Parliamentary questions

1779. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the social welfare payments available without habitual residence as a stipulation. [41489/25]

1780. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection if all external legal fees incurred by his Department, and by any bodies under its aegis, are charged at negotiated discounted rates; how fees are monitored for compliance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41511/25]

1781. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department conducts regular benchmarking, or market testing, to ensure that the rates paid for legal services, solicitors and barristers, represent value for money for the taxpayer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41529/25]

1782. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection to detail the procurement processes used when engaging external legal firms and barristers, including whether panels are used; how often these are refreshed; the criteria used for selection and performance review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41547/25]

1783. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has conducted any audits or reviews in the past five years on legal fee spend; if so, to publish the findings or summaries of those reviews; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41565/25]

1784. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection the internal oversight that exists within his Department to monitor the scope, duration, and cost escalation of legal services once engaged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41583/25]

1785. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department makes use of capped fee arrangements, fixed-fee briefs, success-based fee models or other such arrangements in its legal engagements; if not, the reason such options are not considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41601/25]

1786. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection whether any legal engagements have exceeded their initial estimated or approved cost in the past three years; if so, the number of such cases and total overrun; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41619/25]

1787. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on a social welfare appeal (details supplied); and if a decision has been reached regarding this application. [41656/25]

1788. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection if the supplementary welfare grant system can be used to apply for assistance with the provision, or upgrade of, a mobility scooter where there is a clear medical need for same. [41724/25]

1789. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Social Protection if funding under food and basic material support for specific items has been withdrawn (details supplied); if so, the reason for the withdrawal of funding for these necessary items for young people and their education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41730/25]

1790. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the school meals scheme; the details of both schemes; the way in which funding is allocated; the rate for same; if the review of nutritional standards is under way; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41742/25]

1791. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection if organisations (details supplied) are to be excluded from his Department's pre-budget forum in July as they were in 2024; and his views on whether it is wise or sustainable to ignore the only disabled persons’ representative organisations specific to physical impairment and visual impairment, respectively, in the country. [41743/…

1792. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection if there are plans to increase the payment rate for people in receipt of half-rate carer's allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41748/25]

1793. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection if budget 2026 will offer better pension security for foster carers so the years spent caring for children on behalf of the State are fully recognised, index-linking the foster care allowance to keep pace with rising costs and relieve financial pressure on carers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41802/25]

1794. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will order a judicial review into a matter (details supplied). [41817/25]

1795. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will order a judicial review into a matter (details supplied). [41818/25]

1796. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection whether he intends to initiate proceedings against those involved, in light of the evidence of criminal offences under section 252 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act (2005) in evidence to a case (details supplied), which were presented prima facie to the Chief Appeals Officer on 22 February 2023 and subsequently proven to…

1797. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Social Protection to intervene in relation to the pension entitlements of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41835/25]

1798. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Social Protection to review the invalidity pension application for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41837/25]

1799. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Social Protection if each Intreo office has a defibrillator within the office and all staff within that office are fully trained in the use of this vital piece of equipment. [41877/25]

1800. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection if employers will be allowed to enrol higher rate taxpayers in a company pension scheme and other employees in My Future Fund; if so, if employees who move from My Future Fund to a company pension scheme (or vice versa) on a change in tax status, be allowed to transfer accrued funds to the new scheme; and if he will make a …

1801. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question 127 of 19 June 2025, the number of the estimated 200,000 higher rate taxpayers eligible for enrolment into My Future Fund that are projected to join the scheme when it goes live on 1 January 2026, (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41891/25]

1802. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department will investigate the undue delay in an invalidity pension appeal case (details supplied); the likely date for the resolution of this case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41898/25]

1803. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection the timeframe for new applications for disability allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41981/25]