Parliamentary questions

240. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Social Protection the supports and activation measures in place to enable and assist long-term welfare recipients to re-enter the workforce; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70561/25]

241. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated annual budget for NEARSA, for the administration and running of My Future Fund, along with a breakdown of estimated costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70654/25]

242. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection the total estimated cost of paying the Christmas bonus social welfare payments this year. [70655/25]

243. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated demographics of people who are expected to participate in the auto-enrolment scheme, to include details of age, sector of employment, income levels, geographic location, and so on, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70656/25]

244. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will give due consideration to changing the current discriminatory practice which grants a half rate of carer’s allowance to recipients of maternity benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70681/25]

245. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will urgently reconsider the decision not to recognise Covid-19 as an occupational illness; to outline in detail the reason Ireland remains an outlier in the European Union, as one of only two Member States that does not formally recognise Covid-19 as an occupational illness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [707…

246. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection when the pension increase to retired An Post pensioners, which is backdated from January 2025 will be paid after agreeing the increase in September 2025. [70812/25]

247. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a full-time student (details supplied) is not entitled to any financial assistance when completing their Trinity College access programme. [70850/25]

248. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) who was born in Belfast is having issues with their habitual residence condition which has resulted in them being unable to apply for any financial assistance. [70851/25]

526. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide his Department’s assessment of the projected poverty risk for households headed by a person with a disability in 2026; the way in which this compares with 2025; and if internal modelling showed a higher poverty risk following the withdrawal of once off supports. [69174/25]

527. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection whether he accepts that the absence of the cost of disability payment represents a policy inconsistency given repeated commitments to its introduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69593/25]

528. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection whether he accepts that the absence of the cost of disability payment represents a policy inconsistency given repeated commitments to its introduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69593/25]

529. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if he accepts that the withdrawal of once-off supports provided in Budget 2025 leaves disabled households substantially worse off in 2026; the measures he will take to address this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69594/25]

530. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the budgetary rationale for removing once-off supports without providing equivalent permanent measures for disabled people; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69596/25]

531. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department will provide assistance to person (details supplied) who is on a stamp 4 visa; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70151/25]

532. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the way in which carer's allowance and disability allowance will be taxed from 1 January 2026 onwards; the differences which will be between tax procedures in 2025 and 2026; the impact this will have on welfare recipients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69130/25]

533. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection the way in which the means from farm income are assessed for a State pension (non-contributory) in respect of a person that is nearly 90 years-of-age and whose son farms their land in return for being allowed retain all farm income, including agriculture grants in lieu of their labour, thus ensuring that this land is being put to p…

534. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the net change in income in 2026 compared with 2025 for a single adult on disability allowance living alone, taking account of the withdrawal of once off supports in Budget 2025 including the €400 disability cost-of-living payment, the €300 fuel lump sum, the €300 living alone lump sum, the €200 electricity credits and the double wee…

535. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide a detailed assessment of the fiscal implications of reintroducing a once-off winter support for persons with disabilities in 2026, including the projected cost of a €300 payment, a €400 payment and a €500 payment; and if his Department has carried out any analysis of the additional energy and living costs faced by disabled…

536. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the net change in income in 2026 compared with 2025 for a single adult on disability allowance living alone, taking account of the withdrawal of once off supports in Budget 2025 including the €400 disability cost-of-living payment, the €300 fuel lump sum, the €300 living alone lump sum, the €200 electricity credits and the double wee…

537. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide a detailed assessment of the fiscal implications of reintroducing a once off winter support for persons with disabilities in 2026, including the projected cost of a €300 payment, a €400 payment and a €500 payment; and if his Department has carried out any analysis of the additional energy and living costs faced by disabled…

538. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection to detail his Department’s inflation adjusted estimate of the annual extra cost of disability in 2026, referencing the cost of disability study (details supplied) and any updated modelling carried out by her Department since 2020; and the way in which these figures informed the design of Budget 2026. [69172/25]

539. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection his Department’s projected expenditure in 2026 on disability allowance, invalidity pension, blind pension, domiciliary care allowance and carer’s allowance. [69176/25]

540. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of restoring all once off supports paid to disabled people in 2025 for one further year, itemised by each support including the disability cost-of-living payment, the fuel lump sum, the living alone lump sum, electricity credits and double week bonuses. [69177/25]

541. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection if his attention has been drawn to the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69200/25]