Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the change the Minister has made to the fuel allowance. It will make a real difference in many households from January onwards. That is a welcome move. The change to the means test will allow "a married couple", as it is phrased online, to receive the fuel allowance once their income is not more than €1,000 per week. Does that include situations where, for example, a mother and son are living together?

It is good that more money than was estimated to be spent has been spent on the additional needs payment. That shows the demand. It is important. Where people are getting it, that support is welcome. It is important that the support is there in emergency situations in particular. We are coming into the Christmas period and the wintertime proper and demand for that payment will only grow. That is why it is so important that the staff and resources are in place to enable that payment to be processed in a timely manner. I presume the Department is still collating the data on those applications that have been approved and refused? In respect of the exceptional and urgent needs payments, that was not happening initially. All that was being collected was the number of applications paid out and the money associated. It is important for the data in respect of the additional needs payment to be available. Can the Minister provide an update on the processing times? Approximately five weeks ago, I asked for the updated current processing times for the payment. I have followed up three times since then and received a response without an answer. I would like to know. I have been made aware by a person in my constituency office that the current waiting time, in some cases, is ten to 12 weeks. That would worry me and we need clarification in that regard.

The Minister said a couple of weeks ago that 80 additional staff were approved through the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Will the Minister give an update on that? It is important that we get that information.

The Minister also mentioned the €500 disability payment, which is welcome, as are all the lump sum payments. I did not realise that partial capacity benefit recipients are not included in that lump sum payment. Can the Minister clarify the position? People typically avail of the partial capacity benefit for up to three years. I was surprised when a recipient contacted me to say they were not included. I want to ask the Minister about that.

One can see from the Supplementary Estimates that spending on disability allowance has increased considerably. Illness and disability payments require a high level of spending by the Department. Can the Minister give us any information on the strawman proposal around the cost of disability and as part of that review, the work that is being undertaken in relation to long-term disability and invalidity, and how all those payments may work, going forward?

The child maintenance review group report was published last week, which was welcome. It contains a couple of recommendations that can be brought forward in the Social Welfare Bill. I understand the Minister is not going to do that and will instead bring forward separate legislation next year. Can the Minister give us a timeline in that regard?

I previously raised the issue of Ms Tracy McGinnis, who lost her son, Brendan Bjorn, earlier this year. He was a young adult who was in receipt of disability allowance and on his death, that payment ceased immediately. That is not the case with the disability care allowance. It continues to be paid, I understand, for up to three months. This is something I understand officials in the Department were examining. Is there any possibility that the Minister could give an update on that issue? It is a small measure and will only be in place for a small number of people but it is important that we do it. Brendan passed away in May. It is important for a measure like that to be introduced on compassionate grounds. As I said, it would not cost a lot of money, not that money should come into it.