Social Welfare Schemes

684. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection his additional plans to financially assist people with disabilities during 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3396/26]

700. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of families who have benefited from the new baby grant, broken down by county for 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4002/26]

112. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he plans to enhance the farm assist and fish assist scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2841/26]

113. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will include seaweed harvesting for a bespoke social protection scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2842/26]

1507. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on the proposal that schools should have greater autonomy over the hot school meals programme, with any savings achieved through reduced waste retained at school level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2412/26]

1508. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Social Protection to review the case of a persons request (details supplied) to receive their social insurance contribution record from Australia to assist in their application for invalidity pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73900/25]

1509. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider changing the rules of the back to education allowance, as it applies to further education and training, FET, courses so that individuals who were unable to complete their original FET course are given a second chance to receive an allowance payment if they start a new course of study; and if he will make a state…

1512. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection the statutory basis on which his Department requires rent supplement or supplementary welfare allowance applicants to submit property ownership documentation, including local property tax records, insurance policies, title deeds or mortgage statements; and to identify the relevant provisions of SI No. 412/2007 relied upon in t…

1513. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection the way in which the “reasonably required” test under Article 23(1)(a) of the Social Welfare (Consolidated Supplementary Welfare Allowance) Regulations 2007 is applied when requesting documentation from tenants; and if consideration is given to a tenant’s legal or practical ability to obtain the information requested; and if h…

1514. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason confirmation of landlord identity and ownership from a licensed property agent, including the beneficial owner’s details and the agent’s PSRA licence number, is not accepted as sufficient evidence for rent supplement and related schemes; and the legal basis for requiring alternative documentation (details supplied);…

1515. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of rent supplement, housing assistance payment and supplementary welfare allowance claims that were closed, suspended or disallowed, due to failure to provide proof of property ownership; and the number of such cases where this arose from landlord or letting-agent non-cooperation in each of the past five years, in t…

1516. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection if ministerial guidelines, circulars or internal instructions exist specifying acceptable forms of landlord verification for rent supplement and related supports; if so, to publish them; and to clarify whether alternative evidence from licensed property agents is permitted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74082…

1517. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection if tenants are required by his Department to purchase land registry folios or title documents in order to retain eligibility for rent supplement or supplementary welfare allowance; and whether such costs are provided for in the governing legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74083/25]

1518. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has sought advice from the data protection commission regarding the practice of requesting tenants to submit third-party personal or financial data relating to landlords; and whether this practice has been assessed for compliance with data protection legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.…

1519. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection if he intends to review the Department’s procedures for verifying landlord ownership for rent supplement and related supports, with a view to ensuring that claimants are not adversely affected by matters outside their control; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74085/25]

1520. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department limits documentation requests to information that tenants can reasonably be expected to obtain; whether alternative evidence from licensed property agents is accepted where appropriate; and whether claims may be maintained where non-compliance arises from landlord or agent refusal to cooperate; and if he will…

1521. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection the Department’s procedures where income supports are suspended or terminated due to the non-provision of documentation by landlords or managing agents; and the safeguards in place to ensure proportionality and fairness for tenants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74087/25]

1522. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection if additional administrative requirements introduced by his Department in relation to rent supplement and supplementary welfare allowance are supported by statutory authority; and the oversight mechanisms in place to ensure compliance with the legislative framework; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74088/25]

1527. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection when a disability allowance application will be processed for a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74288/25]

1529. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will make the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance available, without means test, to foster carers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74313/25]

1530. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will make the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance available, without means test, to kinship carers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74314/25]

1531. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Social Protection if the guardian’s payment will be abolished; and if foster carers allowance will be available to those in informal kinship care arrangements [74316/25]

1535. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for maternity benefit that were unsuccessful in each year from 2020, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74474/25]

1536. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) will receive a final decision in respect of their carers allowance application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74518/25]

1537. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection the waiting time for a final decision for an applicant to the carers allowance section after all requested documentation and relevant medical reports have been submitted by the applicant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [74519/25]