Parliamentary questions

1926. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of young jobseekers on the reduced youth rate of jobseeker's allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26539/26]

1927. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of equalising rates of jobseeker's allowance, jobseeker's benefit and jobseeker's pay-related benefit for those under the ages of 18 to 24 in 2027; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26540/26]

1928. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection the timeline for the publication of the updated Pathways to Work strategy; if the updated strategy will have targeted measures for youth; if so, the measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26543/26]

1929. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection the timeline for the publication of the successor Roadmap for Social Inclusion plan; if the updated plan will have targeted measures for youth; if so, the measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26544/26]

1930. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Social Protection if there are plans to review the eligibility criteria for fuel allowance in Budget 2027; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26570/26]

1931. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Social Protection to advise on a matter raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26571/26]

1932. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection whether consideration is being given to compensatory cost-of-living supports for families with children, particularly school-age children, in light of the continuing pressure of childcare, housing and household costs. [26574/26]

1933. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection whether he has examined family-income supports in other European jurisdictions as part of the Government's response to the cost of raising children; and if he will outline any comparative work undertaken by his Department. [26575/26]

1934. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full year cost of increasing the income limit to be eligible for fuel allowance for single persons aged over 66 to €600 per week and for a couple aged over 66 to €1,200 based on 2025 figures. [26653/26]

1935. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection the funding supports currently available to assist adults in full time employment who do not qualify for a medical card with the cost of hearing aids; the eligibility criteria and application pathways for such supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26664/26]

1936. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the case of a person (details supplied); if a person in such circumstances may be eligible for any additional supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26669/26]

1937. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection if there are any special exceptions under which a person under the age of 66 years-of-age, who is living with a medical condition that significantly restricts but does not limit their ability to drive, may qualify for a free travel pass; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26844/26]

1938. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide a schedule of all studies and reports commissioned by his Department in each of the years 2023, 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026, that were composed and delivered by third parties (details supplied); the title and final cost of same; and whether the report is published and or laid in the Houses of the Oireachtas.…

1939. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide a schedule of all studies and reports commissioned by him in each of the years 2023, 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026, that were composed and delivered by his officials; the title and final cost of same, if applicable; to provide a breakdown of where costs were incurred; and whether the report is published and or…

1940. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide the web link to his Department’s Q1 2026 published report of purchase orders/payments over €20,000, in line with the FOI model publication scheme requirements; to confirm the date on which this report was published; and, if it has not yet been published, to state the planned publication date. [26916/26]

1941. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an estimate of the total volume of data currently stored by or on behalf of the State by his Department in data centres in Ireland, data centres outside of Ireland but within the European Union, data centres outside of the European Union and data storage facilities within his own Department; and if he will make a statem…

1942. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the criteria for the fuel allowance for pensioners who have a partner or wife under 66 years of age but do not receive fuel allowance due to having income just above €310 per week but where both their incomes fall short of the €1,000 per week threshold for the allowance; and if he will make a statement on the mat…

326. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department will reconsider an additional emergency winter payment for disabled people due to the current war on Iran and subsequent oil crisis which is causing very significant increases in fuel prices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23242/26]

327. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection the per diem rate of payment for electricity allowance for the years 2010 to 2026, in tabular form; the way this rate is calculated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23147/26]

328. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider the concerns regarding the funding shortage of a charitable organisation raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23248/26]

329. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Social Protection the way in which an income of a second adult in a home where a person is in receipt of carer’s allowance is assessed even when they have no relationship with or provide financial support to the person being cared for; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23252/26]

330. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection the current means test thresholds eligibility for the fuel allowance of persons aged over 66 years; the thresholds applicable to a single person and a couple; whether his Department has undertaken any assessment of the appropriateness of these thresholds having regard to household heating costs and household composition; whether a…

331. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the first and full year cost of increasing the income threshold of the fuel allowance by 10%, 20% and 30% respectively, in tabular form; to provide an estimate of the number of applicants each threshold increase would incorporate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23365/26]

332. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of households in receipt of the fuel allowance as of March 2026, broken down by primary payment type, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23366/26]

333. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated number of additional households that will become eligible for the fuel allowance if the weekly means test thresholds were increased by 10%, 20% and 30%, broken down by the primary social welfare payment they are in receipt of, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23367/26]