Written Answers Nos. 57-77
57. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the way in which he will ensure that every effort is made to support individuals transition from welfare into further education/training and work, by examining the way in which to avoid a cliff-edge when people take up work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15022/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraRecognising the importance of a smooth transition for families, jobseekers, lone parents or people with disabiilties with children who receive a qualifying payment can access the Back to Work Family Dividend when entering the workforce. This can include self-employment.
The Working Family Payment is a tax-free payment available to people in employment who have children, subject to earnings and other requirements. It can be paid with the Back to Work Family Dividend.
For customers on Disability Allowance or Blind Pension, Budget 2026 contained several measures to incentivise persons with disabilities to take up work while ensuring a smooth transition. A customer on these payments can earn up to €165 a week and keep their full rate of payment. Earnings between €165 and €375 from employment are assessed at 50%, and any earnings over €375 are fully assessed as means. A customer can earn up to €527.60 a week and retain their entitlement to the minimum rate of payment and their secondary benefits.
Customers on these payments can retain Fuel Allowance for up to five years and their medical card for up to three years after moving into employment. Both payments are qualifying payments for the Back to Work Family Dividend.
The Department’s online customer platform, MyWelfare.ie, provides a Benefit of Work Estimator, which shows customers how taking up work or increasing their hours will affect their payment. The Estimator is available for certain jobseeker or one parent family payments.
My Department is in the drafting stage of the successor Pathways to Work, the national employment services strategy. It is expected to be published in Q2 2026. This builds on a comprehensive public consultation process last year, close cooperation with other government departments and the oversight of the Labour Market Advisory Council.
58. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Social Protection his Department’s current wait times on social welfare appeal decisions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15648/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs of end of January 2026 the average processing time for Social Welfare Appeals is 12.7 weeks.
An Appeals Modernisation Project to develop and implement new business processes was completed in Q1 2025. The purpose of the project was to streamline and enhance the end-to-end appeals process for the customer. The new system provides online capabilities to provide a more efficient and streamlined service for people availing of services and functionality on MyWelfare for making appeals.
New Social Welfare Appeals Regulations (S.I. No. 744 of 2024) came into effect from Monday, 28 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 along with measures put in place by the Chief Appeals Officer has led to a reduction of the number of appeals on hand and the length of time it takes for appeals to be processed and decided.
The time taken to process an appeal includes all aspects of the appeal process. This includes referring the appeal contentions and any additional documentation provided back to the relevant scheme area of the Department for review. A significant proportion of cases are revised by the Department in favour of the appellant during the review process. Where the first instance decision is not revised in favour of the appellant, the appeal is then considered by the Appeals Officer which may require the holding of an Oral Hearing.
The Chief Appeals Officer continues to monitor processing times and every effort is made to reduce the time taken to process an appeal. However, the drive for efficiency must be balanced with the competing demand to ensure that decisions are consistent and made in accordance with the provisions set out in primary legislation and regulations.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
59. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will amend the current weekly means limit for the increase for qualified adult allowance for recipients of the State pension and to increase the current means limit of €100 which has been in place since 2007; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14636/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department provides State Pension payments through the State Pension (Contributory), which is a contributory-based payment based on a person's social insurance record, and the State Pension (Non-Contributory), which is means-tested social assistance payment.
At present an Increase for qualified adult (IQA) is payable with the State contributory pension at the maximum rate of payment where the income of the qualified adult are not more than €100 per week. Reduced rates are payable where their income is over €100 and not more than €310 per week. No increase for a qualified adult is payable where their income is in excess of €310 per week.
The purpose of means tests are to ensure that the available resources, which are finite, are targeted in the most effective manner to those people who are most in need of support. For example, where a household has income from an occupational pension as well as the contributory state pension it is appropriate to consider if the State's limited resources should be directed towards increasing the income into that household, via an increase in means limits for the qualified adult payment, or to increasing incomes into other households including, for example, recipients of the non-contributory pension in receipt of the fuel allowance.
The current structure of the Irish social protection system in mediating these choices is shown to perform exceptionally well, delivering a poverty reduction effect of 62.7% - consistently one of the most effective poverty mitigation effects across the entire EU.
