Parliamentary questions

Departmental Expenditure

Paul McAuliffe

78. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost to the Exchequer annually to abolish the means test for fish assist and farm assist; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9405/24]

State Pensions

Duncan Smith

79. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will meet with a group (details supplied) to discuss legacy issues in regard to pensions for employees at a company; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9491/24]

Social Welfare Rates

Bernard Durkan

80. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection to indicate the correct level of carer's allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9548/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Niamh Smyth

81. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if she can expedite a maternity benefit application (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9556/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Robert Troy

82. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review a case (details supplied) [9557/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Mairéad Farrell

83. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline the situation with relation to her Department’s negotiations with the Irish Dental Council regarding payments for treatment benefit; if she is aware of dental practices increasing prices for patients availing of dental services through their PRSI benefits; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9641/24]

Social Welfare Code

Brendan Griffin

84. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department should accept some liability for the litany of bogus self-employment cases at RTÉ, given the knowledge of the prolonged practice by her Department; if her Department's role in handling the issue of bogus self-employment will be independently investigated, given the apparent scale and complexity of the matter, including a specific focus on the process and rationale surrounding the decision to reclassify test cases as sample cases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9672/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

85. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the discussions between her Department and the Irish Dental Council in relation to the treatment benefit scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9721/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

303. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Social Protection if there are any State supports available to a family whose home has been seriously damaged by a lightning strike and who may lose out financially due to the gap between the insurance pay out and the actual cost of repair. [9202/24]

Social Welfare Code

Brendan Griffin

304. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if the period a person can receive carer's benefit will be increased from 104 to 156 weeks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8686/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Seán Canney

305. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will increase the savings threshold for the exceptional needs payment from €5,000 to €10,000 to reflect the rising cost of living; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8735/24]

EU Funding

Kathleen Funchion

306. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on the appeal by a charity (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8770/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Imelda Munster

307. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Social Protection the current position regarding the Irish sign language voucher scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8799/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Joan Collins

308. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has investigated a scenario (details supplied) and how this can be resolved so that anyone in a similar situation can be automatically paid. [8899/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

John McGuinness

309. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if an application for a carer’s allowance (details supplied) will be considered in far greater detail on appeal, and if an oral hearing will be considered. [8909/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Colm Burke

310. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will give due consideration to adding long Covid to the list of diseases for which workers who have the required number of PRSI contributions can claim occupational injuries benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8921/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Aindrias Moynihan

311. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to review the back to education allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9026/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Pa Daly

312. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) can expect to receive a decision in regard to a carer’s allowance appeal in respect of their spouse; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9065/24]

Social Welfare Payments

James Lawless

313. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection to examine and comment on an issue regarding the household benefits package (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9136/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Bernard Durkan

314. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress to date in the determination of an application for domiciliary care allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9142/24]

Departmental Staff

Holly Cairns

315. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider allocating each application for carer's allowance to a specific staff member in the relevant section of her Department in order to prevent time-consuming repetition of providing information during the application process. [9170/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Bríd Smith

316. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection in cases in which a worker is not under the provisions of the new statutory sick scheme for workers because they are deemed to be in an employer scheme which is more beneficial, if such workers now effectively have six waiting days before they can access social protection payments; if employers that operate such sick schemes have any legal obligation to pay a worker for days four, five and six under current legislation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9180/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Robert Troy

317. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will ensure that an invalidity pension application for a person (details supplied) is approved on appeal. [9204/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Willie O'Dea

318. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is aware that the fuel allowance means assessment includes income from the sale of a person’s own home even if they have downsized in retirement; if the Minister will change this rule to bring it in line with other social protection payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9207/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

John McGuinness

319. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if the further review agreed to by her Department has been completed in relation to a domiciliary care allowance application in the name of a person (details supplied), and if so, if the application was approved. [9210/24]

