Questions

183. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of a €1 increase in all social welfare and pension payments; the cost of a €5 increase in all social welfare and pension payments; the cost of a €10 increase in all social welfare and pension payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31198/26]

796. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people currently in receipt of a heating supplement payment; if he can provide a breakdown of this payment, per county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30927/26]

409. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been made on a request to further backdate a widower's contributory pension award to a person ( details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29263/26]

608. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the end of year deficit or surplus in the Social Insurance Fund for each of the years 2005 to 2025; if he will confirm the current surplus in the Social Insurance Fund as of April 2026, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28302/26]

609. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of workers subject to the lower rate of Employer PRSI of 9%; the number of workers subject to the higher rate of Employer PRSI of 11.25%, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28303/26]

610. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing the income threshold at which the higher employer PRSI rate kicks in to €600; to €620; to €640; to €660; to €680 and to €700, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28304/26]

611. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full year cost of providing companies with fewer than 50 staff with a flat rate PRSI rebate of €12.75 in respect of employees earning €592 per week or less; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28305/26]

612. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress made on each of the individual Programme for Government commitments assigned to his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28665/26]

1841. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of reviews of carer’s allowance carried out in 2025 and to date in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23855/26]

189. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people in receipt of carer's allowance who are over the age of 66 years and providing full-time care for a son or daughter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22935/26]

190. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of reducing the minimum hours requirement under the wage subsidy scheme from 15 hours to 10 hours; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22936/26]

660. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider making the bereaved partner’s (contributory) pension a qualifying payment for the household benefits package; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21603/26]

1142. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of people in receipt of carer’s allowance for each of the years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18375/26]

1143. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of carer’s allowance reviews carried out in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18376/26]

1144. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the position in relation to reviews of carer’s allowance carried out in 2026; specifically if a carer is reviewed and is slightly over the current income limits but will be under the new income limits for carer’s allowance which take effect in July will their payment be impacted or will the Department apply some discretion in these cases; and if h…

8. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of individuals currently in receipt of jobseeker's allowance and jobseeker's benefit in Cork and Limerick, with particular focus on Intreo areas such as Mallow, Newmarket, Macroom and Kilmallock; the most recent trends in these figures over the past 12 months; the supports and activation measures in place locally, such as training, employm…

63. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the current average processing times for carer's allowance; the steps his Department is taking to reduce delays and barriers faced by applicants in applying for this payment; the plans in place to deal with increased applications post July 2026 when the latest changes to the carer's allowance scheme come into place; and if he will make a statement o…

169. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider additional funding for Citizens Information Services so they can hire additional staff to meet the significant unmet demand for the service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15354/26]

840. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications received under the work and access scheme in 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026; the number of applications approved in each of these years to date; the amount expended on the scheme in the same respective time periods, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11667/26]

841. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications made for each of the respective seven supports under the work and access scheme to date; the number of these applications approved; the number declined; the number pending a decision; the amount expended under each support to date, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11668/26]

842. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of employees and employers currently utilising and benefiting from the wage subsidy scheme; the number of employers availing of strand 2 and strand 3 of the scheme; if an increase in the overall number utilising the scheme has occurred since the minimum weekly hours threshold was reduced in April 2024; and if so, the details of any…

843. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the breakdown, by employer size, (micro, small, medium and large) accessing, respectively, the work and access and wage subsidy schemes administered by his Department; the details of the supports provided to each employer category, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11670/26]

844. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if numbers and details of use of the wage subsidy scheme and the work and access scheme, and the associated supports are monitored by his Department; if such statistics are or will be published on a routine basis; if so, to give details; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11671/26]

868. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will conduct a review of the means test disregards for farm assist, with a view to better rewarding farmers who avail of the scheme for enterprise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12699/26]

733. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of sick days taken by staff in his Department for each of the years 2022 to 2025; the average days lost per employee for each year, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8161/26]