Questions

630. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason recipients of disablement benefit are excluded from eligibility for the cost of disability payment while recipients of other long-term disability payments are included; the rationale for this distinction; and if he will consider extending eligibility for the cost of disability payment to people in receipt of disablement benefit, many of whom…

631. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of the new cost of disability payment announced in Budget 2027; and to clarify whether pensioners who have a disability will be eligible for this payment. [74375/26]

632. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Social Protection the outline his Department's position regarding workers and their pension rights (details supplied). [74405/26]

633. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Social Protection whether the public consultation on pay-related parent’s benefit, which he committed to launching in autumn 2026, has commenced; if not, the date it will launch; and whether its scope will include extending a pay-related approach to maternity, paternity and adoptive benefits. [74027/26]

634. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Social Protection if former invalidity pension recipients who have since transferred to state pension contributory will qualify for the €500 cost of disability payment. [74316/26]

635. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount paid in supplementary welfare and exceptional needs payments to international protection applicants since 2020. [74287/26]

636. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of social welfare recipients residing outside the State while continuing to receive payments from his Department, by payment type. [74286/26]

637. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide the number of full-time equivalent staff within the climate action unit or division of his Department from 2020 to 2026 to date, broken down by year, in tabular form. [73982/26]

638. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Social Protection when his Department last reviewed its policies, operations and handling of protected disclosures under all relevant protected disclosures legislation. [74437/26]

639. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection the breakdown of the number of social protection claimants who were found to be resident abroad when their claims were detected or determined to be fraudulent or illegitimate; and the breakdown of the countries where these people were resident from 2020 to date, in tabular form. [74227/26]

640. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide a comprehensive update on the case of a person (details supplied), including the status of their illness benefit appeal; the reason for the period of backdating awarded; the status of their applications for supplementary welfare allowance supports; and the details of further avenues available to them within his Department. [74…

641. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of a person's application for Carer's Benefit (details supplied). [74055/26]

642. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will examine the financial disadvantage faced by retired CIÉ pensioners who pay USC on their occupational pensions but do not have access to a range of supports available to State pension recipients, including the living alone increase and certain medical and household benefits; whether he considers this equitable; and if he will consider introdu…

643. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason people who have private pensions cannot sign up for the MyFutureFund pension and therefore do not receive the same supports (details supplied). [74121/26]

644. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if his Department or Cuan collect data on the number of victims of domestic violence who leave their home; and if not, if there is a plan to collect this date in the future. [73473/26]

645. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he plans to meet with groups (details supplied) and other relevant stakeholders to discuss proposed civil legal aid reforms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73470/26]

646. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to detail the changes which will be made to the financial eligibility criteria for civil legal aid in line with the commitment contained in Budget 2027 to “reform the financial eligibility criteria for civil legal aid, including for increases to the income thresholds and the allowances provided for to assess an applicant’s means”; and …

647. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if a full review of the financial eligibility criteria for civil legal aid will be carried out as recommended in the civil legal aid review majority report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73468/26]

648. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if his commitment to implement “key civil legal aid reforms” will include the establishment of community law centres in areas of deprivation; if it will include the establishment of targeted law centres for groups which experience discrimination and disadvantage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73467/26]

649. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration further to Parliamentary Question No. 2293 on 7 September 2026, if he has received the necessary information from the Garda Authorities to answer this parliamentary question. [73396/26]

650. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the guidance and assistance provided by the National Cyber Security Centre to businesses that experience ransomware attacks or other significant cyber incidents; and the measures being taken to improve cyber resilience across the business sector. [73387/26]

651. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration following reported comments by an Taoiseach that there was “a breakdown between the university sector and the Department of Justice”, the steps he will take to deal with any such breakdown; the way in which he will rectify any negative impact it has had on Gaza students, to expedite their appeals before 15 October or the nearest p…

652. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the specific measures being undertaken by Cuan to support victim-survivors to remain safely in their homes following incidents of domestic violence; and if he will provide details of associated funding and programmes. [73427/26]

653. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department has completed an assessment of legislative changes required to enable An Garda Síochána to immediately remove alleged perpetrators from a home in high-risk domestic violence situations and if he will provide details of that assessment. [73425/26]

654. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration for an update on the rate of progress regarding the reduction in the number of Ukrainian beneficiaries of temporary protection in State-supported accommodation; the current total number of persons remaining in such accommodation; and whether the initial tranche and capacity of designated accommodation centres are projected to prov…