In this section of the website we bring together a range of supports, grants and entitlements that are available across a number of areas. This information is collated direct from sources such as the Citizens Information Service, state agencies and other relevant bodies. This content will be added to and refined over time. Should you have any specific queries or require support on an issue, please do not hesitate to contact my office.
Click on a topic below to start exploring.
Home Energy Upgrade Grants
The SEAI provide a range of grant support and advice to help people upgrade their home, making it warmer and more energy efficient. Browse some of their initiatives below, you may be eligible for upgrades free of charge!
Solar Water Heating Grant
Solar thermal systems are designed to meet 50-60% of your overall hot water requirement over the year, thereby saving you money on your annual hot water heating bills. Find out more >
Solar Electricity Grant
We are delighted to offer homeowners a grant of up to €3,000 to support the installation of solar panels for electricity generation and battery energy storage systems. Find out more >
Insulation Grant
A home can lose over 30% of its heat through poorly insulated walls. Grants include cavity, internal and external wall insulation, along with attic insulation grants. Find out more >
Heating Controls Grant
Reduce your energy usage by up to 20% and save costs with home heating controls. Find out more >
Free upgrades for eligible homes
You may be eligible for a free home energy upgrade if your home was built and occupied before 2006 and you are in receipt of certain social welfare payments. Find out more >
Education and Childcare
This document summarises the childcare supports available to parents during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
The National Childcare Scheme (NCS) is a new scheme that provides financial support to help parents to meet the costs of childcare.
Early Start is a programme designed to boost educational achievement among disadvantaged three- and four-year-old children.
Information on childhood education, including the role of the Department of Education.
Pre-school childcare providers are regulated by law. Find out about the rules concerning play groups, day nurseries,crèches, childminders and other service providers.
The ECCE scheme provides up to 2 years of early childhood care and education for children of pre-school age.
The CCS Programme supports disadvantaged parents and parents in training, education or low-paid employment to access childcare at reduced rates.
You may qualify for a subsidised childcare place, if you are attending certain types of vocational training provided by an Education and Training Board (ETB) or if you are attending secondary school.
Provides childcare places at reduced rates for Community Employment (CE) applicants who need childcare so that they can take up a place on a CE scheme.
If you have been unemployed and you get a new job, increase the number of hours that you work or take up a place on an employment support scheme, you may be eligible for a subsidised after-school childcare place for primary school children.
School age childcare providers are regulated by law. Find out about the rules that apply to childcare services providing care to school age children.
A subsidy reducing the cost of childcare for certain children in Tusla-registered childcare
Information about the different types of primary schools and their admission policy.
An outline of the primary school curriculum, including its aims, structure and content.
This document describes the rules governing boards of management of primary schools
Who owns primary schools and how they are they funded?
Describes schemes that provide additional resources for primary schools with large numbers of disadvantaged pupils.
The arrangements for special needs education in primary schools include learning support/resource teachers and special needs assistants.
The transport scheme for primary school pupils and information on how to qualify.
Children who are enrolled in State special schools or in special classes in State primary schools may qualify for free transport to school.
Introduces the system of education in Ireland at primary level and information describes the procedures involved in enrolling a child in primary school.
There are different types of post-primary school. The main difference is in how your school is managed, how it is funded and who owns your school.
The first three-year period of second-level education is called the Junior Cycle.
This document describes the Transition Year programme, a one-year, school-based programme between Junior Cycle and Senior Cycle.
This document describes the Senior Cycle in post-primary schools.
This document describes post-primary education for students with disabilities.
The Department of Education provides subsidised school transport for eligible post-primary students.
A list of organisations and internet resources providing information on education at second-level.
Different schooling options available in the secondary school system in Ireland and outlines the state examination system.
The Department of Education operates a Visiting Teacher Service for deaf children and children with visual impairments.
This document describes the educational supports for non-English-speaking students in primary and post-primary schools.
The National Educational Psychological Service provides psychological services in primary and post-primary schools.
This document provides information on the arrangements in place for the education of Traveller children
This document describes a scheme that provides a grant to schools to allow them to buy equipment for students with disabilities at post-primary level.
There are a number of education schemes for young people and others who have left school without a recognised qualification.
The system of validation of qualifications in further and higher education.
This document describes the system of third-level education in Ireland.
Applying for College
Describes the application procedures and entrance requirements for third-level educational institutions.
Supports access to third-level education for students with disabilities.
Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) is a scheme to improve access to college for school leavers from disadvantaged backgrounds.
This document describes the different full-time and part-time educational options available to adults at third level.
Social Welfare Supports
Unemployment
Employment Support Schemes
Medical Cards and GP Visit Cards
Illness and Disability Allowances
Maternity and Paternity
Unemployment
Jobseeker’s Benefit
Jobseeker’s Benefit is a weekly payment from the Department of Social Protection (DSP) to people who are out of work and are covered by social insurance (PRSI).