A review of means testing in the social protection system is currently under way in my Department. 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 the respective means test.
The outcome of the review will inform decisions regarding any potential changes to means testing. All prospective changes to means testing arrangements will have to be considered in both an overall policy and budgetary context.
60. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to increase the numbers participating in the rural social scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14962/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Rural Social Scheme (RSS) is an income-support initiative that provides part-time employment opportunities within community and voluntary organisations for farmers and fishers who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments and who are underemployed in their primary occupation. The work undertaken is primarily to support local service provision via community, voluntary and not-for-profit organisations, provided that this does not displace existing service provision or employment. RSS participants generally work 19.5 hour per week.
There are 3,350 participant places available on the scheme. At the end of January 2026, there were 2,588 participants on RSS.
A review of the RSS scheme, completed in July 2024, made a series of recommendations to enhance the long-term sustainability of the scheme and to ensure continued support for rural communities. A number of these recommendations have been implemented. These include the introduction of three-year contracts for participants, a reduction in the frequency of means reviews to every three years and allowing participants who reach the age of 60 to remain on the scheme until they reach 66.
Budget 2026 provided for the implementation of an additional three recommendations from January 2026, with the aim of increasing participation in the scheme; -
• Extend RSS on a pilot basis to include rural dwellers who are 50 years or over, in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment and whose primary residence is in a rural area. A total of 250 places has been ringfenced for this pilot.
• Extend RSS to people engaged in farming or fishing who are not the primary holder of the herd number or fishing licence but who have a defined connection to the farming/fishing enterprise.
• Extend RSS to members of a couple jointly engaged in farming /fishing where only one herd number or fishing licence is held.
The implementation of these recommendations from 1 January 2026 is contributing to the continued sustainability of the scheme by broadening the cohort of individuals eligible to participate. Since their implementation in January the rural dweller pilot has shown particularly positive results, with 35 rural dwellers having commenced participation to date.
My Department continues to undertake a range of promotional activities to highlight the work of the scheme and to encourage participation. These include annual promotion at the National Ploughing Championships, advertising in the Irish Farmers Journal, and notices in local newspapers.
I recognise the valuable contribution this programme makes to local communities through the wide range of vital services it supports. My Department continues to explore ways to increase participation and is actively engaging with other relevant Departments and agencies as part of this work.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
61. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in County Mayo claiming disability allowance. [15140/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraDisability Allowance is a weekly allowance paid to people with a disability aged 16 to 66. As as of January 2026 there were 4,857 recipients of Disability Allowance in Co. Mayo.
62. Deputy Edward Timmins asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review and change the current unfair means test calculation on certain State benefits, including the pension (non-contributory); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15590/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department provides State Pension payments through the State Pension (Contributory), which is a contributory-based payment based on a person's social insurance record, and the State Pension (Non-Contributory), which is means-tested social assistance payment.
The purpose of means tests are to ensure that the available resources, which are finite, are targeted in the most effective manner to those people who are most in need of support. For example, where a household has income from an occupational pension as well as the contributory state pension it is appropriate to consider if the State's limited resources should be directed towards increasing the income into that household, via an increase in means limits for the qualified adult payment, or to increasing incomes into other households including, for example, recipients of the non-contributory pension in receipt of the fuel allowance.
The current structure of the Irish social protection system, with the significant use of means testing, is shown to perform exceptionally well, delivering a poverty reduction effect of 62.7% - consistently one of the most effective poverty mitigation effects across the entire EU.
A review of means testing in the social protection system is currently under way in my Department. 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 the respective means test.
The outcome of the review will inform decisions regarding any potential changes to means testing. All prospective changes to means testing arrangements will have to be considered in both an overall policy and budgetary context.
63. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the current average processing times for carer's allowance; the steps his Department is taking to reduce delays and barriers faced by applicants in applying for this payment; the plans in place to deal with increased applications post July 2026 when the latest changes to the carer's allowance scheme come into place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14226/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraCarer's Allowance is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care.
At the end of 2025, there were over 104,500 people receiving Carer’s Allowance. There are no delays in processing applications once all the necessary information is provided to establish entitlement to the payment.
