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156. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection whether a person can receive domiciliary carer's allowance past a child's sixteenth birthday or whether the child is required to apply for disability allowance. [3718/25]

158. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Social Protection if there is additional support available for women on maternity leave who have been temporarily relegated to half-rate carer’s allowance, but for most of that period will be in a position to provide full-time care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3742/25]

159. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Social Protection if there are plans to provide additional supports for women on maternity leave who have been relegated to half-rate carer’s allowance temporarily, but for most of that period will be in a position to provide full-time care, for example, additional child support payments, fuel allowances, and so on, given the additional inco…

165. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made on a carer's allowance review for a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3890/25]

643. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) can expect to receive a decision on a carer’s allowance appeal in respect of their spouse; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2302/25]

649. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the carer’s allowance review of (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2344/25]

650. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision for a carer's allowance application for a person (details supplied) will be made; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2348/25]

655. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on an application for a carer's allowance application for a person (details supplied). [2402/25]

657. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection the timeline for when the means test will be abolished for the carer’s allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2441/25]

671. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made in relation to a carer’s allowance application (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2602/25]

701. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people in receipt of carer's allowance in County Clare for each of the years 2020 to 2024 inclusive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3026/25]

721. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will issue in relation to a carer’s allowance (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3131/25]

749. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people in receipt of carer’s allowance in County Clare for each of the years 2020 to 2024 inclusive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3363/25]

761. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will bring forward to the earliest possible date the timeline for the abolition of the means test for the carer’s allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3498/25]

857. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures her Department is taking to shorten the waiting times for appeals for carer’s allowance and other sections of her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46582/24]

858. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will abolish the requirement of a means test for Irish citizens in order that they may qualify for a carer’s allowance, to ensure the continuance of this vital service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46598/24]

862. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she agrees that those who have been paid a carer's allowance by the State should qualify for the contributory State pension without having to be a full-time carer for 20 years; if, when considering this, she will take into account that a carer does not control how long the person to whom they are providing care lives; and if she w…

864. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to abolish the means test for the carer’s allowance; the timeline for same; and whether this will include rate increases. [46836/24]

880. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if an application for carer’s allowance will be approved as a matter of urgency for a person (details supplied). [1377/25]

887. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an appeal for carer’s allowance by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1525/25]

892. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made on a carer’s allowance application for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1561/25]

903. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide a copy of the findings and costings produced by her Department officials in respect of abolishing the carer’s allowance means test (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1785/25]

374. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department will propose a policy change to allow for carers to be eligible for the fuel allowance without another person in the house having to be on a social welfare payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53557/25]

1900. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if all formal kinship carers are paid the same allowances as foster carers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [74315/25]

247. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health to urgently address a matter regarding a carer (details supplied); to allow for a second carer; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35535/26]

I appreciate the opportunity to speak. As the Minister of State knows, we are supporting this Bill, but as has been said on multiple occasions, it needs to be treated with caution. The timelines around this are really tight and an awful lot of people are going to be left in difficulties. We need to ensure that all wards of court are given the opportunity to engage with the assessment process. It i…

I thank Deputy Michael Collins and his group for giving us the chance to talk about this worthy motion this morning. I support everything that has been said. It should be every politician's ambition to allow elderly people to stay and be seen after in their own homes for as long as possible. That is not happening in Kerry. At the present time, you can qualify to get home help or a home care packag…

Budget 2026 was an insult to people with disabilities. Cost-of-living measures have been pulled and a miserable €10 per week increase in the disability allowance payment was all the Minister could offer. The Disability Federation of Ireland estimates this amounts to a €1,400 drop in income for people with disabilities; a group who are already at increased risk of poverty. The federation's research…

Beidh mé ag tabhairt tacaíochta don rún seo agus tá áthas orm an deis a fháil labhairt ar an topaic fhíorthábhachtach seo. Beidh mé ag tacú leis an rún seo mar cuireann sé na deacrachtaí atá ag daoine atá faoi mhíchumas os ár gcomhair go soiléir. Tá sé ríthábhachtach go bhfuil rún mar seo againn arís mar bhí topaicí mar seo os ár gcomhair cheana. I am happy to get the opportunity again to speak o…

Ireland has walked blindfolded into an energy crisis, not by accident or misfortune but because consecutive Governments chose to leave our country exposed and dependent on others for the most basic lifeline we have – energy. The price of those choices is now hammering every single household and business in this country. In 2022, during Leaders Questions to the current Taoiseach, I raised the Barry…

All of a sudden, I am transported back to 2020. The Tánaiste spoke of a balanced programme. I have to say what is manifest and obvious: you have got the gender balance wrong. You are very male. Some of you are pale but you are very, very male. In politics in a representative democracy, we should strive to reflect and mirror the communities we represent, inasmuch as we can. I have to say as an Iris…

I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive statement and for setting it out. I welcome that. I also welcome the policy, which is just the second policy on this in the history of the State. The first policy started in 2019. Significantly, that was the year we promised transformative action and declared a climate and a biodiversity emergency. We never really got that transformative action. …

We meet at a moment of enormous change in our economy, workplaces and society. Across every sector from manufacturing to medicine, construction to finance, agriculture to creative industries, technology is transforming how we work, learn and live. Artificial intelligence, automation, digitalisation and the green transition are not future challenges, they are present realities. While these changes …

