541. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the gender breakdown of adults in emergency accommodation, including male, female and any other recorded categories, for each of the past 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33247/26]
542. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the age profile of persons in emergency accommodation, including breakdowns by age cohorts (for example 18–24, 25–44, 45–64, 65+), for the most recent period available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33248/26]
543. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the breakdown of persons in emergency accommodation by household type, including single adults, couples, and families with children, and the proportion of each category accounted for by Irish citizens and non-Irish nationals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33249/26]
544. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of persons in emergency accommodation for (i) less than 6 months, (ii) 6–12 months, (iii) 1–2 years, and (iv) more than 2 years, and whether such data is disaggregated by nationality or immigration status; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33250/26]
545. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the data collection framework used to compile official homelessness statistics, including whether standardised data fields exist across local authorities for nationality, immigration status, and household composition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33251/26]
546. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether nationality data is collected in respect of children in emergency accommodation; if not, the reason for this omission; and whether there are plans to introduce such data collection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33252/26]
547. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department engages with the Department of Justice, Home Affair and Migration, to align data on homelessness and international protection applicants, including shared datasets or reporting mechanisms; and if so, to outline the structure of that coordination; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33253/26]
548. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether there is variation between local authorities in the application of eligibility criteria, access thresholds, or data collection practices in respect of emergency accommodation; whether any national standardisation framework is in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33265/26]
549. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department maintains a forward projection or demand model for emergency accommodation needs; if so, the assumptions underpinning that model, including population growth and migration-related factors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33266/26]
550. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the breakdown of emergency accommodation provision by type, including hotels, bed and breakfast accommodation, family hubs and other facilities; the proportion of total capacity each represents; and whether any policy exists to reduce reliance on higher-cost accommodation types; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33267/…
551. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the recorded outcomes for persons exiting emergency accommodation, including transition to social housing, private rental, return to family accommodation or other outcomes; and whether such outcomes are analysed by household type or nationality; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33268/26]
552. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether a whole-of-government strategy exists linking housing policy with migration and population planning; if so, to outline the governance structure underpinning that coordination; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33269/26]
557. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the supports available to households where a family member requires continuous electrically powered medical equipment, including oxygen machines, resulting in substantially increased electricity bills; if additional supports are available through the exceptional needs payment system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31912/26]
558. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the eligibility criteria for the electricity allowance under the household benefits package; if medical dependency on electricity is considered in eligibility decisions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31913/26]
559. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of exceptional needs payments issued in each of the past three years to assist households with electricity costs; the total expenditure incurred; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31914/26]
560. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider the introduction of a dedicated support payment or allowance for households where a person is medically dependent on continuous electrically powered medical equipment such as oxygen concentrators; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31915/26]
566. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the procedures in place to detect the use of forged or AI generated documents submitted in support of social welfare claims; whether his Department has experienced an increase in suspected fraud involving forged or AI generated documentation in the past three years; the number of cases referred to investigation annually since 2021; and if he will make a…
579. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the Department's estimated proportion of an average household electricity and natural gas bill currently covered by the €1.15 per day allowance, using the most recent available national data sources; and if he will outline the methodology used to derive this estimate. [33019/26]
580. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated proportion of an average household electricity and natural gas bill covered by the allowance at the time of its introduction in 2013, and the equivalent estimated proportion in 2026; and if he will outline the basis for these estimates [33020/26]
581. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has utilised or considered data from the Central Statistics Office, Commission for Regulation of Utilities, or Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland in assessing the adequacy of the electricity and gas allowance; and if so, to provide details. [33021/26]
582. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether the electricity and natural gas allowance has been subject to a Value for Money or policy evaluation review since 2013, in line with the Public Spending Code; and if so, to provide the date and outcome of any such review. [33023/26]
583. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the policy rationale for maintaining a flat-rate cash allowance introduced in 2013 without periodic recalibration, and whether alternative models, including indexed or usage-based supports, have been formally assessed. [33024/26]
584. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has undertaken any comparative analysis between increases in Fuel Allowance and the static electricity/gas allowance, including whether one scheme is intended to compensate for the other; and if he will provide details. [33025/26]
585. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether an impact assessment has been conducted on recipients of the Household Benefits Package who do not qualify for Fuel Allowance, and the extent to which these households may face a gap in energy support. [33026/26]
586. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether any specific proposals have been developed to revise the structure of the electricity and gas allowance, including seasonal weighting or indexation to energy prices; and if so, to outline the status of such proposals. [33027/26]