Over recent years, the Carer’s Allowance scheme has been performing very well. As a result, the processing targets have been revised from 70% in 12 weeks, to 75% in 11 weeks, to 75% in 10 weeks, to the current target of 80% in 10 weeks. In December 2025, the average processing time for new applications was 6 weeks with 94% of new claims processed within 10 weeks.
In a further move to remove any potential barriers faced by applicants for Carer’s Allowance and to enable the department to respond to application volume increases, a new online application service was made available in November 2025. The online application is a further extension of the services available on MyWelfare and represents an important improvement in making income support payments more accessible and efficient for family carers, as well as being more efficient for the Department from a processing perspective.
Finally, the staffing needs for all areas within my Department are continuously reviewed. This is to take account of workloads, management priorities, and the ongoing need to respond to increasing demands such as may occur later this year in relation to Carer’s Allowance.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
64. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason pensions and social welfare payments cannot be paid together or at the same time, with the exception of carer's allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14763/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere is a general principle of one person-one payment that applies across our social welfare system. Given the contingency-based nature of this system, it can happen that a person may experience more than one contingency at the same time, but generally they can receive only one payment. This principle is common to social security systems across the world.
People may be eligible to receive one of the following supports in addition to their primary payment: Working Family Payment, Living Alone Increase, Fuel Allowance or Household Benefits Package depending on their living circumstances, their age and any applicable eligibility conditions. More information on overlapping payments and eligibility is available at gov.ie.
Furthermore, under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, my department may make Additional Needs Payments to help meet essential expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income or other personal and household resources. These payments are available through our Community Welfare Officers.
Any changes to the underlying one person-one payment principle would involve significant additional expenditure, which could prove unsustainable in the long-term, and would have to be considered in the overall policy and budgetary context.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
65. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people in Dublin that are currently in receipt of disability allowance; if they will benefit from the planned new cost of disability payment; the work he is undertaking with regard to that proposed new payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14954/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government recognises the significant additional costs that disabled people all around the country can face in their daily lives and is committed to improving outcomes for disabled people by introducing permanent measures.
Disability Allowance is my Department's main income support payment for disabled people. There are currently 41,161 recipients of Disability Allowance in Dublin.
In addition, under the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030, which was developed with significant input from Disability groups and advocates, it was agreed to establish a Strategic Focus Network Summit on the Cost of Disability. While it is led by my Department, it includes other Government departments in this cross-government endeavour, as well as disabled people and their advocates. I will be hosting this Summit on 13 May.
On 20 February, I launched a public consultation process on how a cost of disability payment and the Strategic Focus Network Summit can best be delivered. It will run for just over 6 weeks closing on the 7th April. I want to all voices to be included in this consultation. I encourage any interested parties to visit gov.ie/COD, where they will find guidance on how to engage with the consultation in whatever format best suits them.
After the Summit we will produce a briefing paper outlining the key lessons and any tangible outcomes which will support how the whole of government delivers in this area. This will inform the next Programme Plan of Actions under the strategy.
I trust this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.
66. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to publish a new employment strategy to help those most distant from the labour market into the workforce; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15021/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is in the drafting stage of the successor Pathways to Work, the national employment services strategy. It is expected to be published in Q2 2026. This builds on a comprehensive public consultation process last year which yielded 430 submissions, a series of 5 regional workshops, close cooperation with other government departments and the oversight of the Labour Market Advisory Council.
The strategy will aim to address the needs of the labour market in the context of AI, demographic change and decarbonisation of the economy. In line with the Programme for Government, it will examine how to avoid income cliff edges in transitioning to employment. Pathways to Work will ensure the public employment service is equipped to support jobseekers in a changing economy as well as to forecast and respond to employment shocks. Ensuring people are encouraged to take up employment is central to addressing these disruptions and maintaining a competitive economy.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
67. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to review the changes to the qualifying criteria for the State pension (contributory) introduced in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14963/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe minimum number of paid social insurance contributions required to qualify for the State Pension (Contributory) was increased in April 2012 from 260 to 520. The change was legislated for fifteen years earlier in the Social Welfare Act 1997, which saw the minimum number gradually increase from 156 contributions.
The previous Government established a Commission on Pensions to review the State Pension system and make recommendations for its future. The Commission strongly supported the retention of the qualifying criterion of 520 paid contributions.
