Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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485. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost to award foster carers' entitlements to PRSI credits to recognise their contribution as carers of vulnerable children on behalf of the State; and if this cohort will qualify for the enhanced State pension in January 2024. [24719/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Matters related to foster caring are the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and Tusla. More widely, this Government acknowledges the important role that carers play and is fully committed to supporting them in that role. Accordingly, the current State Pension (Contributory) system provides for a range of measures including PRSI credits, Homemaking Disregards and HomeCaring Periods to recognise caring periods of up to 20 years outside of paid employment in the calculation of a payment rate. Foster carers are entitled to the benefits of the Homemaker’s Scheme or HomeCaring Periods, on the same basis as other carers, and will qualify if the carer is in receipt of Child Benefit. If the foster carer is not in receipt of Child Benefit, they can still qualify for Homemaker’s Scheme or HomeCaring Periods provided the caring periods are confirmed by Tusla. Despite these measures, some long-term carers of incapacitated dependents may still face barriers in accessing the State Pension (Contributory). They may for example have difficulty establishing the minimum number of 10 years' paid contributions.I announced a series of landmark reforms to the State Pension system in September. The measures are in response to the Pensions Commission’s recommendations and represent the biggest ever structural reform of the Irish State Pension system.One of the most important reforms agreed by Government is enhanced State Pension provision for people who have been caring for incapacitated dependents for over 20 years. It will do this by attributing the equivalent of paid contributions to long-term carers to cover gaps in their contribution record. My Department will develop a system to register those caring periods so that the relevant contributions can be attributed to a long-term carer.My officials are currently working to implement the reforms, including the drafting of legislation and development of administrative and IT systems as necessary.

In their Strategic Plan for Fostercare Sevices, launched last year, Tusla stated that as of June 2022, there were 3,985 foster carers in Ireland. This department does not have data on how many of them would have enough social insurance contributions to qualify for the State Pension (contributory), credit contributions and other related information. It is therefore not possible to provide an estimate specifically for foster carers.

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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486. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will provide a breakdown of the number of applications for the additional needs payments, including the exceptional needs and urgent needs payments, made to her Department or community welfare services for the year 2022, broken down month by month; and a further breakdown of the number of these applications that were granted, refused, appealed and granted or not on appeal. [24758/23]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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487. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will provide a breakdown of the number of applications for the additional needs payments, including the exceptional needs and urgent needs payments, made to her Department and community welfare services to date in 2023, broken down month by month; and a further breakdown of the number of these applications that were granted, refused, appealed and granted or not on appeal. [24759/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 486 and 487 together.

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. This is an over ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from the customer’s own resources, and which are deemed to be necessary.

Payments are made at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme, taking into account the requirements of the legislation, and all the relevant circumstances of the case in order to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance.

Table 1 provides the number of Additional Needs Payments registered and awarded (granted) by month in 2022.

Table 2 provides the number of Additional Needs Payments registered and awarded (granted) by month in 2023 (to end of March)

During the period January 2022 to end of March 2023, 21,970 claims have been disallowed (refused).

These payments are not appealable to the Social Welfare Appeals Office. If an applicant is dissatisfied with the outcome of a decision for an exceptional and urgent needs claim they can seek a review of that decision.

Reviews of ANP decisions (excluding reoccurring supplements) are carried out by review officers within the community welfare service. Statistics are not collated on the number of reviews requested or the outcome of those reviews.

Any person who considers that they may have an entitlement to an Additional Needs Payment is encouraged to contact their local community welfare service. There is a National Community Welfare Contact Centre in place - 0818-607080 - which will direct callers to the appropriate office. In addition, applications can be made online viawww.mywelfare.ie .

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Table 1 – Additional Needs Payments registered and awarded (granted) by month in 2022.

Table 2 – Additional Needs Payments registered and awarded by month in 2023 (to end of March).