Social Welfare Schemes

1144. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the position in relation to reviews of carer’s allowance carried out in 2026; specifically if a carer is reviewed and is slightly over the current income limits but will be under the new income limits for carer’s allowance which take effect in July will their payment be impacted or will the Department apply some discretion in t…

195. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection if carer’s allowance is an income or an allowance; if clarified as an income, the reason it is not subject to minimum wage legislation; or if clarified as an allowance the reason it is subject to tax; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17272/26]

622. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Social Protection if a fuel allowance application (details supplied) will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16385/26]

623. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of mothers who accessed parents benefit in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. [16406/26]

624. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of fathers who accessed parents benefit in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. [16407/26]

625. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of mothers who accessed maternity benefit in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. [16408/26]

626. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications, approvals and refusals for exceptional needs payments (additional needs payments) processed by the Community Welfare Service, broken down by county, for each of the years 2021 to 2025 inclusive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16424/26]

627. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Social Protection the total expenditure on exceptional needs payments (additional needs payments) by county, for each of the years 2021 to 2025, inclusive; the average payment awarded in each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16426/26]

629. Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will reconsider the decision of his Department to refuse an exemption to a person in receipt of invalidity pension (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16535/26]

630. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if the residents in a location (details supplied) are eligible for the emergency response payment; if the emergency response payment will cover costs associated with the damage caused to their cars and personal items contained within, as a result of the underground carpark flooding; and if he will make a statement on the matter.…

638. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the average duration of time recipients have remained on disability allowance; the number of recipients on the scheme for more than five years; and the annual exit rate from the scheme in each of the years 2020 to 2025. [16713/26]

639. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether any internal administrative guidance, medical assessment protocols, or decision-making frameworks relating to eligibility for disability allowance have been amended, revised, or updated since 1 January 2020; and if so, if he will outline the nature and date of those revisions. [16714/26]

640. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated gross annual expenditure on disability allowance in each of the years 2020 to 2025 and the projected expenditure for 2026. [16715/26]

642. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection whether the ongoing ‘cost-of-disability payment’ consultation includes consideration of additional payments to pensioners with disabilities who do not currently receive an additional support in recognition of their higher costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16991/26]

644. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if an application (details supplied) for carer’s leave benefit can be granted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17102/26]

645. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Social Protection if an application (details supplied) for the bereaved partners contributory pension can be reviewed and awarded given that the applicant has demonstrated and provided all possible evidence that they co-habited with their partner for in excess of five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17132/26]

646. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection to advise when in March/April 2026 the fuel allowance payment will be made to working family payment recipients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17160/26]

647. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is aware of any information/notice or circular being issued by his Department to HSE-funded health and social care services (details supplied) pertaining to possible changes to means testing of residents in receipt of a social welfare payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17169/26]

648. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Social Protection if the Government is actively considering any changes to means testing of a social welfare payment (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17234/26]

8. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of individuals currently in receipt of jobseeker's allowance and jobseeker's benefit in Cork and Limerick, with particular focus on Intreo areas such as Mallow, Newmarket, Macroom and Kilmallock; the most recent trends in these figures over the past 12 months; the supports and activation measures in place locally, such …

22. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide an update on the planned extension of the fuel allowance scheme to families in receipt of the working family payment; the expected number of beneficiary households; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15632/26]

27. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will conduct a full review of the CE scheme to ensure that placement processes are efficient, responsive, and supportive of participants seeking to return to work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14229/26]

40. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection whether he will expand and promote access to the wage subsidy scheme, including consideration of its availability to Oireachtas members as employers, in order to support the recruitment and retention of people with disabilities in workplaces and public service roles, and keep them close to policy makers. [15483/26]

74. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Social Protection the plans to further reduce the minimum hours worked requirement for the wage subsidy scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15526/26]

599. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport to provide a breakdown of the 2,000 recipients of the so-called ‘basic income for the arts’ scheme, by the artistic or creative area or field or sector they work in; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14060/26]