Parliamentary questions

Social Welfare Benefits

Mairéad Farrell

376. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection if there has been a rule change regarding the use of the herd number to qualify for the rural social scheme (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34953/21]

Employment Schemes

Louise O'Reilly

317. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of providing the WALK PEER employment support service model in all 26 counties. [33980/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment

Brendan Griffin

318. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if the back to education allowance can be made available in a case (details supplied) in which the person is in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment has a level 9 qualification since 2018 and cannot secure employment with that qualification; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34002/21]

Pension Provisions

Michael Creed

319. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) in County Cork will receive a decision on their contributory pension application. [34039/21]

Community Employment Schemes

Róisín Shortall

320. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review the 3 July 2017 ruling on community employment schemes that directly affects participants who are over 55 years of age who will see their time allowed on schemes reduced from six to three years based on a number of grounds (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34059/21]

Employment Support Services

Claire Kerrane

321. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons employed in the local employment service and job clubs. [34072/21]

Rental Sector

Claire Kerrane

322. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications received for rent supplement in 2018, 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021; the corresponding number approved and rejected for each year; the number of these applications approved on the grounds of domestic abuse; the cost of paying rent supplement in each of the years 2018 to 2020 and to date in 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34076/21]

Pension Provisions

Claire Kerrane

323. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection if she plans to legislate to provide for annual increases in the State pension to be benchmarked at 34% of earnings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34077/21]

Social Insurance

Claire Kerrane

324. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of plans for the next actuarial review of the social insurance fund. [34078/21]

Childcare Services

Claire Kerrane

325. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the supports available to parents who have a baby via surrogacy. [34079/21]

Departmental Staff

Claire Kerrane

326. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of departmental staff who are working remotely. [34081/21]

Money Advice and Budgeting Service

Claire Kerrane

327. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to review the changes in structure to MABS through the recent regionalisation of the service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34082/21]

Pension Provisions

Claire Kerrane

328. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps that have been taken to date to examine options for a pension solution for carers as committed to in the programme for Government. [34083/21]

Social Welfare Benefits

Claire Kerrane

329. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection when the report into the poverty impact assessment of reduced rates of jobseeker’s payments for those aged 18 to 25 as committed to in the Social Welfare Act 2019 will be published. [34085/21]

Social Welfare Benefits

Claire Kerrane

330. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection when she plans to introduce the cost of a disability payment as committed to in the programme for Government. [34086/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Claire Kerrane

331. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the current number of persons with a disability in receipt of the wage subsidy scheme and the ability programme. [34087/21]

Social Welfare Benefits

Claire Kerrane

332. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection if she plans to review the back to education allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34088/21]

State Pensions

Claire Kerrane

333. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of plans to introduce auto-enrolment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34089/21]

State Pensions

Claire Kerrane

334. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of work to allow those without a full PRSI contribution record to continue to make contributions beyond pensionable age. [34090/21]

Social Welfare Schemes

Claire Kerrane

335. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection if participants on the short-term enterprise allowance require the support of the local development company; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34091/21]

Departmental Reviews

Claire Kerrane

336. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of times the Child Maintenance Review Group has met since it was established; the date for the report to be furnished to her; and if she plans to publish the report thereafter. [34092/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Claire Kerrane

337. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications made for the Covid-19 enhanced illness benefit since it was introduced; the corresponding number approved and rejected; the current average processing time; the number of persons who qualified that moved onto illness benefit therefore requiring the support for longer than ten weeks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34093/21]

Social Welfare Benefits

Claire Kerrane

338. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of the commitment in the Roadmap for Social Inclusion to develop and consult on a strawman proposal for the restructuring of long-term disability payments to simplify the system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34094/21]

Departmental Reviews

Claire Kerrane

339. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will publish the review into contracted employment services. [34095/21]

Employment Schemes

Claire Kerrane

340. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection if referrals to JobPath will cease in December 2021 as planned. [34096/21]

Youth Work Supports

Claire Kerrane

341. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of young persons who have been on the youth employment support scheme since it was established; if the findings of the internal review carried out on the scheme will be shared; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34097/21]

