Parliamentary questions

542. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures in place to support people with disabilities with the cost of living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69340/25]

543. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason paid contributions will not be considered for invalidity pension of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69374/25]

544. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Social Protection the supports available for self-employed people who are unable to work due to a life changing medical diagnosis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69437/25]

545. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the case of a person (details supplied); if the decision can be expedited due to the extended waiting time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69460/25]

546. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection to reverse or amend the decision to automatically tax carer’s allowance and carer’s benefit from January 2026, given the financial hardship this will cause for full-time carers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69543/25]

547. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has carried out a financial impact assessment of the planned automatic taxation of carer’s allowance and carer’s benefit from January 2026; if hardship protections or exemptions will be introduced for full-time carers on low incomes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69544/25]

548. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection the consultation which took place with carers’ representative groups before introducing automatic taxation of carer’s allowance and carer’s benefit; if he will consider suspending the measure pending meaningful consultation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69545/25]

549. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated revenue that will be raised by taxing carers’ payments; how this compares to the estimated savings made by the State as a result of unpaid care provided in the home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69546/25]

550. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of applications for redundancy payments in respect of the former employees of a hotel (details supplied); the reason for the ongoing delay in processing these claims, given that the required forms were submitted to the Department by the liquidators on 30 October 2025; the way in which his Department is addressing the fa…

551. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection if a teacher employed by the Department of Education and youth can access disability allowances if they are in receipt of illness related early pension payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69583/25]

552. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason the long-promised cost of disability payment has not been introduced in Budget 2026 despite Government-commissioned reports confirming annual extra costs of €10,651–€15,059 for disabled people; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69586/25]

553. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection whether he will introduce an emergency winter payment for people with disabilities to offset rising fuel and living costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69587/25]

554. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the way in which the €10 weekly increase in disability allowance and €5 in fuel allowance is considered adequate when they amount to less than a third of the supports withdrawn; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69588/25]

555. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will publish a comparative analysis of income supports for disabled households in 2025 versus 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69589/25]

556. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps he will take to ensure that disabled households are not disproportionately at risk of poverty and social exclusion as a result of Budget 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69590/25]

557. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department will confirm the pension contributions made by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69611/25]

558. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection if individuals have been signed up to a less valuable scheme than the auto-enrolment pension scheme, the measures that will be included in the regulations to protect them; and if the regulations will be retrospective. [69675/25]

559. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider providing funding directly to an organisation (details supplied). [69696/25]

560. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection in relation to pension auto-enrolment, the reason employees are being automatically enrolled before the public has full clarity on fees, risks, oversight, and long-term rules. [69723/25]

561. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection in relation to pension auto-enrolment, how workers can permanently opt out. [69724/25]

562. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection in relation to pension auto-enrolment, the guarantees in place that contribution rates will not rise again. [69725/25]

563. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection in relation to pension auto-enrolment, the reason employers are being threatened with fines and prosecution before full guidance is published. [69726/25]

564. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection in relation to pension auto-enrolment, the rationale as to why employees must accept a set contribution rate and a Government-assigned fund manager. [69727/25]

565. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection in relation to pension auto-enrolment, the rationale as to why savings remain in the fund even if someone opts out, stops contributing, or moves abroad. [69728/25]

566. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has concerns about aspects of the tendering process (details supplied) for the provision of free school meals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69754/25]