Social Welfare Code

1191. 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. [19614/26]

1196. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection the payment entitlements for a person who is currently on disability allowance and will reach 65 years-of-age this year in view of the fact that the State Pension (Non Contributory) applies to people over 66 years of age; the payment which the person is entitled to in the intervening year; and if he will make a statement on the mat…

1198. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for disability allowance made by people with dementia aged up to 66 years-of-age for each of the years 2021-2025 and to-date in 2026; the number of applications that were accepted, rejected and under review; the main reasons why those applications were rejected; and if he will make a statement on the ma…

1200. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if the free travel pass can be extended to cover travel costs for persons who attend day care services provided by the HSE given that at present a daily charge exists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19981/26]

1202. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Social Protection if the qualifying criteria for the living alone allowance can be expanded so that a public sector pensioner (details supplied) who is ineligible for a qualifying payment may be considered eligible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20038/26]

1203. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection if there has been a change to the criteria recently in order for parents to be granted domiciliary care allowance for children who have specific needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20061/26]

1204. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of State pension recipients to date that have sought a review of their pension rate based on the new long-term carers contribution scheme; the number of these reviews that led to a higher payment of pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20118/26]

1207. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of deceased persons' estates from which his Department has sought repayment of social welfare payments, by payment type; the total value of repayments sought in each year for each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20166/26]

1208. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the criteria and procedures used by his Department when deciding whether to seek recovery of funds from the estate of a deceased person who was in receipt of a means tested payment; the way in which consistency and fairness are ensured in these decisions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20167/26]

1209. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the way in which the frequently of the entitlement to the State Pension Non Contributory is reviewed by his Department; whether annual reviews are carried out in all cases, particularly where an individual's income is affected by currency fluctuations arising from a United Kingdom pension; and if he will make a statement on the mat…

1210. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department collects or holds any data on whether the recovery of overpayments from estates disproportionately affects individuals who did not have children or who lived alone; and if not, whether the Department will conduct an assessment to ensure that recovery procedures operate equitably across all household types; an…

1211. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the maximum time period for which his Department may retrospectively seek repayment of social welfare overpayments from a deceased person's estate; whether his Department has considered introducing a statutory limitation period to ensure fairness and certainty for families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20170/26]

1212. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department is examining options to individualise disability allowance payment to ensure greater financial independence for persons with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20296/26]

1213. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has examined barriers to financial inclusion faced by recipients of disability allowance, including where the payment is not recognised for mortgages, pensions or saving schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20297/26]

1216. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the means test for disability allowance in cases where the applicant is cohabiting or married, given that a partner's full time wages are fully assessed with no income disregard; if he will address the financial hardship this creates for couples where one partner has a disability and loses their payment as a resul…

1221. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection if he can outline the legislative basis that requires in-person attendance for the collection of jobseekers benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20688/26]

1222. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection if his attention has been drawn to a situation (details supplied); if an exception can be made in relation to the requirement of in-person collection of jobseekers payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20689/26]

1223. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding his Department's policy on the electronic transfer of social welfare payments; the way in which this can be accommodated in a case (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20690/26]

1224. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding any review of his Department's policy in relation to the electronic transfer of social welfare payments in place of in person attendance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20691/26]

1226. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is satisfied by the adequacy of illness benefit in the context of the cost of living crisis; his views on reviewing its adequacy as income protection in high cost areas; and if he has corresponded with the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment about the adequacy of the five-day cap in place following a claim of statu…

505. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health to urgently address an issue, whereby the increases in the State pension is pushing many senior citizens over the threshold for a medical card, thus causing the loss of full medical card; if he will consult with the Department of Health to ensure that the medical card thresholds are raised in line with pension rises; and if she will make a s…

866. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline whether any additional supports are currently available to parents who give birth to twins, or other multiple births; if there are any plans to expand these supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12593/26]

429. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department plans to bring forward proposals on a cost of disability payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5219/26]

185. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on the extension of the homeowner's once-off payment in respect of 2025 mortgage interest payments; if he will consider a case (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4972/26]

696. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider changing the maximum hours a person can work (currently 18.5 hours per week) when qualifying for carer's allowance (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3742/26]