualify for these cost-of-living lump sums, there were significant improvements in Budget 2025 which impacted them including:
• A €12 increase in the maximum weekly rate of all State Pensions with proportionate increases for people getting a reduced rate
• The amount not taken into account when a person sells their home to move into care increased to €337,500 from January 2025 for those who get State Pension (Non-contributory)
• Means test disregard for Fuel Allowance extended to those aged 66 and over from January 2025 - €524 (single person) and €1,048 (couple) meaning more people will qualify for this support
• The Free Travel Scheme Companion Pass for all those aged over 70 from September 2025
• A €300 cost-of-living lump sum for those getting the Fuel Allowance
• A €200 cost-of-living lump sum to people who are getting a Living Alone Increase
• October cost-of-living bonus
• A Christmas Bonus paid in December 2024.
The Programme for Government commits to introducing a permanent Annual Cost of Disability Support Payment with a view to incrementally increasing this payment.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
505. Deputy Micheál Carrigy asked the Minister for Social Protection the basis on which an application to the humanitarian assistance scheme was refused in the case of an elderly couple from County Longford (details supplied); the reason the application was deemed ineligible on the grounds of late submission, despite recent statements in Dáil Éireann suggesting the scheme remains open; if a review or appeal process is available to applicants in such cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15225/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Humanitarian Assistance Scheme (HAS), administered by my department through the Community Welfare Service (CWS), was activated on 23 January 2025 to assist householders affected across the country by Storm Éowyn.
According to the records of my Department, the person concerned applied for a HAS stage 1 payment to assist with the additional costs incurred as a result of Storm Éowyn. In recognition of the unprecedented nature and extent of the event that was Storm Éowyn, Stage 1 applications have been accepted for a longer period after the onset of the storm. I have been advised by my Department Officials that the claim of the person concerned has been reviewed and they have been awarded a payment towards the additional costs incurred as a result of the enduring power outages. The person concerned has been notified of this outcome and payment has issued to their nominated bank account.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
506. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) is encountering a delay on a disability allowance appeal that remains unresolved since 8 January 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15345/25]
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.
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. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
507. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 116 of 27 February 2025, if he will provide a breakdown of the number of applications received under the humanitarian assistance scheme, by county, in the aftermath of storm Éowyn to date, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15388/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra508. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 116 of 27 February 2025, if he will provide a breakdown of payments under the humanitarian assistance scheme, by county, in the aftermath of storm Éowyn, to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15389/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra519. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications received by his Department under the humanitarian assistance schemes form 1 and 2, broken down by the number that have been processed, are still awaiting processing, and for which payments have been made, and turned down, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15655/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra525. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide an update on the humanitarian assistance scheme (storm Éowyn); the number of applicants who have applied for assistance by county, in tabular form; the amounts paid out; the number of refusals of payment; the reasons for refusals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15719/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 507, 508, 519 and 525 together.
The Humanitarian Assistance Scheme, administered by my department through the local Community Welfare Service, was activated on the 23rd January 2025 to assist householders across the country affected by Storm Éowyn.
Up to Wednesday 26 March, the Community Welfare Service have registered 75,813 claims for Stage 1 of the Humanitarian Assistance Scheme. Just over 28,600 claims have been awarded, with over €6.82 million being paid in respect of Storm Éowyn related claims. Table 1 provides details up to 26 March on the number of applications registered, number of payments made, and expenditure by county since Storm Éowyn.
In the context of the particular circumstances of Storm Éowyn, and as an exceptional measure, additional flexibility has been applied to the timeframe for Stage 1 of the scheme. Until claim processing is completed, my department cannot provide a breakdown analysis of claims received under stages 2 and 3 of the scheme or information on the number awaiting a decision. As all decisions positive and negative have a right of review, therefore, the total number of disallowed claims will not be known until all requests for review are completed.
However, I can assure the Deputies that claim processing levels within the Community Welfare Service are closely monitored and that Humanitarian Assistance Scheme claims are being processed as quickly as possible, with priority given to the most urgent cases. Additional staff have been assigned to deal with applications to ensure there are no undue delays.
Where an immediate need presented in the aftermath of the storm these claims were paid by way of a cheque payment ‘on the spot’ by a Community Welfare Officer. The focus for the Department at the moment remains on ensuring that payments will issue as soon as possible to those eligible for the payment.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputies.
