Parliamentary questions

309. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on the issue of a person (details supplied) regarding their employment support being cancelled when they changed job; to ensure her supports are maintained seamlessly; to ensure other persons are not affected by this anomaly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51053/25]

310. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection to consider offering all persons in receipt of transitional jobseeker's allowance the choice to have their payment paid directly into their bank account; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51076/25]

311. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of households in Cork north-central that qualified for the fuel allowance in 2024/2025; the projected number for 2025/2026 under the widened eligibility rules for those aged 66 years and over; the breakdown of applications by channel (online, post, Intreo, community welfare officers); the average processing time for applic…

312. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of implementing a PRSI rebate of 2.25 percent on all weekly wages below €735 for PRSI class A only; assuming a 2.25 percent rebate for the weekly wage equivalent to the full-time weekly wage of minimum wage workers and the rebate tapering off until it is at 0% for employees on a weekly wage of €735; and if he wi…

79. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will overhaul the modus operandi of community welfare officers in order that they revert to holding assistance clinics in local communities, rather than being centrally based in Department offices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50519/25]

80. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has any metrics for tracking wastage in the hot school meals programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50520/25]

81. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection his Department’s processes in terms of purchasing Irish produce for schools under the national procurement thresholds; and to outline the economic value of Irish beef purchased by schools through his Department in the past five years. [50621/25]

82. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Social Protection the budget allocation for the school meals programme in 2023, 2024 and 2025, in tabular form. [50639/25]

83. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the recipients of the fuel allowance, by county, in tabular form; his plans to expand the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50641/25]

84. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Social Protection if the planned auto-enrolment retirement savings scheme will be designed to favour environmental and socially ethical investment pathways; if he will ensure that participants will have the ability to choose portfolios that reflect personal values, including sustainability and social impact; if the scheme will offer full public tr…

85. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of employers that have availed of the wage subsidy scheme for the years 2020 to 2025 respectively; the number of people with disabilities who benefitted from this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50655/25]

86. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection further to the re-launch of the wage subsidy scheme this year, the number of employers in the community and voluntary sector and commercial State-sponsored sector have taken up the scheme; the number of people with disabilities who directly benefitted from the inclusion of these sectors; and if he will make a statement on the mat…

87. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people who have availed of the Work Placement Experience Programme for the years 2020-2025; the benefits that are offered as part of this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50657/25]

88. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number who have accessed the work and access scheme for 2024 and 2025; the amount allocated as part of this scheme; if plans are in place to expand the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50660/25]

89. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people who have accessed the WorkAbility programme since it was established in December 2023; the benefits of the programme; if the programme is on target to support over 13,000 disabled people progress their training and employment ambitions over its lifetime; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50661/2…

90. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people in receipt of partial capacity benefit for the years 2020-2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50662/25]

91. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people in receipt of disability allowance for the years 2020-2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50663/25]

92. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason job sharing teachers who apply for carer's benefit are being refused as they are deemed not to work enough hours, even though they work well beyond their timetabled hours, including for the substitution and supervision scheme, yard duty and so on; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50688/25]

93. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Social Protection the dental benefits a person in receipt of carer’s allowance or carer’s benefit can avail of; whether his Department plans to expand the range of free dental services that carers can avail of, such as the services available under the dental treatment services scheme recipients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50716/25…

94. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost in 2026, if the maximum rate of disability allowance were increased to €258.50 per week; if the maximum rate of State pension (contributory) were increased to €315 per week; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50725/25]

95. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection pursuant to the Programme for Government, the status of plans to reform the disability allowance payment; his plans to remove the means test for disability allowance payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50763/25]

96. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if he plans to increase the wage subsidy scheme rates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50854/25]

402. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will outline for the past four years, the average time between reviews for recipients of a carer’s allowance; the number of times his Department has reviewed a carer’s allowance recipient more than once in a year; if multiple reviews of recipients is standard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49576/25]

403. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people for whom an applicant can seek carer's support; and if a maximum carer's grant allowance applies. [49585/25]

404. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding any product or service purchased from Israel or the Occupied Territories by his Department in the past two years, by description and amount paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49615/25]