Parliamentary questions

1407. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of families and the the number of children that received the newborn baby grant, by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46769/25]

1408. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of carers that qualify for the carer’s allowance in the wake of changes to income disregards, by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46770/25]

1409. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection given the 1.8 per cent rise in inflation and its disproportionate impact on low-income families, if he will commit to indexing core social welfare schemes and supports in Budget 2026, to protect against further cost-of-living erosion. [46808/25]

1410. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the logistics and communication plans to ensure timely delivery of the scheduled fuel allowance payments beginning week of 22 September 2025 particularly for older and vulnerable households in Cork and surrounds. [46821/25]

1411. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 518 of 1 July 2025, if the full-year cost of increasing all headline weekly social protection payments to €300 per week, excluding disability allowances, includes State pensions; the breakdown of the estimated total cost of increasing social protection payments to €300 per week includin…

1412. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Social Protection whether foster carers allowance can be used to qualify persons for a State pension (contributory); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46888/25]

1413. Deputy Seán Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will ensure that the hot meals service is provided to all pupils in small primary schools throughout the country as a matter of urgency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46911/25]

1414. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on his plans to abolish the means test for carers; if there is a timeline for this; if considerations for this will be made in Budget 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46927/25]

1415. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection to urgently allow for payment of invalidity pension for person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47030/25]

1416. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason illness benefit for a five-week period ending on 23 July 2025 has been refused for an individual (details supplied), even though this individual was self-isolating due to Covid during that period and did not consult a doctor as she self-diagnosed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47067/25]

1417. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will detail the number of homes that currently qualify for the fuel allowance, in tabular form, on a county by county basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47082/25]

1418. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the operation of the hot school meals programme; if unspent funding allocated for the provision of this programme in a school will be re-allocated to the school to match the forecasted allocation for the interim period where there is a delay in implementing the service; and if he will make a statement on th…

1419. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will address the delays in processing social welfare claims for Early Years Educators during the summer months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47178/25]

1420. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is considering any changes to the current averaging system of Class S PRSI contributions towards the determination of a contributory pension rate; if there is a possibility of early student and summer holiday employment being disregarded in the calculation of the rate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47188/25…

1421. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Social Protection the membership of and dates of meetings of the inter-departmental group on school meals. [47225/25]

1422. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Social Protection the breakdown of the schools that are taking part in the hot schools meals programme, by county, in tabular form. [47281/25]

1423. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of schools that have 20 students or less, 40 students or less, 60 students or less, 80 students or less, 100 students or less, 150 students or less, 200 students or less, 300 students or less, 400 students or less, 500 students or less that are taking part in the hot schools meals programme, by school name and county locat…

1424. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applicants in receipt of foster care allowance qualified for back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance; and if the number is in keeping or different to the figures in his statement in June 2025 announcing their inclusion in the scheme. [47327/25]

1425. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of extending eligibility for the fuel allowance to all pensioners; to all in receipt of the working family payment and-or a medical card; the estimated full-year cost of abolishing the waiting period of a year for those on jobseeker’s allowance; the cost of increasing the rate by €20 per week; and of ext…

1426. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Social Protection further to parliamentary Question No. 1843 of 29 July 2025, if he will instruct the bodies under his aegis to provide the information requested; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47364/25]

1427. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 1844 of 29 July 2025, if he will instruct the bodies under his aegis to provide the information requested; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47382/25]

1428. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to introduce a cost of disability payment as recommended by the 2021 Government commissioned Indecon Report and in view of the commitment to it in the Programme for Government to introduce a permanent annual cost of disability support payment to be increased incrementally over its lifetime of the Government; and if he …

1429. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to remove the means test for carer's allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47439/25]

1430. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to facilitate those with disabilities into the workforce through various schemes; his plans to update them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47440/25]

1431. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will outline the process by which his Department contacts the British Work and Pensions department seeking contribution information about people who have made DSP applications based on their British contributions; the current average waiting times for this information to be received; and if he will make a statement on the …