Questions

739. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has concluded a review of means testing of social assistance schemes. [38861/26]

740. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is aware of the inability of some schools in County Clare and elsewhere, including a school (details supplied) to access school meals due to their geographical location; the measures he will take to ensure all pupils can access much needed school meals regardless of their location; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38930/26]

741. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection if decisions in relation to the heating supplement are or have ever been subject to an appeals process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38942/26]

742. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has conducted an assessment on the strain on the social welfare system from asylum-related arrivals from 2022 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38972/26]

743. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection the total expenditure on rent supplements and housing assistance payments for non-Irish nationals in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38974/26]

744. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether schools participating in the hot school meals scheme are required to retain written conflict-of-interest declarations from all persons involved in tender evaluation processes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39264/26]

745. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether unsuccessful suppliers under the hot school meals scheme have access to a formal procurement appeals or review mechanism; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39268/26]

746. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether the Office of Government Procurement was consulted in the design of the current hot school meals scheme procurement framework; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39269/26]

747. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether any minimum weighting is applied to nutritional quality, freshness, meal presentation or food standards within hot school meals scheme tender evaluations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39270/26]

748. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether schools participating in the hot school meals scheme are required to maintain records of all communications with suppliers during live procurement competitions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39271/26]

749. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps her Department is taking to modernise the labelling of social welfare schemes; if there are plans to rename the invalidity pension to a term that reflects inclusive language; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39329/26]

750. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of individuals currently transitioning from invalidity pension to the partial capacity benefit scheme; the average processing time for these applications; if his attention has been drawn to concerns regarding financial security during the medical assessment phase; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39330/26]

751. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection the upcoming funding opportunities available to a service (details supplied). [39430/26]

752. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection the savings or capital thresholds that apply to disability allowance and related supports for persons with lifelong disabilities; if parental savings for the future care of a disabled child can affect entitlement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39493/26]

753. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will intervene in the case of a school in County Clare (details supplied) which, owing to its peripheral location, is unable to procure a contractor to supply hot meals to their school under the school meals scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39510/26]

754. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider allowing S contributions count towards PRSI contributions for Illness Benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39519/26]

755. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection if his attention has been drawn to workers who temporarily leave the workforce due to unemployment, caring responsibilities, illness, or other life circumstances, and cannot access the PRSI treatment benefit scheme when they return to work, which can leave working people with many years of PRSI contributions losing access to support for dental bills…

756. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide an update on the Programme for Governments commitment to reform the disability allowance payment and remove anomalies in the current means test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39577/26]

757. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the means testing arrangements attached to disability allowance, particularly the assessment of a partner's income; whether consideration is being given to reforming the current system in light of concerns regarding financial autonomy, equality, independent living and the risk of financial dependency for disabled people; if he acknowl…

758. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Social Protection the work he is doing to reform the disability allowance means test including whether a partner's income should form part of this means test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39752/26]

759. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection if an otherwise valid ARP claim may be refused solely because his Department's internal “one-application-at-a-time” restriction prevented an applicant from submitting an ARP application that was attempted on 1 March 2026, in respect of a hosting arrangement that commenced on that same date which was prior to the legislative change that took effect on 3…

760. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department is entitled, in such circumstances, to treat the later date of receipt (arising only because the system blocked the earlier submission attempt) as the legally relevant date for determining eligibility under the amended ARP rules. [39874/26]

761. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection to examine an application for disability allowance submitted to his Department by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39921/26]

762. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection to clarify the rules around eligibility for fuel allowance while on long-term SWA; if an individual is eligible for fuel allowance if they are waiting for a decision on another payment whose application has been ongoing for two years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39948/26]

763. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider increasing the mandatory retirement age for firefighters from 62 years-of-age to the State pension age of 66; if any review of the current retirement age arrangements has been undertaken or is planned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40009/26]