As the actuarial value of the State Pension (Contributory) is currently estimated at approximately just under €400,000, it is reasonable to require people claiming a contributory pension to have made at least 520 paid contributions over the term of their working life to qualify for a payment. Once a person reaches the qualifying criteria of 520 paid contributions, their rate of payment is determined by their total number of contributions (paid and credited), and the applicable calculation method.
In December 2023, legislation was enacted to introduce a series of landmark reforms to the State Pension system in response to the Commission's other recommendations. A key measure was the introduction of a flexible pension system. This new system is about providing people with choice. People will still be able to retire at 66 and draw-down their State Pension (Contributory) as they always have. Additionally, they may now choose to defer claiming their State Pension (Contributory) up to age 70 and receive an actuarially based increase in their weekly payment rate.
People can decide for themselves what best suits their needs and circumstances. For example, a person who reaches age 66 who does not have sufficient contributions to qualify for a contributory State Pension may be able to use this period to continue to work to establish entitlement or increase their level of payment.
Where a person does not satisfy the conditions to qualify for the contributory pension or qualifies for less than the maximum rate, they may instead qualify for the means-tested non-contributory pension with a maximum payment equivalent to over 96% of the contributory rate.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
68. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to deal with the pensions issues for former An Post and Eir workers. [15634/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has no role in the determination or payment of pension increases to members of occupational pension schemes, irrespective of whether those schemes operate in the public or private sector.
Matters directly relating to the An Post Superannuation Scheme and the Eircom Pension Scheme come under the remit of the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport. My understanding is that the payment of pension increases for these schemes is subject to the approval of the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, and the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation.
I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
70. Deputy Micheál Carrigy asked the Minister for Social Protection for a full breakdown of charges that pension providers are charging; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10855/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAt the outset, it should be noted that my Department has no role or function regarding the regulation of financial service providers, including life companies, brokers and intermediaries, which are regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland and come under the policy remit of the Department of Finance.
In the context of occupational pension schemes, the Pensions Act 1990 does not contain provisions in relation to the application, or level, of charges, costs or fees incurred by schemes or scheme members. My Department does not receive or retain data which sets out a full breakdown of charges applied by pension providers. Pensions charges can arise throughout the pension saving cycle (from initial set-up, accumulation phase and decumulation phase). Pensions charges can relate to, amongst other things, investment management charges, policy fees (usually a monthly or annual fee levied to cover administration costs), professional trustee fees, audit fees, actuarial fees, key function holder fees, custodian fees, broker fees/commissions, legal fees, professional/consultancy advice costs, member communication/support costs, exit penalties. While many of these charges may be borne by sponsoring employers, they may be indirectly borne by the scheme members through the pension charging structure of schemes.
The availability of comprehensive and transparent information on fees and charges is important and helps consumers to decide whether investments represent value for money. It is recognised that improved transparency in relation to fees and better outcomes for pension savers is always desirable.
Pension scheme trustees have responsibility for achieving good outcomes for the members and beneficiaries of their scheme. Scheme costs have an important bearing on these outcomes, and therefore trustees should know the costs that their pension scheme is incurring and be able to justify the value received for these costs.
In the context of Personal Retirement Savings Accounts (‘PRSAs’),
• Standard PRSAs have predetermined charging structures under section 104 of the Pensions Act, with total charges capped in two ways. A 5% cap on each contribution and a maximum of 1% per year on the fund value. This charging structure reflects the fact that standard-PRSAs may only invest in pooled funds.
• Non-Standard PRSA contracts are, in the main, not invested in a default investment strategy and, therefore, they are not subject to the limitations that apply to standard PRSAs as they can invest outside of pooled funds and investments do not need to be appropriately diversified. The investment choice available under a Non-Standard PRSA requires active management of the fund and the level of risk and charges associated can depend on the type of investment strategy chosen. Consequently, there is no cap on charges applied to Non-Standard PRSAs.
There are requirements imposed on scheme trustees in relation to the disclosure of information to scheme members in relation to charges as set out in –
• the Occupational Pension Scheme (Disclosure of Information) Regulations 2006 [S.I. No. 301 of 2006] made under the Pensions Act 1990, and
• Regulations 31 to 37 of S.I. No. 128 of 2021 which requires trustees to provide members (active and deferred) with an annual Pension Benefit Statement (PBS) including information in respect of pension projections and costs incurred by the scheme.
