Parliamentary questions

113. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason widows/widowers who work full-time and are in receipt of a widow's/widower's pension and pay PRSI and all other taxes are not eligible for illness benefit; his plans to change this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49710/25]

114. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to increase the top-up payment for participants on CE, TÚS, and the rural social scheme, in recognition of the important work they do in local communities. [50748/25]

115. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Social Protection to address delays in processing illness benefit and invalidity pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50783/25]

116. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of active cases of social welfare fraud investigation currently ongoing in each county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50827/25]

117. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline any plans there are for work activation and disability access to work, including any improvements or streamlining planned for schemes such as the reasonable accommodation scheme and the wage subsidy scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50111/25]

118. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the policy whereby a person in receipt of the State pension is only entitled to half-rate carer’s allowance, even when continuing to provide full-time care; and if he accepts that this creates an inequity compared to younger carers who are entitled to the full rate. [50003/25]

119. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will extend the domiciliary care allowance from 16 to 18 in Budget 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50032/25]

120. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress made on removing the means test for carer's allowance; whether a timeline will be outlined for the removal of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50506/25]

121. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost of extending illness benefit to the self-employed; the estimated increase in PRSI rates which would be required to meet this cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50441/25]

122. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Social Protection to consider a revision of the TÚS programme guidelines for people in receipt of disability allowance, in order 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. [50591/25]

123. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the abolition of means test for carer's allowance. [50775/25]

124. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider changing the means-test for the state pension (non-contributory) from gross to net income; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50029/25]

125. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide an update on the report on benchmarking and indexing working age social protection rates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50573/25]

126. Deputy Edward Timmins asked the Minister for Social Protection to review the capital element of the means test for the non-contributory pension, which has not been updated in many years and unduly penalises people with savings or a small parcel of land. [50761/25]

127. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection if he intends to introduce a cost of disability payment in Budget 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50031/25]

128. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection his views, in light of a report (details supplied) showing almost half of families cutting back on essentials, whether he accepts that successive Governments have failed to protect families from rising cost-of-living pressures; and if he will introduce a dedicated cost-of-living package in Budget 2026. [50754/25]

129. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection his views in light of the latest ESRI report, that successive Governments have failed to reduce child poverty; and that only radical measures will turn the tide. [50753/25]

130. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection pursuant to the Programme for Government commitment to introduce a permanent cost of disability payment, the timeline for the introduction of the payment; the details of the planned payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50759/25]

131. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Social Protection the rationale for his decision to remove the credit option for the household benefits package from December; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50599/25]

132. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will extend illness benefit to self-employed workers, recognising that illness can prevent them from earning a livelihood in the same way as PAYE workers; if he will outline plans under consideration to address this gap in social protection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50825/25]

133. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has analysed the impact on child poverty of the previous Minister's decision to more than double penalty cuts to jobseekers' payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50504/25]

134. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Social Protection to review the eligibility criteria for the fuel allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50782/25]

135. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people in Counties Cavan and Monaghan availing of companion passes; the measures in place to promote this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50749/25]

136. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection to clarify whether his Department intends to introduce a targeted, second tier payment of child benefit in Budget 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50030/25]

137. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if there is any process by which former partners who were divorced or separated from the bereaved ie, widows; widowers; surviving civil partners and surviving cohabitants, who are not covered by the bereaved partners pension may access compensation or financial assistance for funeral costs; the costs of raising the bereaved's chi…