Parliamentary questions

141. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection whether consideration will be given to increasing the income threshold for eligibility to fuel allowance in line with increases received by pensioners in Budget 2026, as the increase could render some pensioners ineligible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62178/25]

142. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection whether he has any plans to adapt auto-enrolment to cater for self-employed people; if he has any plans to provide an alternative for them; if he will outline the options of unemployed people; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62186/25]

143. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is concerned at the impact that the abolition of the disability support grant in Budget 2026 will have on disabled people; the measures he will take to address this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59242/25]

144. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Social Protection the social welfare benefits his Department is currently providing to Ukrainian refugees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62252/25]

145. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has concerns about the quality of meals being provided under the hot school meals scheme; if he has concerns about the amount of food provided under the scheme being binned due to these issues; if he has engaged with meal providers regarding this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61450/25]

146. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of schools still waiting on the national roll out of the hot school meals programme; the communication her Department has had with providers of the hot school meals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59396/25]

147. Deputy Edward Timmins asked the Minister for Social Protection if there are plans to reintroduce Citizen Information offices in areas where they have been closed in recent years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62213/25]

148. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection the assessment his Department has done of the impact of the transition to the TCA for the State contributory pension across different income levels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62248/25]

149. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider excluding the working family payment from being reckonable for all means tested payments and services. [61673/25]

150. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the Programme for Government commitment to extend from six to 12 weeks the period of a social welfare payment following the death of a dependent; the social welfare payments that are being considered for such an extension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62260/25]

151. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Social Protection the action he is taking to support lone parents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62066/25]

152. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection his position on the process for self-employed people to gain access to jobseeker's allowance or benefit when their income declines or halts for extended periods of time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62249/25]

153. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection his proposed timeframe for abolishing the means test for carers allowance applicants. [62133/25]

154. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Social Protection when the Christmas social welfare bonus will be paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62026/25]

155. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection if he intends on updating the amount of time a person in receipt of disability allowance can spend outside the State within a year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62242/25]

156. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people who were initially refused the humanitarian assistance payment in response to storm Éowyn but were subsequently granted payment following appeal of his Department’s decision. [61982/25]

157. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection if he intends to make provision for enhanced representation of retired workers in relation to the administration of certain pension schemes, to enable the right of such organisations to be consulted through The Pensions Authority for retired workers payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62215/25]

346. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Social Protection whether funding exists to cover the cost for a deaf person who wishes to use an Irish sign language interpreter to engage with a TD or local elected official; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62313/25]

347. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide an update on the implementation of the cost of disability report recommendations, including any new measures being introduced in Budget 2026 to address the extra living costs faced by people with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62188/25]

348. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Social Protection the way in which those who fall outside the age and earning threshold of the My Future fund can opt in; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62297/25]

349. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Questions Nos.1151 and 1152 of 4 November 2025, to confirm that there is no strategic policy in place at Departmental level to bring down household costs and environmental impact of households benefitting from the additional needs payment for the purchase of white goods, by promoting the purchase of …

350. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection the provisions in Budget 2026 to address the cost of disability. [61904/25]

351. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will outline any plans to review and improve the financial and social supports available to foster carers, including measures relating to allowances, pension entitlements, and access to additional benefits such as the back to school clothing and footwear allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62409/25]

352. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection if his department has examined how existing maternity and illness benefit schemes could be extended or adapted to provide income support to workers who experience pregnancy loss; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62424/25]

353. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection whether the €10 million euro allocated towards the relaxation of the carer’s means test comes under €1,152 million for 'Key policy adjustments' or from the €390 million 'increase in pension and illness, disability, carers scheme recipients'; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62428/25]