Questions

466. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if targets have been established for the number of vacant residential properties to be returned to use for each year from 2026 to 2030; if so, to provide those targets, by local authority, in tabular form; and, if not, the reason progress in reducing residential vacancy is to be measured and assessed. [72349/26]

467. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the actual and projected number of residential dwellings and population for each local authority for 2020, 2025 and 2030 under the assumptions used for national and regional planning; and the resulting number of dwellings per 100 persons in each local authority for each of those years, in tabular form. [72350/26]

472. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the plans in place to recognise the role of allotments and community gardens given it is 100 years since allotments were legislated for in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72454/26]

473. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will provide an update on the timeframe for when guidance to local authorities on the provision of allotments and community gardens will be provided, given the original date was for the guidance to be issued by December 2023, and given that other countries such as Wales and Scotland have had specific guidance issued for …

474. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans for funding to be made available to local authorities through the Housing Activation Office for projects to unlock housing. [72451/26]

475. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he has assessed the capacity of local authority building control sections to process the anticipated surge in certificates of compliance on completion in advance of the 31 December 2026 deadline for the development contribution waiver scheme; if he will direct local authorities to publish a standardised appeals process for dec…

476. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department will extend the 31 December 2026 completion deadline to 31 December 2027 for development levy waiver for one off rural developments already substantially progressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72543/26]

477. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for fuel allowance refused to date in 2026. [71445/26]

478. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department will urgently review the payment rate for the secondary school meals programme; and his views on whether the secondary school meal rate should be brought in line with the primary school rate and increased to €3.20 per meal. [71435/26]

479. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide a schedule of EU Presidency events being hosted by his Department broken down by name of the event, location, date, State agencies or other departments involved in the organising of the event; and cost or budgeted cost of same (including costs borne by state agencies under its aegis), in tabular form. [71411/26]

480. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection to ensure that the full living alone allowance will be paid to a person (details supplied). [71511/26]

481. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will give consideration to removing the mandatory certificate of benefit comparison requirement for straightforward defined contribution-to-PRSA transfers, where there is an identifiable fund value; in situations where the consumer is receiving appropriate regulated financial advice, including the material benefits being surrendered and the reaso…

482. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection if the mechanism to pay suppliers under the current school meals programme has been modified; and if the Minister is satisfied that all suppliers will be paid within 30 days of invoices having been submitted. [71565/26]

483. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department will consider an increase in the secondary dinner rate with a drink in the school meals programme to €3,20 from €2.50 to equalise it with the hot schools meal and backdate it to the beginning of this school year, as providers are finding it difficult to maintain services with the costs incurred. [71653/26]

484. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection the length of time it is currently taking for reviews of disability allowance applications to be undertaken. [71652/26]

485. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made on an ongoing review for a person (details supplied) in County Donegal. [71725/26]

486. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection the assistance available to children who no longer qualify for domiciliary care allowance upon turning sixteen-years-of-age, yet do not qualify for disability allowance. [71692/26]

487. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has considered extending the age limit for domiciliary care allowance from sixteen to eighteen-years-of-age. [71688/26]

488. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection whether he has assessed the impact of long-term caring responsibilities on a person's entitlement to the State Pension (Contributory), particularly in the case of parents who have spent decades caring for a child with a disability. [71792/26]

489. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider the introduction of a dedicated pension entitlement or enhanced pension credit arrangement for parents who have provided lifelong care to a child with a disability (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [71800/26]

490. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has examined the risk of income poverty among older parents who have provided lifelong care to children with disabilities and who subsequently reach pension age with insufficient pay related social insurance contributions to qualify for a full State Pension (Contributory). [71798/26]

491. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons currently benefiting from credited pay related social insurance contributions arising from caring responsibilities; and if he is considering expanding access to such credits for parents providing long-term care to adult children with disabilities. [71797/26]

492. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has undertaken a review of the adequacy of current pension arrangements for family carers, including the homemaker's scheme and other credited contribution mechanisms; and if these arrangements sufficiently protect those who have acted as full-time carers over many years. [71796/26]

493. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration is being given to providing additional pension protections for parents who have provided lifelong care to a son or daughter with a disability and who may have reduced pay related social insurance contribution records as a consequence of their caring responsibilities. [71795/26]

494. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons whose social welfare payment was suspended or terminated following imprisonment in each of the past five years; the number whose qualified adult or child increases continued to be paid to another person; the number of such cases involving non-Irish nationals; and the number involving persons who had previously acquired Irish citize…