In relation to PRSAs, under sections 111 and 112 of the Pensions Act and the Personal Retirement Savings Accounts (Disclosure) Regulations 2002, providers are required to provide –
• in advance of a PRSA contract being entered into, a preliminary disclosure certificate. This certificate outlines projected benefits, investment strategies and potential charges relating to the specific PRSA product,
• on an annual basis, a statement of reasonable projection predicting the likely future value of a PRSA. This statement is based on assumptions relating to future contributions and investment returns, and the cost of buying an annuity when a member retires.
Failure to comply with the provisions of the Pensions Act, and regulations made thereunder, outlined above is an offence under the Act.
In the context of MyFutureFund, the new automatic enrolment system, the charges that are applied to participants consist of an administration fee charged on contributions and an investment management fee based on a percentage charge on assets under management. The administration fee takes the form of a flat weekly fee of 55 cents on contributions rather than a 'commission' based on a percentage of funds under management. In this way the administration fee will reflect the actual costs of administration (which do not vary with fund size), will be same for all participants regardless of their income or the size of their retirement fund, and will, ultimately, prove much better value for money for the participant over the course of a standard retirement planning horizon. The administration fee will not be levied in the case of suspended, paused or otherwise dormant accounts. With regard to the fee for the investment management services, it will average at just under 0.04% of assets under management (AUM).
Finally, other pension products such as Approved Retirement Funds and Retirement Annuity Contracts are not provided for, or regulated under, the Pensions Act 1990 for which my Department has policy responsibility as such products fall within the policy remit of the Department of Finance.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
71. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider a pilot project to develop a model for community-driven provision within the Hot School Meals Programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15362/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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.
The School Meals Programme is designed so that meals are provided by contracted food business operators, with the responsibility for food safety and compliance with relevant legislative obligations placed on these professional providers and not on the schools themselves.
My department provides the funding for the meals directly to the school. All schools are responsible for choosing their school meals supplier on the open market, in a fair and transparent manner in accordance with public procurement rules. These rules clearly define the successful tenderers responsibilities and obligations, including adherence to the nutritional standards.
There are some 300 suppliers in the School Meals Programme with the majority of these supplying one to three local schools. There are eleven meals on wheels organisation supplying forty schools.
The current model for school meal provision already accommodates the participation of community based providers. My officials in this Department have been working with officials in the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht and have compiled a list of supports available to local community organisations who may wish to expand their operation into the school meals area.
This information has been supplied to some rural schools and a range of other community organisations. This can be obtained from my department. Schools can also engage with local cafés, restaurants, local suppliers, and meals on wheels services, a number of which are already supplying schools in the School Meals Programme.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
72. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the MyFutureFund; the number who have been enrolled to date in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14951/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMyFutureFund commenced on the 1st January 2026. All elements of the system are operating as planned. On the 1st January and since that date, based on analysis of payroll data from the Revenue Commissioners, over 763,000 employees were automatically enrolled in MyFutureFund. These employees work for approximately 105,000 employers. In addition, more than 5,000 employees have applied to join the scheme voluntarily.
Payroll instructions have issued to these employers to deduct contributions from these employees' pay and to submit those details to NAERSA. Approximately €80 million of contributions have already been collected for investment with the three contracted investment managers.
Both the employer and participant website portals are fully functional. Since the 1st December, employers have been asked to register their company, contact and payment details with NAERSA on the employer portal so that the administrative burden for them and the management of the system is made as easy as possible. Over 104,000 employers have done so. This represents a very high level of compliance. Furthermore, it demonstrates the importance that employers place on MyFutureFund and their aspiration to do what is right for their employees, which I commend.
Finally, the latest data in respect of the number of employees that have been enrolled by county was received on the 11th February. At that date, 242,611 of the enrolled participants were located in Dublin.
