Social Welfare Code

338. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection whether consideration is being given to introducing a targeted or tiered increase in child benefit for low-income households or families with additional needs, including children with disabilities, in order to address persistent levels of child poverty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31683/26]

196. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason disabled entrepreneurs are excluded from the wage subsidy scheme. [30503/26]

148. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason people receiving the back-to-education allowance cannot earn any other income; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28875/26]

327. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection the per diem rate of payment for electricity allowance for the years 2010 to 2026, in tabular form; the way this rate is calculated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23147/26]

329. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Social Protection the way in which an income of a second adult in a home where a person is in receipt of carer’s allowance is assessed even when they have no relationship with or provide financial support to the person being cared for; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23252/26]

342. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department will provide the SWITCH model outputs used to cost any working family payment expansion options considered during Budget 2026, including threshold increases and rate increases considered but not implemented, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23384/26]

180. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 194 of 11 June 2025, 179 of 19 November 2025 and 1543 of 13 January 2026, if the review of means testing in the social protection system has now been completed; when the review commenced and the expected completion date; whether the review has specifically examined the weekly means limit of €10…

181. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has undertaken any analysis or costings in respect of increasing the weekly means limit of €100 for the increase for a qualified adult for recipients of the State pension; if so, the estimated full-year cost of increasing the limit to €120, €150 and €200 respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. […

182. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection whether any proposals have been submitted to him, or are under consideration within his Department, to increase the weekly means limit of €100 for the increase for a qualified adult for recipients of the State pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22764/26]

183. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection the rationale for maintaining the weekly means limit of €100 for the increase for a qualified adult for State pension recipients at the same level since 2007, notwithstanding increases in wages, pensions and the cost of living over that period; whether any assessment has been carried out on the real-terms value of this threshold; and…

184. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of State pension (contributory) recipients who are in receipt of a reduced rate increase for a qualified adult due to the current €100 weekly means threshold; the number who do not qualify due to means exceeding €310; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22766/26]

185. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person's long term caring contributions and homemaker's credits can be used towards accessing the invalidity pension (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22768/26]

186. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Social Protection if a non-contributory pension case (details supplied) will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22862/26]

190. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of reducing the minimum hours requirement under the wage subsidy scheme from 15 hours to 10 hours; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22936/26]

1163. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will address the situation whereby employees whose employer (details supplied) has entered a mandatory 30-day collective redundancy consultation period have been informed that they can not apply for the jobseekers pay related benefit (JPRB) during this period and will instead only qualify for an exceptional needs payment capp…

1164. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the correct procedure for employees of a company (details supplied) who obtain new employment during the statutory 30-day collective redundancy consultation period; the steps such employees are required to take in order to comply with his Departmental rules during this period; the reason departmental representatives were unable to …

1165. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the statutory process that applies where a company enters a creditors’ voluntary liquidation and triggers a thirty-day collective redundancy consultation period, during which employees are not dismissed, are not required to attend work, and receive no wages; the way in which his Department treats the employment status of workers du…

1166. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is aware of the circumstances affecting employees of a company (details supplied), which ceased trading on 20 February 2026 and placed all staff on temporary unpaid lay-off pending a creditors’ voluntary liquidation expected to be completed approximately fourteen days after cessation, during which a statutory consultation per…

1167. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if he accepts that an anomaly arises whereby employees who are not working and receiving no wages during a statutory consultation period cannot access jobseeker’s benefit until the formal redundancy takes effect, even though their employment has effectively ended in practice; the policy in such cases; and if he will make a statemen…

1168. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason employees affected by the cessation of a company (details supplied) have received contradictory advice from Intreo offices, with some being instructed to apply for jobseeker’s payments and others told to cancel their claims; the action his Department will take to ensure consistent guidance for workers in similar circumst…

1169. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the way in which PRSI contributions, continuity of insurance, and contribution records are treated for employees placed on temporary unpaid lay-off during a statutory consultation period prior to redundancy; whether gaps arise that could affect entitlements to future benefits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18801/2…

1170. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the way in which employment status is recorded during a statutory consultation period where employees are still legally employed but are not working and are not being paid; the reason some employees of a company (details supplied) report that MyGov.ie lists them as ceased even though the company has not formally dismissed them; whe…

1171. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures his Department plans to take to ensure that employees placed on temporary unpaid lay-off during a statutory redundancy consultation period are not left without any income support; if he will address the gap in the system in future cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18803/26]

1178. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to link maternity benefit, paternity benefit and parent’s leave and benefit to wages, as has been done with jobseeker’s benefit. [19009/26]

1190. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration has been given to reclassifying maternity credits as paid contributions for the purposes of treatment benefit eligibility; if he will respond to matters raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19613/26]