Parliamentary questions

277. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether her Department has undertaken any review of financial barriers faced by victims of domestic abuse when seeking access to emergency income supports, housing assistance payment supports or social housing. [38584/26]

278. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the telephone support allowance to reflect the increased reliance on mobile phones as the primary means of communication for many households, particularly among older people and people with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38668/26]

279. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider increasing the telephone support allowance rate of €2.50 per week in line with inflation, rising communication costs and the growing necessity of mobile phone and data services for access to healthcare, banking, transport, and Government services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38669/26]

280. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will examine extending eligibility for the telephone support allowance in Budget 2027 beyond the current “living alone” requirement to include recipients of disability allowance and pension payments who rely on mobile phones for safety, independence, and access to essential daily supports; and if he will make a statement …

175. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made in relation to carer's allowance for a person (details supplied) considering they first applied 14 weeks ago; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37983/26]

176. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Social Protection the timeline for the introduction of the cost of disability payment. [38020/26]

177. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of men and women who applied for parent's benefit in the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38033/26]

178. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of men who applied for paternity benefit; the number of women who applied for maternity benefit, in the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38035/26]

179. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of recipients of either jobseeker’s benefit or jobseeker’s allowance who are under the age of 30. [38055/26]

180. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the case of a person (details supplied); the status of the working family payment application in question; if the application will be expedited given the circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38094/26]

181. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection when a working family payment submitted on 19 April 2026 will be processed for a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38119/26]

182. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a retained, part-time firefighter would have to leave the fire service to attain full-time employment in the event of being unable to obtain another part-time job as per their jobseeker's benefit agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38253/26]

654. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of free school meal providers nationwide; the breakdown of schools and their providers; the source of the meat and chicken for these meals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37119/26]

655. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider for the upcoming Budget 2027 amending the living alone allowance scheme to include single (never married) retired civil and public servants employed prior to 1995, given that the current scheme discriminates against such employees; his views on whether these people are being discriminated against; if he will f…

656. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of WTE staff, by grade and gender, currently answering telephone queries and processing free travel pass applications as of 11 May 2026, in tabular form. [36838/26]

657. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of social welfare claims referred for fraud investigation in each year from 2021 to 2026, in tabular form, including a breakdown by category of suspected fraud where recorded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36868/26]

658. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether any guidance, staff training programme, operational protocol or technical system has been introduced since 2022 to assist departmental staff in identifying forged, AI-generated or digitally manipulated documentation submitted in support of social welfare claims; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36869/26]

659. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has conducted any internal risk assessment, review or analysis regarding the use of artificial intelligence tools in the creation of forged identity, residency, employment, income or supporting documentation submitted in support of social welfare claims; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36870/26]

660. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department uses any external forensic document analysis service, AI-detection software, biometric verification tool or digital authentication system when assessing suspected fraudulent social welfare claims; the annual cost of such systems or services since 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36871/26]

661. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of social welfare claims refused, suspended or terminated in each year from 2021 to 2026 due to concerns regarding forged, falsified or fraudulent documentation, where such information is available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36872/26]

662. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department exchanges data or intelligence with An Garda Síochána, the Revenue Commissioners, financial institutions or other State bodies for the purpose of detecting forged or fraudulent documentation submitted in support of social welfare claims; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36873/26]

663. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether any increase has been identified in the submission of digitally altered or suspected AI-generated documentation in support of social welfare claims in the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36874/26]

664. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department maintains statistics on the number of suspected forged-document cases referred onward to An Garda Síochána for criminal investigation in each year since 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36875/26]

665. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether any dedicated unit, team or officer within his Department has responsibility for oversight, monitoring or investigation of forged or AI-generated documentation submitted in support of social welfare claims; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36876/26]

666. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department maintains any internal classification, flag, incident category or reporting mechanism relating specifically to suspected AI-generated, digitally manipulated or synthetically altered documentation submitted in support of social welfare claims; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36880/26]