Parliamentary questions

152. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the carer’s allowance appeal by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3616/25]

153. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made in relation to a fuel allowance application (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3685/25]

154. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made in relation to a domiciliary care allowance appeal (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3687/25]

155. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide a detailed breakdown of all funding allocated for the year ahead or spent in the past fiscal year by his Department on artificial intelligence systems or artificial intelligence research; what programmes or Department operations are conducted using artificial intelligence tools; and if he will make a statement on …

156. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection whether a person can receive domiciliary carer's allowance past a child's sixteenth birthday or whether the child is required to apply for disability allowance. [3718/25]

157. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on when a final decision will be made on an application for domiciliary care allowance and the associated travel pass for the son of the person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3741/25]

158. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Social Protection if there is additional support available for women on maternity leave who have been temporarily relegated to half-rate carer’s allowance, but for most of that period will be in a position to provide full-time care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3742/25]

159. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Minister for Social Protection if there are plans to provide additional supports for women on maternity leave who have been relegated to half-rate carer’s allowance temporarily, but for most of that period will be in a position to provide full-time care, for example, additional child support payments, fuel allowances, and so on, given the additional inco…

160. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection if he can explain the decision to decline disability allowance for a young lady (details supplied) who has been receiving domiciliary care allowance for over ten years, despite no change in her medical condition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3745/25]

161. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of WTE quantity surveyors employed by his Department as of 30 January 2025; and if he provide same figures as of 31 December 2022, in tabular form. [3759/25]

162. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection the details of each time his Department, or public bodies under the aegis of his Department, enlisted the services of consultants in 2023 and 2024; the purpose, value, and duration of each contract in relation to public bodies under the aegis of his Department, including where consulting contracts are classified under ‘business-as…

163. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Social Protection the reasons his Department has changed its policy on blended work for staff of his Department; the rationale for the change; what it will mean for staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3841/25]

164. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made in relation to a domiciliary care allowance appeal (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3887/25]

165. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made on a carer's allowance review for a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3890/25]

166. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding advice sought, following a meeting with a group (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3917/25]

167. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has investigated the possibility of undertaking a review of the current means test for disability allowance to ensure that people affected by disability, who are marginally over the income threshold limit, are not left without adequate support; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3918/25]

168. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection to clarify rates of payment made under the humanitarian assistance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3929/25]

633. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of requests to his Department that have granted for various matters (details supplied); the number of such requests that have been refused; and the grounds on which they have been refused. [2499/25]

634. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Social Protection to list the level of consistent poverty in each of the electoral areas of Ennis, Ennistymon, Killaloe, Kilrush, and Shannon, in County Clare for each of the years 2011 to 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2967/25]

635. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Social Protection to list the level of food poverty in each of the electoral areas of Ennis, Ennistymon, Killaloe, Kilrush, and Shannon, in County Clare for each of the years 2011 to 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2969/25]

636. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on his officials' engagement with the Office of the Attorney General and the office of the Parliamentary legal advisor on new legislative changes to the criteria for qualifying for the widows and widowers pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2244/25]

637. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection to consider reviewing the criteria for illness benefit, to enable those who are self-employed and paying an S Class PRSI contribution to qualify for payment on this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2251/25]

638. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason applicants who are eligible to apply for fuel allowance are being refused same because they have a child living with them (details supplied). [2253/25]

639. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide a timeline for legislation to give entitlement to unmarried cohabitants to a widow’s, widower’s or surviving civil partner’s contributory pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2257/25]

640. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of individuals applied for fuel allowance in 2023 and 2024, by county; and the number of successful applications there have been in that period in each county. [2266/25]