Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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623. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of international protection applicants since 2019 who have been issued PPS numbers and who subsequently applied to have a parent, spouse or child added as 'qualified adult' or 'qualified child' for the purposes of social protection payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43955/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Social Protection does not record if a person is a International Protection Applicant, neither at PPSN allocation nor at any stage during claim processing.

The Daily Expense Allowance is payable to all applicants for International Protection who live in or are on a waiting list to move into accommodation provided by the International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. The current rate of the allowance is €38.80 per week for an adult and €29.80 per week for a child. An increased rate of €113.80 per week for an adult applies where a person is unaccommodated and is on a waiting list for IPAS accommodation.

The number of recipients of Daily Expense Allowance, the number on an adult rate, and the number on a child rate at the end of each calendar year 2019-2023 is shown in the below Table.

Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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624. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she is aware of a situation (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43957/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Disability Allowance (DA) is a means tested payment for people with a specified disability who are aged 16 or over and under the age of 66. The applicant must be suffering from an injury, disease, congenital deformity or physical or mental illness or defect, which has lasted for one year or is expected to last for one year and as a result of which they are substantially restricted in undertaking work which would otherwise be suitable having regard to the person’s age, experience and qualifications.

I can confirm that the Department received an application for disability allowance (DA) from the person concerned on 09 September 2024. The processing time for individual DA claims may vary in accordance with their relative complexity in terms of the three main qualifying criteria, the person’s circumstances and the information the person provides in support of their claim.

The application was referred to a Social Welfare Inspector (SWI) on 13 September 2024 for a report on the person’s means and circumstances. Once the SWI has submitted their report to the DA section, a decision will be made on the DA application and the person concerned will be notified of the outcome.

In the meantime, the person concerned can apply to the Community Welfare Officer for the means tested Supplementary Welfare Allowance (SWA) if they are in need of financial assistance.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.