Social Welfare Benefits

601. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider varying the dates in which the working family payment can be applied for; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27951/26]

602. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the total monies paid out under the working family payment for each of the years 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27952/26]

604. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection to review the process by which a carer is notified of loss of entitlements following the death of the person they are caring for. [28251/26]

743. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Health the reason persons eligible for the free travel scheme are required to pay a €4 daily charge when using HSE transport services; the policy reasons for excluding HSE transport from the free travel pass; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28028/26]

340. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of working family payment recipients who are also in receipt of fuel allowance following the March 2026 extension; the estimated cost of extending the fuel allowance threshold relaxation to all working family payment recipients at the current fuel allowance rate of €38, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement …

341. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of working family payment recipients by county; the number of recipients by family size (one child, two children, three or more children), in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23383/26]

343. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made in relation to a carer's allowance application (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23469/26]

150. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when housing assistance payments were last reviewed; if he has considered reviewing and increasing the rate of housing assistance payments to reflect market rents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22731/26]

660. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider making the bereaved partner’s (contributory) pension a qualifying payment for the household benefits package; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21603/26]

661. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full year costs if both the State pension (contributory) and disability allowance both increased by €12.50 per week with effect from January 2027; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21616/26]

677. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection to reply to correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22232/26]

1148. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people with a disability that had their free travel pass withdrawn after taking up employment in each of the past five years, by year , in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18456/26]

1149. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the rules that lead to a person with a disability losing their free travel pass when they enter employment; whether he accepts that many people with disabilities face higher transport costs in order to access and remain in work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18457/26]

1150. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has examined if the potential loss of a free travel pass acts as a disincentive for people with disabilities who wish to take up employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18458/26]

1151. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection the process that applies when a person with a disability who holds a free travel pass takes up employment, including the way in which their entitlement is reviewed; the criteria applied; the average time taken to reach a decision; the number of such reviews carried out in each of the past five years, in tabular form; and if he wi…

1177. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people who received maternity benefit, paternity benefit and parent’s leave and benefit in 2025, in tabular form. [19008/26]

2084. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in processing new blind welfare allowance applications, and when this delay will be resolved. [20197/26]

416. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason that jobseeker's allowance is means-tested for couples who are cohabiting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18059/26]

417. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has considered options to maintain insurability for PhD scholarship holders, such as PRSI credits, so that eligibility for jobseeker's allowance can be sought after State-supported doctoral study; the outcome of any such analysis; the timeframe for a decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18060/2…

200. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the illness benefit payment for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17428/26]

201. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Social Protection the financial supports are available for people on low income to pay for a reconnection of their electricity. [17460/26]

203. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures his Department is taking to enable payment of child benefit to be split between parents, in view of the fact that modern families may require this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17856/26]

349. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if those in receipt of the carer’s allowance and liable to income tax have already had their weekly payments changed to reflect this; if other recipients only see this liability on their weekly income later through the year given the fear many of those who received the letter now have of a tax liability to the Revenue Commissioners …

4. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the commitment to "Introduce Pay Related Parents Benefit and explore other payments where a similar model could be applied"; if maternity benefit is also being considered for pay related benefit status; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14496/26]

13. Deputy Edward Timmins asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the carer’s benefit for teachers who are not on full time hours; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15591/26]