Parliamentary questions

1588. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection the interactions between targeted poverty payments and supports for families such as working family payment, child support payment and family leave benefits; the modelling undertaken of combined impacts on disposable income for families with children in or at risk of poverty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1911/26]

1589. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding any product or service purchased from Israel or the Occupied Territories by his Department in 2025, broken down by description and amount paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1988/26]

1590. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department, or any body under its aegis, has funded, or is funding, other than where legal costs were awarded against the employer by a court or tribunal, the legal costs of any current or concluded litigation taken by an employee or former employee against that Department or body, in each of the past five years; if so,…

1591. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection the basis on which his Department, or a body under its aegis, may fund the legal costs of an employee or former employee in litigation where that employee is in dispute with, or taking proceedings against, the same body; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2046/26]

1592. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection whether the funding of employee legal costs in disputes against his Department, or a body under its aegis, is standard practice; if not, the circumstances in which such funding may be permitted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2064/26]

1593. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline the guidance, codes, circulars or directions that govern the payment of legal costs by his Department, and bodies under its aegis, in employment-related disputes, including any requirements under the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies or Departmental sanction arrangements; and if he will make a statement…

1594. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection whether the funding of employee legal costs in litigation against the employing body could give rise to governance, accountability, or value for money concerns; whether his Department has issued any guidance in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2100/26]

1595. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has reviewed, or intends to review, the practice of Departments, and bodies under their aegis, funding legal costs in employment disputes involving those same bodies; and if so, the outcome or timeline for such a review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2118/26]

1596. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection whether arrangements to fund legal costs in employment disputes involving his Department, or bodies under its aegis, require the prior approval of his Department or the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2136/26]

1597. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection with regard to his responsibility for the General Register Office, when the digitisation of death registrations from 1864-1871 will be completed and made available online. [2174/26]

1598. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has been made aware of the challenges schools with fewer than 75 pupils face in securing school lunch providers (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2202/26]

1599. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department uses artificial intelligence tools for any graphic design or similar work in place of artists, designers or videographers; and if so, to outline which projects or units of the Department are affected. [2254/26]

1600. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection whether any agencies or other bodies under his remit are using artificial intelligence tools for any graphic design or similar work in place of artists, designers or videographers; and if so, to outline which projects or units of the organisation are affected. [2272/26]

1601. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide a list of the top ten capital or programme projects delivered by his Department or its agencies over the past three years which were completed on time and within the originally approved budget; the project name, location, delivery timeframe, original approved budget, final outturn cost and delivery body, for each proj…

1602. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Social Protection to detail the annual spend on external consultants by his Department and its agencies in each of the past three years; the number of consultancy contracts, the largest individual consultancy engagements by value, and whether internal capacity-building or cost-benefit assessments were undertaken prior to engaging external consult…

1603. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide a list, for each of the past three years, of the top ten projects per annum delivered by his Department or its agencies, which were completed late and over the originally approved budget; the project name, location, original approved completion date, actual completion date, original approved budget, final outturn cost…

1604. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the average processing times for each social protection payment, for the year 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2515/26]

1605. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the average processing times for social protection payment appeals, for the year 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2516/26]

1606. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection if the Government can reconcile the “Welfare Cheats Cheat Us All” campaign with an amnesty that forgives employer welfare fraud. [2904/26]

536. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection when the criteria for partial capacity benefit were last evaluated; if there are any plans for a review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73300/25]

537. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person’s (details supplied) working family payment claim will be reviewed, given that they are working in excess of 38 weeks per fortnight; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73325/25]

538. Deputy Máire Devine asked the Minister for Social Protection for assistance in relation to a rent supplement case (details supplied). [73344/25]

539. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures in place to ensure that it remains more financially rewarding for someone to take up full time employment rather than to remain on jobseeker’s allowance, with all the additional benefits (such as medical card, entitlement to HAP, and so on); how that is monitored within his Department and Government; and if he will mak…

540. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection when the carer's allowance payment and arrears will be issued to a person (details supplied) following successful appeal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73399/25]

541. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the way a particular welfare payment (details supplied) was calculated as regards furnishing social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73433/25]