Parliamentary questions

156. 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 households with medical card holders. [36571/25]

157. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the first-year and full-year cost of abolishing the means test applied to foster parents in receipt of the child benefit payment. [36572/25]

158. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the first-year and full-year cost of increasing the State pension by €1 per week per person. [36573/25]

159. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the first-year and full-year cost of increasing all working-age social welfare payments (recipients aged 18-65 inclusive) to bring them in line with the minimum essential standards of living. [36574/25]

160. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the additional first-year and full-year cost of increasing the age limit for the one-parent family payment to 12 years. [36575/25]

161. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the additional first-year and full-year cost of increasing the living alone allowance. [36576/25]

162. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the current cost of non-State pension social protection payments to people aged 65. [36577/25]

163. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of children resident in IPAS accommodation who are eligible to receive the child benefit payment. [36578/25]

164. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the first-year and full-year cost of providing a carer’s pension, at 2% contribution of the minimum annual living wage. [36586/25]

165. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection the current status of the carer's benefit application for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36649/25]

505. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost of implementing a pension scheme for foster carers registered with the State and currently providing care to foster children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36001/25]

506. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if parents of Irish babies born through surrogacy can avail of the newborn baby grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35206/25]

507. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision on an appeal for a person (details supplied) will be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35243/25]

508. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on matters raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35252/25]

509. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of children currently residing in IPAS accommodation who are eligible for child benefit as opposed to the DEA; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35291/25]

510. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Social Protection the reasons for the persistent delays in processing applications for the domiciliary care allowance; to provide the current average waiting time for new applications; to detail the measures being taken to reduce backlogs and improve processing efficiency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35293/25]

511. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has examined the repercussions that the National Minimum Wage Act 2000 will have on carers (details supplied); if he plans plan to communicate this change to carers and advise them of the repercussions it may have on their ability to claim carer’s allowance or carer’s benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [353…

512. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection to list all the public services contracts worth €10 million or more, which have been granted by himself or the forerunner for his Department, or other State bodies in the past five years; the value of each contract; the length of term of each; the expiration date of each contract; and whether any contract was discontinued durin…

513. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection whether the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance will be means-tested with regard to foster care families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35495/25]

514. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason services from a company (details supplied) are not covered by the free travel pass; whether there are plans to extend the free travel pass to this provider; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35508/25]

515. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline the basis upon which a commercial bus operator can be covered by the free travel pass, including the main criteria that must be met by the operator; and to identify the agency, Department or Minister that is responsible for making the decision. [35509/25]

516. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) was denied carer’s allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35593/25]

517. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection the parental leave entitlements for surrogate parents (details supplied). [35597/25]

518. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing all headline weekly social protection payment to €300 per week, excluding disability allowance, invalidity pension, partial capacity, disablement pension and blind person’s pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35638/25]

519. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing disability, blind pensions and invalidity pension to €350 per week; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35639/25]