Parliamentary questions

354. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection whether funding for new recipients of the carer’s allowance, who would not have qualified under the current income disregards but who will qualify on foot of the budget 2026 measure, is allocated from the €390 million 'increase in pension and illness, disability, carers scheme recipients' or elsewhere; and the amount he plans to …

355. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection for a breakdown of the estimated 30,000 additional recipients across the pension, illness, disability and carers schemes respectively, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62430/25]

356. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection for a breakdown of the 30,000 additional pension and IDC recipients across the numbers resulting from changes to schemes announced as Budget 2026 measures versus the numbers resulting from demographic changes. [62431/25]

357. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the provisions that have been made to ensure that agencies, organisations and charities funded by his Department will be able to meet their obligations under the new AE scheme. [62455/25]

358. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider introducing a voluntary higher PRSI contribution option for self-employed workers under Class S, which would allow them to qualify for illness benefit in the same way as PAYE employees; if his Department has examined the feasibility or cost implications of extending illness benefit coverage to self-employed per…

359. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Social Protection the full range of services covered by those paying category K PRSI. [62616/25]

360. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of vacant and derelict buildings in County Mayo owned by his Department that are vacant or rented, by the region/towns location of the buildings, in tabular form. [62679/25]

644. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection the plans to extend the treatment purchase scheme (hair replacement) to cover more than the five types of alopecia currently on the scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61717/25]

645. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if a caring support pension application can be expedited for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60922/25]

646. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if carers allowance and fuel allowance will be approved for a person (details supplied) as a matter of urgency. [60931/25]

647. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number and value of contracts that underwent post-award variations; the net value change as a percentage of original awards, by CPV/category; and the three most common drivers of variation identified, for 2022–2024. [60949/25]

648. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection whether there was a commitment given to citizens who were on invalidity pensions or other welfare payments that they could go back to work during the Covid crisis and retain their payments. [60982/25]

649. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person who has a private pension scheme through their employment would be able to qualify for the Government contribution part of the auto-enrolment pension scheme from January 2026, when the new pension scheme comes into effect; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60984/25]

650. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons that initially subscribed to the hot school meals schemes in 2024 and to date in 2025; the number of persons that have now opted out. [61006/25]

651. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of schools that did not opt in to the hot meals schemes in 2025; and the number of schools that have opted out of the schemes in 2024 and 2025. [61007/25]

652. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department is notified by the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration when a person becomes subject to a deportation order; if so, the number of such notifications that been made from 1 January 2024 to date in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61024/25]

653. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department collects data on the number of individuals currently in receipt of social protection payments following the granting of international protection refugee status, subsidiary protection, or permission to remain status; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61039/25]

654. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection his position on benchmarking social welfare rates against average earnings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61042/25]

655. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection his position on introducing a basic Income for carers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61043/25]

656. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection the position on supporting persons with disabilities who want to work to find and retain employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61044/25]

657. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Social Protection if financial redress payments for mother-and-baby home survivors are taken into account during means tests for individuals receiving a non-contributory pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61122/25]

658. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection to introduce additional supports to assist hard pressed senior citizens with the cost of living crisis; if he will consider the fact that the cost of food, heating, electricity and everything else is on the increase, including an additional two euros per day for meals on wheels that automatically wipes out the ten euros a week inc…

659. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection for a breakdown of all spending on external communications and media, by company, including the amount spent and purpose of spend, in each of the past five years, in tabular form. [61221/25]

660. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide the exact credits and entitlements for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61276/25]

661. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has examined how existing maternity and illness benefit schemes could be extended or adapted to provide income support to workers who experience pregnancy loss; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61385/25]