Social Welfare Payments

585. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will outline the average processing time for applications under each payment scheme in his Department; and how this compares with the Department's own targets for processing times for each payment, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37526/25]

594. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if an accommodation recognition payment overpayment to a person in County Kerry (details supplied) will be reviewed given the circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37580/25]

274. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection to intervene in an urgent matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36719/25]

162. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the current cost of non-State pension social protection payments to people aged 65. [36577/25]

518. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing all headline weekly social protection payment to €300 per week, excluding disability allowance, invalidity pension, partial capacity, disablement pension and blind person’s pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35638/25]

519. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing disability, blind pensions and invalidity pension to €350 per week; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35639/25]

594. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of working family payments that are currently in payment in the State; the number of working family payments received by the State over each of the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34343/25]

595. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has any record of the number of people who may be entitled to the working family payment but have not made an application; whether the Department is following up on this information; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34344/25]

601. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will report on progress on completing and publishing the study on benchmarking and indexing working-age social protection payments committed to in the Mid-Term Review of the Roadmap for Social Inclusion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34532/25]

602. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide an update on his Department's examination of the concept of income adequacy as a lever to take people out of consistent poverty in the context that our social protection payments are not linked to the cost of living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34534/25]

603. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide an update in relation to MESL 2025; the steps that are necessary to ensure that Ireland's obligations under the European Pillar of Social Rights and the UN Sustainable Development Goals are met regarding providing everyone with an income that allows them to live with dignity; and if he will make a statement on the …

98. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on plans to abolish the carers allowance means test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32278/25]

100. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Social Protection the initiatives he is taking to support foster carers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33147/25]

101. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on plans to introduce a permanent annual cost of disability support payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32996/25]

102. Deputy Micheál Carrigy asked the Minister for Social Protection the average processing time for applications for each payment under his Department’s remit; if he plans to introduce new targets and provide additional resources to expedite the turnaround times in processing applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32708/25]

103. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost of making fuel allowance universal for everyone over 70; that consideration will be given to implementing this change; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33132/25]

104. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the Programme for Government commitment to extend the period of a social welfare payment following the death of a dependent from 6 to 12 weeks; the estimated cost of such an extension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33139/25]

106. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of funeral assistance grants paid out over the past five years; the number refused, by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33119/25]

111. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people who will receive an increase in their carer’s allowance payment when the changes to the means test takes effect in July 2025, by county; if he will outline the overall percentage of carer’s allowance recipients who will now qualify for the maximum weekly payment on foot of the changes in July 2025; and if he w…

112. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on plans to introduce a permanent annual cost of disability support payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33110/25]

114. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Social Protection the breakdown of job seekers allowance recipients by length of time they have been in receival of the payment, under 1 year, between 1 and 2 years, between 2 and 3 years, between 3 and 4 years and between 4 and 5 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32948/25]

117. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of carers in Kilkenny and Carlow that received the carer’s support grant in 2025; how the number of recipients this year compares to 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32898/25]

121. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection for the up to date position on the Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner’s Pension) Bill 2025; the number of applications nationally received to date that are currently queued until this legislation is passed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33219/25]

125. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people in receipt of a widow’s pension who are under age 66; if he will provide an estimated cost of allowing persons in receipt of widow’s pensions to access illness benefit in the event that they get sick at work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33039/25]

132. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Social Protection when the carer's allowance weekly income disregard will increase from €450 to €625 for a single person, and from €900 to €1,250 for carers with a spouse-partner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32903/25]