Social Welfare Eligibility

671. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on the merits of expanding the fuel allowance to include all persons over the age of 70 that live alone; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61835/25]

674. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the annual cost to the Exchequer to maintain the existing fuel allowance payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61838/25]

675. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the research he has carried out into the cost of expanding the fuel allowance to a larger cohort of people; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61839/25]

678. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection given the ongoing housing crisis, if his Department will consider adjusting the means assessment criteria for social welfare claims to allow for deductions in respect of rent and mortgage payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61917/25]

679. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to remove the requirement for an application to have an underlying entitlement to jobseeker’s allowance for those seeking to qualify for the back to work enterprise allowance, where said applicants have previously satisfied the nine month qualifying period on jobseeker’s benefit; and if he will make a statement on the mat…

680. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration will be given to payment of fuel allowance to polio survivors (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61953/25]

683. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department will explain the reason a parents carers allowance is under review for a person (details supplied); f his Department will provide an update on this review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61971/25]

687. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason his Department does not accept medical certificates issued by a private medical insurer (details supplied) for the purpose of an application for illness benefit; if he plans to change this rule; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62222/25]

693. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on his Departments plans to extend the eligibility for the rural social scheme to include people who are not involved in farming or fishing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55945/25]

95. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is aware of any cases in which young people have been asked to prove that they were ‘abandoned’ by a parent or guardian in order to access social welfare supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57438/25]

97. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department will provide a decision timeline for the case of illness benefit for a person (details supplied), an applicant who is under severe financial pressure. [57520/25]

99. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the case of a person (details supplied); if he will clarify whether the homemaker’s scheme or homemaker’s disregard provisions apply in this instance; the options that exist to retrospectively address PRSI contribution shortfalls for individuals who left the workforce before these schemes were properly publicised …

655. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Social Protection the options available to a person who has paid class D contributions rather than class A contributions for the entirety of their career, and now has limited access to supports such as illness benefit/illness pension, in view of the fact that they have been medically signed off as unfit to return to their job in the health service; an…

659. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) was not awarded the blind pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54897/25]

243. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Social Protection to consider allowing older persons with disabilities to access disability allowance along with their pensions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54318/25]

244. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration will be given to pension security for foster carers to recognise the years spent caring for children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54335/25]

247. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if an application for long term carers contributions (details supplied) will be expedited. [54469/25]

248. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection if the fuel allowance can be paid to a qualifying household when there is a change of circumstances (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54527/25]

257. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will outline the criteria by which those with disabilities, who apply for positions under the disability-specific schemes such as WAM, are assessed; what information applicants have to supply to outline their disability in their application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54087/25]

335. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the increase in income disregards carer's allowance as committed to in the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52972/25]

336. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on the merits of eliminating the means test for the carer's allowance; the research his Department has carried out into this proposal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52973/25]

340. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Social Protection the financial supports available to cross-Border workers who live in this jurisdiction but are employed in the north of Ireland in the situation where they now no longer qualify for the working family payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53059/25]

348. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection to consider increasing the number of hours an applicant can work, and retain payment on carers allowance, from 18.5, to help those who are providing full-time care on lower incomes and lower hourly pay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53195/25]

350. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection for a summary of all recent changes to means tests for the disability allowance, including any changes to income disregards and maximum working hours. [53220/25]

363. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of expanding living alone allowance to all individuals over the age of 66; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53263/25]