Questions

548. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people in receipt of a carer’s support grant in 2024 and in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73447/25]

550. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Social Protection the key measures taken to support carers during 2025; his priorities for 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73562/25]

315. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration will be given to introducing a gluten-free food allowance for pensioners with coeliac disease due to the extra cost associated with their dietary needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72700/25]

316. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has considered the impact of the high cost of gluten-free food on pensioners with coeliac disease; and whether he will explore options to support affected individuals, such as a potential allowance or subsidy to offset these costs. [72701/25]

456. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection when an application for disability allowance by a person (details supplied) will be decided given the family urgently need assistance. [70934/25]

529. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if he accepts that the withdrawal of once-off supports provided in Budget 2025 leaves disabled households substantially worse off in 2026; the measures he will take to address this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69594/25]

530. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the budgetary rationale for removing once-off supports without providing equivalent permanent measures for disabled people; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69596/25]

542. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures in place to support people with disabilities with the cost of living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69340/25]

544. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Social Protection the supports available for self-employed people who are unable to work due to a life changing medical diagnosis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69437/25]

546. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection to reverse or amend the decision to automatically tax carer’s allowance and carer’s benefit from January 2026, given the financial hardship this will cause for full-time carers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69543/25]

548. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection the consultation which took place with carers’ representative groups before introducing automatic taxation of carer’s allowance and carer’s benefit; if he will consider suspending the measure pending meaningful consultation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69545/25]

551. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection if a teacher employed by the Department of Education and youth can access disability allowances if they are in receipt of illness related early pension payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69583/25]

570. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason self-employed workers who pay PRSI, when they get sick, have no access to income supports, despite working and paying taxes; if this anomaly will be examined; if illness benefit will be extended to the self-employed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70098/25]

575. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider changing the rules so that a person in receipt of death benefit is entitled to the living alone allowance upon reaching the age of 66. [70229/25]

577. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made in relation to carers allowance for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70293/25]

361. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 415 of 27 November 2025, if he will clarify a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68958/25]

165. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the assistance available for a person (details supplied) who was refused carer's benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68206/25]

369. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Social Protection the approximate cost of extending child benefit for a period of six months and one year respectively, in the event of the death of a qualifying child based on available data from 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67583/25]

370. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Social Protection if his attention has been drawn to the 5% pension increase recently granted to former Irish Rail staff; when this increase is due to be implemented; if his Department has assessed the impact of this increase on the eligibility of affected pensioners for Social Protection supports such as the medical card, fuel allowance and other secondary benefits; an…

373. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the immediate and dedicated income support which has been provided to former franchisees (details supplied) and subcontractors who are currently unable to apply for the insolvency payments scheme; and the process by which they can secure an urgent needs payment or other welfare support without compromising any future claims against the receiver. [67663…

376. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 502 of 18 November 2025, the advice she would give to a teacher who has moved schools in the past 12-months but, due to their child’s illness, are forced to temporarily leave work and cannot qualify for carer’s allowance. [67757/25]

380. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection if his attention has been drawn to concerns of various NGOs and charities supporting elderly people in relation to the negative impact that the most recent budget had on elderly people that rely on state supports including the state pension and fuel allowance; the actions he will take to address these concerns; and if he will make a statement on the matt…

386. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection the current number of disablement benefit recipients who also receive constant attendance allowance (CAA); the number of disablement benefit recipients that have a level of disablement assessed at 50% or above; the reason the number of recipients of CAA appears disproportionately low compared to the total number of disablement benefit recipients; if…

389. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of individuals who received the carers support grant in June 2025 and who are not also in receipt of carer’s allowance or carer’s benefit. [68017/25]

394. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason the claim for disability allowance was refused for a person (details supplied); the options available at this time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66824/25]