Questions

508. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department records the reasons for which exceptional needs payments and other community welfare service grants are awarded; whether these records identify grants provided to individuals or families who have had to leave their home due to domestic violence; if so, the number and total value of such grants provided in each of the past five …

509. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection whether he has considered extending eligibility for the working family payment to self-employed workers insured under PRSI Class S who satisfy the income thresholds applicable to the scheme; whether any proposals to amend the qualifying conditions are under consideration as part of future social protection policy or budgetary discussions; and if he w…

510. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has undertaken, or plans to undertake, any review of the exclusion of self-employed workers insured under PRSI Class S, including directors of small family-run businesses, from eligibility for the working family payment; whether any assessment has been carried out of the impact of this exclusion on low-income self-employed fami…

511. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications received, the number of appeals submitted, the number of those appeals that were successful, the number of recipients, the number of beneficiaries for the latest quarterly data, in schemes (details supplied), in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51076/26]

512. Deputy Peter Roche asked the Minister for Social Protection if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the €18,000 postgraduate stipend disregard used in disability allowance assessments has not kept pace with current PhD funding levels given that many publicly funded PhD stipends are now €22,000 per annum or higher (details supplied); whether he will raise this issue with the Minister for Social Protectio…

513. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of households nationally that have a TV Licence exemption and do not have to purchase one, per month, from January 2020 to date, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51218/26]

514. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing all headline weekly social protection payment to €350, €400, and €450 per week, excluding disability allowance, invalidity pension, partial capacity, disablement pension and blind person’s pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51270/26]

515. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing disability, blind pensions and invalidity pension to €400, €450, and €500 per week; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51271/26]

516. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of lowering the pension age to 65 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51272/26]

517. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing child benefit by 10% and extending payment to all children aged 18 years or under, including those in the international protection process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51273/26]

518. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing qualified child rates by €6 for children under 12 and €15 for children 12; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51274/26]

519. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of providing free school meals for all post-primary school pupils in public schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51282/26]

520. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year revenue that would be generated by increasing the 11.05% employers PRSI rate to 13.05% on salaries paid below €90,000 per year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51283/26]

521. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year revenue that would be generated by establishing a new employer PRSI rate of 19.75% on any salaries paid over €90,000 per year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51284/26]

522. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications received for a gender recognition certificate under Section 13 of the Gender Recognition Act 2015; the number of such certificates issued; the number of such certificates revoked by him under Section 14 of the Act; the number of applications made to him for revocations of such certificates under Section 15 of the Act; and the …

523. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the most recent numbers available for persons in receipt of a disability-contingent payment, both those in work and out of work; the percentage of this group that are in receipt of disability allowance, invalidity pension, blind pension and partial capacity benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51364/26]

524. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection the policy rationale for excluding the self-employed statutory sick PRSI and illness benefit, given that self-employed PRSI Class S contributors pay into the social insurance fund but cannot access short term income supports when ill; whether the Government intends to introduce a sick pay scheme or amend illness benefit eligibility for the self-emplo…

525. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide the web link to his Department’s Q2 2026 published report of purchase orders/payments over €20,000, in line with the FOI model publication scheme requirements; to confirm the date on which this report was published; and, if it has not yet been published, the planned publication date. [51571/26]

526. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection if there is an update on a non-contributory pension review on behalf of a constituent (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51621/26]

527. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Social Protection the names of external security companies that provide security personnel to INTREO offices in the year 2025 and to-date in 2026; the amount that his Department has paid such companies for this work; when the contract to provide this service is next due for renewal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51714/26]

528. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection the total cost of engagement with a company (details supplied) in each of the years 2020 to 2025, across his Department, by project, year and value; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51774/26]

529. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection the total cost of engagement with a company (details supplied) in each of the years 2020 to 2025, across his Department, by project, year and value; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51792/26]

530. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection the total cost of engagement with a company (details supplied) in each of the years 2020 to 2025, across his Department, by project, year and value; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51810/26]

531. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection to consider extending the DCA payment to 18 years of age. [51827/26]

532. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department is currently considering increasing the income disregard limit for Carer’s Allowance for couples; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51843/26]