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403. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people for whom an applicant can seek carer's support; and if a maximum carer's grant allowance applies. [49585/25]

612. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to review the eligibility criteria for the housing assistance payment scheme, particularly in cases where a family surpasses the income threshold due to receiving a carer’s benefit allowance for a child with a disability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16795/25]

855. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has considered extending a stamp to foster carers to allow them to have PRSI benefits; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46558/24]

317. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will examine the feasibility of introducing a national scheme, similar to the mobility scheme in the United Kingdom, that would allow parents or carers of children with complex medical needs to utilise a payment such as the domiciliary care allowance towards the cost of obtaining a wheelchair-accessible or d…

1911. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made in relation to a carer's and disability allowance applications for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25787/26]

157. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to extend social welfare payments, benefits and allowances to foster carers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33129/25]

2343. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her attention has been drawn to the concerns of foster carers regarding the rate payable under the foster care allowance; if she is conscious of the need to support foster carers in the context of rising costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41779/25]

351. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will outline any plans to review and improve the financial and social supports available to foster carers, including measures relating to allowances, pension entitlements, and access to additional benefits such as the back to school clothing and footwear allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62409/25]

660. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of the carer's support grant; the number of persons who already have carer's payments or domiciliary care allowance; and the numbers who qualify independently of these schemes. [51906/25]

617. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of foster carers or children in foster care who were able to avail of the back to school allowance this year, and the number of foster carers that applied and were refused; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51281/25]

2342. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if her attention has been drawn to the concerns of foster carers regarding the back to school allowance; if she will consider removing the means testing requirement for foster families; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41778/25]

2494. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider the recommendations put forward by an organisation (details supplied) in its pre-budget submission 2026, including the need to expand access to therapeutic supports for children in care, review the aftercare allowance, improve financial recognition for foster carers; and if she will make a sta…

757. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing by €1 per week the State pension (contributory and non-contributory); the living alone increase; all primary weekly social welfare payments including, but not limited to, jobseeker's payments, disability allowance, one-parent family payment and carer's payments; and the estimated number …

1852. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has considered including home carers in the higher rate of fuel allowance during this fuel price crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24128/26]

1529. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will make the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance available, without means test, to foster carers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74313/25]

1530. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will make the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance available, without means test, to kinship carers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74314/25]

65. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if he will consider reviewing the tax credits and allowances available to full-time family carers in order to better reflect the financial pressures associated with long-term caring responsibilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [64590/25]

1793. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection if budget 2026 will offer better pension security for foster carers so the years spent caring for children on behalf of the State are fully recognised, index-linking the foster care allowance to keep pace with rising costs and relieve financial pressure on carers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41802/25]

540. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection to consider removing the means test as a qualifying criteria for foster carers to access the back-to-school allowance, given the unique circumstances of the children they care for; the annual cost for all children in care to receive this allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36007/25]

195. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if kinship carers are eligible for the back to school allowance. [31180/25]

1240. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if kinship carers are eligible for the back-to-school allowance. [43138/26]

999. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an update on the engagement there has been with foster carers to deliver on their requests regarding the foster care allowance, pension issues and so on; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47564/25]

2479. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an update on the engagement there has been with foster carers to deliver on their asks regarding the foster care allowance, pension issues etc; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43551/25]

476. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he plans to allow for the reinterpretation of the 18.5-hour work cap for carers who wish to avail of further education (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46815/26]

1205. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of current State pension recipients benefitted from the long-term carers contribution scheme; and the additional total cost to the State for allowing these contributions. [20119/26]

I thank all Deputies for bringing forward this Bill and for their contributions. As outlined by the Minister of State, Deputy Dillon, the Government opposes the Bill. The position is grounded in balance to support flexibility for workers and competitiveness for business. Remote working is now well-established and is a feature of our modern labour market, improving work-life balance and shaping how…

This Bill is about something very simple, namely who we trust to go into homes of our older people and people with disabilities and what standards we insist on. Independent Ireland supports strong, common-sense regulation. Nobody wants low-quality or unsafe care happening behind closed doors. There are positives here. For the first time, home support providers will have to register with HIQA. Ther…

I move: That Dáil Éireann: notes that: — Storm Éowyn made landfall in Ireland on 23rd January, 2025, breaking all-time record wind speeds; and — the scale of damage and disruption to transport, energy, water, telecommunications and internet services was unprecedented, exposing the fragility of our infrastructure, in the face of an ever-worsening climate crisis; further notes that: — the Huma…

I completely back my colleague, Deputy O' Callaghan. The Minister talked about politics of the lowest kind. Politics of the lowest kind is to allow over 5,000 children to be homeless every single year and to vote, year after year, against implementing an eviction ban. The Minister is a Minister of homelessness. He stands over all the things he been done in this country, all the great development, …

I thank the Minister of State for the opportunity to speak on the Health (Amendment) (Home Support Providers) Bill 2025. It is long awaited. Initially, it was due before the House five years ago. Repeated delays in its publication have had a detrimental effect on carers and the people who require home care support. This Bill means that home support in Ireland will be independently regulated for th…

This Government has significantly neglected older people for many years. We saw during the Covid crisis the number of older people who were moved out of hospitals and into nursing homes were in their thousands. It happened all of a sudden. It happened on the direction of the HSE and it had the effect of bringing older people from hospitals, without testing them properly for Covid, and placing them…

Every budget tells us who matters, what matters, and who does not matter. This one tells us that far too many Irish people do not matter to the Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, and Lowryite Administration. Yes there are some good measures in the budget, until we scratch the surface of it. There is a €10 increase for pensioners and social welfare recipients, a €5 increase in fuel allowance, and a 9% VAT rat…

Last week, we witnessed highly distressing scenes of neglect and abuse at two Emeis-operated nursing homes in Dublin and Portlaoise. These were scenes the Government had long assured us were consigned to history. First and foremost, my thoughts are with the individuals and families affected. I hope counselling and health services have been made available immediately to them. If not, the Minister o…

Before I start, I, too, want to acknowledge and thank Tony for his incredible public service over so many years as an usher and also as a member of An Garda Síochána. I wish him well in his retirement with his family. I appreciate everything he has done in his contribution to the Houses of the Oireachtas over so many years. I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak on the programme for Govern…

I begin not with policy, but with people. I acknowledge with sincerity and respect the people across Ireland who are living with a rare disease and the parents, partners, children, siblings, carers, families and friends who walk that journey with them every single day. The Government is committed to improving the lives of people living with rare diseases. That means working to support earlier diag…