Parliamentary questions

686. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of employers, employees and average number of weekly WSS hours claimed for each individual strand 2 category, based on the number of disabled employees employed, for both 2024 and 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3482/26]

687. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection if his attention has been drawn to the work of a college (details supplied); if he will facilitate a meeting with the management to discuss their concerns related to the wage subsidy scheme and the way in which it is applied in their case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3603/26]

688. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection if his attention has been drawn to the letter received by an organisation (details supplied); the actions he will take to address their concerns related to the wage subsidy scheme and the way in which it is applied in their case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3604/26]

689. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding a review of the wage subsidy scheme that will allow for greater flexibility in the way in which it is applied by charitable organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3605/26]

690. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the humanitarian assistance scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3606/26]

691. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Social Protection to list the roles within public or semi-State organisations under his Department that are excluded from the single public service pension scheme; the number of people employed in those roles, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3625/26]

692. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will re-examine the national guidelines in relation to exceptional needs payments for household furnishings, appliances and equipment (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3709/26]

693. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Social Protection if disability allowance payments will be reinstated for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3712/26]

694. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection if his officials have planned for inactive My Future Fund accounts exceeding the number of active accounts; his views on whether the administrative costs associated with such inactive accounts will be absorbed by the flat fee applied only to active accounts, given that such costs are not dependent on fund size and will not b…

695. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans for the treatment of My Future Fund accounts held by people who have left Ireland never to return; if he intends to follow the Australian approach of allowing such departing members to encash their fund pots upon leaving the State so as to mitigate the long-term administrative burden of maintaining inactive account…

696. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider changing the maximum hours a person can work (currently 18.5 hours per week) when qualifying for carer's allowance (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3742/26]

697. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection in relation to regulations he signed on 23 December to exempt employees from auto-enrolment who are members of occupational pension schemes that are funded by their employers outside of payroll contributions, if he will outline which staff from which sectors this concerns; or if he will provide a sample of professions and sectors w…

698. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an up-to-date contact list for queries from Oireachtas members to agencies under his Department, in tabular form. [3879/26]

699. Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the case of an older woman in Dublin 11 (details supplied) who has been without heating for many months; if he will respond to the details of the case; to outline the steps that will be taken to assist the woman in question and the additional supports available to her; and if he will make a statement on the matter. …

700. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of families who have benefited from the new baby grant, broken down by county for 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4002/26]

701. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of schools in Carlow that have applied for the school meals scheme for the 2025-2026 academic year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4003/26]

702. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of schools in Kilkenny that have applied for the school meals scheme for the 2025-2026 academic year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4004/26]

703. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection if travel expenses such as an employee's mileage is taken into account when being assessed for carer's allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4043/26]

704. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of vacancies at each grade of higher executive officer and above within his Department as of 12 January 2026, in tabular form. [4182/26]

705. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will clarify whether personal data held by his Department and its customer facing sections is subject to processing by artificial intelligence tools (details supplied). [4302/26]

706. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he and or his officials have conducted a data protection impact assessment with regards to the use of artificial intelligence tools, and, if so, the dates on which this assessment was conducted. [4307/26]

1. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection to quantify the material impact of the withdrawal of energy credits and the decrease in the real value of the fuel allowance has had on the at risk of poverty after housing costs rate and on the material deprivation rate, specifically in households at highest risk of poverty; if he has given consideration to a cost of living packag…

2. Deputy Seamus Healy asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to introduce, as promised, a weekly cost-of-disability payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3197/26]

3. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the roll-out of auto-enrolment; specifically for an update on his engagement with other Departments as regards the roll-out of auto-enrolment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2823/26]

4. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on meetings between his Department and disabled persons’ organisations regarding the proposed cost-of-disability payment; to provide a timeline for its introduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3294/26]