Parliamentary questions

598. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Social Protection if there is an early entry process for the back-to-work enterprise allowance scheme for those people who have completed the required proposal process but fall short of the 234-day jobseeker threshold; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37746/25]

599. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of fish assist applications received by his Department; and the number of these applications that were approved in each year from 2014 to date, in tabular form. [37845/25]

600. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of fish assist applications approved in each county in each year from 2014 to date, in tabular form. [37846/25]

601. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection the up-to-date position on a review of an application request under the carer's support grant for an individual (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37848/25]

274. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection to intervene in an urgent matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36719/25]

275. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a full-time carer in receipt of carer’s allowance is only entitled to a maximum of three weeks leave over a 12-month period; if he will consider increasing the maximum leave entitlement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36725/25]

276. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection the total budget for the treatment benefit (PRSI used dental) scheme in 2024 and 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36786/25]

277. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been made on the review of a decision on a carer’s allowance application by a person in County Kerry (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36838/25]

278. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection if persons in receipt of carer’s allowance have to be reassessed when the new changes are introduced, including persons who were recently reassessed (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36839/25]

279. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection if the amount of savings allowed for persons in receipt of carer’s allowance will be increased when the new changes are introduced (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36840/25]

280. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36844/25]

281. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will increase carers hours by one hour in line with part time contracts (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36850/25]

282. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection to examine the case of a person (details supplied) and advise on entitlements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36851/25]

283. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the quality assurance mechanisms his Department has in place to monitor the implementation of the Hot School Meals Programme; if he will confirm whether any inspections or audits were carried out during the 2024–2025 academic year; if his Department intends to publish the findings of these inspections; and if he will outline the enfo…

284. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether he is satisfied that the meals served under the Hot School Meals Programme align with national and international nutritional guidelines for children; if his Department has conducted any independent assessments of the meals provided; and if he will outline the specific steps taken to address the prevalence of ultra-processed f…

285. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will outline the steps his Department has taken to ensure that children with coeliac disease and other medical dietary requirements are fully and equally included in the Hot School Meals Programme; if he has engaged with relevant advocacy groups (details supplied); and whether his Department is preparing reforms to provide medi…

286. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has conducted any assessment of the levels of food waste generated under the Hot School Meals Programme; whether any formal cost-benefit or value-for-money analysis has been carried out; and if he will indicate whether infrastructural investment or centralised food preparation models are being considered to improve …

287. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline the scope, methodology, and reporting timeline of the current review of the Hot School Meals Programme; to confirm whether nutritionists, school management bodies, and parent organisations will be consulted as part of the process; and to indicate whether his Department is satisfied that sufficient quality control and suppl…

149. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 576 of 24 June 2025, if consideration was given to the application of the new jobseeker’s pay-related benefit to claimants with open existing jobseeker's benefit claims; if not, the reason this was not considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36264/25]

150. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update any proposals that are being considered with respect to abolishing the means test for carers who save the State billions of euro every year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36275/25]

151. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people who received successful HAS 2 award payments for Storm Bert and Storm Éowyn, in each county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36284/25]

152. Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of employers claiming wage subsidy scheme funding under each of the three strands, for each year from 2020 to 2024; the number of participants for each strand for each year from 2020 to 2024; the total expenditure on wage subsidy scheme in each year from 2020 to 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36317…

153. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Social Protection if the back-to-school allowance will be payable to every child in care without being means tested; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36547/25]

154. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the first-year and full-year cost of increasing community employment, Tús and rural social scheme payments by €1 per week, each year for three years. [36569/25]

155. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the first-year and full-year cost of doubling the monthly child benefit payment for a year for all recipients of the one family payment and the working family payment. [36570/25]