Questions

190. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of reducing the minimum hours requirement under the wage subsidy scheme from 15 hours to 10 hours; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22936/26]

1163. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will address the situation whereby employees whose employer (details supplied) has entered a mandatory 30-day collective redundancy consultation period have been informed that they can not apply for the jobseekers pay related benefit (JPRB) during this period and will instead only qualify for an exceptional needs payment capped at €254 per week;…

1164. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the correct procedure for employees of a company (details supplied) who obtain new employment during the statutory 30-day collective redundancy consultation period; the steps such employees are required to take in order to comply with his Departmental rules during this period; the reason departmental representatives were unable to provide accurate inf…

1165. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the statutory process that applies where a company enters a creditors’ voluntary liquidation and triggers a thirty-day collective redundancy consultation period, during which employees are not dismissed, are not required to attend work, and receive no wages; the way in which his Department treats the employment status of workers during this period; an…

1166. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is aware of the circumstances affecting employees of a company (details supplied), which ceased trading on 20 February 2026 and placed all staff on temporary unpaid lay-off pending a creditors’ voluntary liquidation expected to be completed approximately fourteen days after cessation, during which a statutory consultation period is running until…

1167. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if he accepts that an anomaly arises whereby employees who are not working and receiving no wages during a statutory consultation period cannot access jobseeker’s benefit until the formal redundancy takes effect, even though their employment has effectively ended in practice; the policy in such cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18…

1168. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason employees affected by the cessation of a company (details supplied) have received contradictory advice from Intreo offices, with some being instructed to apply for jobseeker’s payments and others told to cancel their claims; the action his Department will take to ensure consistent guidance for workers in similar circumstances; and if he wil…

1169. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the way in which PRSI contributions, continuity of insurance, and contribution records are treated for employees placed on temporary unpaid lay-off during a statutory consultation period prior to redundancy; whether gaps arise that could affect entitlements to future benefits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18801/26]

1170. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the way in which employment status is recorded during a statutory consultation period where employees are still legally employed but are not working and are not being paid; the reason some employees of a company (details supplied) report that MyGov.ie lists them as ceased even though the company has not formally dismissed them; whether any administrat…

1171. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures his Department plans to take to ensure that employees placed on temporary unpaid lay-off during a statutory redundancy consultation period are not left without any income support; if he will address the gap in the system in future cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18803/26]

1178. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to link maternity benefit, paternity benefit and parent’s leave and benefit to wages, as has been done with jobseeker’s benefit. [19009/26]

1190. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration has been given to reclassifying maternity credits as paid contributions for the purposes of treatment benefit eligibility; if he will respond to matters raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19613/26]

1191. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration has been given to reclassifying maternity credits as paid contributions for the purposes of treatment benefit eligibility; if he will respond to matters raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19614/26]

1196. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection the payment entitlements for a person who is currently on disability allowance and will reach 65 years-of-age this year in view of the fact that the State Pension (Non Contributory) applies to people over 66 years of age; the payment which the person is entitled to in the intervening year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19723/26]

1198. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for disability allowance made by people with dementia aged up to 66 years-of-age for each of the years 2021-2025 and to-date in 2026; the number of applications that were accepted, rejected and under review; the main reasons why those applications were rejected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19837/26]

1200. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if the free travel pass can be extended to cover travel costs for persons who attend day care services provided by the HSE given that at present a daily charge exists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19981/26]

1202. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Social Protection if the qualifying criteria for the living alone allowance can be expanded so that a public sector pensioner (details supplied) who is ineligible for a qualifying payment may be considered eligible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20038/26]

1203. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection if there has been a change to the criteria recently in order for parents to be granted domiciliary care allowance for children who have specific needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20061/26]

1204. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of State pension recipients to date that have sought a review of their pension rate based on the new long-term carers contribution scheme; the number of these reviews that led to a higher payment of pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20118/26]

1207. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of deceased persons' estates from which his Department has sought repayment of social welfare payments, by payment type; the total value of repayments sought in each year for each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20166/26]

1208. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the criteria and procedures used by his Department when deciding whether to seek recovery of funds from the estate of a deceased person who was in receipt of a means tested payment; the way in which consistency and fairness are ensured in these decisions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20167/26]

1209. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the way in which the frequently of the entitlement to the State Pension Non Contributory is reviewed by his Department; whether annual reviews are carried out in all cases, particularly where an individual's income is affected by currency fluctuations arising from a United Kingdom pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20168/26]

1210. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department collects or holds any data on whether the recovery of overpayments from estates disproportionately affects individuals who did not have children or who lived alone; and if not, whether the Department will conduct an assessment to ensure that recovery procedures operate equitably across all household types; and if he will make a …

1211. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the maximum time period for which his Department may retrospectively seek repayment of social welfare overpayments from a deceased person's estate; whether his Department has considered introducing a statutory limitation period to ensure fairness and certainty for families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20170/26]

1212. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department is examining options to individualise disability allowance payment to ensure greater financial independence for persons with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20296/26]