I hope this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
73. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he would consider tabulating his annual child poverty target with the material deprivation rate together with the rate at risk of poverty (after housing costs) as opposed to the current formula which incorporates the former with the at risk of poverty rate (before housing costs); if he is aware that the current child poverty target obscures the true scale of child poverty; if he will not consider making this change that he will explain his reasoning fully; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15414/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraConsistent poverty is defined as experiencing both low income and enforced deprivation simultaneously. Specifically, it identifies individuals living in a household with an income below 60% of the median (at risk of poverty At Risk Of Poverty) and who cannot afford at least two out of eleven basic, and seen as essential items.
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) which are responsible for the publication of official statistics, including poverty statistics, produces the At Risk Of Poverty (AROP), the risk of deprivation and the consistent poverty statistic. These are the official poverty statistics in Ireland and have been used in the context of the current and previous Roadmaps for Social Inclusion as well as measuring child poverty over an extended period of time. The continued use of the official statistics enables historical trends to be accurately identified and to monitor and report on progress in tackling poverty.
The Child Poverty target of 3% or less of children in consistent poverty, is not an annual target, rather it is to be achieved by the end of 2030. The annual publication of the Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC) by the CSO each year includes the latest consistent poverty rate for children and is used to measure progress towards achieving the child poverty target.
The CSO does not produce the AROP rate after housing costs. The CSO does however produce the at-risk-of-poverty rate after mortgage interest and rents. CSO figures show that the at-risk-of-poverty rate overall for 0- to 17-year-olds is 15.3%. After mortgage interest and rent are taken into account the at-risk-of-poverty rate for this age cohort rises to 23.8%. But these figures are not used to produce a different consistent poverty rate. But I do fully recognise that housing costs are a significant expense for very many families and households and am happy for my Department to continue to monitor the poverty statistics of AROP after mortgage interest and rents.
The Department remains committed to using the officially published consistent poverty statistics by the CSO to track progress on tackling poverty and child poverty.
74. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Social Protection the plans to further reduce the minimum hours worked requirement for the wage subsidy scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15526/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Wage Subsidy Scheme is a key disability employment support. It aims to encourage employers to offer substantial and sustainable employment to disabled people through a subsidy. In January 2026, there were 2,613 employees employed through the Wage Subsidy Scheme and 1,546 employers availing of the scheme. Expenditure on the scheme in 2025 is estimated at €22.1 million.
In 2024, my Department published a review of the Wage Subsidy Scheme. In April 2024, based on the findings of that review, the minimum required hours for the scheme were reduced from 21 hours per week to 15 hours per week. This change sought to make the scheme more accessible and flexible to disabled people. However, it also sought to ensure that the Wage Subsidy Scheme maintains its key aim to encourage employers to provide substantial and meaningful work to disabled people.
Currently, there are 377 of the 2,613 employees on the scheme working fewer than 21 hours a week, with 200 of them working the minimum of 15 hours, and the vast majority working in excess of 15 hours without difficulty.
Under the Programme for Government and the new National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030, the Government has committed to reviewing the minimum hours requirement under the Wage Subsidy Scheme.
However, the scheme needs to operate with the new 15-hour minimum requirement for a period before my Department can assess the impact this change has had on the scheme. As this reduced requirement has been in place for a relatively short time, more time is needed to analyse the effect of the recent reduction in hours.
I trust that this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.
75. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of carers in Dublin who will benefit from the changes to the means test criteria announced in Budget 2026; his plans for further changes in Budget 2027; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14952/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government contains the commitment to abolish the means test for carers allowance over the life of the Government.
Budget 2026 will increase the earnings disregard for Carer’s Allowance by €375 to €1,000 per week for a single person and by €750 to €2,000 per week for a couple from July this year. These are the largest ever increases in the Carer's Allowance income disregards and are evidence of my Department's determination to deliver on its Programme for Government commitment.
With effect from July, this disregard will have increased cumulatively by €667.50 per week since 2022 for a single person and by €1,335 per week since 2022 for a couple.
This Budget 2026 measure will benefit both those current recipients who are on a means-reduced rate and who may see an increase in their payment rate, and those people making new claim applications otherwise subject to a means reduced rate in 2026.
On foot of the increases in the Carer's Allowance income disregards, a single person who provides full time care but also does some part-time work will this year be able to earn just over €54,000 and receive a full carer's payment. Similarly for a couple household, a person who is providing full-time care and where their partner might earn approximately €108,000 per annum will receive a full carer's payment.
