Questions

174. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the real-time verification mechanisms in place to ensure that recipients of social welfare payments, including child benefit and disability allowance, continue to meet residency requirements within the State; whether these systems include routine cross-checking with immigration, Revenue, and airline or travel data; and if he will outline any plans to in…

175. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the total value of welfare overpayments made to persons not resident in the State in each of the past five years, broken down by scheme; the number of individuals involved annually; and the extent to which these figures represent identified fraud, administrative error, or delayed notification of departure. [22754/26]

176. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the annual recovery rate of overpayments made to persons absent from the State; the average duration required to recover such funds; whether penalties, interest, or legal enforcement mechanisms are applied; and if he will outline measures to improve recovery performance. [22755/26]

177. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the safeguards in place to ensure that child benefit payments are made only where eligibility conditions, including habitual residence, are satisfied; the number of child benefit claims identified as incorrectly paid to non-resident recipients in each of the past three years; and whether additional verification requirements are being considered. [22756/…

178. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of internal audits or compliance reviews conducted by the Department relating to payments issued to persons outside the State since 2022;the findings of these audits; and whether any systemic control failures were identified and addressed. [22757/26]

179. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether any legislative or regulatory gaps have been identified which allow welfare payments to continue after a recipient has left the State; and if he will outline any proposed legislative amendments to strengthen eligibility enforcement and prevent recurrence. [22758/26]

189. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people in receipt of carer's allowance who are over the age of 66 years and providing full-time care for a son or daughter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22935/26]

678. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people who have received a disablement payment in respect of a disablement (details supplied) since payments were first made in respect of this disablement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22234/26]

1138. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection the reasons a qualified adult allowance for a person (details supplied) has been reduced; the options that are available to the pensioner at this time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18265/26]

1142. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of people in receipt of carer’s allowance for each of the years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18375/26]

1147. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection to review the case of a person (details supplied) in relation to overpayments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18433/26]

1154. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Social Protection to review the impact the Basic Income for Artists has on disability payments; and if he will make a statement on the way in which it can have the effect of making disabled artists ineligible for their disability payment and disabled people's consequent access to participation in the arts. [18570/26]

1155. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Social Protection to review the impact the Basic Income for Artists has on disability payments; and if he will make a statement on the way in which it can have the effect of making disabled artists ineligible for their disability payment and disabled people's consequent access to participation in the arts. [18571/26]

1174. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on a disability allowance appeal for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18869/26]

1176. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of family carers who have benefitted under the long term carers contribution scheme ensuring a full State pension for them, in each of the years since it was introduced, in tabular form. [19007/26]

1205. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of current State pension recipients benefitted from the long-term carers contribution scheme; and the additional total cost to the State for allowing these contributions. [20119/26]

1227. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Social Protection the current number of persons in receipt of the contributory and non-contributory pension; and the projected numbers for same in ten years' time, 20 years' time and 30 years' time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20814/26]

414. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review correspondence (details supplied); if he will provide an update on the person’s application; the timeframe for a payment to issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17985/26]

6. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has considered introducing additional protections or supports for people living with rare diseases, given the unique financial and social challenges they face; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15529/26]

9. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection to increase the living alone allowance in recognition of the significantly lower income available to qualifying single householders relative to couples. [15159/26]

11. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Social Protection his Department’s plans to introduce a cost-of-disability payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15527/26]

14. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the programme for Government commitment to introduce pay-related parents benefit and explore other payments where a similar model could be applied. [15142/26]

23. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if, in light of the recently published consumer price index figures, his plans to alleviate hardship through increases to core welfare payments; the fuel allowance; or any disability-contingent payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15413/26]

24. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to engage with the Minister for Finance in relation to carer’s allowance and carer’s benefit being made tax exempt in line with other social welfare payments, including jobseeker’s allowance and disability allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15138/26]

26. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to introduce a permanent annual cost of disability support payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15574/26]