Questions

151. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage with reference to the book entitled 'Seabirds Count' a census of breeding seabirds in Britain and Ireland (2015-2021), ISBN 9788416728602, (pub. Nov. 2023), and recurring acknowledgements in that book of the 'Lead Partner' role played by his Department/National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) in the conduct of the census over …

152. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage with reference to the published book entitled 'Seabirds Count' a census of breeding seabirds in Britain and Ireland (2015-2021), which deals with 25 species of seabirds, has the Minister noted that 70+ pages out of 484 pages in the book are given over to the escalating proliferation of high density urban-breeding gull colonies (…

153. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when additional funding will be allocated to a local authority (details supplied); if he will ensure that this grant aid is allocated without further delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40134/25]

154. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current status of animal welfare monitoring and oversight at Dublin Zoo; the independent inspections that have been conducted by the National Parks & Wildlife Service under the Zoo Directive during 2024 and 2025; what specific welfare issues, if any, were identified and what remedial actions have been mandated; how he …

155. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the level of funding that will be provided for a scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40183/25]

156. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will outline the rationale behind proposals to reduce minimum standards for apartment size, window dimensions, and green space provision in new housing developments; and how he intends to address concerns that such changes may negatively affect residents’ well-being and overall quality of life; and if he will make a stateme…

157. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Social Protection the position as of July 2025 on the Programme for Government commitment to develop an extreme weather event assistance scheme for homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39954/25]

158. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of WTE staff, by grade based in each INTREO office in Galway, in tabular form. [39742/25]

159. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of appeals currently with the scope section of the Department; and the number of these appeals that have run over one year. [39778/25]

160. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of appeals with the scope section of the Department with regard to State and semi-State body pensions; the average time they are ongoing; and the longest ongoing appeal. [39779/25]

161. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of appeals currently with the scope section of the Department with regards to a dispute over the modified rate of insurance governed by either paragraph 81, 82, 83 or 84 of S.I No. 312 of 1996, Social Welfare (Consolidated Contributions and Insurability) Regulations, 1996. [39780/25]

162. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of the jobseeker’s allowance claim for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39867/25]

163. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications under humanitarian assistance scheme 1 and humanitarian assistance scheme two which have been refused, in tabular form. [39873/25]

164. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the total cost of allowing all fostering caring families to receive the back to school allowance without a means test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39879/25]

165. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of fostering caring families who will benefit from his recent announcement that foster caring families will be eligible for the back to school allowance through a means test; the total cost of this measure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39880/25]

166. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of the living alone allowance for each of the last four years; the number per county; and the cost to his Department for each of those last four years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39881/25]

167. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons or couples in receipt of the telephone allowance for each of the last four years; the number per county; and the cost to his Department for each of those last 4 years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39882/25]

168. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will outline the number of persons that have availed of parents benefit in 2022, 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form; the number of mothers and the number of fathers who have availed of parent’s benefit in each of these years; if he believes further steps can be taken to encourage greater uptake of parent’s benefit; and if he will…

169. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance for 24 months or longer, by county; if he will confirm when he intends to publish a new employment strategy focused on intensive engagement with those most distant from the labour market as committed in the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39921/25]

170. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons that have benefitted since the minimum required hours under the wage subsidy scheme was reduced from 21 hours to 15 hours in April 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39922/25]

171. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection when he plans to publish draft proposals for consultation on the new working age payment, which will ensure that inconsistencies within the social welfare system, which disincentivise work, are removed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39923/25]

172. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons over 66 who have qualified for the fuel allowance since the expanded means test for over 66s was introduced, by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39924/25]

173. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of a widows pension who are under age 66; if he will provide an estimated cost of allowing persons in receipt of widow’s pensions to access illness benefit in the event that they get sick at work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39925/25]

174. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of extending the period of a social welfare payment following the death of a dependent from 6 to12 weeks as committed in the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39926/25]

175. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost of extending illness benefit to the self-employed; if he will outline the estimated increase in PRSI rates which would be required to meet this cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39927/25]