Parliamentary questions

163. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures he is taking to address the risk of more people falling into energy poverty this winter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50845/25]

164. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of children/families who will qualify automatically for back to school clothing and footwear allowance, by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50489/25]

165. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons over 66 years of age who have qualified for the fuel allowance since the expanded means test for over 66s was introduced, by county, in tabular form; the cost of this expansion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50440/25]

166. Deputy Seán Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress made on introducing a new working age payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50697/25]

167. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Social Protection if he intends to significantly increase the income disregards for carer’s allowance in Budget 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50585/25]

168. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider removing means-testing for access to social protection supports e.g. fuel allowance and the household energy package, for people with an end-of-life cancer diagnosis; if he is aware that an organisation (details supplied) funded research in which people reported energy hardship in households where people are r…

169. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection regarding the hot school meals scheme, the steps he is taking to measure the food that is wasted; the steps he is taking to minimise the food that is being wasted; the measures in place to mandate those with contracts to provide free schools meals are mandated to minimise food waste; the steps he has taken to treat it as food surplus for…

170. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection the number and types of oral hearings completed by the Appeals Office to date in 2025, in tabular form; to outline whether there are plans to increase the number of oral hearings carried out by the Appeals Office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50110/25]

171. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the projected number of recipients to benefit from the fuel allowance payment in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50772/25]

172. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will report on the national campaign to raise awareness of 'My Future Fund'. [50672/25]

173. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons who applied for job seekers allowance or job seekers benefit who listed their previous employment as agriculture, in each of the past ten years and to date in 2025. [49654/25]

174. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Social Protection if the Department is currently evaluating increasing the carer's allowance in Budget 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50595/25]

175. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will report on the extension of the free travel companion pass; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50695/25]

176. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the Child Poverty and Well-being Programme Office's child poverty target. [48905/25]

177. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the roll out of the auto-enrolment pension scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50750/25]

299. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has concerns about the quality of meals being provided under the hot school meals scheme; if he has concerns about the amount of food provided under the scheme being binned due to these issues; if he has engaged with meal providers regarding this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50996/25]

300. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Social Protection the reasons given to his Department for the refusal of a school (details supplied) to sign up to the hot meals scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51001/25]

301. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the rationale for deferring the €285 child benefit increment until 2027; the Department’s estimate of the number of children that will remain in income poverty as a result of this deferral; whether interim measures will be put in place to mitigate the impact on low-income families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5101…

302. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is aware of delays being experienced by former An Post employees in their applications for pensions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51087/25]

303. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection if he plans on abolishing the means-test for the carer’s allowance in Budget 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50024/25]

304. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection the means by which, under the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People, the cost of disability, and an increase in the employment rate among people with disabilities, will be achieved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50847/25]

305. Deputy Edward Timmins asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures being taken to increase the participation rate of people with disability in the labour market. [50803/25]

306. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Social Protection further to the Parliamentary Question No. 1420 of 8 September 2025; the estimated number of anomalies under the yearly averaging method of calculating the rate of pay for the State Pension (Contributory); the different types of anomalies encountered by his Department under this system; the estimated cost to the Exchequer if these a…

307. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of the interdepartmental working group on non-binary gender; the actions of the group today; the reports produced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50967/25]

308. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether current social welfare rates are meeting the minimum essential standard of living in light of inflation and rising housing, energy and food costs; the revisions being planned in Budget 2026 to address adequacy concerns; the means by which the Department ensures that vulnerable households are protected from falling below subsi…