Jobseeker’s Allowance
If you are unemployed, you can apply for Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA). You can apply for JA, if you have been on Jobseekers Benefit and your payment has ended. Jobseeker’s Allowance is a means-tested payment, so your income must be below a certain amount to get JA.
Claiming for an adult dependant
If you qualify for a social welfare payment you get an amount for yourself, which is called the ‘personal rate of payment’. You may also get an extra amount for your adult dependant (called a qualified adult like a spouse, adult child, civil partner or co-habitant) which is paid as an increase to your personal payment.
Claiming for a child dependant
If you qualify for a social welfare payment you get an amount for yourself, which is called the ‘personal rate of payment’. You may also get an extra amount for your child called an Increase for a Qualified Child (IQC).
Signing on for the first time
If you lose your job, are made redundant, laid off or if your working hours are reduced you may qualify for a social welfare payment, either Jobseeker’s Allowance or Jobseeker’s Benefit. When you apply for a jobseeker’s payment you declare that you are available for work, fit for work, genuinely seeking work but unable to find work. This is also known as signing on.
The Temporary COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme allows employers to continue to pay their employees during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.
The Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) will give employers impacted by COVID-19 a subsidy per employee to help keep them in employment. The EWSS will replace the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS).
Redundancy payments
Where you lose your job because your employer is closing the business or reducing the number of staff, this is known as redundancy. You have a minimum entitlement to a redundancy payment after you have two years’ service. This is known as a statutory redundancy.
Lay-off, short-time working and redundancy
Your employer may lay you off or reduce your working hours (put you on short-time) for a number of weeks. This can happen if there is a lack of work available or changes to the financial circumstances of the business.
Employment Support Schemes
The Youth Employment Support Scheme (YESS) is no longer available. You may be interested in the new Work Placement Experience Programme (WPEP).
Community Employment helps people get back to work by offering part-time placements in jobs based within local communities.
Tús is a community work placement scheme for unemployed people who are selected to participate by the Department of Social Protection.
JobsPlus is an incentive to encourage employers to employ long-term unemployed people. The incentive is paid monthly in arrears, over a 2-year period.
The Programme supports community businesses to provide local services to their communities and to provide employment to unemployed people.
The Rural Social Scheme (RSS) provides income support for farmers and fishermen/women who are getting certain social welfare payments.
The new Work Placement Experience Programme gives people who have never had a job or who have lost their job a chance to get work experience.
Medical Cards and GP Visit Cards
The medical card scheme entitles certain people to free public health services. This document explains the medical card and how to apply for it.
How your income is assessed for the medical card income limits if you are under 70 years of age.
How your income is assessed for the medical card income limits if you are over 70 years of age.
Family doctors (GPs) provide certain services to medical card holders free of charge.
Unless you have a medical card or GP visit card, visits to family doctors are not free. What is a GP visit card and how can you apply?
Children under 6 are entitled to free visits to participating GPs. Find out how to register for the GP visit card for children under 6.
In certain emergency situations, a healthcare professional can apply for you to get a temporary medical card known as an emergency medical card.
Illness and Disability Allowances
Information about Illness Benefit, a payment made to people under 66 who are unable to work because of illness.
Invalidity Pension is a social insurance payment that may be paid to people who cannot work because of a long-term illness or disability.
A weekly payment to people that have an injury, illness or disability which is expected to last more than a year. Find out how to qualify and rates of payment.
The Blind Pension is a means tested payment paid to blind and visually impaired people normally living in Ireland. Find out more about this social welfare payment and how to apply.
The Treatment Benefit Scheme is a scheme run by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection that provides dental, optical and aural services to people with the required number of PRSI contributions.
The Occupational Injuries Benefit scheme provides a range of benefits for people injured or incapacitated by an accident at work or while travelling directly to or from work.
Injury Benefit is a weekly payment made to employees who are unfit for work as a result of an accident at work or because they have contracted a disease due to the type of work they do. Find out more.
Disablement Benefit may be payable to you if as a result of an accident at work or a prescribed disease contracted at work, you suffer a loss of physical or mental faculty.
If you are an insured employee and are injured at work or contract a prescribed occupational disease you may be entitled to a refund of medical costs.
Information on how work or training can affect your disability payment and any extra benefits you are getting.
A Domiciliary Care Allowance is a monthly payment made to the carer of a child with a severe disability who lives at home. Find out more.
Partial Capacity Benefit is a scheme to support people on Illness Benefit or Invalidity Pension who want to return to work.
Maternity and Paternity
All female employees are entitled to maternity leave from work immediately before and after the birth of their child.
People who adopt children may be entitled to leave from employment. This leave is called adoptive leave. Find out what this means and how to apply.
Information about statutory paternity leave, which is available since September 2016.
The Parental Leave Acts 1998-2019 allow parents to take parental leave from employment up until their child’s 12th birthday. From 1 September 2020 you can take 26 weeks.
Each parent is entitled to 5 weeks paid parent’s leave for a child born or adopted on or after 1 November 2019. This will raise to 7 weeks from 2021.