Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

312. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason parents of twins and triplets only receive one entitlement to parent's benefit until the child attains the age of two, given that 130 days' parental leave is provided per child. [23639/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

While I have responsibility for Parent's Benefit which is associated with Parent's Leave, my colleague the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has responsibility for both Parent's Leave and the separate Parental Leave scheme, which is unpaid.

Parent’s Benefit is a payment for employed people, who are on Parent’s Leave from work, and self-employed people who satisfy certain PRSI contribution conditions. Currently, seven weeks Parent's Leave and Benefit is available to all eligible parents. The leave and benefit must be availed of within two years of the child's birth or adoption.

In line with the EU Work-Life Balance Directive, and as provided for in Budget 2024, Parent’s Leave and Benefit will be increased by two weeks to nine weeks per parent from August 2024. When the current durations of Maternity, Paternity and Parent’s Benefit are combined this adds to 42 weeks of paid leave for a two-parent family. This will increase to 46 weeks from August 2024.

In the case of multiple births, one period of Parent's Leave can be claimed by each eligible parent who may also be eligible for Parent's Benefit during that period. This is in line with Maternity and Paternity Leave and Benefit schemes.

Parents of twins or other multiple births receive additional support through the Child Benefit scheme. The standard rate of Child Benefit is €140 per month. Twins are paid at one and a half times (150%) the standard monthly rate for each child, that is €210 per month for each twin. All other multiple births are paid at double (200%) the standard monthly rate for each child, that is €280 per child. Estimated expenditure on Child Benefit in 2024 will be in excess of €2.1 billion.

Any decision to further extend the period of Parent’s Leave for employees is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and would require careful consideration and consultation with relevant stakeholders. Any further extension of Parent's Benefit would have cost implications and could only be considered in a Budgetary context.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

313. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the timeline for legislation to be enacted on the Supreme Court’s judgement to the entitlement of a unmarried co-habitant to a widows, widowers or surviving civil partner’s contributory pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23665/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Under the law as currently enacted, entitlement to a Widows, Widowers or Surviving Civil Partner’s Contributory pension is only available to a surviving partner who was party to a marriage or civil partnership.

On Monday 22nd January, the Supreme Court delivered its judgment in relation to the entitlement of an unmarried co-habitant to a Widows, Widowers or Surviving Civil Partner’s Contributory pension. The Supreme Court judgment overruled a previous High Court decision and found in favour of the claimant and his children.

In simple terms, the Court found that section 124 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 (as amended) is inconsistent with the Constitution insofar as it excluded the claimant from the category of persons entitled to benefit from it. The Court reached that conclusion on the basis of the equality guarantee contained in Article 40.1 of the Constitution. The Supreme Court judgment notes that in order to resolve the issue raised by the judgment, a legislative amendment is required.

My officials are considering the measures necessary to respond to the Supreme Court judgment, which raised a number of complex issues, and are developing the legislative changes that are required to implement the decision. This is being done in conjunction with the Office of the Attorney General. Once proposals have been finalised, these will be brought to Government for approval before the Summer recess.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

314. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if exemptions are in place for pensioners, disabled people or other groups in relation to the recently announced changes to the supports to those fleeing the war in Ukraine. [23674/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Government has recently implemented changes in terms of providing suitable but sustainable support to Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs). Following the introduction of new legislation in March, newly arrived BOTPs in designated accommodation receive €38.80 per week if they are over 18 years of age and €29.80 per week if they are under 18 years of age.

The Government has now decided to bring greater equity to the welfare supports being provided to BOTPs. It has been decided that BOTPs in state-provided fully serviced accommodation, designated by the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, will receive the same level of payment regardless of when they arrived.

Officials from my Department and from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth are working on the operational arrangements to give effect to this change, with an estimated 12 week lead-in time to allow details to be finalised and notice to be provided to the people affected.

This change will apply to BOTPs in designated fully serviced accommodation in receipt of any of the Department's social assistance schemes.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

315. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 701 of 2 February 2024, by what criteria schools that are expressing interest in the hot school meals programme are appraised in order to be granted provision of meals under the scheme; if she will provide the appropriate guidelines for schools expressing interest; when her Department projects achieving universal school cover by this scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23675/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The 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. Following the expansion of the programme in recent years, some 2,600 schools and organisations, covering 443,000 children are now eligible for funding.

The Hot School Meal option of the programme was introduced in 2019 and is currently solely available to primary schools. Since my appointment as Minister for Social Protection, I have increased the number of schools with access to the Hot School Meal option and the programme has grown significantly in recent years with over 2,000 primary schools now eligible to receive a hot meal. This is a very positive outcome considering that the scheme involved just 30 schools at pilot stage when I started expanding it.

I am committed to continuing to expand the School Meals Programme and building further on the significant extension of the programme that has taken place in recent years. In this regard, I have rolled out hot school meals to all DEIS primary schools from September 2023.

As part of this significant expansion plan, all remaining non-DEIS primary schools were contacted last year and requested to submit an expression of interest form if their school is interested in commencing the provision of hot school meals. Expressions of interests were received from over 900 primary schools in respect of 150,000 children who were then invited to participate in the programme from 8th April 2024 and all of the schools who submitted completed applications have been awarded funding.

My Department has now contacted the remaining primary schools who have not yet joined the Hot School Meals scheme asking them to submit expressions of interest to receive hot meals from September 2024.

My ambition is that every primary school child in the country will be receiving a hot meal in 2025. This is well ahead of our original target to make hot meals universal in primary schools by 2030.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

316. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a decision will be made on the appeal of a person (details supplied) against the refusal of disability allowance; if an oral hearing will be granted in this case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23698/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The 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.

The Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that there is no record of any appeal by the person concerned having been received by that office. I understand that the Department's disability allowance section recently carried out a review of this case which was subsequently disallowed on 9 May 2024. The person concerned has been notified of the outcome and it is open to him to submit an appeal in relation to the outcome of this review.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.