Parliamentary questions

671. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of Irish diaspora groups, including but not limited to sporting and cultural organisations, as well as emigrant organisations he and Ministers of State in his Department met for the St. Patrick's Day engagements overseas this year. [21927/26]

672. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of businesses and business representative organisations he and State Ministers of State in his Department met for the St. Patrick's Day engagements overseas this year. [21945/26]

673. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Social Protection the value of trade and tourism respectively, between Ireland and the states visited by him and by Ministers of State in his Department for the St Patrick's Day engagements overseas this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21963/26]

674. 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. [21987/26]

675. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection to introduce as a matter of urgency cost of living measures (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22005/26]

676. Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of WTE medical assessors employed by his Department as of 16 March 2026; the number that were employed as of 1 April 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22162/26]

677. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection to reply to correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22232/26]

678. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people who have received a disablement payment in respect of a disablement (details supplied) since payments were first made in respect of this disablement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22234/26]

349. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Social Protection whether there is any difference between statutory parental leave and parental leave within the Civil Service/semi-State bodies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20986/26]

350. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide the turnaround times for medical review and assessments for social welfare applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21011/26]

351. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide a detailed explanation, in light of recently released CSO figures, of the actions his Government is taking to reduce the poverty rate, and at risk poverty rate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21266/26]

352. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection further to the issuing of contributions under the homemakers scheme for a person (details supplied), if there is entitlement to any payment under the contributory pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21347/26]

353. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to extend paternity leave to at least eight weeks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21374/26]

1136. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is aware of cases in which individuals with hearing impairments are being quoted over €5,000 for new hearing aids; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19284/26]

1137. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection to review the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20595/26]

1138. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection the reasons a qualified adult allowance for a person (details supplied) has been reduced; the options that are available to the pensioner at this time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18265/26]

1139. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection whether he will recognise long-Covid as an occupational illness for healthcare workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18289/26]

1140. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the case of a person (details supplied) whose application for a free vision test was refused; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18340/26]

1141. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the basis upon which the Office of the Registrar General requires the production of a third party’s birth certificate in order to recognise a foreign divorce for the purposes of a proposed marriage in the State; whether alternative forms of evidence of domicile at the time of divorce (including court pleadings, final judgments of…

1142. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of people in receipt of carer’s allowance for each of the years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18375/26]

1143. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of carer’s allowance reviews carried out in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18376/26]

1144. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the position in relation to reviews of carer’s allowance carried out in 2026; specifically if a carer is reviewed and is slightly over the current income limits but will be under the new income limits for carer’s allowance which take effect in July will their payment be impacted or will the Department apply some discretion in t…

1145. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection in relation to the recently-launched survey on the cost of disability, if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there is no large print version of the guidance document; if he is aware that the ‘easy read’ version is not suitable for those who need large print; that it is inaccessible to those with neurological issues; t…

1146. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason people in receipt of disability allowance, unlike people in receipt of invalidity pension, do not automatically transition to the State pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18412/26]

1147. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection to review the case of a person (details supplied) in relation to overpayments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18433/26]