Parliamentary questions

44. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the mechanisms in place when parents or students have problems with the quality, options or nutritional value of the food provided under the hot school meals programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29990/26]

45. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has given consideration to implementing bespoke employment programmes to tackle rising rates of youth unemployment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31210/26]

46. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people currently supported under the work and access programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31083/26]

47. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people in Tipperary in receipt of the living alone allowance; how this compares to 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31082/26]

48. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing carer’s allowance and carer’s benefit to €325 a week; the full-year cost of increasing the monthly domiciliary care allowance to €400; and the full-year cost of increasing the annual carer support grant to €2,150. [31339/26]

49. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection the way in which he is ensuring that every effort is made to support individuals to transition from welfare into further education/training and work, especially in relation to how to avoid a cliff edge when people take up work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31410/26]

50. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if assistance is available under the additional needs payments scheme to assist persons to meet essential household costs (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31236/26]

51. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress being made on introducing a new working age payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31112/26]

52. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures being taken to support low-income households in rural constituencies such as Galway east in light of ongoing cost-of-living pressures, including fuel, transport and childcare costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31111/26]

53. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection his Department’s plans to support those most vulnerable to the energy crisis beyond the fuel allowance extension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31241/26]

54. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide an update on the number of families who have availed of the newborn baby grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31314/26]

55. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the mechanisms that will be in place to ensure that everyone that is entitled to the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance is made aware of this payment in advance of the summer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29991/26]

56. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection whether consideration could be given to a compassionate approach to the reduction of entitlements for a carer following the death of a person. [31075/26]

57. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will reassess his Department’s decision not to include long-Covid under the Social Welfare (Consolidated Occupational Injuries) Regulations 2007 (S.I. No. 102 of 2007) in light of the hardship and distress caused to frontline healthcare workers as a result of having their incomes cut; and if he will make a statement on the matte…

58. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider expanding the free travel scheme to more recipients in light of the fuel crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31414/26]

59. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will recognise long-Covid as an occupational illness to qualify for occupational injury benefits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30007/26]

60. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection if early onset dementia is recognised as a condition to qualify for disability allowance or illness benefit; the engagement his officials have had with any representative organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31334/26]

61. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No.150 of 13 November 2025, to provide an update on the Programme for Government commitment to extend from 6 to 12 weeks the period of a social welfare payment following the death of a dependent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29003/26]

62. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Social Protection when he will introduce a cost of disability payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30006/26]

63. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason pensions and social welfare payments cannot be paid together or at the same time, with the exception of carer's allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29506/26]

64. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures that are being explored to ensure that his Departmental budget allocated for the fuel allowance scheme will be sufficient to provide for those in need next winter, in light of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31282/26]

65. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline the progress his Department has made in implementing the Programme for Government commitments to increasing social protection payments and supports for family carers. [31338/26]

66. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to carry out a comprehensive review of means tests across the social welfare system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31289/26]

67. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people who transferred from carer’s benefit to carer’s allowance for each of the last four years; if his Department has any plans to make this transition easier; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31337/26]

68. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection when the carer's support grant will be paid this year. [31085/26]