Parliamentary questions

692. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether the Schools Procurement Unit permits external accountancy, consultancy or administration firms to conduct, manage, score or administer tender evaluations on behalf of schools under the Hot School Meals Scheme; whether any approval process exists for such arrangements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37399/26]

693. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of schools participating in the Hot School Meals Scheme which used external third-party administration, consultancy or accountancy firms in the management or evaluation of procurement competitions in each year from 2020 to 2026, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37400/26]

694. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether the Schools Procurement Unit has conducted any audit, compliance review or governance assessment concerning the composition of tender evaluation teams used by schools under the Hot School Meals Scheme; whether any external firms were identified as participating in evaluations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3…

695. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether actual food quality, taste, nutritional standard, presentation or meal sampling forms part of the formally weighted evaluation criteria under the current Hot School Meals procurement framework; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37402/26]

696. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether the Schools Procurement Unit intends to introduce a mandatory and formally weighted food quality assessment component within future Hot School Meals tender evaluations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37403/26]

697. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has conducted any assessment of whether the current hot school meals procurement framework disproportionately favours suppliers with sophisticated written tender submissions over suppliers providing higher-quality food; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37406/26]

698. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether any legal advice has been sought by his Department, the schools procurement unit or the Office of Government Procurement regarding the legal implications of suppliers offering gifts, promotional items or undeclared service add-ons during active hot school meals procurement competitions; and if he will make a statement on the …

699. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether consideration has been given to establishing a confidential reporting mechanism for suppliers, school staff or parents to report suspected procurement irregularities under the hot school meals scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37409/26]

700. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps he intends to take to ensure the integrity of the hot school meals procurement process; to ensure compliance with public procurement law and anti-corruption obligations; and to ensure that contracts are awarded on the basis of genuine food quality, nutritional standards and service delivery rather than administrative capabi…

701. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has examined the administrative and financial costs associated with the annual continuation process for child benefit payments for children aged 16 to 19 who remain in full-time education; whether consideration is being given to streamlining or simplifying this process in light of current school retention ra…

702. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of additional staff employed or who will be employed by his Department directly or under contract for the purposes of Ireland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2026. [37460/26]

703. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection to reinstate the disability allowance payment of a person (details supplied). [37638/26]

704. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection to increase the living alone allowance in the upcoming Budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37714/26]

705. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of volunteers registered with the citizens information centres before September 2022 and for each year after September 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37715/26]

706. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection the efforts made by the Citizen Information Board to recruit and train new volunteers to the Citizen Information Centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37716/26]

707. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review a matter raised in correspondence (details supplied); if he will advise on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37725/26]

708. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the eligibility criteria for disability allowance with regard to the current means test where a partner's or spouse's means is also taken into account, and only assess the disabled person in their own right, giving them independence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37735/26]

709. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection to clarify if an individual resident in Ireland on stamp 1 permission becomes incapacitated due to illness is eligible to apply for disability allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37737/26]

710. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection the supports available for programmes such as the New Futures Initiative, which assists lone parents in progressing to long-term education, training and employment opportunities; whether consideration will be given to continue funding supports for such programmes in light of reported progression rates of approximately 75% for p…

399. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection to urgently grant Carers Allowance application in respect of a person (details supplied) as it has been processing for a prolonged time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35854/26]

400. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department or any bodies and agencies under its aegis use, or have in the past used, software and or products from a company (details supplied); the duration and cost of the contract; and the services they avail of from the company. [35873/26]

401. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will urgently review the case of a person (details supplied); if the family concerned qualify for the grant in question; if he will outline what other supports may be available in the circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35895/26]

402. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether the Schools Procurement Unit has issued any guidance, circular, advisory note, or compliance communication to schools participating in the Hot School Meals Programme concerning the offering or acceptance of gifts, promotional items, complimentary services, or other inducements by suppliers during live procurement processes; a…

403. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether any complaints, concerns, or reports have been received by the Schools Procurement Unit regarding procurement integrity, inducements, gifts, or undeclared supplier incentives within the Hot School Meals Programme since 2023; and if he will provide the number of complaints received and the manner in which they were addressed. …

404. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether schools participating in the Hot School Meals Programme are permitted to consider or accept supplier-provided items, services, or promotional materials outside the formally scored tender submission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36298/26]