Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein)
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261. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 292 of 10 April 2025 and 1418 of 29 April 2025, without mentioning or outlining “child benefit”, whether all parents or guardians of newly adopted children under 18 are eligible for the new baby grant, regardless of the child’s age on date of placement; if there is a cut-off age whereby adopted children are deemed ineligible for the new baby grant on their date of placement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25064/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I am delighted that as part of Budget 2025 a new baby grant of €280 was introduced. This new payment will assist parents and adoptive parents with the costs associated with new babies and newly adopted children. It will provide additional financial support to a family to ensure adequate resources and that the material needs of a child are met.

The New Baby Grant is a once-off payment paid to the qualified person, provided that person did not become so qualified on a date later than one month after the birth of the child, or, in the case of adoption, one month after the day of placement of the qualified child, as long as the date of birth or the date of placement of that qualified child falls on or after 1 December 2024.

To be eligible for the newborn baby grant the adopted child must, at the date of placement, meet the age eligibility criteria of the Child Benefit payment; i.e. the child must be under 16, or under 19 if in full-time education, full-time training or has a disability and cannot support themselves.

I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal West, Sinn Fein)
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262. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to publish internal documents specifying particular protocols used by deciding officers to award applications for social welfare income payment beyond just the publicly available operational guidelines; in particular if he could publish the ‘homeless protocol’; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25065/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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My department administers over 140 schemes and services, supporting families and individuals across a broad range of services. These services include income supports, employment services, pensions, illness and disability payments, as well as supports for carers, families and jobseekers.

Deciding Officers and Designated Persons are required to apply the law on a case-by-case basis when deciding applications. All statutory decisions are bound by the relevant provisions of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 and associated regulations. The legislation provides for a transparent and fair decision-making process. Every claimant is entitled to have their claim considered in the context of determinations of entitlement under the relevant social welfare legislation and in accordance with the principles of natural justice.

The natural justice principle of ensuring that the reasoning underpinning a decision is clearly set out is included as standard in all operational guidelines and applies to decisions made on all schemes. The operational guidelines are updated continuously and concurrently with any relevant legislative changes or principles emerging from relevant case law of the Courts. These guidelines are published on the Department’s website.

Training reflecting the relevant operational guidelines is provided to all decision makers and emphasises the importance of notifying the customer of the decision in a legible fashion. It is specifically emphasised to all decision makers that where an unfavourable decision is made the grounds, reasons and rationale for the decision are clearly communicated to the customer.

The Protocol for Payments for Homeless Customers was most recently updated in January 2024. A copy of the protocol has been issued to the Deputy for their records. The Protocol for Payments for Homeless Customers does not provide guidance to Designated Persons in deciding a claim, rather its objective is to ensure that customers who are, or may become, homeless are afforded the same access to schemes and services, including education and training opportunities, as every other customer.

If the Deputy has a query in relation to the Protocol for Payments for Homeless Customers, or on the decisions process, my department officials will assist in any way possible.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.