Brian Stanley (Laois, Independent)
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637. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to consider reviewing the criteria for illness benefit, to enable those who are self-employed and paying an S Class PRSI contribution to qualify for payment on this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2251/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Illness benefit is the primary short term income support provided by my Department to those who are unable to work due to illness of any type and who are covered by social insurance.

Eligibility for illness benefit depends on the person’s PRSI record and class. The person must have made the required number of contributions under class A, E, H or P to qualify. In general, self-employed people make PRSI contributions at class S which does not provide entitlement to illness benefit.

Self-employed people pay contributions to the Social Insurance Fund at a lower rate of 4.1%. This is 11.15 percentage points lower than the combined employer and employee contribution of 15.25% made in respect of employed contributors. However, self-employed contributors do have access to over 90% of benefits available to employed contributors including;

• Adoptive Benefit;
• Carer’s Benefit;
• Guardian's Payment (Contributory);
• Invalidity Pension;
• Jobseeker's Benefit (Self-Employed);
• Maternity Benefit;
• Parent's Benefit;
• Partial Capacity Benefit (where in receipt of Invalidity Pension);
• Paternity Benefit;
• State Pension (Contributory);
• Treatment Benefit; and
• Widows, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's (Contributory) Pension.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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638. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason applicants who are eligible to apply for fuel allowance are being refused same because they have a child living with them (details supplied). [2253/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The Fuel Allowance is a payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) from late September to April, at an estimated cost of €400 million in 2025. The purpose of this payment is to assist these households with their energy costs. Only one allowance is paid per household.

The criteria for Fuel Allowance are framed in order to direct the limited resources available to my Department in as targeted a manner as possible. To qualify for the Fuel Allowance payment, a person must satisfy all the qualifying criteria including the household composition criteria. This ensures that the Fuel Allowance payment goes to those who are more vulnerable to fuel poverty, including those reliant on social protection payments for longer periods and who are unlikely to have additional resources of their own.

The Fuel Allowance guidelines allow a fuel applicant to live with a qualified spouse/civil partner/cohabitant or qualified child(ren). For the purposes of Fuel Allowance, a qualified child is one for whom a Child Support Payment is payable, or in the case of an applicant with no primary social welfare scheme, aged under 18 or between the ages of 18 and 22 engaged in full-time education.

A change in the qualifying criteria such as that proposed by the Deputy, would have to be carefully considered, as disregarding the income and circumstances of another family member would change the targeted nature of the scheme.

There will always be exceptional cases and it is for this reason that the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme was introduced. Additional Needs Payments as part of the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme are available to people who have an urgent need, which they cannot meet from their own resources. These payments are available through our Community Welfare Officers.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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640. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of individuals applied for fuel allowance in 2023 and 2024, by county; and the number of successful applications there have been in that period in each county. [2266/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Fuel Allowance is a means-tested payment to assist pensioners and other long-term social welfare dependent householders with their winter heating costs. The payment is made over the winter season - from September to April - at the weekly rate of €33 or, if preferred, by way of two lump sum instalments - one in September and one in January. Only one Fuel Allowance is payable per household. Those who qualify for the payment do not need to reapply annually.

411,395 households were in receipt of Fuel Allowance at the end of December 2023 and 413,934 households were in receipt of the allowance at the end of December 2024. It should be noted that the number of recipients fluctuates as people join and exit the scheme as their circumstances change.

The number of Fuel Allowance recipients, by county, at the end of December 2023 and at the end of December 2024 is set out in tabular form below.

Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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641. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of reviews currently being conducted on State pensions in County Louth; and the reasoning behind these reviews. [2272/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Department’s Compliance and Anti-Fraud Strategy, state pension scheme areas have a commitment to an annual level of control reviews and operates an ongoing continuous schedule of control and review activity. The objective is to ensure that customers continue to receive their correct rate of payment over the lifetime of their claim.

Reviews can arise from customer requests for a review of their claim, from targeted and random case selections, or where specific information comes to the attention of the Department. Factors such as length of time since last review, or where information is received from other agencies such as the Revenue Commissioners, or from members of the public, can also trigger control reviews.

The Department does not use county location as part of our selection criteria.

The table below shows the total number of control reviews for the last three years:

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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642. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of applications made under the reasonable accommodation fund in the years 2020 to 2024; and the level of funding given to successful applicants under several named grants (details supplied). [2274/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The grants available under the Reasonable Accommodation Fund aimed to support the employment of disabled people in the open labour market and to make the workplace more accessible. The table below provides data on expenditure as requested on three of the Reasonable Accommodation Fund grants issued from 2020 to 2024.

A review of the Reasonable Accommodation Fund and the Disability Awareness Support Scheme was published in August 2023, including recommendations on how to improve supports for disabled people at work.

