Emer Currie (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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122. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection for an update on his Department's review of all its social assistance schemes; if he will consider adapting the means-testing with a view to permanently supporting people with intellectual disabilities and autism in employment without fear of losing essential supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33198/25]

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 PRSI contributions, and means-tested social assistance schemes.Entitlement to these supports is generally not dependent on the type or category of illness or disability. Rather, entitlement to these supports is contingent on the extent to which a particular illness or disability impairs or restricts a person’s capacity to work.Disability Allowance is a social assistance payment for people who are aged between 16 and 66 with an injury, disease or disability that has continued, or may be expected to continue, for at least one year and, as a result of this disability, the person is substantially restricted in undertaking work that would otherwise be suitable. The payment is subject to a medical assessment, a means test and a habitual residency requirement. 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.Disability Allowance has one of the highest capital disregards operated by the Department of Social Protection. A recipient can have up to €50,000 in savings and still receive the full rate of payment. This is compared to €20,000 for most social welfare payments.The Department's disability-related schemes have been structured to support recipients to pursue employment opportunities, be that self-employment or insurable employment.People on Disability Allowance and 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. The earnings disregard has increased by almost 38% since Budget 2021 from €120 to €165 currently. A person can currently earn up to €165 a week and keep their full rate of Disability Allowance and up to €517.60 a week and still keep their entitlement to the minimum rate of payment and their secondary benefits.In general, once a person continues to be in receipt of a Disability Allowance payment, in full or at a reduced rate, there should be no loss of eligibility to the Fuel Allowance, Household Benefits Package or Free Travel Scheme once they continue to satisfy all other remaining qualifying criteria for these individual schemes.As part of Budget 2024, access to the Free Travel Pass was expanded to support people who are medically certified as unable to drive for a period of 12 months or longer. Furthermore, as part of the “Make Work Pay” initiative a persons who moves directly from certain long term social protection schemes to employment is entitled to retain their Free Travel entitlement for a further period of 5 years, where they previously had the entitlement to free travel on the scheme.A review of means testing across all schemes in the Department is underway. The outcome of this review will be used to inform decisions regarding any further changes to means testing.Separate to that, the Programme for Government includes a commitment to reform the Disability Allowance Payment, to remove anomalies in the current means test and to introduce a cost of disability support payment. It also includes a commitment to examine key ancillary benefits such as the fuel allowance, household benefits package and living alone allowance to support vulnerable groups.We want to support disabled people to take up and remain in employment and the Programme for Government includes specific commitments in that regard. In particular we will examine ways to make it easier to regain Disability Allowance if employment ceases. We will also review aspects of the Wage Subsidy Scheme, a reformed version of which I launched recently. We also want to expand and build on successful programmes like WorkAbility, Employability and Work and Access. Employment will be a key pillar of the National Disability Strategy, the development of which is a priority for the Government.These commitments will be advanced over the lifetime of the government and in light of available resources.I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.