Parliamentary questions

1173. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the funding of a training course for a person (details supplied) by her Department and Turas Nua. [18857/26]

1174. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on a disability allowance appeal for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18869/26]

1175. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the total anticipated costs associated with his foreign travel for St Patricks Day; the delegation size; and if a breakdown can be provided on these costs including on accommodation and flights. [18899/26]

1176. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of family carers who have benefitted under the long term carers contribution scheme ensuring a full State pension for them, in each of the years since it was introduced, in tabular form. [19007/26]

1177. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people who received maternity benefit, paternity benefit and parent’s leave and benefit in 2025, in tabular form. [19008/26]

1178. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to link maternity benefit, paternity benefit and parent’s leave and benefit to wages, as has been done with jobseeker’s benefit. [19009/26]

1179. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on the adequacy of the level of PRSI cover for hearing aids; if he will engage with the Minister for Finance in this regard in the context of future budgetary negotiations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19266/26]

1180. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on the adequacy of the level of PRSI cover for hearing aids; if he will engage with the Minister for Health in this regard in the context of future budgetary negotiations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19267/26]

1181. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on the adequacy of financial support available for people that require hearing aids but do not have a medical card; if this is under review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19268/26]

1182. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to increase financial supports available for individuals in need of hearing aids; if he will consider increasing the level of support available under the treatment benefit scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19285/26]

1183. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of hot school meals that met each of the five basic nutritional values and none, that were assessed in the overall assessment of 400 school meals commissioned by his Department, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19299/26]

1184. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to provide increased funding to the Citizens Information Board to support the expansion of their citizen information services in Budget 2027; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19302/26]

1185. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide a county-by-county breakdown of the number of children availing of the Hot School Meals Programme this academic year, in tabular form. [19333/26]

1186. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Social Protection for the status of a domiciliary care allowance appeal for a person (details supplied), in view of additional extensive care that the applicant requires; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19405/26]

1187. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection whether he will increase the supports for those in need of hearing aids in line with increased cost of those aids (details supplied). [19429/26]

1188. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department or any body under it’s aegis made a disclosure under Revenue's recent disclosure opportunity to regularise misclassification of self-employment; if so, to provide details of the numbers of workers affected and the amount paid to Revenue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19504/26]

1189. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the details of the support schemes for the purchase of hearing aids; the change in that scheme for each of the years 2019, 2022 and 2026, the number of people covered by the scheme in each of those years; and to set out the data that the Department collected on the cost charged by private providers of hearing aids. [19586/26]

1190. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration has been given to reclassifying maternity credits as paid contributions for the purposes of treatment benefit eligibility; if he will respond to matters raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19613/26]

1191. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration has been given to reclassifying maternity credits as paid contributions for the purposes of treatment benefit eligibility; if he will respond to matters raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19614/26]

1192. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the case of a person (details supplied); if he will provide an update on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19638/26]

1193. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the correspondence (details supplied) regarding the eligibility for carer's allowance; if his Department has any plans to review the current 18.5 hour weekly work limit for recipients of carer's allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19654/26]

1194. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons that his officials have determined to date that must return pandemic unemployment payments (PUP); the totality of PUP that had been paid to persons; the total amount his Department is seeking to recover; the amount recovered to date; the number of enforcement actions his Department has engaged in to recover …

1195. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will clarify whether his Department uses debt collection agencies to recover social protection payments that were overpaid or paid in error; if he will provide a schedule of agencies or companies his Department has used in 2023, 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026 to recover payments; and the amount realised from this activity v…

1196. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection the payment entitlements for a person who is currently on disability allowance and will reach 65 years-of-age this year in view of the fact that the State Pension (Non Contributory) applies to people over 66 years of age; the payment which the person is entitled to in the intervening year; and if he will make a statement on the mat…

1197. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review correspondence (details supplied) regarding a carers allowance application; if he will provide an update on the application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19801/26]