Questions

301. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the rationale for deferring the €285 child benefit increment until 2027; the Department’s estimate of the number of children that will remain in income poverty as a result of this deferral; whether interim measures will be put in place to mitigate the impact on low-income families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51016/25]

302. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is aware of delays being experienced by former An Post employees in their applications for pensions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51087/25]

303. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection if he plans on abolishing the means-test for the carer’s allowance in Budget 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50024/25]

304. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection the means by which, under the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People, the cost of disability, and an increase in the employment rate among people with disabilities, will be achieved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50847/25]

305. Deputy Edward Timmins asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures being taken to increase the participation rate of people with disability in the labour market. [50803/25]

306. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Social Protection further to the Parliamentary Question No. 1420 of 8 September 2025; the estimated number of anomalies under the yearly averaging method of calculating the rate of pay for the State Pension (Contributory); the different types of anomalies encountered by his Department under this system; the estimated cost to the Exchequer if these anomalies were correc…

307. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of the interdepartmental working group on non-binary gender; the actions of the group today; the reports produced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50967/25]

308. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether current social welfare rates are meeting the minimum essential standard of living in light of inflation and rising housing, energy and food costs; the revisions being planned in Budget 2026 to address adequacy concerns; the means by which the Department ensures that vulnerable households are protected from falling below subsistence thresholds; a…

309. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on the issue of a person (details supplied) regarding their employment support being cancelled when they changed job; to ensure her supports are maintained seamlessly; to ensure other persons are not affected by this anomaly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51053/25]

310. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection to consider offering all persons in receipt of transitional jobseeker's allowance the choice to have their payment paid directly into their bank account; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51076/25]

311. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of households in Cork north-central that qualified for the fuel allowance in 2024/2025; the projected number for 2025/2026 under the widened eligibility rules for those aged 66 years and over; the breakdown of applications by channel (online, post, Intreo, community welfare officers); the average processing time for applications in 2025; and …

312. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of implementing a PRSI rebate of 2.25 percent on all weekly wages below €735 for PRSI class A only; assuming a 2.25 percent rebate for the weekly wage equivalent to the full-time weekly wage of minimum wage workers and the rebate tapering off until it is at 0% for employees on a weekly wage of €735; and if he will make a statement …

313. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the total amount of Exchequer funding provided to NGOs operating in the areas of immigration, asylum and integration over the past five years, by year and organisation. [50931/25]

314. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of prisoners in the general population in prisons diagnosed with psychosis; if the prisoners are receiving the appropriate treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50889/25]

315. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of prisoners waiting for a court date to determine their fitness for trial under the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act 2006; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50890/25]

316. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of prisoners transferred to a facility (details supplied) for mental health supports in the past two years; the reason they did not received treatment from the Central Mental Hospital; the cost of treatment in the facility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50891/25]

317. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to provide an update on the review of the Multi Unit Developments Act. [50919/25]

318. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration further to Parliamentary Question No. 346 of 27 February 2024, and Parliamentary Question No. 512 of 7 March 2023 and Parliamentary Question No. 273 of 29 November 2017, to provide an update on the progress on the payment of an ex-gratia payment to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50925/25]

319. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of investigations, prosecutions, and convictions in the past five years relating to the use of false identity or employer documentation to obtain residential leases later used for the purpose of brothel-keeping; the outcomes of such cases under the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017, the Criminal Law (Human Trafficking)…

320. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to examine the case for accommodation transfer for persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50992/25]

321. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to exercise discretion to accept UNRWA cards as sufficient proof of refugee status for family reunification or humanitarian admission; that a family be admitted (details supplied) under Section 60 of the International Protection Act 2015 (discretionary provisions), or via a special humanitarian admission programme, as other EU state…

322. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on the regional veterinary laboratory redevelopment plan (details supplied), specifically with regards to the existing Sligo site; if the development of a new laboratory in Sligo is still planned for phase two; when is phase two due to begin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50856/25]

323. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the estimated additional cost to the Exchequer of implementing in full the TB eradication programme in 2026; the additional cost of phasing it in over three years in 2026, 2027 and 2028; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50857/25]

324. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider allowing an extension for slurry spreading to mid-October 2025 in view of the fact there has been three weeks of wet weather in September (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50914/25]

325. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason an area of land is not granted an areas of natural constraints scheme payment (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51009/25]