Social Welfare Benefits

421. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people who will receive an increase in their carer's allowance payment when the changes to the means test takes effect in July 2025, by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50466/25]

422. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of families who have benefitted from the newborn baby grant since it was introduced, by county; if he has any plans to review the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50467/25]

300. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider allowing those on primary social welfare payments, such as disability allowance, to receive half rate payments on bereaved partners pension, or vice versa; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49498/25]

999. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an update on the engagement there has been with foster carers to deliver on their requests regarding the foster care allowance, pension issues and so on; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47564/25]

541. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Finance the status of any plans to recategorise carer's allowance such that it is no longer taxable or reckonable as income for the purposes of means assessment. [46184/25]

1322. Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher asked the Minister for Social Protection if it can be ensured that those in receipt of disability allowance and attached benefits (details supplied) are not penalised if accepted onto the proposed Budget 2026 full rollout of the basic income for the arts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47260/25]

1325. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number or persons in receipt of jobseeker's allowance for more than 12 months; the number of those who have engaged on a training course or community employment scheme; the number who have not engaged on a training course or community employment scheme; and his views on job activation measures being undertaken for those…

1331. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Social Protection if a process will be considered where seasonal workers can apply for jobseeker’s benefit in advance of being laid off for the summer (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44732/25]

1373. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated first-year and full-year cost of two double monthly child benefit payments. [45874/25]

1398. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection if the universal over 70s companion pass will come into effect on 1 September 2025; if all persons over 70 years have now been contacted and supplied with their companion pass; the breakdown of the number of people who will benefit from this measure, by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46536/25]

1416. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason illness benefit for a five-week period ending on 23 July 2025 has been refused for an individual (details supplied), even though this individual was self-isolating due to Covid during that period and did not consult a doctor as she self-diagnosed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47067/25]

1441. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of households in Dublin Bay North in receipt of the fuel allowance in 2023 and 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47481/25]

1762. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons who applied for job seeker's allowance or job seeker's benefit who listed their previous employment as farming in each of the past ten years and to date in 2025. [41148/25]

1828. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection for consideration on providing free travel for all means tested social welfare recipients, to promote the use of public transport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42367/25]

1866. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the current cost of the free travel scheme; the number of participants; the projected cost of introducing free travel to students namely those aged 18 to 24 who hold a PSC card; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44027/25]

1867. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the dates the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowances will be paid; the additional cost in a full year to increase each rate by €100; the estimated amount it would cost to extend it to foster carers allowance; the additional cost to provide the current payment to all school going children; and if he will make a statement on th…

1869. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of expanding eligibility for fuel allowance to all those on the working family payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44030/25]

1893. Deputy Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason the new pay-related benefit for a person out of work (details supplied) does not account for dependants; the reason a single person can get the same as a family of four; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44237/25]

1894. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of fuel allowance applications rejected in Cork to date in 2025. [44314/25]

425. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will clarify the entitlement of part-time school wardens to jobseeker's allowance during school closures, specifically in relation to bank holiday periods where the employer does not provide payment; and if he will investigate reports of inconsistent treatment of such claims by Intreo offices (details supplied), including cas…

162. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of the jobseeker’s allowance claim for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39867/25]

166. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of the living alone allowance for each of the last four years; the number per county; and the cost to his Department for each of those last four years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39881/25]

167. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons or couples in receipt of the telephone allowance for each of the last four years; the number per county; and the cost to his Department for each of those last 4 years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39882/25]

168. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will outline the number of persons that have availed of parents benefit in 2022, 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form; the number of mothers and the number of fathers who have availed of parent’s benefit in each of these years; if he believes further steps can be taken to encourage greater uptake of parent’s ben…

169. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance for 24 months or longer, by county; if he will confirm when he intends to publish a new employment strategy focused on intensive engagement with those most distant from the labour market as committed in the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the …