Social Welfare Schemes

128. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will make changes to the farm assist scheme to allow credit contributions for the purposes of the contributory pension for those who received no credits while on the farm assist scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60221/25]

1164. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the supports which are available to a parent/guardian when the second parent has passed away (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58189/25]

1199. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will revise the fee paid to dentists holding contracts under the dental treatment benefit scheme; the status of these plans; the timeframe for implementation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58675/25]

1202. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the case of a person (details supplied); the options which are currently available to provide assistance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58946/25]

242. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Social Protection to extend the back to school allowance to all children in State care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54309/25]

245. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration will be given to extending the back to school allowance to all children in state care (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54336/25]

256. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of humanitarian assistance payments applications that were submitted in respect of garages and sheds; the number of these applications approved; and the number rejected. [54083/25]

347. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Social Protection his plan to reform the fuel allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53192/25]

337. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount of money reimbursed to private operators since 2022 for the operation of the free travel scheme for over-66s, broken down by year and by operator, in tabular form. [52876/25]

338. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Social Protection for a breakdown of the current cost of the free travel pass scheme; the number of people currently availing of a free travel pass; and the average cost of the free travel pass per year for an individual. [52877/25]

339. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Social Protection whether payment rates for private operators included in the free travel scheme are based on actual use of free travel on routes, estimated usage or through some other means of calculating the level of payment to these operators. [52878/25]

633. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection the full-year cost and the in-year (single season) cost of increasing the weekly fuel allowance rate by €10, €15, and €20 respectively, based on current recipient numbers and allowing for behavioural and eligibility effects; and to set out any offsetting savings or interactions with the household benefits package; and if he will ma…

634. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection the full-year and in-season costs of increasing the over-66 weekly means limits by €25 and by €50; increasing the capital disregard by €10,000 and by €25,000; and to provide estimated additional recipient numbers under each scenario, with distribution by local authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51434/25]

635. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will conduct and publish, in advance of Budget 2027, a review of the fuel allowance scheme that examines options to increase the weekly rate; revise the means thresholds for those aged 66 and over; adjust the capital disregard; simplify the application process including automatic awards where data sharing permits; the timefra…

647. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons who have qualified for the new pay related benefit since it was introduced, by county; the average payment rate under the scheme to date; the cost of the scheme to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51718/25]

649. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to extend the free travel pass to children in receipt of domiciliary care allowance; the number of children who will benefit; the estimated cost of this extension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51720/25]

660. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of the carer's support grant; the number of persons who already have carer's payments or domiciliary care allowance; and the numbers who qualify independently of these schemes. [51906/25]

95. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost of reducing the minimum required hours under the wage subsidy scheme from 21 hours to 15 hours in April 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50438/25]

402. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will outline for the past four years, the average time between reviews for recipients of a carer’s allowance; the number of times his Department has reviewed a carer’s allowance recipient more than once in a year; if multiple reviews of recipients is standard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49576/25]

403. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people for whom an applicant can seek carer's support; and if a maximum carer's grant allowance applies. [49585/25]

772. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection to examine the case for travel cost assistance for the parents of child (details supplied) who attends a school for the blind. [48618/25]

793. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is aware that rent supplement is only available to those who work under 30-hours-per-week; and if he plans to expand the criteria to 40-hours-per-week, taking into account that many people who are in need of rent supplement work a full 40-hour week. [49018/25]

1324. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection whether a full review is being carried out on the carer’s allowance payment by this Department; the current status of this review; whether consideration will be given as part of this review to allowing for a full-rate carer’s allowance payment to be paid to persons on a widow’s pension, and other eligible payments; and if he will …

1327. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection to consider waiving the means test on foster care families (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44606/25]

1330. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Social Protection to consider revising the TÚS programme guidelines for people in receipt of disability allowance, to allow them to remain on the scheme for up to 24 months, or more, if they wish; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44641/25]