Parliamentary questions

411. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the average actual cost per client referred to the National Employment Service and Local Area Employment Services in each of the years 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026; the average cost per client classified as a beneficiary of temporary protection; and the average cost per client not so classified. [15835/26]

412. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether the contractual payment structure for providers under the National Employment Service and Local Area Employment Services differs in respect of beneficiaries of temporary protection compared to other clients; whether payment triggers, milestone payments or outcome payments vary by cohort; and if he will provide details of same…

413. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has estimated the reduction in welfare expenditure arising from beneficiaries of temporary protection securing sustained employment through the National Employment Service or Local Area Employment Services; the estimated increase in income tax and PRSI receipts attributable to such employment; and whether any c…

414. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the average duration in receipt of a jobseeker’s payment prior to referral to contracted employment services for beneficiaries of temporary protection; the equivalent duration for all other jobseekers; and whether any differential activation pathway applies. [15838/26]

415. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether additional supports, including English language training, translation assistance or tailored integration measures, are funded within the National Employment Service and Local Area Employment Services in respect of beneficiaries of temporary protection; and the total cost of such supports since 2022 [15839/26]

416. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether any formal review, audit, performance evaluation or value-for-money assessment has been undertaken since 2022 in respect of referrals of beneficiaries of temporary protection to contracted employment services; and if he will provide the title and completion date of any such review. [15840/26]

417. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Social Protection if a nutritionist has been appointed to oversee the school hot meals scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15949/26]

418. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider awarding domiciliary care allowance to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16087/26]

419. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the first and full year cost of a €100 lump sum payment to all recipients of the disability allowance; blind pension: invalidity pension; domiciliary care allowance; disablement benefit; incapacity supplement; illness benefit, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16166/26]

420. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the first year and full year cost of a €100 lump sum to all recipients of the working family payment. [16167/26]

421. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Social Protection the supports being put in place for those who may lose their jobs at a company (details supplied) following the announcement of significant job losses [16821/26]

164. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review correspondence (details supplied) and address the question referred therein; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15210/26]

165. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures he will take to address concerns regarding cross contamination making school meals unsuitable for coeliac children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15224/26]

166. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide details of all occasions in which he or his predecessors exercised the power conferred on them under Section 15(3) of the Climate Action & Low Carbon Development Act (2015), which states that ‘the relevant Minister may, from time to time, give a direction to a relevant body requiring it to adopt such measures as are s…

167. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of the fuel allowance; the number of applications for fuel allowance; the number of refusals for the fuel allowance over the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15279/26]

168. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding any product or services purchased from Canada by his Department in 2025, broken down by description and amount paid. [15337/26]

169. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider additional funding for Citizens Information Services so they can hire additional staff to meet the significant unmet demand for the service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15354/26]

170. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection to intervene to ensure that no individuals are penalised as a result of a partner being granted the basic income for the artists (details supplied) for instance by causing a disqualification for disability allowance [15372/26]

171. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection if stamps from taxable employment earned under employment by Posts and Telegraph, then Eir, that class D stamp can be looked at in retirement, to qualify for optical and dental treatments. [15381/26]

172. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of employers and employees, who have benefited from the wage subsidy scheme to support employment of those with disabilities for each year from 2016 to 2025 inclusive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15504/26]

173. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Social Protection to set out the policy in his Department regarding the use of artificial intelligence; whether AI is used or permitted in drawing up policy documents, speeches, answers to parliamentary questions, press releases or for other official documents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15625/26]

174. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the legal classification of payments made to athletes under the international carding scheme administered by Sport Ireland; whether such payments are treated as employment income, self-employment income, or non-insurable grants for the purposes of PRSI and social insurance legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. […

175. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether athletes in receipt of the international carding scheme funding are regarded as employees of Sport Ireland or of the State for any statutory purpose; whether any employer PRSI contributions are paid in respect of such athletes; the PRSI class, if any, applied to those in receipt of funding; and if he will make a statement on …

176. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether athletes entering the international carding scheme are formally advised that participation does not give rise to insurable employment contributions for the purposes of jobseeker’s benefit, illness benefit or the State contributory pension; whether written guidance is provided on the long-term social insurance implications of …

177. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has undertaken any review, legal opinion, actuarial assessment or policy analysis since 2015 regarding the social insurance status of athletes supported under the international carding scheme; the dates of any such reviews; and whether he intends to initiate a review of social protection coverage for elite athl…