Social Welfare Payments

662. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of children on child benefit payments; and the way that number has been affected by the extension of payments to those in full-time education up to their 19th birthday. [51915/25]

799. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider removing the means test as a qualifying criteria for blind welfare allowance, in recognition of the additional financial burden experienced by persons who are blind or vision impaired; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51931/25]

303. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection if he plans on abolishing the means-test for the carer’s allowance in Budget 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50024/25]

309. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on the issue of a person (details supplied) regarding their employment support being cancelled when they changed job; to ensure her supports are maintained seamlessly; to ensure other persons are not affected by this anomaly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51053/25]

310. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection to consider offering all persons in receipt of transitional jobseeker's allowance the choice to have their payment paid directly into their bank account; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51076/25]

311. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of households in Cork north-central that qualified for the fuel allowance in 2024/2025; the projected number for 2025/2026 under the widened eligibility rules for those aged 66 years and over; the breakdown of applications by channel (online, post, Intreo, community welfare officers); the average processing time for applic…

734. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of social welfare claims currently awaiting a decision, in each scheme in Longford and Westmeath; and the average waiting time for each. [48048/25]

748. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of recipients of the living alone increase; if the rate of payment has been reviewed to reflect the rising costs of utilities, housing, and healthcare; and whether his Department will commit to an indexed approach to maintain real value for older recipients. [48362/25]

757. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person (details supplied) will have their supplementary dietary allowance reinstated. [48533/25]

771. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection the number and percentage of applications for disability allowance that were refused in each month for the first eight months of 2025, in tabular form. [48615/25]

785. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider equalising jobseeker’s payments for persons under 25 with those over 25, in light of recent polling showing that three in five young adults are considering emigration due to the cost-of-living crisis. [48781/25]

792. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider increasing the fuel allowance for single people, as many are finding it increasingly difficult to heat their homes, with rising costs and so on, especially senior citizens; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48846/25]

798. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Social Protection the justification for only allowing persons to qualify for half-rate carer’s allowance in instances where they are in receipt of a contributory State pension (details supplied); his views on same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49180/25]

1411. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 518 of 1 July 2025, if the full-year cost of increasing all headline weekly social protection payments to €300 per week, excluding disability allowances, includes State pensions; the breakdown of the estimated total cost of increasing social protection payments to €300 per week includin…

1419. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will address the delays in processing social welfare claims for Early Years Educators during the summer months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47178/25]

1428. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to introduce a cost of disability payment as recommended by the 2021 Government commissioned Indecon Report and in view of the commitment to it in the Programme for Government to introduce a permanent annual cost of disability support payment to be increased incrementally over its lifetime of the Government; and if he …

1748. Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will examine the case of refusal of carer's support grant for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40736/25]

1754. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a blind pension payment has been stopped for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41024/25]

1766. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will introduce a weekly cost of disability payment of €55 to cover the additional costs facing people with a disability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41210/25]

1770. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of payments made in respect of the homeowner’s once-off payment in lieu of mortgage interest tax credit to date; and the average payment made and the overall value of the claim nationally. [41339/25]

1775. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason for social welfare payment delays on 7 and 14 July 2025; the way in which the issue was rectified; the measures taken to prevent a recurrence; if both delays were caused by the same issue or by different issues; the steps that have been taken to prevent these issues from reoccurring; and if he will make a statement on…

1789. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Social Protection if funding under food and basic material support for specific items has been withdrawn (details supplied); if so, the reason for the withdrawal of funding for these necessary items for young people and their education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41730/25]

1803. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection the timeframe for new applications for disability allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41981/25]

1804. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection the timeframe for new applications for carer's allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41982/25]

1805. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection the timeframe for new applications for invalidity pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41983/25]