Parliamentary questions

1850. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department will investigate a disability allowance claim dating back some years for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24019/26]

1851. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection if the payment of statutory sick pay will impact on those receiving the non-contributory bereaved partner's pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24048/26]

1852. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has considered including home carers in the higher rate of fuel allowance during this fuel price crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24128/26]

1853. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection if his attention has been drawn to the fact that people on the job initiative scheme are not eligible to claim the fuel allowance, if this is under review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24158/26]

1854. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration has been given to providing fuel allowance or similar support for those on the job initiative scheme in view of significant increases in the cost of home heating; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24159/26]

1855. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the recommendation of the 2017 Joint Oireachtas Committee Report on Lone Parents (details supplied); if this proposal is under review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24161/26]

1856. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the case of a person (details supplied) in relation to the carer’s support grant; the eligibility criteria for the grant in cases where a person is not eligible for carer’s benefit or carer’s allowance; whether such a person may still qualify for the grant; and if so, whether the application should be made in the n…

1857. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be taken on an application for State pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24269/26]

1858. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection if grant support is available for a student in receipt of disability allowance who is undertaking a part-time online course at ATU Sligo (details supplied) and is not eligible for SUSI funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24431/26]

1859. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Social Protection whether any artificial intelligence tools or systems are currently being used within his Department or in agencies under its remit; the purposes for which these tools are being used; whether any departmental guidance or governance structures have been developed to support their responsible use; and if he will make a statement o…

1861. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider removing the personal independence payment (PIP) paid in England from the means test for Disability Allowance in this State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24529/26]

1862. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether any assessment has been carried out on the feasibility of introducing real-time residency verification, including the use of exit-entry data or airline passenger data, to ensure that payments do not continue to issue to persons no longer resident in the State; and if he will provide the outcome of any such assessment. [24545…

1863. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection to quantify the average duration for which a payment continues to issue after a recipient ceases to satisfy the habitual residence condition before detection occurs; and the estimated financial exposure arising from this delay. [24546/26]

1864. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection to explain the increase in child benefit overpayments arising from absence from the State between 2023 and 2025; and to outline the specific control or enforcement measures introduced during this period to address this trend. [24547/26]

1865. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the percentage of overpayments arising from absence from the State that are ultimately recovered in full; the average recovery timeframe; and the proportion written off or unrecovered. [24548/26]

1866. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide details of any internal audit or compliance review carried out since 2022 specifically examining payments issued to persons no longer resident in the State, including any control weaknesses identified and corrective actions taken. [24549/26]

1867. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Social Protection the value and duration of contracts and service provision arrangements his Department and all bodies under his aegis have or had with a company (details supplied) in the past ten years to date in 2026; if he will clarify whether his Department was the beneficiary of professional work or services from the company over that same pe…

1868. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide a list of the NGOs that have received Government funding from his Department in the past five years. [24635/26]

1869. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of people who participated in JobBridge [24837/26]

1870. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection if participants in JobBridge and JobPath accrued PRSI stamps while on these Schemes, if not, has the Department assessed the impact of this on participants, if credits could be given for time spent on said schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24838/26]

1871. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the commitment to abolish the means test for carers; the timeline envisaged for any such reform; the interim measures being considered in light of the financial pressures currently facing carers and their families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24898/26]

1872. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection the current and upcoming measures being taken by his Department to support one-parent families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24972/26]

1873. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection his engagements with other departments to ensure joined-up, wrap-around support for one-parent families dealing with multiple State services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24973/26]

1874. Deputy John McGuinness 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. [25020/26]

1875. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of civil and public servants in his Department and agencies under its remit who have received training in AI, data literacy, or digital skills in the past year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25041/26]