Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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229. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a decision on a domiciliary care allowance appeal by a person (details supplied) will be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5318/25]

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.

I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to allow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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230. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to examine the case for a review of the blind pension means test (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5322/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provides a suite of income supports for those unable to work due to illness or disability. These include insurance-based schemes based on Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) contributions and means-tested social assistance schemes.

The primary social assistance scheme for people who are blind or visually impaired is the Blind Pension, which is a means-tested payment payable to those aged between 18 and 66. Blind Pension is the only income support payment designed to cater for a specific disability.

Eligibility for Blind Pension requires that a person’s vision is impaired to such an extent that they cannot perform any work for which eyesight is essential or cannot continue in their ordinary occupation.

Estimated expenditure on Blind Pension for 2025 is expected to be almost €13 million.

Social welfare legislation provides that, for means-tested social assistance schemes, all income and assets belonging to the claimant, and his or her spouse/partner where applicable, are assessable for means testing purposes. The purpose of the means test is to ensure that resources are directed to those with the greatest need for income supports by the State. It is the nature of means-tested schemes that above a certain level of means a person is not entitled to a payment, as it is deemed their own means are sufficient to provide for their needs.

People on Blind Pension can take up employment or self-employment and continue to receive all or part of their social welfare payment, depending on their income. A person can earn up to €165 a week and keep their full rate of Blind Pension. Earnings between €165 and €375 from employment are assessed at 50%, and any earnings over €375 are fully assessed as means. This means that a person can earn up to €517.60 a week and still keep their entitlement to the minimum rate of Blind Pension and their secondary benefits.

A review of means testing in the Department is underway. The outcome of the review will be used to inform decisions regarding any further changes to means testing. Any changes to means testing arrangements will have to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context.

I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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231. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to review the case of a person (details supplied) having their disability allowance revoked; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5325/25]

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.

Correspondence was received from the person concerned on 14 January 2025 with notification that they intended to travel to New York for medical treatment as they would be waiting for an extended period of time to have the same surgery in Ireland.

In line with Social Welfare legislation, in order to receive DA a person must be resident in the State. Payment of DA may only continue while outside the State in certain exceptional circumstances. One of these circumstances is where a person is receiving medical treatment abroad which is not available within the State and where that treatment is approved by the Health Services Executive (HSE).

In the correspondence received, the person concerned asked if it would be possible to suspend the DA payment as opposed to cancelling their claim while they were away. The person concerned was advised that they are entitled to a 2 week holiday period after which their DA payment would be suspended while they are away. This suspension can be lifted and the DA payment instantly reinstated once they confirm they have returned to the State.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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232. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a decision on an appeal for carer’s allowance which is under a section 317 review will issue to an individual (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5343/25]

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.

I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to disallow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned will be notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision in due course.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.