Parliamentary questions

590. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection to examine the case of an individual (details supplied) regarding a State Pension (non-contributory); if a senior official from his Department can engage with the family; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33144/26]

591. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Social Protection the current status of an application for the carer's allowance for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33312/26]

592. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of recipients in 2025 and 2026 to date of recipients of illness benefit and invalidity pension. [33319/26]

593. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason the number of recipients of invalidity pension has fallen since 2020 and increased by only 1% between 2015 and 2014, at a time when the number in receipt of other social protection payments such as carer's allowance and disability allowance have increased; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33320/26]

594. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason the number of recipients of illness benefit fell between 2015 and 2024 by more than 9%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33321/26]

595. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33330/26]

596. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide a detailed breakdown of all gifts received in his capacity as Minister; the nature of these gifts and potential monetary value; the procedures followed in accepting gifts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33388/26]

1. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on any plans to expand the use of a digital ID; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31202/26]

2. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the action he will take to ensure that vulnerable individuals are not left without access to an invalidity pension for months due to delays in processing appeals, such as in a case (details supplied); if consideration is given to ill health in how his Department interacts with applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. …

3. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has given consideration to an emergency cost-of-living payment to vulnerable households at risk of poverty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31203/26]

4. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the commitment to introduce a cost-of-disability payment; the current status of policy development and implementation; the expected timelines for introduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31682/26]

5. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection to confirm that consideration will be given to an automatic entitlement to the fuel allowance where a member of the household is over 70 years of age; the cost of implementing this proposal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31303/26]

6. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on child poverty figures and the effectiveness of his Department's measures to reduce child poverty. [31238/26]

7. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for urgent needs payments in Cork in the first three months of each of the years 2019, 2025 and 2026 respectively, by category of application, and the number approved, in tabular form. [31076/26]

8. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will report on the introduction of pay-related benefit in March 2025 linking unemployment payments to previous earnings; the number of persons who have availed of it to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31132/26]

9. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection the number and percentage of disability allowance decisions that are appealed; the number and percentage of decisions that are overturned on appeal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29507/26]

10. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if the required additional funding has been provided to social welfare branch managers to pay for pension auto enrolment costs imposed from 1 January 2026 and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31208/26]

11. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of paying carers who care for two or more people, based on a full carer’s allowance in respect of each person, not a half-rate for a second person. [31340/26]

12. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will outline a clear timeline for the abolition of the means test for carer’s allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31295/26]

13. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will increase his departmental budget allocation in budget 2027 to those in receipt of the State pension, in response to the increased cost of living as a result of the conflict in the Middle East; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31283/26]

14. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection in the context of the programme for Government commitment to examine the extension of parents’ leave and benefit, whether he will outline the current status of this examination; the options under consideration to extend the duration of parents’ leave and benefit beyond the current entitlement; when he expects to bring proposals to Go…

15. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Social Protection the current average processing times for disability allowance and carer’s allowance applications in Galway east; the steps being taken to address delays being experienced by applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31110/26]

16. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection in light of the commitment to publish a new Roadmap for Social Inclusion (2026-2030) next month, if he will provide an update on the specific measurable outcomes and targets his Department has established to reduce core poverty rates among vulnerable groups, specifically pensioners and people with disabilities; and if he will m…

17. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection whether consideration is being given to extending eligibility for domiciliary care allowance beyond the age of 16 for children who remain in full time secondary education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31294/26]

18. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Social Protection as part of the upcoming public consultation paper on pay-related parent's leave in Autumn 2026 to be led by his Department, if this will include specific consultation on other types of family leave and additional flexibilities such as the transferability of leave between parents, and extended leave for lone parents. [31456/26]