Parliamentary questions

82. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Social Protection the investment his Department has made in the past three years in digital services for customer supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46249/26]

83. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of children who will benefit from the extension of the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance to include children aged two and three; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46033/26]

84. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is reviewing his Departments supports for one parent families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46037/26]

85. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection the analysis his Department has carried out on the eligibility of low-income farmers for carers allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46270/26]

86. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the implementation of the Programme for Government commitments in relation to carers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46024/26]

87. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will examine the impact of inflation and cost of living on the real value of the carer’s allowance and disability allowance, particularly for recipients who experience a different cost of living due to the cost of their disability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46201/26]

88. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection whether he will review the eligibility criteria for the fuel allowance scheme in circumstances where many older persons living on modest fixed incomes marginally exceed the current means thresholds but remain at risk of fuel poverty, particularly persons aged over 80 and 90 years-of-age; and if he will make a statement on the matte…

89. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of families in the Dún Laoghaire constituency expected to benefit from the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance in 2026; the estimated increase from extending eligibility to children aged two and three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46166/26]

90. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures he will take to reduce the consistent poverty rate to 2% or less; to reduce income inequality; to make Ireland one of the most socially inclusive Member States of the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46040/26]

91. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline the key priorities raised by carers and representative organisations at the Annual Carers’ Forum held in May 2026; the priority actions identified by his Department arising from the forum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46290/26]

92. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider the implementation of a safe fund for survivors of domestic violence that addresses their immediate financial situation such as covering costs for clothing, accommodation, and other costs faced by those fleeing domestic violence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46168/26]

93. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Social Protection the way in which it can be ensured that work pays and that social protection supports do not disincentivise any individual to work. [46366/26]

94. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of carers in Cavan and Monaghan that are currently in receipt of the carer’s allowance; the equivalent figures for each county in 2020; the further increase in the numbers of recipients he expects in each when forthcoming changes to income disregards take effect; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46239/26]

95. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has assessed the impact of the means test for carer’s allowance on family carers; whether the findings of any such assessment will inform consideration of further changes to the means test as part of Budget 2027; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46275/26]

96. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans in the next budget to introduce a cost of disability payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46153/26]

97. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection the other social welfare payments available to recipients of the one-parent family payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46038/26]

98. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the plans to address rising rates of food poverty, particularly in relation to the continuation of lunch and breakfast programs for school-aged children through the summer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46281/26]

99. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will commit to increasing the core baseline of social welfare rates such as the child support payment, to address the issues of poverty in the next Budget rather than relying on temporary measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46149/26]

100. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps his Department is taking to support applicants, particularly older persons and those with limited digital literacy, in accessing and completing social protection applications as services become increasingly digitised; if he will outline any initiatives in place to provide in-person assistance, training, or alternative appli…

101. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the fuel allowance eligibility criteria in cases where a pensioner is deemed ineligible due to a non-dependent adult child residing in the household; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44574/26]

335. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Social Protection the current rate of youth unemployment; the strategies in place to address youth unemployment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46512/26]

336. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection in light of the commitment to publish a new Roadmap for Social Inclusion (2026-2030) next month, if he will provide an update on the specific measurable outcomes and targets his Department has established to reduce core poverty rates among vulnerable groups, specifically pensioners and people with disabilities; and if he will …

337. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will outline a clear timeline for the abolition of the means test for carer's allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46437/26]

338. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection the timeline for the introduction of the cost of disability payment. [46438/26]

339. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the average waiting time for an additional needs payment for assistance with the cost of a funeral for each of the past three years; the number of applications per county; the number that were successful, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46445/26]