Results 1,561-1,580 of 1,088,345 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Ciarán Cuffe OR speaker:Brian Stanley OR speaker:Charlie McConalogue OR speaker:Fergus O'Dowd)

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Code (19 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: I thank Deputy Carrigy for his question. Continuing from where we finished with Deputy Dempsey, there were 14,791 control reviews in 2024, which is quite small in the overall carer's allowance paid out but it is a balance that has to be reached. On Deputy Carrigy's question, means tests are a central part of any social protection system to ensure that resources which are limited are...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Code (19 Jun 2025)

Micheál Carrigy: It is a key commitment in the programme for Government to review the means test across the entire social welfare system. A more consistent, transparent and targeted approach is needed. It needs to be a priority to ensure low-income families, carers, those with disabilities and part-time workers are not unfairly penalised. I ask the Minister to ensure this review addresses anomalies across...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Code (19 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: It is complex as it involves 96 schemes, many of which are means tested. A good outcome will be consistency across schemes and in how means testing is applied. We had a discussion this morning about areas it may not need to or should not apply to in the context of work done by those on these schemes. Even though the Department has a budget of €27 billion, resources are still scarce...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Code (19 Jun 2025)

Micheál Carrigy: I welcome the Minister's comments on prioritising those most in need. That is what we need to do, particularly for low-income families, carers, those with disabilities and part-time workers. I welcome consistency in the future. As a public representative, I do not see consistency in how applications are treated. People who are ultimately entitled are turned down on one or two occasions...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Code (19 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: That is an important aim and one we will try to achieve. This review is not happening in isolation. Means tests and income thresholds are kept under regular review. We made a number of significant changes in recent years. Significant changes have been made to the income thresholds for the working family payment and income disregards for disability allowance, the blind pension, the fuel...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Payments (19 Jun 2025)

Social Welfare Payments

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Payments (19 Jun 2025)

Mairéad Farrell: 98. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to provide an update on plans to abolish the carers allowance means test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32278/25]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Payments (19 Jun 2025)

Mairéad Farrell: This was talked about quite a bit during the election. What update does the Minister have? An féidir leis an plean atá aige le fáil réidh leis seo a leagan amach go cruinn dúinn?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Payments (19 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as an gceist faoi chúramóirí. Tá sé thar a bheith tábhachtach go seasaimid leis na cúramóirí agus an jab iontach a dhéanann siad gach lá. The programme for Government sets out a timeline which commits to significantly increasing income disregards for the carer’s allowance in each budget with...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Payments (19 Jun 2025)

Mairéad Farrell: The most important thing is clarity. The Minister said the Department will do a job of work to analyse how this will be achieved over the lifetime of this Government. Will the Minister be able to publish that as soon as job has been done? For carers, being able to predict exactly how it will impact them over the coming years will be important. Carers do a huge job and save the State vast...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Payments (19 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: Based on our record to date, we have made such significant changes that there is predictability. We will continue to make significant changes to the income disregard. There was an almost 88% in the disregard and the highest ever level of the carer's support grant. I continue to invest in carers agus sa jab tábhachtach atá a dhéanamh acu i ngach cuid den tír gach uile...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Employment Schemes (19 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as sin. Tá sé seo tábhachtach. The schemes have a lot in common; there are a lot of differences, though. All the schemes - CE, Tús and RSS - were set up with different priorities and different cohorts in mind, initially achieving different things but as they have evolved doing many of the same things. I am definitely looking at all...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Employment Schemes (19 Jun 2025)

Conor McGuinness: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as sin. I welcome his commitment to keep these under review and to look at them in the round because there is a lot of crossover. With regard to the RSS, I would like to know the Minister's opinions on reform of that and the pilot scheme and moving it to the rural dwellers scheme or bringing more of that in. At present, as the Minister knows, you need...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Community Employment Schemes (19 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: Without being cheeky enough to suggest a work programme for the committee, as regards the interaction of CE, RSS and Tús, I would love to engage with Members on that or to hear what they could come up with on it. Deputy McGuinness has raised an important point that the schemes have evolved over the years. It would be good to maybe stand back and look at them to see if they are...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Jun 2025)

Social Welfare Benefits

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Jun 2025)

Aisling Dempsey: 96. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection his plans to suspend the periodic means test reviews for carers in receipt of carer's benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33130/25]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Jun 2025)

Aisling Dempsey: I ask the Minister his plans to suspend, or indeed abolish, the periodic means test review for carers in receipt of carer's benefit.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: The carer's allowance is the main scheme by which my Department provides income support to carers in the community. There are currently more than 100,000 people in receipt of carer's allowance. Expenditure in 2025 is estimated to be over €1.24 billion. My Department also provides other supports for carers which are not based on a means assessment, including the carer's support...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Jun 2025)

Aisling Dempsey: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire for that and the very welcome news he has given us in terms of the income disregards. That will be very beneficial to many across the country, I am sure, but specifically in my area of Meath West. Many families have been in touch with me about this matter. I was this morning in a meeting of the committee on children. I am very privileged to have been...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (19 Jun 2025)

Dara Calleary: I congratulate the Deputy on her appointment as Leas-Chathaoirleach of the coiste. Means reviews are an important part of control mechanisms. The C and AG and the Committee of Public Accounts have told us that these reviews need to continue not just for control but also to avoid a situation, such as happened in the UK, where people unwittingly amass very significant overpayments, which...