Parliamentary questions

138. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Social Protection the plans in place for the pension auto-enrolment; the means by which they are proceeding; and if the deadline of the 1 January 2026 is still achievable. [50837/25]

139. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the appeals process and criteria for carer's allowance and disability allowance, in light of cases where families providing full-time care have been refused supports despite clear evidence of need, particularly in rural areas where access to services is limited (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on …

140. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration will be given to extending the voucher scheme run by the Irish Sign Language (ISL) Interpreting Service and Citizens Information Board to persons under the age of 18, as the scheme is presently only available to ISL users over the age of 18; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50431/25]

141. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is aware of cases where persons who commenced a self-employed role in 2023 and subsequently became unemployed in 2025 are facing issues with accessing jobseeker’s benefit due to the move to pay-related jobseekers benefit this year; whether his Department has any plans to assist this cohort of people; and if he will make a stat…

142. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if he plans to make changes to the community employment scheme to encourage more participants into the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50773/25]

143. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans for increased flexibility in local community employment, TÚS, and rural social schemes to retain participants for longer when it benefits both the individual and the community. [50747/25]

144. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people who have had their jobseekers' payments cut, by month, to date in 2025; the amount deducted from payments as a result; to compare this with previous years; if his Department has analysed the impact this has had on child poverty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50505/25]

145. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to publish the report of the Interdepartmental Working Group which reviewed the system of means test for carer's payments; the timeline for the publication of the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50760/25]

146. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Social Protection when he expects to publish the comprehensive review of means test across the social welfare system as committed in the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50463/25]

147. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection to consider removing the means test for fuel allowance for those over 70 and in receipt of qualifying payments and meeting all other necessary criteria; the cost that would be involved in implementing such a change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50507/25]

148. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Social Protection his assessment of the impact to date of improvements to the carer's allowance means test. [50673/25]

149. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to extend automatic entitlement to the household benefits package, the fuel allowance payment, and the additional needs payment to anyone living with a life-limiting cancer diagnosis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50572/25]

150. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people in Kilkenny currently in receipt of the half rate carer’s allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50593/25]

151. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is aware of the ESRI's recent findings from their report on 'Poverty, Income Inequality and Living Standards in Ireland' that almost one in five children are at risk of poverty after housing costs; if he is aware of the ESRI's recent finding that almost half of lone parent families are at risk of poverty after housing costs…

152. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to expand the criteria of the occupational injuries benefit scheme to include healthcare workers suffering with long Covid symptoms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50571/25]

153. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide a costing for increasing the carers allowance by two percent, in line with inflation, ten percent and 20 percent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50462/25]

154. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the rollout of the hot school meals programme; the percentage of schools in the Dún Laoghaire constituency that have this programme in place; in cases where there are delays, the work that is ongoing to expedite it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49131/25]

155. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons who qualified for the carer’s allowance, in each of the past ten years and to date in 2025; and the number of persons who applied for carer’s allowance but were refused in each of those years. [49655/25]

156. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to extend the free travel pass to children in receipt of domiciliary care allowance; the number of children who would benefit; the estimated cost of this extension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50488/25]

157. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection the work being done to reduce delays in processing jobseeker's benefit claims for Early Years Educators during the summer months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49960/25]

158. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of newborn baby grants that have been made to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50694/25]

159. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection when he expects to bring forward proposals on a new child poverty target; his views on the measures that will be most impactful in reducing child poverty; if he has considered the introduction of a targeted child benefit payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50588/25]

160. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection the average processing time for an urgent needs payment in Cork. [50774/25]

161. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of schools in Cork county that have made contact with his Department due to recent changes to the procurement system under the school meals scheme; if the Department is working with each of these schools to ensure that their school meals can continue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50806/25]

162. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people in Kilkenny currently in receipt of the bereaved partner’s (contributory) pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50594/25]