Parliamentary questions

1357. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if the decision to refuse the back-to-school allowance for a person (details supplied) will be reviewed. [45435/25]

1358. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department will update the reference baskets used for means tests and payments to reflect higher grocery inflation given headline CPI of 1.7% year-on-year but food inflation of 4.7% in July 2025; and if not, the reason. [45469/25]

1359. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department plans to have a webchat service link on his Department website for members of the public to enquire regarding social welfare entitlements and so on. [45488/25]

1360. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Social Protection the current processing times for disability allowance, carer's allowance and social welfare appeals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45494/25]

1361. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection the commencement date for the Auto-Enrolment Retirement Savings Scheme in view of previous deferrals; and if he will clarify whether it remains the case that the scheme will begin on 1 January 2026. [45520/25]

1362. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of whole time equivalent network cyber security ICT specialists at the grade of executive officer working within his Department as of 18 August 2025, in tabular form. [45527/25]

1363. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide financial assistance to pensioners (details supplied) that require home electrical oxygen, which significantly increases electricity bills in order to support them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45582/25]

1364. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will clarity the entitlements of a widow to her husband’s accumulated contributions (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45583/25]

1365. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the hot school meals programme; if schools, including a school (details supplied), will be considered for inclusion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45586/25]

1366. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will examine the interaction between personal insolvency arrangements and pension entitlements with a view to ensuring that older people in financial distress are not left without adequate income in retirement. [45602/25]

1367. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will expand the Money Advice and Budgeting Service to include a specialised support stream for over-50s, focusing on pension rights, the fair deal nursing home scheme and debt management in later life. [45603/25]

1368. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the details of measures being considered to address the emotional and mental health impacts of debt stress on older people facing insolvency; and whether additional counselling supports will be funded through MABS or other services. [45604/25]

1369. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection if his attention has been drawn to the pay dispute raised by a service (details supplied); the actions he is taking to address these concerns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45609/25]

1370. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection whether he will consider moving the payment of the back-to-school allowance to an earlier point in the school year (details supplied). [45653/25]

1371. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection when a school (details supplied) will be given permission to go to tender for the hot school lunch programme for which it has been approved. [45750/25]

1372. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the first-year and full-year cost of increasing the maximum rate of the additional needs payment for additional diet expenses by €1. [45798/25]

1373. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated first-year and full-year cost of two double monthly child benefit payments. [45874/25]

1374. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will clarify whether or not the hot school meals programme has been rolled out in every school across the country, if he will provide the data on such, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46002/25]

1375. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Social Protection for his plans to increase pay for regional administrators in line with the increase received by local administrators of citizens' information; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46029/25]

1376. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Social Protection his plan to allow JI participants to qualify for the fuel allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46031/25]

1377. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection to review the qualification criteria for the fuel allowance (details supplied). [46117/25]

1378. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Social Protection since when applicants are required to provide proof of planning permission in order to qualify for the fuel allowance; the rationale behind the requirements for evidence of planning permission, such as with a case (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46130/25]

1379. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection if his attention has been drawn to the fact that in cases in which a person sells their family home to move to more suitable accommodation, up to €337,500 of the sale proceeds is exempt from the means test for the State pension (non-contributory); that the same exemption does not apply when the person is applying for fuel allowance…

1380. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the pension entitlement of a person (details supplied). [46163/25]

1381. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the breakdown of the number of oral hearings granted to clients from 2018 to 2025 in regard to social welfare payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46182/25]