Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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356. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason invalidity pension reviews are taking so long to process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19058/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department is committed to providing a quality service to all its customers, ensuring that applications are processed and that decisions on entitlement are made as quickly as possible. In general, social welfare schemes which involve medical conditionality take the longest time to process.

These cases have a number of complex qualifying conditions that can take longer to process. In considering entitlement to Invalidity Pension (IP), evidence must be provided in respect of the person’s contributions paid and medical condition and the extent to which the person concerned is permanently incapable of work.

An individual may request a review of a decision on their claim where they are not satisfied with the outcome. The processing time for a review of a decision can vary depending on the amount of supporting documentation supplied and the complexity of the case. Currently, all customers are notified of the decision in a timely manner, generally within 3 to 4 weeks, as soon as the review of their entitlement is complete.

I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Illness Benefit is the main short-term income support provided by this department to those who cannot work due to illness of any kind and who are covered by social insurance. Eligibility for Illness Benefit is based on medical certification and social insurance contribution conditions made. It is paid from the Social Insurance Fund and Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) paid under Classes A, E, H and P count towards Illness Benefit. Self-employed people generally contribute to the Social Insurance Fund under Class S and do not qualify for Illness Benefit.

There has been an extensive expansion of access to the range of social insurance benefits for self-employed contributors in recent years without any increase in the 4% rate of contribution made by them. In effect, self-employed contributors, in return for a contribution of 11 percentage points lower than the combined employer and employee contribution of 15.05% made in respect of employed contributors, have access to benefits which comprise over 90% of the value of all benefits available to employed contributors.

With this expansion, and where all qualification criteria for the particular scheme are satisfied, PRSI contributions in Class S give access to the following benefits:

• Adoptive Benefit;
• Guardian's Payment (Contributory);
• Jobseeker's Benefit (Self-Employed);
• Invalidity Pension (for long term illness);
• Maternity Benefit;
• Parent's Benefit;
• Partial Capacity Benefit;
• Paternity Benefit;
• State Pension (Contributory);
• Treatment Benefit; and
• Widows, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension.

Self-employed people who cannot work because of a long-term illness or disability may qualify for Invalidity Pension or Disability Allowance. Further information on these schemes is available at www.gov.ie/illnessdisabilitycaring

With regard to additional short-term supports, this Department also provides Additional Needs Payments under our Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme to help meet essential expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. This includes exceptional and urgent needs payments, and certain supplements to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from a person’s own resources and are deemed to be necessary. The payment is available to anyone who needs it and qualifies, whether the person is currently on a social welfare payment or in employment.

The Department keeps 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 and also in the context of the sustainability of the Social Insurance Fund.

Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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358. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the steps she is taking to ensure that all eligible persons can access the treatment benefit scheme under the Social Welfare (Convention on Social Security between the Government of Ireland and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) Order 2020. [19081/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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It is understood from clarification received from the Deputy that her constituent would like clarification from the Minister on their Treatment Benefit entitlements under the Social Welfare (Convention on Social Security between the Government of Ireland and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) Order 2020.

The Convention came into effect on the 31st December 2020. Its main purpose is to ensure that the social security rights and entitlements enjoyed by Irish and British citizens under the Common Travel Area arrangements are continued from 1 January 2021 onwards.

Under the terms of the Convention, all prior existing arrangements with regard to recognition of, and access to, social insurance entitlements will be maintained in both jurisdictions. This means that the rights of Irish citizens living in Ireland are to benefit from social insurance contributions made when working in the UK and to access social insurance payments if resident in the UK, and vice versa for UK citizens, are protected.

The Irish social insurance benefits covered under the Convention includes the Treatment Benefit scheme.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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359. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans in the next budget to increase financial supports for carers in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19096/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The main income supports for carers provided by my department are Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant. Spending in 2023 is expected to amount to almost €1.6 billion on these payments. The value of income transfers to family carers has increased by over 50% since 2015.

Since my appointment as Minister, I have made a number of significant improvements within the social welfare system to enhance the supports available for our carers. As part of Budget 2022, I was delighted to announce the first improvements to the means test for Carer's Allowance in 14 years.

The capital and savings disregard for the means assessment for Carer’s Allowance was increased from €20,000 to €50,000, aligning it with the capital means test for Disability Allowance.

For carers who are working, I increased the weekly income disregard to €350 for a single person, and to €750 for carers with a spouse/partner.

These are the highest income disregards in the social welfare system.

There are a range of other supports for carers provided by my department which are not based on a means assessment. These include the Carer’s Support Grant which is a payment for all carers regardless of means or social insurance contributions. I increased this grant as part of Budget 2021 to €1,850, its highest ever rate.

Domiciliary Care Allowance is designed as a support for a child aged under 16 with a severe disability, who requires ongoing care and attention, substantially over and above the care and attention usually required by a child of the same age. The payment is not based on the type of disability but is based on the impact of the disability and it is not means tested.

In acknowledging the financial burden families of sick children face I have made significant changes to the Domiciliary Care Allowance payment over the last two years.

As part of Budget 2022, I extended the period during which Domiciliary Care Allowance can be paid for children in hospital from 3 months to 6 months.

• As part of Budget 2023 and with effect from January, Domiciliary Care Allowance is available for babies who remain in an acute hospital after birth for a period of 6 months. During both these extended
• periods of eligibility and where other conditions are met, a carer may also receive Carer's Allowance or Carer's Benefit and the Carer's Support Grant.
• I increased the monthly payment by €21 to its current rate of €330.00.

• A €12 increase in the maximum rate of Carer’s Allowance and Carer’s Benefit with proportionate increases for people receiving a reduced rate.
• A €2 increase for each Qualified Child bringing rates to €50 for Over 12s and €42 for Under 12s.
• The Half-rate Carer’s Allowance is now disregarded in the means assessment for Fuel Allowance.
• A double payment for carers paid in October 2022.
• A €500 payment for people receiving Carer’s Support Grant paid in November 2022.
• Carers received the Christmas Bonus Double Payment.

In order to learn of and assess priorities within the sector, my department actively engages with carers’ representative groups on an ongoing basis. My department hosts the Annual Carers’ Forum which brings together individual carers, representatives of carer organisations and officials invited from other relevant Government Departments. The Annual Carers’ Forum forms part of my department’s commitments under the National Carer's Strategy and planning is currently underway for this year’s event which will take place on 17 May.

As part of the annual budgetary process my department invites pre-Budget submissions from representative bodies. As well as giving consideration to the submissions received, my department normally hosts an annual Pre-Budget Forum which representative bodies attend. The Pre-Budget Forum is an opportunity for me to meet with groups from the community and voluntary sector, including carer representative groups.

I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.