Questions

143. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to give an update on the work his Department is undertaking to address the scourge of vacant properties (details supplied); if demands will be put on property owners to use it or lose it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44506/26]

144. Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether delays in approvals under the mortgage to rent scheme and CALF have been attributed in whole or in part to the operation and/or full implementation of the DION system; if so, whether his Department is taking specific steps to remedy such delays; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44529/26]

145. Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of approval letters issued under the mortgage to rent scheme and CALF in each of the past three years; the average time from application to approval in each year, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44530/26]

146. Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the timeline for full rollout of the DION system; the date from which all CALF applications will be required to be processed exclusively through DION; whether contingency arrangements exist in the event of continued system issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44531/26]

147. Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage whether his Department has assessed the impact of DION-related delays on delivery of social housing units, including those under mortgage to rent and CALF; the estimated number of units delayed as a result; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44532/26]

148. Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the engagement undertaken with approved housing bodies and other social housing providers in relation to the operation of the DION system; the number of complaints or formal representations received; the actions taken in response; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44533/26]

149. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection the specific measures that are currently in place to support and incentivise employers to recruit and retain persons with disabilities; whether any new initiatives are being considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44601/26]

150. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for the carer’s support grant and carer’s allowance currently awaiting decision; the average processing time for each scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44223/26]

151. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline work undertaken by his Department in regard to examining the age at which domiciliary care allowance ends; whether his Department would consider increasing the age from 16 to 18; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44231/26]

152. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection the legal and administrative basis for the requirement that recipients of carer’s allowance notify his Department of short absences from the State; if his Department has assessed the necessity and effectiveness of this requirement in the administration of the scheme; whether any review of the requirement is planned; and if he will make a statement…

153. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection if the requirement for recipients of carer’s allowance to notify his Department of short absences from the State applies to travel within the island of Ireland, including cross-Border journeys; whether the requirement has been applied in such circumstances; whether any review of the requirement is under consideration; and if he will make a stateme…

154. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection whether her Department has conducted any analysis of the potential implications of artificial intelligence-related job displacement for income supports, activation programmes and labour market participation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44279/26]

155. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection to examine and assist with a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44283/26]

156. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of recipients of the working family payment in each of the past five years; the average payment awarded; and whether his Department has assessed barriers to uptake among eligible households. [44352/26]

157. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection to confirm if NAERSA will accept a voluntary opt-in to autoenrollment backdated to 1 January 2026 for a person (details supplied) when said employee had signalled a willingness to opt-in in advance of 1 January 2026 but it was a number of months into 2026 before their employer signed them up to MyFutureFund. [44384/26]

158. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Social Protection if, in advance of Budget 2027, he will review the means assessment for the increased rate of pension to ensure that savings held on deposit are not treated as income; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44527/26]

159. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is satisfied that the data-sharing and data-processing provisions contained in the general scheme of the Social Welfare and Other Matters Bill 2026, comply with the principles of necessity and proportionality under the GDPR and constitutional privacy protections; whether a detailed assessment or justification has been undertaken in respect of the…

160. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is satisfied that the proposed legislation in the general scheme of Social Welfare and Other Matters Bill 2026 provides sufficient transparency to social welfare recipients regarding how their personal data may be collected, shared, cross-checked, profiled or otherwise processed across State bodies; what measures are proposed to prevent "function…

161. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection the assessment that has been undertaken of international experiences where automated decision-making systems, welfare analytics or fraud detection technologies resulted in wrongful suspensions, incorrect overpayments, or discriminatory outcomes; whether consideration has been given to the potential for algorithmic bias or indirect discrimination arisin…

162. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is satisfied that the current oversight framework provides the Data Protection Commission with sufficient statutory powers and resources to effectively monitor compliance with large-scale interdepartmental welfare data-sharing arrangements; the way in which the Government intends to balance the legitimate objective of tackling welfare fraud with …

163. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection the latest data from the Central Statistics Office on trends in income inequality and poverty over the past decade; if the Gini coefficient has fallen from 32 to 27 between 2014 and 2024; whether the income quintile share ratio has declined over the same period; the changes in the at-risk-of-poverty rate and the consistent poverty rate since 2014; the …

164. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps his Department is taking to ensure that employees and employers fully understand their obligations and entitlements under the new auto-enrolment pension scheme in advance of the opt-out window coming into effect; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44598/26]

165. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of persons who were unable to access emergency domestic violence accommodation due to capacity constraints in each of the past three years; and his views on plans to increase refuge capacity. [44275/26]

166. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of Garda stations that are not currently open on a full-time basis; the operating hours of each such station. [44224/26]

167. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the reasons for the delay in processing family reunification applications; if he is aware of the increasing frustration among the working immigrant community in Ireland at the seemingly endless and increasing delays, the lack of regular and accurate updates on processing times, more transparent communication with applicants; and …