A replacement scheme, Work and Access, was launched at the end of July 2024 incorporating the review recommendations. Work and Access includes a number of supports for employers and employees such as Workplace Needs Assessment, Communication Support, Personal Reader, Workplace Adaptation, and Disability Equality and Inclusion Training. A comprehensive campaign promoting the new scheme ran during the autumn.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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643. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a person (details supplied) can expect to receive a decision on a carer’s allowance appeal in respect of their spouse; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2302/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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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 an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, decided to disallow the carers allowance appeal of the person concerned on 25th October 2024.

Under social welfare legislation a decision of an Appeals Officer is generally final and conclusive. However, it may be reviewed by an Appeals Officer under Section 317 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 in the light of new evidence or new facts.

On 13th November 2024, further medical information was received pertaining to the appellant, and as a result a Section 317 Review of the appeal officer's decision was opened on this date. Once a decision is made on this Section 317 review, the person concerned will be notified in writing.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal East, Labour)
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644. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a student (details supplied) who is studying abroad in an exchange programme which is an integral part of their undergraduate degree but not part of an EU exchange, is eligible for the back to education allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2310/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Disability Allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged 16 or over and under the age of 66. This disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, a means test and the habitual residency conditions.

Persons in receipt of DA can return to education and training. They have the option of applying for back to education allowance (BTEA) while attending their course. The normal conditions of DA apply while the claimant is in full time education. DA is not payable for any period in respect if which the claimant is resident away from the State except where the person is pursuing an approved course of education outside of the State under the BTEA option or an individual is receiving medical treatment which is not available in the State.

Continued payment of DA can remain available under the BTEA option where study abroad is determined an integral part of the course or where the student is undertaking an Erasmus programme.

In order to determine eligibility for BTEA and a continuing eligibility for DA, a completed application form should be submitted by the person concerned. An application form issued to the person concerned on 29 January 2025.

I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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645. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to examine the case of a person (details supplied) awaiting approval for disability allowance. [2316/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Disability Allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged 16 or over and under the age of 66. This disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, a means test and the habitual residency conditions.

I confirm that my Department received an application for DA from the person concerned on 01 May 2024. The person concerned was notified of the initial decision in writing on 24 June 2024 and she subsequently sought a review.

Following a series of requests to clarify financial matters relating to her means assessment for DA and based on the evidence supplied in support of this application, the claim was disallowed on the grounds that she was assessed with weekly means of €1,149.52. These means are derived from her spouse's insurable employment. This assessment is in excess of the statutory means limit allowable of €406.00 in this cases.

The person concerned was notified in writing of this decision on 31 January 2025 and they were given the right to a review or an appeal.

I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Brian Brennan (Wicklow-Wexford, Fine Gael)
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646. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection for a history of the widow’s non-contributory/non-contributory pension application for a person (details supplied); the current status of the claim; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2321/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The person concerned was in receipt of the state pension (non-contributory) from 12 October 2007.

On 21 November 2018, following a review of entitlement the pension was stopped as the means of the person concerned exceeded the weekly statutory limit. An overpayment totaling €92,110.10 was raised for the period 12 October 2007 – 12 March 2015. A decision letter issued on 21 November 2018 outlining the decision, overpayment and their right to appeal the decision.

On 1 March 2019, the person concerned appealed the decision. On 17 February 2020, notification was received from the Social Welfare Appeals Office confirming that the appeal had been disallowed.

On 1 October 2021 and 8 May 2023, the person concerned submitted state pension non-contributory application forms (SPNC1) both of which were disallowed (on 6 January 2022 and 8 May 2023) as the means exceeded the weekly statutory limit.

A subsequent SPNC1 was received from the person concerned on 19 March 2024. This application was held pending the outcome of an appeal on their Supplementary Welfare Allowance entitlement. The social welfare appeals office issued their decision on 28 January 2025.

It was decided on 31 January 2025 that the person concerned is not entitled to state pension (non-contributory) as their means exceed the weekly statutory limit. A decision letter has issued to the person concerned outlining the decision and their right to appeal the decision.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Brian Brennan (Wicklow-Wexford, Fine Gael)
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647. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection for a history of the widow’s contributory/contributory pension application for a person (details supplied); the current status of the claim; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2322/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The person concerned turned pension age on 7 October 2007. To qualify for the standard state pension (contributory) at this time, 260 full-rate paid contributions were needed.

The records of my department show that the person concerned has 239 paid contributions. A letter issued on 19 November 2007 to advise the person concerned that they did not qualify for the standard state pension (contributory).

