John Paul O'Shea (Cork North-West, Fine Gael)
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1016. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when he plans to make the changes to the carer’s allowance means test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11429/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The Government is very aware of the key role that family carers play in Irish society and the challenges they face and is fully committed to supporting carers in that role.

The Programme for Government has set out a timeline which commits to significantly further increasing the income disregards for Carer’s Allowance in each Budget with a view to gradually phasing out the means test during the lifetime of the Government.

There have been a number of significant improvements made to the income thresholds in the means test in recent years. As part of Budget 2025, the weekly income disregard will increase in July from €450 to €625 for a single person, and from €900 to €1,250 for carers with a spouse or partner.

I trust that this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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1017. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the decision to refuse disability support to a person (details supplied) will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11458/25]

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, means test and the habitual residency conditions.

The DA payment of the person concerned was stopped on 5 October 2022 as his means exceeded the statutory limit for receipt DA. The person concerned was notified of this decision on 26 September 2022 and notified of his right to appeal and/or request a review of this decision.

In line with the Programme for Government commitment, where a former DA customer’s employment ceases within 12 months of the termination of their DA, they can contact the DA section to have their prior DA payment reinstated without the need to make a new application. The returning DA customer may contact my Department by e-mail to DAInetinfo@welfare.ie or by phone at 043-3340000. These cases are processed urgently once the customer highlights that their case is a reinstatement of their DA following the loss of their employment.

However, due to the time that has lapsed since the person concerned was last in receipt of their DA payment, a new application was required to ensure that they met the qualifying criteria for receipt of DA.

I confirm that my Department received an application for DA from the person concerned on 21 August 2024. Based on the evidence supplied in support of his application, the application for DA was disallowed on the grounds that the medical qualifying condition for the scheme was not satisfied. The person concerned was notified in writing of this decision on 23 September 2024 and they were given the right to a review or an appeal.

On 10 October 2024, the person requested an appeal directly with the Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO). Their file was reviewed by an Appeals Officer and, on 31 January 2025, the SWAO notified the person concerned in writing that their appeal was disallowed.

The Appeals Officer’s decision is final in the absence of any new facts or evidence. It is open to the person in question to reapply for DA. In the meantime, he is currently in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance from this Department.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.