Parliamentary questions

591. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason an application from a college (details supplied) for funding towards a breakfast club for the current academic year was denied; if this decision will be revisited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66169/25]

592. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application for illness benefit and separately supplementary welfare allowance in the name of a person (details supplied). [65258/25]

593. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Social Protection to consider changing the eligibility criteria for fuel allowance given the increasing numbers of adults living at home, where a single pensioner (details supplied) who lives alone falls well below the income threshold and is eligible for the payment, however if they have an adult child living with them no matter their income the…

594. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Social Protection the options available for a person (details supplied) who is unable to return to their job, due to injury, and has had their back to education payments revoked; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65435/25]

595. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Social Protection the process for service users applying to both the PRSI wig grant and the HSE grant wig allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65473/25]

596. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection when a number of schools (details supplied) will receive notice that they have received sanction under the school meals programme. [65537/25]

597. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection when an applicant (details supplied) will expect to hear from his Department regarding a review of their entitlement to the State pension (contributory) and their desire to switch back to a contributory pension. [65538/25]

598. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Social Protection to examine the case of a person (details supplied) who has since been advised that they are set to lose the free travel pass; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65573/25]

599. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 370 of 26 September 2023, No. 465 of 11 June 2024 and No. 1175 of 4 November 2025, to address the information given in to the earlier questions which showed totals of 26,733 and 20,287 people respectively; whether it is in fact possible that this number could have since fallen to just 231 as stat…

600. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons on jobseeker's benefit in each of the past five years, in tabular form. [65698/25]

601. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on issues around State support for a person (details supplied). [66012/25]

602. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount his Department spent on State pension contributory and disability allowance payments for the month of October 2025; and if he will provide the same figures for October 2023 and October 2024, in tabular form. [65882/25]

603. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on whether the way in which a person was treated (details supplied) was fair; if he will have this matter investigated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65899/25]

604. Deputy Maeve O'Connell asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has conducted any analysis of how divorce or separations affect dependency entitlements for parents who are in receipt of welfare payments. [65967/25]

605. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection to confirm whether payments from catastrophic injury claims from the HSE would be included on the means test for carer’s allowance; if so, how this is calculated as per the means test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65971/25]

606. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of former secretary general’s, retired civil servants, directors of service, retired city/county managers or those of a similar grade in his Department that have subsequently served on State boards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66009/25]

607. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount his Department and any body under his aegis have spent on the services of a company (details supplied), by year and organisation in the years 2020 to 1 November 2025, in tabular form. [66086/25]

608. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount his Department and any body under his aegis have spent on the services of a company (details supplied), by year and organisation in the years 2020 to 1 November 2025, in tabular form. [66104/25]

609. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications made for domiciliary care allowance in Cork to date in 2025; the number refused; and the number subsequently approved on appeal. [66233/25]

610. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for carer’s allowance in Cork in 2025 refused because of income above the means test threshold. [66234/25]

611. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of urgent needs applications received, by category, to date in 2025; the number approved; and the average processing time. [66235/25]

612. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons who have claimed the benefit payment for 65-years-olds, in each of the past five years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66257/25]

613. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide the Department’s annual expenditure on State Claims Agency costs for the years 2020–2025. [66367/25]

498. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection if the maximum rents payable under the rent supplement scheme have remained unchanged since October 2019; his views that rents have risen substantially, by almost 40% in cities and commuter belts, to date; if he will revise maximum rents to reflect current rents and commit to a regular review given the consistent upward traj…

499. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department will consider an increase in the income threshold for participants on the farm assist scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65010/25]