Parliamentary questions

597. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Social Protection when the promised increases to the disregard for carer's allowance to €625 for a single person and to €1,250 for a couple, will come into force; what the disregard for a carer's savings will be; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25376/25]

598. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection whether there have been any discussions between his Department and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to regularise or streamline access to social protection payments for childcare workers who are not paid outside of term time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25417/25]

599. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Social Protection the further supports that are available to individuals in receipt of the State pension and a half rate carer's allowance payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25418/25]

600. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection whether individuals with endometriosis may be eligible to qualify for disability supports; and if he will outline the process by which a person with endometriosis could apply for and access disability benefits, including how eligibility is assessed in such cases. [25466/25]

601. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the scheme or benefits introduced to replace the former jobseekers benefit which enabled a person who had lost their employment to draw a social welfare payment, while out of work, based on their insurance contributions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25482/25]

602. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Social Protection the options under the school meals scheme for children with diagnosed medical conditions relying on strict dietary routines; if such children were considered in the design and roll out of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25549/25]

603. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Social Protection if input from metabolic dieticians will be sought in the review of the nutritional values of the school meals scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25550/25]

604. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is aware that entitlement to survivor's pensions was expanded to included divorced people as part of a suite of measures in the mid-1990s to ensure that "no spouse would lose out in terms of his or her social welfare entitlements on becoming divorced" (details supplied); if he still supports that policy position; the ration…

605. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is aware that people who suffer the loss of a second spouse or civil partner may access their original survivor's pension or rate of pension pursuant to section 124(4) of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005; if he is aware that the original policy rationale behind this provision was to ensure that the "pension positio…

606. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is aware that divorced and separated people whose former partner dies after the enactment of the Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner's Pension) Bill 2025 (as currently drafted) will no longer have an entitlement to a survivor's pension; if his Department has undertaken any risk assessment or poverty-proofing process concerning…

607. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has undertaken any human rights and equality impact assessment concerning the proposals to reduce the social welfare entitlements of divorced and separated people whose former partner has died in the Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner's Pension) Bill 2025; if he is aware that undertaking such an assessment is cons…

608. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people who were divorced or separated from their former spouse or civil partner at the time of their death who then began receiving a widows, widower's or surviving civil partner's (contributory) pension in each of the years 2019 to 2024; the number of those claims included an increase in respect of a qualified chil…

609. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people who suffered a second bereavement and who re-commenced receipt of a widows, widower's or surviving civil partner's (contributory) pension (or higher rate of pension) pursuant to section 124(4) of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 in each of the years 2019 to 2024; the number of those claims included a…

610. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline any estimates or projections available to his Department concerning the annual cost to his Department, the Exchequer and the Social Insurance Fund of expanding the scope of widows, widower's or surviving civil partner's (contributory) pension schemes to include qualified cohabitants (as per the Social Welfare (Bereaved…

611. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline any estimates or projections available to his Department concerning the annual savings to his Department, the Exchequer and the Social Insurance Fund of reducing the scope of widows, widower's or surviving civil partner's (contributory) pension schemes to exclude divorced people, separated people and people who have su…

612. Deputy Seán Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection to consider introducing a system whereby people on the carer's allowance can sign off on various weeks, like the system with jobseeker's payments whereby people can mark (X and O) on days they were working so that they do not claim, in view of the fact that people sometimes may get work while on carer's allowance, it may extend beyo…

613. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the review process for a carer's allowance for a person (details supplied) who has had their claim suspended since 6 February 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25575/25]

614. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has protocols or agreements in place to govern how information arising from investigations conducted by members of An Garda Síochána seconded to the Department may be shared with other public bodies; and if she will clarify whether any such information can be used for administrative or employment-related purposes…

615. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Social Protection the current status of the Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner's Pension) Bill 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25758/25]

616. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection who were in receipt of a social welfare payment in 2022, 2023, 2024 and who are currently in receipt of a social welfare payment by payment type, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25797/25]

617. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on an appeal lodged with regard to invalidity pension (details supplied); the current average waiting time for a decision on an appeal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25874/25]

618. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated first year and full year cost of the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance. . [25907/25]

619. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated first year and full year cost of the fuel allowance. [25908/25]

620. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated first year and full year cost of the fuel allowance for 2025. [25909/25]

621. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated first year and full year cost of child benefit for the year. [25910/25]