Questions

389. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has examined the adequacy of income supports available to lone parents with dependent children who are unable to continue working due to a terminal or life-limiting illness; and if he will outline any proposals under consideration to prevent such families from experiencing a sharp reduction in income when transitioning from emp…

390. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Social Protection If his Department has assessed the impact of the 18.5-hour weekly employment limit for carer's allowance recipients on their ability to satisfy financial requirements under other Government schemes, including family reunification arrangements administered by the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration. [66480/26]

391. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the carer's allowance application of a person (details supplied). [66554/26]

392. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide a review of the jobseeker's pay-related benefit application of a person (details supplied). [66592/26]

393. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide a solution to a problem (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66643/26]

394. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Social Protection the total expenditure by his Department on ICT contractors and consultants in each of the past five years and to date in 2026; the number of ICT contractors currently engaged by the Department; the number of permanent civil servants currently employed in ICT roles; and if he will provide the information in tabular form. [66735/26]

395. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has conducted any analysis comparing the cost of ICT contractors with directly employed civil service ICT staff; if so, if he will provide a copy of that analysis, including the average comparative cost across ICT roles on an anonymised and aggregated basis, with individual contractor rates or commercially sensitive supplier i…

396. Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the application for a contributory State pension for a person (details supplied), which has been under consideration by his Department for many months. [66766/26]

397. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Social Protection with regard to the non-contributory State pension means assessment, the way in which a joint bank account is assessed in cases where the individuals in question are not married, civil partners or cohabiting. [66788/26]

398. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection whether he will undertake a comprehensive review of the financial and social protection supports available to family carers, including carer's allowance, carer's benefit and the carer's support grant, with particular consideration given to the interaction between caring responsibilities, employment, taxation and pension entitlements. [66791/26]

399. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection his Department's plans to establish equivalent structures (details supplied) to provide occupational pensioners with a collective voice in the governance of occupational pension schemes in the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66808/26]

400. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has examined the cost and feasibility of introducing a temporary employer PRSI rebate for recognised social enterprises in respect of employees earning below €44,000 per annum; whether such a rebate could be administered through Revenue's existing payroll infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66776/26]

401. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection to confirm that consideration would be given to including an increased income threshold in the Fuel Allowance for those with dependent children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66924/26]

402. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has assessed the extent to which recipients of Carer’s Allowance are experiencing financial hardship as a result of increases in essential household costs, including electricity, heating, food, insurance and housing; and the measures that are available specifically to support carers experiencing such hardship or will they be…

403. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department will further investigate the supplementary welfare allowance application of a person (details supplied) who has had no income for over six months. [66956/26]

404. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has examined the impact of the current fuel allowance means test on lone-parent households; if he acknowledges that, for applicants under 66 years-of-age, the means test applies a single-person income threshold regardless of the presence of dependent children in the household; and if he will consider introducing higher income disregards or …

405. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the case of a person; and if he will provide an update on the application. [67037/26]

406. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will provide an update on the application. [67035/26]

407. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection estimated additional annual cost of increasing fuel allowance by €20 per week for current recipients. [67030/26]

408. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full year cost of abolishing the waiting period of a year for fuel allowance for those on jobseeker's allowance. [67029/26]

409. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection estimated additional full-year cost of increasing fuel allowance by €20, extending the payment period to 32 weeks and extending eligibility to all pensioners and to all in receipt of the working family payment. [67027/26]

410. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Social Protection for his Department to engage with a school (details supplied) to roll out the School Meals Programme. [67010/26]

411. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding any plans or research that has been carried out into the merits of providing a family payment scheme that would allow one parent to work in the home and care for their children in cases whereby this would otherwise be impossible due to financial constraints. [66828/26]

412. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to allow workers enrolled in the National Auto Enrolment/My Future Fund pension scheme to make small additional personal contributions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67230/26]

413. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will urgently review the high rate of study visa refusals issued to Palestinian students from Gaza who have secured fully funded university scholarships at third-level institutions in Ireland; if his Department will establish an accelerated, fast-track process for processing these visa appeals before the 17 September 2026 deadl…