This case goes to the very heart of trust in our public institutions. It fills me with a deep sense of sorrow but even more than that a deeper sense of responsibility to speak here on the final report of the Farrelly commission. Grace's case, or story we might better call it, casts a dark shadow over how we cared for one of our most vulnerable citizens. She is at the centre of the deeply troubling…

I move: That Dáil Éireann: recognises that the triple planetary crises of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss are an existential threat to humanity; notes that the 22nd of April, is Earth Day, where people around the world are called to stand in defence of the only home we share; declared a climate and biodiversity emergency, becoming the second national parliament in the world to…

I will raise a number of issues where, primarily, women are impacted by Government policy. I will start almost where the Minister started, that is, on affordable childcare. No matter how many times the Government says childcare costs have been cut by 50%, it does not make it true. A survey last year put monthly childcare in various counties at over €600, €800 and €1,100. In the context of the fee …

Budget 2026 is about securing Ireland's future, supporting families, protecting jobs and investing in infrastructure that is much needed. This is a budget of more than €9.4 billion, with €8.1 billion in spending and a €1.3 billion tax package. That is a 7% increase in total spend. We are prioritising those who need it most. We are looking after pensioners, carers and people with disabilities. As a…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 to 33, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on disability has been established to oversee the implementation of programme for Government commitments in the area of disability, with specific focus on children's disability services, as well as disability more generally under the Government' s new national human rights strategy for disabled people for 2025 t…

The impact of the recent heavy snow and of Storm Éowyn has been utterly devastating. It exposed the vulnerability of Ireland's creaking infrastructure. Climate scientists have been warning for years of the increasing likelihood of extreme weather events, yet we were totally unprepared. Households the length and breadth of the country found themselves in desperate situations. In the peak of the aft…

Tá mé buíoch as ucht a bheith in ann labhairt ar an mBille seo anocht. Tá an Bille seo náireach. Tá sé absolutely náireach gurb é an chéad phíosa reachtaíochta atá tugtha chun tosaigh sa Dáil seo ag Fianna Fáil agus Fine Gael ná chun níos mó Airí Stáit agus níos mó super juniors a bheith againn, níos mó airgid a thaobh dóibh agus gurb iad seo na príomhfhadhbanna a shíleann an Rialtas atá sa tír se…

Ar an gcéad dul síos, gabhaim buíochas leis an gCeann Comhairle for selecting this Topical Issue, albeit to be taken after midnight. There is a concerning issue affecting the lives and health of many vulnerable people across County Tipperary, namely, the unacceptable and short-sighted cuts to hospital patient transport services. For many in rural areas of Tipperary, especially the elderly, the si…

I welcome the chance to talk on this important Bill. I also welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber. The Assisted Decision Making (Capacity) Act 2015 brought the outdated wardship laws into line with modern Ireland. It was a stepping stone towards beginning to view disability from a social rather than a medical model. However, I have serious concerns regarding the current implications of the …

I thank the carers and the home helps who come into our homes and take such good care of our mothers, fathers and loved ones. Without them, quite frankly, I am not sure if I or my family could function properly day to day. That is my first thought on this Bill. Overall, the Bill is very positive. It is timely that the sector is regulated. I still see some gaps, however. First and foremost - I ha…

I thank Independent Ireland for bringing forward this motion, which speaks to the real and justified anger that is out there. It is anger at the blatant waste of people's money by this Government and the previous one. In the dying days of the latter, we had a constant drip feed of shocking levels of wasted money, such as €336,000 on a bike shed, €1.4 million on a security hut, €9 million on phone …

Táim buíoch as an deis labhairt ar an mBille seo. The Bill follows on from the financial resolutions that were passed through these Houses and came into effect in March and again in April in relation to the fuel crisis. Section 1, as the Minister of State said, relates to the increase in the diesel rebate scheme. I have raised this issue on many occasions with the Minister of State and the senior …

I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "recognises that: — Ireland has experienced significant global inflationary pressures arising from international shocks, including energy price volatility, supply chain disruption and geopolitical instability, which have increased pressures on households and businesses; and — protecting jobs, sustain…

I understand. The timeframes have been so tight, given the chaotic way the Government brought this forward, despite the fact it had four weeks to deal with this issue of support for workers and families in the middle of what was already a cost-of-living crisis. It is important to remember that, before the fuel crisis was brought on by the attacks in Iran and the impacts of the attacks Iran has lau…

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, for being here as he has responsibility for the area of procurement. I thank Senator Alice-Mary Higgins for her work on this legislation. Senator Higgins has worked for the past eight years on this specific legislation. Her commitment to the area of procurement stretches back to before she was electe…

I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 to 25, inclusive, together. Improving the lives of disabled people, advancing their rights and enabling them to reach their full potential, is a core focus and priority of the Government. The Budget 2026: Spotlight on Disability report was published by my Department in December 2025. This is the first budget spotlight report prepared by the disability unit in t…

As the only nurse in the Dáil, I stand here very proud. I am fortunate enough to have served on the board of St. James's Hospital, the largest hospital in the country. I am delighted that the Government agreed to have these statements on International Nurses Day and I thank the Minister and the Ministers of State. It is a first for the 100,000 plus nurses across this island, North and South. We ha…