Parliamentary questions

531. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if a carer's allowance application will be approved and backdated as soon as possible (details supplied). [57222/25]

532. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline all the supports available from his Department for families with twins, in particular for families who are full-time carers to twins with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57263/25]

533. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection the details of all reports, including consultancy reports commissioned by his Department from 1 January 2024 to date in 2025, that could be categorised as not for external publication or marked for internal use only; the cost of each report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57298/25]

534. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of a carer's allowance claim by a person (details supplied); the options available to them to resume payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57320/25]

535. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps he is taking to highlight the need for self-employed persons to pay their own PRSI (details supplied). [57345/25]

536. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will list the countries with which Ireland has reciprocal agreements regarding social insurance contributions for pensions and other core welfare payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57350/25]

537. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection his Department’s assessment of the number of workers who may be financially disadvantaged by transferring from existing occupational pension schemes into the State’s new automatic enrolment retirement savings system; and if he will publish the analysis underpinning these estimates. [57377/25]

538. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has identified categories of employees, such as those in defined benefit or matched employer contribution schemes, who may be worse off under the automatic enrolment retirement savings system; and the measures being considered to safeguard those employees. [57378/25]

539. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has conducted an equality or impact assessment of the automatic enrolment retirement savings system with regard to income level, gender; and employment sector and if he will make that assessment available. [57379/25]

540. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the mechanisms that will be used to prevent duplication or conflict between existing private pension arrangements and the new State-run auto-enrolment system, particularly in small and medium-sized enterprises. [57380/25]

541. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the timeline for the establishment of the central processing authority responsible for administering the auto-enrolment retirement savings system; the current staffing and budget allocation; and if progress reports will be published quarterly. [57381/25]

542. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Social Protection if it is possible to register a birth with a different gender other than male and female on a birth certificate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57389/25]

259. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications his Department received for the living alone allowance in 2024 and to date in 2025; the number of applications that were refused in each of the years in question; and the average processing times for these applications. [56075/25]

260. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to increase all income thresholds annually in line with increases in the cost-of-living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56100/25]

261. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to review the guidelines for carer's allowance (that is, needing partial care rather than full care); if his Department plans to undertake a review of the guidelines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56106/25]

262. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection the way in which the client identity services area operates and processes applications relative to the Gender Recognition Act 2015; if the processing by the services includes face-to-face interviews; if the process is conducted entirely online or through a paper application process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [562…

263. Deputy Natasha Newsome Drennan asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on a section 317 review of a person (details supplied); if it will be completed before his illness benefit is stopped in the coming weeks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56291/25]

264. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection if his attention has been drawn to carers who did not benefit from changes to income thresholds in Budget 2026; the actions he will take to support this cohort with the increased costs that they are facing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56296/25]

265. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider including verified disability-related expenses and private care costs as allowable deductions when assessing means for carer’s allowance; given the reality of many families not being able to access public healthcare supports due to significant delays; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56297/25]

266. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the phasing out of the carers allowance means test, as committed to in the Programme for Government; if there is a timeline for this commitment to be met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56298/25]

267. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection in relation to the income thresholds for carers allowance; if will he consider introducing a model similar to the Disability Tax Credit approach, where disability-related costs are acknowledged as reducing disposable income, thereby adjusting eligibility thresholds accordingly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56299/25]

268. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding any research or consideration given into the payment of a universal or partially universal carer support payment to replace or supplement the means-tested system, ensuring equity across income brackets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56300/25]

269. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the engagement that he has had with advocacy groups (details supplied) regarding the practical impact of the income disregard limits and proposed reforms, in relation to the income thresholds for carers allowance, the feedback he received, the way in which it is being incorporated into policy development; and if he will make a stateme…

270. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on the ESRI’s assessment that measures in Budget 2026 will reduce average household disposable income by about 2% next year, with proportionally higher losses for low-income households due to the withdrawal of once-off supports; the targeted measures he will take before January 2026 to mitigate projected increases in income…

271. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made on an application for the fuel allowance by a person (details supplied), who is in receipt of a widow's pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56419/25]