Questions

633. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection the full-year cost and the in-year (single season) cost of increasing the weekly fuel allowance rate by €10, €15, and €20 respectively, based on current recipient numbers and allowing for behavioural and eligibility effects; and to set out any offsetting savings or interactions with the household benefits package; and if he will make a statement on th…

634. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection the full-year and in-season costs of increasing the over-66 weekly means limits by €25 and by €50; increasing the capital disregard by €10,000 and by €25,000; and to provide estimated additional recipient numbers under each scenario, with distribution by local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51434/25]

635. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will conduct and publish, in advance of Budget 2027, a review of the fuel allowance scheme that examines options to increase the weekly rate; revise the means thresholds for those aged 66 and over; adjust the capital disregard; simplify the application process including automatic awards where data sharing permits; the timeframes and consultative…

647. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons who have qualified for the new pay related benefit since it was introduced, by county; the average payment rate under the scheme to date; the cost of the scheme to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51718/25]

649. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to extend the free travel pass to children in receipt of domiciliary care allowance; the number of children who will benefit; the estimated cost of this extension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51720/25]

660. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of the carer's support grant; the number of persons who already have carer's payments or domiciliary care allowance; and the numbers who qualify independently of these schemes. [51906/25]

95. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost of reducing the minimum required hours under the wage subsidy scheme from 21 hours to 15 hours in April 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50438/25]

402. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will outline for the past four years, the average time between reviews for recipients of a carer’s allowance; the number of times his Department has reviewed a carer’s allowance recipient more than once in a year; if multiple reviews of recipients is standard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49576/25]

403. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people for whom an applicant can seek carer's support; and if a maximum carer's grant allowance applies. [49585/25]

772. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection to examine the case for travel cost assistance for the parents of child (details supplied) who attends a school for the blind. [48618/25]

793. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is aware that rent supplement is only available to those who work under 30-hours-per-week; and if he plans to expand the criteria to 40-hours-per-week, taking into account that many people who are in need of rent supplement work a full 40-hour week. [49018/25]

1324. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection whether a full review is being carried out on the carer’s allowance payment by this Department; the current status of this review; whether consideration will be given as part of this review to allowing for a full-rate carer’s allowance payment to be paid to persons on a widow’s pension, and other eligible payments; and if he will make a statement on …

1327. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection to consider waiving the means test on foster care families (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44606/25]

1330. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Social Protection to consider revising the TÚS programme guidelines for people in receipt of disability allowance, to allow them to remain on the scheme for up to 24 months, or more, if they wish; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44641/25]

1334. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is aware of a case of an individual who has not been awarded the bereaved partner’s (contributory) pension and who believes this to be an error (details supplied); if he will instruct his officials to re-engage with the individual concerned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44738/25]

1336. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will address as a matter of priority and end the discrimination that currently exists in regard to the fuel allowance payment in respect of senior citizens (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44926/25]

1337. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection to urgently investigate a disability allowance application (details supplied); the reason this person is being deprived of their payment; if the information submitted will be accepted and payment issued to them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44927/25]

1338. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection to urgently review and disability allowance case of a person (details supplied) and take all circumstances into consideration by reinstating the payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44931/25]

1339. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Social Protection for clarification in relation to back-to-school allowance which does not appear to encompass all children for whom foster care allowance as the understanding is that it is means-tested; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44949/25]

1340. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Social Protection if his attention has been drawn to the fact that means-testing, actual or prospective of the back-to-school allowance is misaligned (details supplied). [44950/25]

1342. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection if a second carers allowance application for a person (details supplied) will be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44969/25]

1343. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to provide an additional level of child benefit to a remaining parent in circumstances where the other parent has passed away; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44984/25]

1345. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost of increasing the PRSI threshold for employers in line with a minimum wage increase of €1.35; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45026/25]

1346. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection if the fuel allowance thresholds will be increased for those in receipt of the State Pension contributory and the State Pension non-contributory in the upcoming budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45032/25]

1350. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on the disparity whereby from budget 2026 the flat rate maternity benefit of €289 per week will be lower than the new jobseeker’s pay related benefit, which can provide up to 60% of previous earnings; if he will introduce a pay-related maternity benefit to ensure fairness, gender equality, and protect women’s pension entitlements; and i…