If the person concerned has a contribution record in another EU country, or a country with which Ireland has a Bilateral agreement, there may be an entitlement to a pro-rata Bilateral State Pension if the combined records total at least 260 paid contributions. It is open to the person concerned to request a review of their entitlement and to supply details of their foreign work experience, if any, to include any national insurance numbers from the relevant countries.

If the person concerned has provided full-time care to incapacitated dependents for 20 years or more (1,040 weeks), it is open to them to apply for long-term carers contributions. If eligible, the equivalent of paid contributions will be attributed to cover gaps in their contribution record. The periods of caregiving do not need to be consecutive. The quickest way to apply for long-term carers contributions is online at MyWelfare.ie. Otherwise, the person concerned can request a pension caring supports application form by calling 01-4715898 or by email to pensioncaringsupports@welfare.ie.

We have no record of any application from the person concerned for the widow's, widower's or surviving civil partner's (contributory) Pension.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Natasha Newsome Drennan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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648. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection for an update on a disability allowance application for person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2329/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Disability Allowance (DA) is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged 16 or over and under the age of 66. This disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, a means test and habitual residency conditions.

I confirm that my department received an application for DA from the person concerned on 05 July 2021 and they were awarded with effect from 07 July 2021 at a reduced personal rate due to means derived from their spouse’s employment.

The person concerned requested a review of their DA decision on 20 September 2024 due to a change in their circumstances. Based on information received, a review of the DA claim of the person concerned was undertaken.

As part of the review, on 04 December 2024, the person concerned was requested to supply financial records and details of any other income they or their spouse may have. I can confirm that the requested information was received on 12 December 2024.

Following a review of this case and the information received, the person concerned has been assessed with nil weekly means, entitling them to an increased to the maximum personal rate of DA with effect from 25 September 2024, with the first payment of their new rate commencing on 29 January 2025. The person concerned was notified of the decision via correspondence dated 20 January 2025.

Arrears of payment due from 25 September 2024 to 28 January 2025 will issue with their payment on 29 January 2025.

I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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649. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection for an update on the carer’s allowance review of (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2344/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Carer's Allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care.

Means are any income belonging to the carer and their spouse / civil partner / cohabitant, property (except their own home) or an asset that could bring in money or provide them with an income, for example occupational pensions, or pensions or benefits from another country.

I can confirm that my Department received an application for CA from the person concerned on 07 October 2024.

The application was referred to a local Social Welfare Inspector on 16 October 2024 to confirm that all the conditions for receipt of CA are satisfied.

The claim was disallowed as the means of the person concerned exceeded the statutory means limit.

The person concerned was notified of this decision in writing on 06 December 2024. They were also notified of their right to have the decision reviewed (where further information is available) or to appeal the decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO).

A review was initiated on foot of correspondence received on 31 December 2024. Following this review the decision remained unchanged.

The person concerned was notified of this decision in writing on 30 January 2025. They were also notified of their right to have the decision reviewed (where further information is available) or to appeal the decision to the SWAO.

A request to appeal this decision was lodged with the Department and forwarded to the SWAO on 29 January 2025.

I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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650. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a decision for a carer's allowance application for a person (details supplied) will be made; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2348/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Carer's Allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care.

I can confirm that two applications for CA were received from the person concerned on 23 August 2024.

As part of the decision process, the applications were referred for the professional opinion of a Department Medical Assessor. The claims were disallowed as the Deciding Officer, having regard to the opinion of the Medical Assessor, decided that the information supplied did not show that the two care recipients required full time care.

The person concerned was notified of this decision in writing on 01 October 2024. They were also notified of their right to have the decision reviewed (where further information is available) or to appeal the decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO).

A review was initiated on foot of correspondence received from the person concerned on 07 October 2024. Following this review, the person concerned was awarded CA in respect of the two care recipients from 29 August 2024.

The first payment will issue to the nominated bank account of the person concerned on 30 January 2025. Arrears for the period 29 August 2024 to 29 January 2025 will issue shortly.

The person concerned was notified of these decisions in writing on 22 January 2025.

I hope this clarifies the position for the deputy.

Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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651. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a decision will be made in relation to a fuel allowance application by a person (details supplied) [2361/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The Fuel Allowance is a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. The payment of €33 per week for 28 weeks (a total of €924 each year) is paid from late September to April to assist households with their energy costs. Fuel Allowance is a means-tested payment to assist householders on long term social welfare payments with their heating needs.

The person concerned applied for Fuel Allowance on 08 October 2024. Further information with regard to their means was requested on 11 November 2024. A second application for Fuel Allowance was received on 19 December 2024, however the information requested on their means was not provided. This request re-issued on 18 January 2025.

On receipt of the requested information, a decision will be made and the person concerned will be notified.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the deputy.