There are wider implications of departing from a means-tested approach above the cost exposure and, for this reason, the income disregard is being abolished in a measured way over a number of Budgets in line with the Programme for Government commitment.
Given that the scheme is demand led and that it is likely that many people who would be outside the means threshold have not previously applied for Carer's Allowance, it is difficult to estimate potential inflow from this measure.
However, as with other schemes, the number of payments to be made under the scheme is not Budget-capped and the Department will closely monitor the inflow into the scheme to assess any change in trends. Data on take-up will be published in the Department's quarterly statistical releases.
While it is estimated that approximately 3,000 carers nationally will benefit from the measure, the scheme is demand-led and take-up will depend on individual circumstances. As such, a precise forward looking county-by-county level estimate, including for Dublin, is not available.
76. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people in receipt of unemployment benefits who have faced a reduction in their payments due to non-participation in required training, work experience, or attendance at Department of Social Protection meetings in the years 2020 to 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15520/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraA Jobseeker payment is conditional on the recipient being available for, capable of and genuinely seeking work. This reflects the concept of ‘rights and responsibilities’ whereby people who are unemployed have the right to an income support from the State and a right to be supported in their efforts to secure employment, but also have a responsibility to seek employment and to engage with the employment services offered by the State.
Intreo Employment Services supports jobseekers to find work and there are a wide range of supports on offer in terms of further education, training, upskilling, work placements as well as programmes such as Community Employment and TUS.
Jobseekers who do not engage with the Intreo Employment Service or who fail to participate in appropriate employment interventions can have their jobseeker’s payment reduced and subsequently be disqualified from their payment for up to 9 weeks. They may also have their entitlement to a Jobseekers payment reviewed based on a failure to genuinely seek work.
A reduced rate is a final step in a process to encourage a jobseeker to avail of the employment supports on offer and once a jobseeker resumes engagement with the employment support service, the reduced rate is lifted immediately. The application of a reduced rate and the duration of its application is totally within the control of the claimant.
The table below provides a breakdown of reduced rates applied in the years 2023, 2024 and 2025. It is not possible to provide a breakdown on the reasons why the reduced rate was applied. The Deputy may wish to note that during the period of the Covid 19 pandemic, the application of the reduced rate process was suspended and was gradually re-introduced over the course of 2023. It is possible that a person may have more than one reduced rates applied throughout the course of the year.
|
Year |
Number of reduced rates applied |
|
2023 |
5,235 |
|
2024 |
10,232 |
|
2025 |
11,082 |
I trust this clarifies the matter.
77. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection regarding access to community welfare officers and offices, the average waiting time for appointments; if there is a shortage of office locations; and whether opening times are an issue for those who need to access community welfare services. [15633/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe delivery of crucial and locally based community welfare services to meet the challenges and the needs of people across the country is a priority for me and for my department. The Community Welfare Service (CWS) continues to provide a flexible service to meet the different needs of people, who may find themselves in a financially difficult or vulnerable situation. It is important that this service is easily accessible and responsive to our client’s needs.
Community Welfare Officers (CWOs) are physically on site daily in over 51 Intreo Centres across the country where they are available to be seen without an appointment, during business hours, Monday to Friday. There are 50 additional locations with services available on a part-time or appointment basis to meet customers' needs. Customers can access Community Welfare Services in any location and are not restricted to accessing these services at their local office.
In addition to meeting people in Intreo Centres and DSP 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. These arrangements ensure people who need a service have comprehensive options for accessing the service in person. CWOs are very experienced and can generally assess when a case is so urgent that it requires an immediate response.
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. Any person who needs to access the CWS can call the National CWS freephone number at 0818 60 70 80, to make an appointment, speak directly to a CWO or to request general information about Community Welfare Services.
There is a high uptake of this service which allows people to have their needs met without the requirement to travel. Furthermore, the introduction of the online claim facility via www.mywelfare.ie also means that customers can now submit a claim for an Additional Needs Payment online which will receive a decision by a CWO. These services mean that people can have their needs met without the requirement to travel or attend in-person during specific hours.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