Social Welfare Rates

Catherine Connolly

342. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of a €1 increase in each of the social insurance schemes, social assistance schemes, other weekly schemes and other schemes payments in tabular form (details supplied). [34112/21]

Social Welfare Benefits

Brendan Griffin

343. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if clarification will be provided on a matter (details supplied) in relation to child benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34154/21]

Covid-19 Pandemic Supports

Patrick Costello

164. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will make the enterprise support grant available to taxi drivers who have maintenance bills accruing while still in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment and earning the €960 over two months as allowed. [33740/21]

Social Welfare Benefits

Cian O'Callaghan

165. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person can retain the rent supplement and disability allowance while also availing of the back to education allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33849/21]

Social Welfare Benefits

Cian O'Callaghan

166. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person can avail of the back to education allowance for a master’s degree if they already have a master’s degree in another field; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33850/21]

Social Welfare Appeals

Pádraig O'Sullivan

167. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection if a full review of the case of a person (details supplied) can be undertaken with a view to reimbursing a carer’s allowance that was due from 2018 to February 2020, but was not adequately paid; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33608/21]

Social Welfare Benefits

Eoin Ó Broin

168. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of fuel allowance recipients with children under 18 years of age in the household. [33636/21]

Social Welfare Benefits

Eoin Ó Broin

169. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of households receiving welfare payments that enable them to qualify for the warmer homes scheme that have children by payment. [33640/21]

Social Welfare Rates

Claire Kerrane

170. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full year cost of including carer's allowance as a qualifying payment for fuel allowance. [33648/21]

Social Welfare Payments

Duncan Smith

171. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if an exceptional needs payment can be availed of to purchase a skip to help with the build-up of rubbish for an applicant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33658/21]

Social Welfare Payments

Duncan Smith

172. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of exceptional needs payments granted to those applying and indicating that they were using the payment for the purchase of a skip or to clean up their home following the build-up of rubbish over the past three years by area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33659/21]

Social Welfare Schemes

Claire Kerrane

173. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing each weekly social welfare scheme by €1 per week in tabular form. [33663/21]

Social Welfare Schemes

Claire Kerrane

174. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of reintroducing the State pension transition scheme for 65 year olds. [33664/21]

Social Welfare Payments

Brendan Griffin

175. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been made on an application for a State pension (contributory) by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33825/21]

Social Welfare Schemes

Kathleen Funchion

397. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Social Protection if the case of a person (details supplied) will be addressed and the reason for refusing a domiciliary care allocation for them re-examined considering their complex needs. [32990/21]

Social Welfare Schemes

Anne Rabbitte

398. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason the free travel pass cannot be used on services provided by a company (details supplied); if her Department will consider applying its usage to the company; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33356/21]

Personal Public Service Numbers

Claire Kerrane

399. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications made for PPS numbers in 2020 and to date in 2021; the number of applications processed in that time; the number of applications yet to be processed; the current average waiting time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32900/21]

Pension Provisions

James Lawless

400. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if the circumstances in relation to a non-contributory pension application by a person (details supplied) will be examined; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32919/21]

Social Welfare Schemes

Eoin Ó Broin

401. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of the case of a person (details supplied) seeking access to transitional jobseeker's allowance to facilitate their caring responsibilities. [33001/21]

Public Services Card

Cormac Devlin

402. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of public services cards issued during January to May 2021; if extra staffing arrangements will be put in place to deal with any backlog that arises as a result of Covid-19; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33025/21]

Departmental Schemes

Cormac Devlin

403. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of extending the free travel pass scheme for persons with epilepsy; if she will consider the matter as part of Budget 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33026/21]

Employment Support Services

Claire Kerrane

404. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans for current job clubs in counties Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33058/21]

Social Welfare Schemes

Niamh Smyth

405. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if the three month time limit to submit applications for child benefit for newborns has been relaxed given the backlog due to Covid-19 and the HSE cyber-attack which is causing delays with registering newborns; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33071/21]

Social Welfare Schemes

Alan Kelly

406. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons who have received ophthalmic benefits in 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form. [33095/21]