Questions

76. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the timeline for the conclusion of the public consultation on a potential new targeted child payment and new working age payment launched by his Department on 5 May 2026; the number of submissions received to date; when he expects to bring proposals arising from the consultation to Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46256/…

77. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the evidentiary requirements for carer’s allowance applications and reviews; if he will examine whether carers are being asked to repeatedly provide medical or supporting documents already held by the Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45626/26]

78. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will outline progress in the rollout of the automatic enrolment retirement savings system, including early participation levels and emerging trends; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46291/26]

79. Deputy Edward Timmins asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider a review of the minimum 16 hours required weekly worked hours to qualify for carer’s benefit for teachers who are not on full time hours; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46264/26]

80. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Social Protection whether there is a plan to assist schools who have been unable to source a supplier for hot school meals, being invariably smaller primary schools in rural area (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45630/26]

81. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection for a report on the Strategic Focus Network Summit on Cost of Disability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46029/26]

82. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Social Protection the investment his Department has made in the past three years in digital services for customer supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46249/26]

83. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of children who will benefit from the extension of the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance to include children aged two and three; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46033/26]

84. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is reviewing his Departments supports for one parent families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46037/26]

85. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection the analysis his Department has carried out on the eligibility of low-income farmers for carers allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46270/26]

86. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the implementation of the Programme for Government commitments in relation to carers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46024/26]

87. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will examine the impact of inflation and cost of living on the real value of the carer’s allowance and disability allowance, particularly for recipients who experience a different cost of living due to the cost of their disability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46201/26]

88. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection whether he will review the eligibility criteria for the fuel allowance scheme in circumstances where many older persons living on modest fixed incomes marginally exceed the current means thresholds but remain at risk of fuel poverty, particularly persons aged over 80 and 90 years-of-age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41554/26]

89. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of families in the Dún Laoghaire constituency expected to benefit from the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance in 2026; the estimated increase from extending eligibility to children aged two and three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46166/26]

90. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures he will take to reduce the consistent poverty rate to 2% or less; to reduce income inequality; to make Ireland one of the most socially inclusive Member States of the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46040/26]

91. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline the key priorities raised by carers and representative organisations at the Annual Carers’ Forum held in May 2026; the priority actions identified by his Department arising from the forum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46290/26]

92. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider the implementation of a safe fund for survivors of domestic violence that addresses their immediate financial situation such as covering costs for clothing, accommodation, and other costs faced by those fleeing domestic violence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46168/26]

93. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Social Protection the way in which it can be ensured that work pays and that social protection supports do not disincentivise any individual to work. [46366/26]

94. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of carers in Cavan and Monaghan that are currently in receipt of the carer’s allowance; the equivalent figures for each county in 2020; the further increase in the numbers of recipients he expects in each when forthcoming changes to income disregards take effect; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46239/26]

95. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has assessed the impact of the means test for carer’s allowance on family carers; whether the findings of any such assessment will inform consideration of further changes to the means test as part of Budget 2027; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46275/26]

96. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans in the next budget to introduce a cost of disability payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46153/26]

97. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection the other social welfare payments available to recipients of the one-parent family payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46038/26]

98. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the plans to address rising rates of food poverty, particularly in relation to the continuation of lunch and breakfast programs for school-aged children through the summer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46281/26]

99. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will commit to increasing the core baseline of social welfare rates such as the child support payment, to address the issues of poverty in the next Budget rather than relying on temporary measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46149/26]

100. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps his Department is taking to support applicants, particularly older persons and those with limited digital literacy, in accessing and completing social protection applications as services become increasingly digitised; if he will outline any initiatives in place to provide in-person assistance, training, or alternative application channels to e…