Questions

501. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection if there are instances in which a person who availed of the back to work enterprise allowance for an upcycle business, but whose business was forced to close for 18 to 24 months due to Covid can avail of the scheme again before the five year waiting period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51733/26]

502. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection the main policy achievements of his Department since 22 January 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50809/26]

503. Deputy Ann Graves asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a former Dublin Airport Authority employee (details supplied) has to wait two years for dental and optical benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50836/26]

504. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has given consideration to lowering the age of eligibility for free travel passes for SEN students entering post primary schools to avail of public transport, in the event of travel without a primary carer (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50839/26]

505. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people engaged with the cost of disability consultation via the telephone service where an individual with sight loss or other disabilities that limits their ability to utilise the alternative methods of providing feedback were able to engage with the process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50920/26]

506. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection whether he will review the eligibility criteria for the additional needs payment scheme to allow assistance to be provided in exceptional circumstances where a clinically prescribed item, such as a specialised car seat recommended by an occupational therapist, is not funded by the HSE or any other statutory scheme, leaving families without access to …

507. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of Irish citizens that are receiving the State pension (contributory) but are permanently based outside of the State as of 26 June 2026, in tabular form. [50944/26]

508. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department records the reasons for which exceptional needs payments and other community welfare service grants are awarded; whether these records identify grants provided to individuals or families who have had to leave their home due to domestic violence; if so, the number and total value of such grants provided in each of the past five …

509. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection whether he has considered extending eligibility for the working family payment to self-employed workers insured under PRSI Class S who satisfy the income thresholds applicable to the scheme; whether any proposals to amend the qualifying conditions are under consideration as part of future social protection policy or budgetary discussions; and if he w…

510. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has undertaken, or plans to undertake, any review of the exclusion of self-employed workers insured under PRSI Class S, including directors of small family-run businesses, from eligibility for the working family payment; whether any assessment has been carried out of the impact of this exclusion on low-income self-employed fami…

511. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications received, the number of appeals submitted, the number of those appeals that were successful, the number of recipients, the number of beneficiaries for the latest quarterly data, in schemes (details supplied), in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51076/26]

512. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Social Protection if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the €18,000 postgraduate stipend disregard used in disability allowance assessments has not kept pace with current PhD funding levels given that many publicly funded PhD stipends are now €22,000 per annum or higher (details supplied); whether he will raise this issue with the Minister for Social Protectio…

513. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of households nationally that have a TV Licence exemption and do not have to purchase one, per month, from January 2020 to date, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51218/26]

514. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing all headline weekly social protection payment to €350, €400, and €450 per week, excluding disability allowance, invalidity pension, partial capacity, disablement pension and blind person’s pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51270/26]

515. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing disability, blind pensions and invalidity pension to €400, €450, and €500 per week; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51271/26]

516. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of lowering the pension age to 65 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51272/26]

517. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing child benefit by 10% and extending payment to all children aged 18 years or under, including those in the international protection process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51273/26]

518. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing qualified child rates by €6 for children under 12 and €15 for children 12; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51274/26]

519. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of providing free school meals for all post-primary school pupils in public schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51282/26]

520. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year revenue that would be generated by increasing the 11.05% employers PRSI rate to 13.05% on salaries paid below €90,000 per year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51283/26]

521. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year revenue that would be generated by establishing a new employer PRSI rate of 19.75% on any salaries paid over €90,000 per year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51284/26]

522. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications received for a gender recognition certificate under Section 13 of the Gender Recognition Act 2015; the number of such certificates issued; the number of such certificates revoked by him under Section 14 of the Act; the number of applications made to him for revocations of such certificates under Section 15 of the Act; and the …

523. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the most recent numbers available for persons in receipt of a disability-contingent payment, both those in work and out of work; the percentage of this group that are in receipt of disability allowance, invalidity pension, blind pension and partial capacity benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51364/26]

524. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection the policy rationale for excluding the self-employed statutory sick PRSI and illness benefit, given that self-employed PRSI Class S contributors pay into the social insurance fund but cannot access short term income supports when ill; whether the Government intends to introduce a sick pay scheme or amend illness benefit eligibility for the self-emplo…

525. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide the web link to his Department’s Q2 2026 published report of purchase orders/payments over €20,000, in line with the FOI model publication scheme requirements; to confirm the date on which this report was published; and, if it has not yet been published, the planned publication date. [51571/26]