William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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164. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of children/families who will qualify automatically for back to school clothing and footwear allowance, by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50489/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn. The scheme operates from June to September each year.

The allowance is payable in respect of eligible children between the ages of 4 and 17 in respect of whom a Child Support Payment (previously known as Increase for a Qualified Child) is being paid and eligible children between the ages of 18 and 22 who are returning to full-time second level education and in respect of whom a Child Support payment is being paid.

Each year, through a matching process, families are identified as having an entitlement to the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance and are awarded the allowance automatically. This year, families were notified of their automatic award before the online application opened on 9 June.

The number of families and children who qualified automatically for Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance, by county, is set out in tabular form below.

Noel McCarthy (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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165. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons over 66 years of age who have qualified for the fuel allowance since the expanded means test for over 66s was introduced, by county, in tabular form; the cost of this expansion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50440/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The Fuel Allowance scheme 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 €33.00 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.

It was a key priority of mine, and of the Government, to expand the reach of the Fuel Allowance payment this year. In Budget 2025, a more generous means test was extended to those aged over 66, with a higher means threshold of €524 for a single person and €1,048 for a couple. Applicants aged over 66 no longer need to be receiving a qualifying social protection payment and the threshold for the capital disregard increased from €20,000 to €50,000. For those aged under 66, the means threshold is now €200 above the appropriate rate of State Pension Contributory r the household.

In relation to the number of individuals by county, the Fuel Allowance scheme supported the following number of households for individuals aged 66 and over in August 2024 and August 2025:

The estimated annual cost of this expansion was €10,179,708.

It should be noted that the number of recipients fluctuates as people join and exit the scheme, as their circumstances change.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.