Tabular Statement
Table 1 - Number of Applications Registered and Payments Made, and Expenditure by County Since Storm Éowyn.
|
County |
Number of Claims Registered |
Number of Claims Paid |
Total Cost of Claims |
|
Carlow |
17 |
1 |
€200 |
|
Cavan |
5,580 |
2,189 |
€507,562 |
|
Clare |
3,048 |
863 |
€180,486 |
|
Cork |
105 |
19 |
€4,259 |
|
Donegal |
1,455 |
502 |
€95,636 |
|
Dublin |
306 |
65 |
€14,365 |
|
Galway |
24,917 |
9,673 |
€2,409,484 |
|
Kerry |
105 |
17 |
€2,780 |
|
Kildare |
265 |
63 |
€11,267 |
|
Kilkenny |
14 |
2 |
€300 |
|
Laois |
53 |
9 |
€1,558 |
|
Leitrim |
3,727 |
1,805 |
€511,182 |
|
Limerick |
320 |
59 |
€11,457 |
|
Longford |
4,967 |
2,131 |
€449,332 |
|
Louth |
257 |
68 |
€14,755 |
|
Mayo |
14,245 |
5,546 |
€1,247,317 |
|
Meath |
844 |
273 |
€69,764 |
|
Monaghan |
2,797 |
836 |
€170,840 |
|
Offaly |
564 |
197 |
€40,244 |
|
Roscommon |
7,075 |
2,800 |
€729,319 |
|
Sligo |
2,833 |
844 |
€211,289 |
|
Tipperary |
180 |
22 |
€4,128 |
|
Waterford |
11 |
1 |
€150 |
|
Westmeath |
2,070 |
632 |
€133,740 |
|
Wexford |
31 |
5 |
€793 |
|
Wicklow |
27 |
4 |
€828 |
|
Total |
75,813 |
28,626 |
€6,823,034 |
509. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding a social welfare applicant (details supplied) in Dublin 9; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15402/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraJobseeker's Pay-Related Benefit is a new social insurance income support which replaces the Jobseeker's Benefit scheme for people whose first day of unemployment is on or after 31 March 2025 and who satisfy the statutory conditions for the scheme. Pay-related benefit means that a person's rate of payment will be linked to their previous earnings, subject to maximum and minimum rates. Government has provided almost €160 million for the scheme in 2025.
A commencement date is required for the introduction of any new scheme. The Commencement Order provides that this scheme comes into operation on 31 March 2025. The scheme is available to those whose unemployment begins on or after this date as provided for in section 68KB(1)(d) of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, as amended.
The existing Jobseeker's Benefit scheme is available for people who became unemployed before that date and such customers will remain on Jobseeker's Benefit until they return to employment, subject to the normal rules of that scheme.
If a person is experiencing financial difficulty he may have an entitlement to Additional Needs Payment (ANP) from the Department of Social Protection to help meet essential expenditure which an eligible person could not reasonably be expected to meet from their weekly income.
ANPs are means tested and administered by Community Welfare Officers in the Community Welfare Service considering the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case. A means test is an assessment of all of the applicant’s household income, savings, shares, investments, or property that they own, apart from their own home. A means test will also include any income that their spouse, civil partner or cohabitant has. As part of the application process, a person must provide personal, financial, household, and other information in support of their claim to determine eligibility and to establish a need as considered necessary.
A customer can apply for an ANP by completing a SWA1 form. This form is available in all Intreo Centres and can also be requested by calling the National CWS freephone line at 0818 60 70 80 or at www.eforms.gov.ie/en/forms/5. Alternatively, where a customer has a verified MyGovID account, they can apply for an ANP at www.MyWelfare.ie.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
510. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to increase the upper age limit for domiciliary care allowance eligibility from 16 to 18 years old; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15423/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department provides the Domiciliary Care Allowance which is a monthly non-means tested payment to a parent or guardian for a child aged up to 16 who has a severe disability and requires care and attention substantially over and above that required by other children their age.
One of the key proposals in the Green Paper on Disability Reform was to extend the upper age limit for Domiciliary Care Allowance and the lower age limit for Disability Allowance to 18 years of age. The Green Paper was a consultation document. Based on the feedback received during the public consultation the process was discontinued.
Any future reform of disability payments, will be considered as part of a broader review of disability matters on a whole-of-government basis and will take account of the feedback received during the Green Paper process.
I trust this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.
511. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection to review a disability allowance decision in respect of an applicant in County Kerry (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15433/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraDisability Allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged 16 or over and under the age of 66. This disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, a means test and the habitual residency conditions.
I can confirm that the Department received an application for DA from the person concerned on 14 February 2025. Based on the evidence supplied in support of his application, the application for DA was disallowed on the grounds that the medical qualifying conditions for the scheme were not satisfied.
The person concerned was notified of this decision on 3 March 2025 and their right to request a review of this decision and/or appeal it to the Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO).
