Questions

1921. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection pending any broader policy decision on the treatment of Troubles-related compensation awarded under historical Northern Ireland criminal injuries schemes (including the Criminal Injuries (Compensation) (Northern Ireland) Order 1977), if he will give an undertaking to examine individual cases on their merits; if he will exercise any ministerial or ad…

759. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department is considering a policy change to bring Ireland in line with the rest of Europe in terms of granting maternity and paternity benefit at 100% or a high percentage of salary for all or a portion of a person's entitlement to the corresponding leave; if there are policy learnings from the recent implementation of Jobseekers pay-relate…

762. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection the rationale for disability allowance remaining a means-tested payment in Ireland, notwithstanding existing income disregards, particularly in light of the system in the United Kingdom where certain disability income supports are not subject to means testing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10175/26]

763. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has considered the experience of Irish citizens returning from the United Kingdom who encounter differences in disability income supports and eligibility criteria, including the use of means testing; whether guidance is provided to assist such individuals in understanding the Irish system; and if he will make a statement on the matter…

708. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection the rationale for the domiciliary care allowance ceasing when a child reaches 16 years-of-age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6436/26]

709. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has examined the impact on families of requiring children who turn 16 years to transition from domiciliary care allowance to disability allowance, including the need for a new medical assessment during a critical stage of secondary education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6437/26]

710. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection whether he has considered extending eligibility for the domiciliary care allowance to age 18 years or for the duration of full-time secondary education, in line with other child related supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6438/26]

657. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if an assessment of need will still be required for an application for domiciliary care allowance given the recent policy reform announcement by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality. [72237/25]

658. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if the long waiting period for an assessment of need is taken into account during an application for domiciliary care allowance; and if it has been brought to his attention that applications have been refused due to the lack of an assessment though a child is on the waiting list for an assessment. [72238/25]

239. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection the main policy achievements of his Department since 22 January 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70531/25]

222. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress to date with recognising long covid as an occupational disease and injury; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66691/25]

223. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration has been given by his Department to recognise long Covid as an occupational illness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66712/25]

106. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason his Department uses a different model of SWITCH compared to that of the ESRI; the reason for the choice to use a simplified model; if he will provide a breakdown of the specific differences between the SWITCH models used by the Department and the ESRI; to provide a breakdown of variables available in the ESRI SWITCH model that are not ava…

276. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Social Protection whether he intends to establish a register and baby loss certificates for parents who experience loss before 24-weeks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60882/25]

296. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider amending the supplementary welfare allowance policy to allow referrals from An Garda Síochána to be accepted for fast-tracking emergency financial supports, including rent supplement, for victims of domestic violence; if he will review the current policy excluding Garda referrals in light of evidence that many victims contact Gardaí …

749. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has undertaken analysis on the way in which the projected doubling of the older population over the next 25 years will impact demand for social protection supports; and if so, whether long-term funding models have been identified. [48363/25]

751. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has considered targeted supports for carers of older people, in recognition that early intervention and consistent community presence will reduce the burden on both the health and social protection systems. [48366/25]

755. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection if additional supports, such as an enhanced qualified child allowance, targeted housing subsidies, or expanded childcare supports, are planned for households in or near poverty particularly affected by housing costs; and the timeline and funding plan for such measures. [48418/25]

795. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if measures will be introduced to expand employment opportunities for deaf and disabled individuals (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49158/25]

797. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of the Programme for Government commitment to “continue to significantly increase the income disregards for carer’s allowance in each budget with a view to phasing out the means test during the lifetime of the Government”; the work carried out to date to progress this commitment; his plans with respect to the upcoming Budget 2026; and if he …

1389. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on creating a statutory to recognise a child that does not conform to world health organisation stillbirth standards of less than 500 grammes and a gestational age of less than 24 weeks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46317/25]

612. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection the main policy achievements of his Department since 23 January 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38762/25]

130. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Social Protection his Department's standard operating procedures for dealing with bereaved parents of children; if staff training has been received or is regularly provided to personnel dealing with parents in this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34683/25]

893. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 431 of 27 May 2025, if can confirm when this policy was enacted; the Minister that signed off on it; and the reason it was deemed necessary. [29345/25]

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]