Parliamentary questions

287. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline if a reform of the half-rate carer's payment for people receiving a disability payment will be included as part of the Government's plans to phase out means testing the carers allowance; if this has been investigated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27762/25]

288. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated average cost of providing hot school meals per child in primary school; the cost per child in post primary schools; and the cost per child in other organisations, respectively in the years 2023 to 2024 and to date from 2024 to 2025, by academic year, in tabular form. [27901/25]

289. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Social Protection that legal mechanisms that need to be enacted to deduct social welfare or other allowances for non-payment of fines or as part of penalties issued in lieu of custodial sentences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27954/25]

290. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline the policy in relation to overpayments; if it is mandatory to repay all social welfare overpayments or if they are written off; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27960/25]

291. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will supply the number of carers allowance applications received in each years 2020 to 2024; the number of such applications that were approved on first examination; the number directed to review and changed on review; the number directed to appeal and changed on appeal; the average waiting time in each of those years for…

292. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated average cost of providing hot school meals per child in every post primary school in the State; the cost, per child, in post primary schools; and the cost, per child, in other organisations, respectively in the 2023-2024 academic year and to date in the 2024-2025 academic year, in tabular form. [28220/25]

293. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated average cost of providing hot school meals per child in primary school; the cost of providing dinner club per child in post primary schools; and to provide the cost of breakfast club, lunch and school club per child in other organisations, respectively, in 2023 -2024 and to date in 2024-2025, academic years, in tabu…

294. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been made on a rent supplement application by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry following the submission of additional information; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28347/25]

413. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection the payment changes made to the treatment benefit scheme, from 2021 to date in 2025. [26696/25]

414. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will confirm reports that IPAS applicants/those who have received permission to stay are being granted vouchers (details supplied) to the value of €180 per week on a regular basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26712/25]

415. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding social welfare supports for those that work in a freelance capacity; if the exceptional needs payment can be reviewed to allow further flexibility and support for people in this position; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26747/25]

416. Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. reply 794 of 15 May 2025, if his Department met with the CSO to discuss the changes to data entry on the CRCS; if there is a plan for implementation; if there is a timeline for the implementation of these changes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26764/25]

417. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide an update on a PPS application (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26782/25]

418. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has provided, as requested, the record of contributions made by a person (details supplied); if she qualifies for credits as a homemaker; if she will qualify as an adult dependent on her husband's contributory pension in June 2025. [26808/25]

419. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is aware that there is a disincentive for participants moving from TÚS to CE, given that they lose their entitlement to social protection benefits, which they were allowed retain while they were on Tús such as free travel, fuel allowance and could he explain why there is a difference between the two initiatives. [26823/25…

420. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection if a lateral move can be considered for an employee of (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26951/25]

421. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Social Protection if framework-based procurement is included in his Department’s reporting of “tendered” procurement in its annual accounts; if so, to distinguish between contracts awarded via framework mini-competition, contracts awarded via direct drawdown from a framework without competition and frameworks run independently by his Department versu…

422. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide a list of all framework agreements used by his Department or its agencies since 2022, by name and description of framework; if it was established by his Department, the OGP, or another central/sectoral body; if it is a single-supplier or multi-supplier framework; if drawdowns required mini-competitions; and the total numb…

423. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Social Protection if all drawdowns from frameworks by his Department or its agencies from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2024, valued over €25,000 were accompanied by publication of a contract award notice on the eTenders portal as required by Circular 05/2023; and if not, to list any known contracts where such publication did not occur and the reason…

424. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Social Protection further to the use of centralised or sectoral procurement frameworks, to list the top ten frameworks, by value of payments drawn down in 2022,2023,2024, the associated category for example, temporary staff, consultancy and IT support, the value of payments per framework and any known framework expiry or extension in progress. [27070…

425. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will outline his plans to scale up control measures to tackle abuse of social welfare payments, as committed to in the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27123/25]

426. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to reform the disability allowance payment and remove anomalies in the current means test for the payment as committed to in the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27124/25]

427. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection the payment changes made to the treatment benefit scheme from 2021 to date in 2025. [27161/25]

428. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of WTE community welfare officers based in Roscommon in 2023, 2024 and to-date in 2025, in tabular form. [27162/25]

429. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection if he plans to recognise Covid and long Covid as illnesses and disabilities respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27375/25]