Questions

777. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection the total funding allocated to the work and access scheme for the financial years 2024, 2025 and 2026; the actual amount of funding drawn down or expended to date under the scheme; the total number of applications received for the work and access scheme since its commencement; the number of applications that have been approved, refused, and are curren…

778. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection the average processing time from the date of submission to a final decision for applications under the work and access scheme; the measures being taken to streamline the application workflow; the steps being taken to reduce any undue administrative or financial burdens placed on disabled applicants and employers during the application process; if a dedi…

756. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide an update on the Programme for Governments commitment to reform the disability allowance payment and remove anomalies in the current means test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39577/26]

414. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has assessed the extent to which failures by employers to provide reasonable accommodation contribute to disabled workers leaving employment and subsequently relying on Illness Benefit, Disability Allowance or other income supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29484/26]

415. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated annual cost to the Exchequer where a disabled worker exits employment and moves onto Disability Allowance, Illness Benefit or related supports following workplace discrimination or failure to provide reasonable accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29485/26]

416. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has undertaken, or plans to undertake, any cost-benefit analysis of early workplace accommodation and retention of disabled workers compared with the medium- and long-term cost of social welfare dependency arising from accommodation failures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29486/26]

417. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has engaged with the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment and the Department of Children, Disability and Equality on the relationship between workplace accommodation failures, disability-related job loss and subsequent reliance on social protection payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29487/26]

280. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for invalidity pension made by people with dementia under 66 years-of-age for each of the years 2021 to 2025 and to date in 2026; the number of applications that were accepted, rejected and under review; the main reasons those applications were rejected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27411/26]

1932. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection whether consideration is being given to compensatory cost-of-living supports for families with children, particularly school-age children, in light of the continuing pressure of childcare, housing and household costs. [26574/26]

1933. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection whether he has examined family-income supports in other European jurisdictions as part of the Government's response to the cost of raising children; and if he will outline any comparative work undertaken by his Department. [26575/26]

1156. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of staff from his Department seconded to other Departments or agencies in the Civil Service, per annum from 2022 to date in 2026; and the details of the Department or agency, in tabular form. [18600/26]

1157. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of staff from his Department seconded to a firm in the private sector, per annum from 2022 to date in 2026; and the details of the company, in tabular form. [18618/26]

1158. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of staff from his Department seconded from a firm in the private sector, per annum from 2022 to date in 2026; and the details of the company, in tabular form. [18636/26]

421. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection the average timeframe in 2025 for the finalisation of a Section 318 review under the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act 2005. [18227/26]

205. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection the plans to adjust the qualifying criteria for carer's allowance so that those who care for someone for at least 30 hours per week can qualify; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12933/26]

729. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection whether compensation following an accident is taken into consideration during the income assessment for disability allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8122/26]

730. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on his plans to reform the disability allowance and remove anomalies in the means test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8123/26]

55. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection the way in which eligibility for occupational injuries recognition and related supports for healthcare workers with long Covid differs from eligibility for healthcare workers who have sustained other occupational injuries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2582/26]

66. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection the reasons for not introducing an emergency winter payment for disabled people of €400, as sought by the Disability Federation of Ireland, the Irish Wheelchair Association and Access for All. [2581/26]

103. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection the current status of the Government's commitment to introduce a cost of disability payment; the proposed timeline for its introduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2523/26]

104. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection the research, analysis, and impact assessments undertaken by his Department in developing proposals for a cost of disability payment; the estimated additional cost of living with a disability these considerations are based on; and if he will publish this information. [2524/26]

105. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection whether any proposed cost of disability payment will be universal or means-tested; how eligibility will be determined; and how the payment will interact with existing disability-related supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2525/26]

106. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection the engagement his Department has had with disability organisations and representative groups in relation to the introduction of a cost of disability payment; how the views of disabled people are being reflected in policy development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2526/26]

107. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection whether he intends to review the classification of long-Covid for social protection purposes, including its recognition as an occupational injury for healthcare workers; the timeframe for any such review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2528/26]

219. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection whether a person on certified sick leave will still meet the qualification criteria for carer’s benefit that they must have been employed or self-employed for at least eight weeks in the previous 26-weeks for a minimum of 16 hours each week or 32 hours a fortnight if they previously met this criteria before being on sick leave; and if he will make a sta…