Parliamentary questions

88. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Social Protection the means by which his Department plans on using artificial intelligence to speed up the processing of application forms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50482/25]

89. Deputy Edward Timmins asked the Minister for Social Protection to review the contributory pension entitlement of someone with fewer than 520 contributions; and to grant those recipients a pro rata pension. [50762/25]

90. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to develop a pension solution for foster carers, in recognition of the enormous contribution they make to vulnerable children in our society, as committed to in the programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50587/25]

91. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of schools enrolled in the school meals scheme in 2025; the percentage of waste analysis has been done in these schools; and the nature of the reporting mechanism. [50836/25]

92. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of active participants in the fish assist scheme in each county, in tabular form; to consider an increase in the rate of payment under the fish assist scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50828/25]

93. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection if his attention has been drawn to the classification of employees of State and semi-State bodies (details supplied). [39838/25]

94. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to reform the disability allowance payment and remove anomalies in the current means test for the payment. [50675/25]

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]

96. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the assessment criteria for social protection payments in cases where applicants and-or part-time farming applicants are not in paid employment outside the home but provide essential unpaid care and support within the household; and if he will consider allowing greater flexibility in recognising minimal or subsistenc…

97. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is aware of the fact that when custody is split between two separated or divorced co-parents, there is no mechanism by which both co-parents may each receive half of the children's allowance and the children's allowance instead universally goes to the mother regardless of circumstances; if he is aware of the financial hardsh…

98. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the establishment of a working age payment as committed to in the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49130/25]

99. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans for a targeted child benefit payment. [50693/25]

100. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection since the introduction of updated regulations to modernise and streamline the social welfare appeals process implemented on 28 April 2025, if a reduction in processing times has been achieved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50807/25]

101. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of extending the period of a social welfare payment following the death of a dependent from six to 12 weeks as committed to in the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50439/25]

102. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the proposed annual cost of the disability support payment. [50674/25]

103. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on plans in the Programme for Government to introduce a permanent annual cost of disability support payment, which will be increased incrementally over the lifetime of the Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50432/25]

104. Deputy Seán Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to remove inconsistencies and anomalies in the current jobseeker's allowance scheme which discourage people from taking up employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50698/25]

105. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will report on the new child poverty target that he recently announced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50586/25]

106. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Social Protection the means by which he is enhancing application processes within his Department, and providing additional resources where necessary, to ensure that individuals receive decisions on their applications in a timely manner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50711/25]

107. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the rule that prevents widows, widowers and surviving civil partners from receiving illness benefit when they have made sufficient PRSI contributions. [49998/25]

108. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the establishment of the National Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50696/25]

109. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans for a comprehensive review of means tests across the social welfare system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50710/25]

110. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people who have received the free travel pass since it was extended to persons who are medically unable to drive, by county; the cost of this expansion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50596/25]

111. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures he is taking to support persons with disabilities into employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49711/25]

112. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to undertake a review of the hot school meals scheme, specifically to examine the quality and nutritional value of the food being provided; whether the current levels of food waste associated with the programme are justifiable; and the steps being taken to ensure the scheme is regularly reviewed and held accountable to del…