A request for a review was received on 14 March 2025. Based on the evidence supplied, their application remained disallowed on medical grounds following the review.
An appeal request was submitted to the SWAO on 25 March 2025. The SWAO will notify the person concerned of the outcome of their appeal in writing in due course.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
512. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection to examine the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15448/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Treatment Benefit Scheme provides dental, optical, aural and hair replacement products and services to insured workers, the self-employed, retired people and their dependent spouse/partner who have the required number of social insurance (PRSI) contributions.
To qualify, a person needs to have at least 260 PRSI contributions paid at either Class A, E, H, P or S, since first starting work, and also have 39 contributions paid or credited in the relevant contribution year on which the claim is based.
If a person does not have enough social insurance contributions to qualify for treatment benefit, they may qualify on the social insurance record of their spouse, civil partner or cohabitant. To avail of this option, the person must be dependent on their spouse, civil partner or cohabitant.
The person concerned does not qualify for Treatment Benefit as he has no paid or credited PRSI contributions in the relevant year(s) on which the claim is based. The person concerned does not qualify as a dependent spouse as his spouse does not satisfy the eligibility criteria in her own right.
If the person concerned has a Medical Card, they should contact their local HSE office which will advise on entitlements under the HSE scheme.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
513. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider introducing a dedicated financial support scheme for young adults under the age of 40 with invisible disabilities, specifically to assist with the cost of essential assistive technologies such as hearing aids; if the Minister will review the current limitations of the treatment benefit scheme and associated supports, which often fail to meet the real needs of individuals with lifelong conditions such as hearing loss, dyslexia, and coordination difficulties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15466/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn general, medical or health related benefits, including those related to hearing loss and associated conditions, fall within the remit of the Department of Health and the HSE. My Department administers the treatment benefit scheme which provides dental, optical, and medical appliances benefits to insured workers, the self-employed and retired people who have the required number of PRSI contributions. These treatments are also available to their dependent spouse or partner, if applicable.
In general, and subject to also meeting other qualifying conditions, to access the benefits under the scheme a person needs 260 applicable contributions to qualify. However, recognising the limited social insurance record of younger contributors, there are lower contribution requirements for persons up to age 28. For those aged under 21, the only requirement is to have at least 39 contributions paid at any time. For those aged between 21 - 28 years, they are required to have at least 39 paid contributions and meet a second requirement of at least 39 paid or credited in the governing contribution year (2023 is the governing contribution year for claims made in 2025) or at least 26 paid contributions in each of the second and third last contribution years (for claims made in 2025 the second last contribution year is 2023 and the third last contribution year is 2022).
Once qualified, a person may avail of the dental, optical, and medical appliances benefits available under the scheme. As part of the medical appliances benefits, grants towards hearing aids are available. A flat rate grant of up to €500 is available towards a hearing aid (up to €1,000 for a pair) once every four years. A grant of up to €100 is also available towards the cost of hearing aid repairs.
My Department will continue to keep its range of supports under review to ensure that they meet their overall objectives. Any changes to the current system would need to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
514. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons aged 25 years or younger in 2023 and 2024 who are neither in full-time education or receiving disability, invalidity or illness benefit payments, but who are receiving jobseekers' payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15495/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe figures provided below for jobseeker claims include all individuals who received at least one jobseeker payment in the particular year. It is important to note that this includes persons who may have been in casual employment while receiving their jobseeker payment. The CSO's Labour Force Survey is the official measure of unemployment in the State.
In 2023, a total of 297,511 people received at least one Jobseeker's Benefit or Jobseeker's Allowance payment at some point during the year, of which 42,816 (14.4%) were aged 25 or younger. In 2024, the total number of persons receiving at least one jobseeker's payment was lower, at 290,186. 42,890 of these (14.8%) were persons aged 25 or younger, a slight increase of from the previous year.
The Department provides a Back to Education Allowance, which helps people return to training or education. Persons in receipt of the Back to Education Allowance have been excluded from these figures.
The percentage of young people aged 15 to 24 who were neither in employment nor in education and training (NEET) was 6.8% in 2022 and 6.5% in 2023. In comparison, the EU average for the same age group was 9.6% in 2022 and 9.2% in 2023.
515. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection which Departments are involved in the interdepartmental working group tasked with assessing legislative impacts of non-binary gender marker inclusion on official documents, and what have been the findings from these working group meetings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15549/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe report of the Review Group for the Gender Recognition Act under section 7 of the Act included, at recommendation 2A, that legal recognition should be made available to people who are non-binary. This recommendation will, in part, be informed by an impact assessment on existing legislation that would arise by providing for a new, non-binary, category of gender. This assessment will involve all Government departments and their agencies.
I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
