Parliamentary questions

886. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline the rules around residency for the State pension (non-contributory); the minimum number of days that a person must be in the State to meet habitual residence requirement for the State pension (non-contributory); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1452/25]

887. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an appeal for carer’s allowance by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1525/25]

888. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection to examine the case of a person (details supplied) pending an appeal decision on disability allowance; and if she will provide an update on the processing times for disability allowance appeals, specifically for individuals who are suffering from multiple health conditions, including chronic pain, rare diseases, and mental health iss…

889. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection to urgently address the criteria for qualifying to participate in community employment schemes (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1535/25]

890. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to a recent article (details supplied) which raises a number of concerns about the operation of the hot school meals scheme; if a review of the scheme was carried out before it was expanded to additional schools; if her Department will issue advise to schools when choosing a provider to ensure tha…

891. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to a recent article (details supplied) which raises a number of concerns about the environmental impacts of the current system of the hot school meals scheme; if any alternative options were explored to reduce single use containers which cannot be recycled; and if she will make a statement on the …

892. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made on a carer’s allowance application for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1561/25]

893. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection the consideration that is given to the nutritional content of the food provided in the free meals in primary schools; the way the procurement for this service works; the number of different providers that are currently involved in servicing this scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1562/25]

894. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason that recipients of partial capacity benefit who have transitioned from invalidity pension are excluded from the fuel allowance; the supports available for people with disabilities to return to part-time work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1570/25]

895. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department and agencies under the aegis of her Department have policies on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) within the Department and those agencies; whether training has been provided to staff on the use of AI; if her Department has used AI, including large language models, in the preparation of legislation or statut…

896. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Social Protection if it is stipulated that a healthy meal approach should be taken to provide meals to the pupils when the contracts for the provision of school meals are being prepared; if the guidance of a dietician is sought in relation to what is appropriate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1606/25]

897. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on a matter (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1654/25]

898. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection whether there are any rental stipulations for a community organisation seeking to apply for the workplace adaptation grant; whether the grant can be used to pay retrospectively for any assessment required to formulate a quote; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1663/25]

899. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is satisfied with the food being served as part of the hot meals scheme in primary schools; if the food is healthy; her views on concerns raised by a parent (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1701/25]

900. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Social Protection the tools or metrics her Department uses to measure poverty in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1717/25]

901. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons living in poverty in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1718/25]

902. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Social Protection the full address and Eircode of each property that is directly occupied by her Department where that address is located in Dublin, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1771/25]

903. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide a copy of the findings and costings produced by her Department officials in respect of abolishing the carer’s allowance means test (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1785/25]

904. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Social Protection to explain the Government’s intentions in respect of its draft Programme for Government commitment to progressively increase a number of welfare payments (details supplied); if these increases will be benchmarked against a particular measure, such as the minimum essential standard of living; if these increases will solely apply to t…

905. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide a schedule of all foreign travel undertaken by her and her accompanying officials in 2023 and 2024, including flight, hotel, transfers and other miscellaneous costs. [1868/25]

906. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in each county in receipt of the carer’s support grant in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1930/25]

907. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide details of any public contracts in her Department provided to companies or individuals who do not pay tax in Ireland, including the names of the contractor, value of the contract and purpose of the contract, in tabular form. [2042/25]

908. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide details of any public contracts issued to a company (details supplied) over the last 10 years, including the value of the contract and the purpose of the contract, in tabular form. [2060/25]

909. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will ensure that adequate personnel are assigned at local level to administer community welfare services and ensure as existed, prior to administrative changes in recent years, reasonable access for persons to such services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2070/25]

910. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update in respect of a person (details supplied); and if she will also outline to the person directly the entitlements that they can avail of. [2141/25]