Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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518. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the full-year cost of increasing the telephone support allowance to €5 and making it an additional entitlement on the household benefits package; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43060/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Telephone Support Allowance is a weekly payment of €2.50 for people on certain social welfare payments who are also getting both the Living Alone Increase and the Fuel Allowance. The primary objective of the Telephone Support Allowance is to allow the most vulnerable people at risk of isolation, including the elderly and those with disabilities, access to personal alarms or phones for security. Approximately 156,000 customers are in receipt of the Telephone Support Allowance payment. The full year cost of the scheme in 2024 is estimated at €20.9 million.

If the measure outlined by the Deputy was introduced in 2025, it is estimated that there would be an average of 163,000 recipients of the Telephone Support Allowance and an estimated average of 540,000 recipients of the Household Benefits Package; therefore, it is estimated that 377,000 households would benefit from the measure.

Based on a yearly rate of Telephone Support Allowance of €260, the estimated yearly cost of the additional 377,000 households would be €98 million.

Furthermore, the estimated 163,000 people who already have entitlement to the Telephone Support Allowance would see their yearly rate of payment increase by €130 to €260 at an estimated cost of €21.2 million.

The estimated total cost of the measures outlined by the Deputy is therefore €119.2 million.

All proposals, including any proposals to expand the qualifying criteria and increase the rate payable for the Telephone Support Allowance could only be considered while taking account of overall Government policy and in a budgetary context.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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519. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the full-year cost of increasing the electricity and gas allowance under the household benefits package from €35 to €40 and €45; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43061/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Household Benefits Package comprises the electricity or gas allowance, and the free television licence. The Department of Social Protection will spend approximately €294 million this year on the Household Benefits Package.

People over the age of 70 receive the Household Benefits Package, with one package provided per household. The package is also available to people living in the State aged 66-69 years who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments or who satisfy a means test. The package is available to some people under the age of 66 who are in receipt of certain welfare type payments.

Based on an average of 523,000 recipients of the electricity/gas element of the Household Benefits Package in 2025, if the increases to the electricity/gas element outlined by the Deputy were introduced in 2025, the estimated additional yearly cost would be as follows:

All proposals, including the proposals outlined by the Deputy could only be considered while taking account of overall Government policy and in a budgetary context.

I trust that this clarifies these matters for the Deputy.

Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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520. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the full-year cost of paying two full rate carer’s allowances to an individual caring for two people, and a half-rate for third and subsequent individuals, as opposed to a half-rate for the second person, as it currently stands; if costs on those over and under the age of 66 can be given; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43062/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The primary objective of the Carer’s Allowance payment is to provide an income support to carers whose earning capacity is substantially reduced as a consequence of their caring responsibilities and in so doing to support the ongoing care of the person or people in respect of whom care is being provided. It is important to note that the Carer’s Allowance is not intended to be a compensatory payment for the full value of earnings foregone nor is it a payment by the State for the provision of care.

Where a carer is providing care to more than one person, the personal rate of Carer's Allowance payable is increased by a maximum of 50% of the standard personal rate. It is important to clarify that this 50% increase is not a Half-Rate Carer’s Allowance payment, but an exceptional increase in the standard personal rate.

The Half-Rate Carer’s Allowance payment differs in that it is available to those in receipt of particular social welfare payments who are also providing full-time care and attention. In these cases, a carer may retain their main, non-care-related payment, and receive another payment, depending on their means, the maximum of which is equivalent to a half-rate Carer’s Allowance.

The current weekly personal rates of Carer’s Allowance for those who are caring for two or more people are €372 for those aged under 66 and €429 for those aged 66 or over.

What the Deputy is effectively suggesting is the following:

• A payment rate of €496 per week for those aged 66 and under caring for 2 people, plus an additional €124 for those caring for 3 or more people, and
• A payment rate of €572 per week for those aged 66 and over caring for 2 or more people, plus an additional €143 for those caring for 3 more people.

• 11,265 are aged under 66, of whom 407 are caring for 3 or more care recipients.
• 567 are aged 66 years and over, of whom 4 are caring for 3 or more care recipients.

Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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521. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of people over the age of 66 who are in receipt of the State pension and a half-rate or reduced rate carer’s allowance; the full-year cost of allowing these recipients to be paid their State pension and the rate at which they were previously paid their carer’s allowance prior to reaching State pension age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43063/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Persons in receipt of certain social welfare payments who are providing full time care and attention to another person may continue to receive their main payment, and an additional payment of 50% of their rate of Carer's Allowance. This is known as the Half-Rate Carer's Allowance. At the end of September 2024 there were 14,889 recipients of State Pension Contributory or State Pension Non-Contributory, who were also in receipt of Half Rate Carer's Allowance. It is not possible to complete the costing requested by the Deputy.

Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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522. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the current expenditure on the school meals holiday hunger programme; the number of schools currently partaking in the scheme; the full-year cost of doubling the number of schools in the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43064/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The school meals programme currently solely operates for 36 weeks of the school year in respect of primary schools and 33 weeks of the school year in respect of post primary schools.

As announced in Budget 2025, it is planned to commence in Summer 2025, a Holiday Hunger pilot project which will be implemented by utilising my Department's School Meals Programme and the Department of Education’s Summer Programme.

This could support up to 40,000 children at a full year cost of €1.3 million. As this programme is a pilot, it will be reviewed in the 3rd quarter of 2025.

I trust this clarifies the matter.