I thank the Deputy for her question. In April 2024, the European Parliament and the Council introduced eIDAS regulation 2. The overall aim of this regulation is to create a predictable and legally binding framework for digital identities that will enable citizens, residents and business to securely access public and private services across member states. The regulation requires each member state to develop and provide at least one European digital identity wallet by the end of 2026. The wallet will enable people to…

As the Deputy said, the ruling is under appeal. We are appealing it. I also thank the committee for beginning pre-legislative scrutiny of the social welfare Bill yesterday. There are initiatives contained in that Bill for a card holder to use their public service card for identity purposes at their own discretion in exactly the same way they can do with a driving licence or a passport. That is particularly for people looking for ID for bank accounts or credit unions, etc. We are trying to give people the ability to…

I look forward to engaging with the committee on the pre-legislative scrutiny of the Bill. I emphasise the voluntary nature of this. It is the Department’s policy that this is digital by desire. We understand there are people who do not wish to or are not comfortable using digital services. We will continue to make our services available on an optional basis. Equally, there is a level engagement with the public services card. There are a total of 3.4 million verified MyGovID accounts. In 2025 alone, we had over 44 …

It is important to ensure people claiming benefits satisfy the criteria established by the Oireachtas for entitlement to that benefit. However, in doing so, it is also important that we offer people who may not receive a favourable decision the opportunity to seek a review of that decision and submit a formal appeal. In that way, we work to ensure the entitlement is not denied to people who have a need for support and satisfy the relevant qualification conditions. In the case of invalidity pension, we offer claiman…

I can absolutely assure the Deputy that is not the policy and approach. As I said in my initial response, we are working continuously to improve the appeals process and are continuously investing in that process. We are also investing in the initial process in terms of medical assessment and knowledge. By introducing a new IT system, we have given people the capacity to make appeals online. They do not have to physically post applications; they can apply and exchange information online from the comfort of their own…

I can do some work and come back to the Deputy on invalidity generally. As he said, there have also been increases in disability and other areas, such as carer's allowance. There is definitely no policy to discourage people from applying. It can be challenging in terms of getting the necessary medical information, in particular where a case is not as black and white as other cases may be. The appeals team and medical team are very much attuned to those cases. That is why we have put a focus on invalidity and domici…

I thank the Deputy. We are all greatly disturbed by recent geopolitical developments, including the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine. Wars are destroying lives across the world and in communities and will deepen and entrench rather than resolve any situation. As a nation, we feel the impact of these conflicts in the upward pressure on fuel costs, in particular. We should always remember those who are suffering in other ways. In response to the spike in fuel prices, the Government has acted more decisively t…

We have acted. I again emphasise the increase in the fuel allowance and the extra four weeks of the payment bringing it to the end of this week, which is the beginning of the month of May. That has not been done previously. We increased the fuel allowance by €5 per week. As I said, the increase in the fuel allowance is a 32% increase for the 469,000 households that are in receipt of it. For the first time, the fuel allowance is now being paid to working families. Those in receipt of the working family payment were …

I acknowledge that pressure. We see that as well - we are not immune from that - but we also have to be honest with people about our ability to make interventions. We cannot make interventions every few months. There will be an intervention in the context of the forthcoming budget. We have made a €750 million intervention since March in two packages, which has reduced the day-to-day cost of fuel for people and has brought in a targeted extension of the fuel allowance payment, giving people access to the fuel allowa…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as ucht na ceiste ar son na ndaoine faoi mhíchumas. Gabhaim buíochas leis as a shuim san ábhar seo. Tá sé ráite sa chlár Rialtais go mbeimid ag seasamh le daoine faoi mhíchumas agus go bhfuil muid ag obair go crua air sin. Supporting disabled people is a key priority for this Government. That is why the programme for Government is introducing a number of commitments to improve the position of people with disabilities, including a commitment to introduce a permanent annual cost-of-di…

I thank the Deputy for his input. We will be having the summit on 13 May, which is next Wednesday week. Following the summit and the consultation process, we will be preparing a paper that will outline the key learnings and any tangible outcomes that support how we deliver in this area going forward. I will work with my colleagues in government in relation to a potential proposal around the eligibility for the payment, who should get the payment and how it should be paid. We will have engagement around that with th…

I have absolutely no doubt that the Department of foreign affairs is fully monitoring that situation. Our thoughts are with all of those Irish citizens this morning and with their families here at home. Regarding the Deputy's question, the cost of disability and the challenges facing those with disabilities is not solely a matter for the Department of Social Protection. It is essential for transport costs and employment costs - there are other supports from the Department of Health, obviously - that all of those De…

I thank the Deputy for his question. There have been significant improvements in recent years to the fuel allowance scheme, which has resulted in more than 100,000 additional households qualifying for the payment. The budget for the fuel allowance scheme has increased significantly, to €557.4 million in 2026. That compares with €290.45 million in 2020. In January 2023, enhanced fuel allowance measures for people aged 70 or over were introduced. These have since been extended to those aged 66 or older. This included…

Absolutely. The Deputy's question was framed in the context of the fuel allowance, but the living alone allowance would be the payment in relation to those people. It is a payment that I intend to focus on in this year's budget. There is no doubt that people on their own have extensive outgoings, particularly those who may end up on their own following the death of their partner or separation. It is an area that I am going to be very focused on in the context of this year's budget. The proposal to give an automatic…

We have made considerable changes to the fuel allowance in recent years. We have considerably increased the disallowance in the context of means. A lot more people have qualified for it. We have gone from €290.4 million in 2020 to €557.4 million in 2026. A total of 470,000 households qualify. We need to do more work on the living alone allowance to cater specifically for the kind of cohorts that the Deputy spoke about. In many cases, for the fuel allowance and somebody living on their own, many people will qualify.…

I thank the Deputy. The key national metric relating to the measurement of poverty is that of consistent poverty. It records those households who are both at risk of poverty and are experiencing deprivation. It is independently measured by the CSO through the survey on income and living conditions, SILC. SILC 2025, which is based on income data from 2024, was published in March. This shows a reduction in the child consistent poverty rate in 2025, from 8.5% to 7.8%. This is equivalent to an 8% reduction year-on-year…

In budget 2026, we introduced record increases in the child support payment, which are making a direct impact for families as shown by the figures I have provided. In relation to a targeted child benefit payment, I want to announce to the House that I am introducing a public consultation, opening next Tuesday, 5 May, and look forward to the input of Members of the House around that. It will be aligned with a consultation on a working age payment. Both payments are aligned and will have impact. We will review what c…

Absolutely. I think I have taken it on. We have directed our resources through a €320 million package in this year's budget. My new measures package was €1.2 billion and €320 million of that went specifically to child poverty measures - a 25% increase in child support for children over 12 and 16% for those under 12. They are making a difference. A lone-parent family with one child will have an increase of nearly €1,800 in their payments from the Department this year while a two-adult household will see an increase …

Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, my Department may make additional needs payments to help meet essential expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income or other personal and household resources. This includes supplements to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from the customer’s own resources and which are deemed to be necessary. The main items eligible for assistance include utility bills, repairs to household appliances, clothing, child-related items such as cots…

I share the Deputy's concern about the low number. That is why we put in considerable effort, following submissions from the Deputy's colleague, Deputy O'Reilly, and other Deputies in recent months, to bring the community welfare service here. We had a very good afternoon in the audiovisual room a few weeks back. Each community welfare service had a clinic in every part of the country for Oireachtas Members to attend, meet them and get information. We have provided considerable information to every Member in recent…