Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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315. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 116 of 27 February 2025, if he will provide a breakdown of payments under the humanitarian assistance scheme, by county, in the aftermath of storm Éowyn to date, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10407/25]

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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316. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 116 of 27 February 2025, if he will provide a breakdown of payments made under the humanitarian assistance scheme, per county, in the aftermath of storm Bert, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10408/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 315 and 316 together.

The Humanitarian Assistance Scheme, administered by my department through the local Community Welfare Service, was activated on the 23rd January 2025 to assist householders across the country affected by Storm Éowyn, and had previously been activated in November 2024 to assist householders affected by Storm Bert.Since Storm Éowyn, almost 17,000 payments have been made to members of the public to date, totalling just over €3.75 million. Table 1 shows the current number of payments made and the related expenditure by county following Storm Éowyn.In the aftermath of Storm Bert which occurred on 22nd November 2024, 90 payments have been made to date under the scheme totalling just under €61,000. Table 2 below provides details of the number of payments made and the expenditure to date by county following Storm Bert.I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Tabular Statement

Table 1 - Number of Payments and Expenditure Since Storm Éowyn.

Table 2 - Number of Payments and Expenditure Since Storm Bert

Aidan Farrelly (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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317. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the amount his Department has paid each external security company to provide security personnel at Intreo offices to date in 2022, 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025; and the contract with each security company due to expire, in tabular form. [10439/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The Department manages Intreo Centres nationwide and delivers a wide range of services to customers. SAR Group provided the department with security services from 2022 until 30 September 2024. In 2024, following a competitive procurement process, the department awarded Synergy Security Solutions Ltd. with a contract for the provision of security services for an initial two-year period. There are options available, at the discretion of my Department, for two twelve-month contract extensions thereafter.

The following table outlines the companies that supplied security services to the Department, the date the contract expired or is due to expire and the value of payments made by the Department in relation to provision of security services for Intreo Centres by year, until 3 March 2025.

Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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318. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if he will provide a breakdown, by county, of the more than 400,000 households that received a €300 fuel allowance lump sum payment in Budget 2025, in tabular form. [10476/25]

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. As part of Budget 2025, a €300 cost of living support payment was issued to 409,721 Fuel Allowance recipients in the week commencing 4 November 2024.

The records of the Department indicate that the number of Fuel Allowance recipients, by county, who received the €300 Fuel Allowance cost of living support payment are as set out in the table below.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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319. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if he will provide a breakdown, by county, of the 213,000 people with disabilities that received a €400 disability support payment in Budget 2025, in tabular form. [10477/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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As announced in Budget 2025, a €400 Disability Support Payment was paid to people with disabilities. This additional support was paid to recipients of Disability Allowance, Invalidity Pension and Blind Pension.

The county breakdown of the recipients is set out below.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.