Departmental Staff

Alan Kelly

320. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of WTE staff, by grade working in the special investigation unit of her Department as of 20 February 2024. [9259/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Brendan Griffin

321. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a domiciliary care allowance award in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry who was waiting for a HSE assessment will be backdated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9281/24]

Energy Prices

Michael Healy-Rae

322. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on a matter (details supplied) relating to cancer patients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9344/24]

Departmental Data

Mairéad Farrell

323. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason that persons in receipt of disability allowance must share their boarding pass with her Department in order to avail of their 14 day holiday entitlement; the length of time this information is held by her Department; what the information included in these travel documents is used for by her Department; and the legislative basis for requesting this information. [9372/24]

Social Welfare Schemes

Cathal Crowe

324. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider revising the long-term carers contribution scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9379/24]

Data Centres

Cormac Devlin

325. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection the location of the data centre or centres used by her Department; the reason it was chosen; the distance it is from her Department’s offices; if she will identify the centres used by each agency under her Department’s aegis; and the distance these data centres are to their offices; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9393/24]

School Meals Programme

Noel Grealish

182. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Social Protection they way in which a company applies to provide school meals under the school meals programme; when applications will open and the way in which applications are made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8570/24]

Departmental Correspondence

Michael Lowry

183. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Social Protection if a prepaid return envelope can be included when requests are issued from the child benefit section asking parents to confirm their children's details concerning continued entitlement to child benefit payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8418/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Paul Kehoe

184. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Social Protection the current status of the review of the disability allowance means review for a person (details supplied), and when she could expect payment to increase; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8421/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Paul Kehoe

185. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Social Protection following the welcome news that full-time second level students over 18 years of age will be re-eligible for child benefit from May, if the arrears of missing months before May will be paid from when they turned 18; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8423/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

John McGuinness

186. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if a one-parent family payment will continue to be paid to a person (details supplied). [8428/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Brendan Howlin

187. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Social Protection if, pending the submission of additional information requested for a disability allowance for a person (details supplied), she will allow continued payment of the allowance until eligibility has been established; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8438/24]

Parental Leave

Fergus O'Dowd

188. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Social Protection to respond to concerns raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8442/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Brendan Griffin

189. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been made on a carer's allowance appeal by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8474/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Bernard Durkan

190. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if a disability allowance will be made available in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8577/24]

Personal Public Service Numbers

Bernard Durkan

191. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection when a PPS number might issue in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8581/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Bernard Durkan

192. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the eligibility for disability allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8583/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Bernard Durkan

193. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the entitlement to an appropriate payment in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8586/24]

Social Welfare Code

Bernard Durkan

194. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the maximum hours or income a person (details supplied) can work or receive to retain the one-parent family payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8604/24]

Social Welfare Code

Frankie Feighan

107. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she would consider reviewing the means test for non-contributory and part-contributory pensioners who may rent their home and live with relations or friends, within the framework of the next budget, to incentivise older people who have options around moving in with relatives and may have sizeable homes to consider the rental market without a serious implication for their income. [8148/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Louise O'Reilly

108. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if any changes to provide children's benefit payments to 18-year-olds in full-time education will be backdated for the school year in which the change is introduced. [8162/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Michael Lowry

109. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Social Protection when the ruling concerning the free fuel allowance, which states that a household payment can only be paid when the residence is on an approved site (publicly or privately owned) with planning permission for the caravan or mobile home, was introduced and if this ruling will be reviewed in cases where someone lives in a residence without planning permission, such as when an additional mobile home or caravan is placed, as these ‘additional’ places of residence are not currently legally distinct households, impacting a person’s eligibility for fuel allowance in view of the current housing crisis and lack of availability of houses to rent, and many families find themselves with no option but to move a mobile home or caravan onto their parents’ site or land in an effort to avoid homelessness; if an exception can be made from this ruling to enable many struggling families to qualify for free fuel allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8266/24]

Social Welfare Code

Chris Andrews

110. Deputy Chris Andrews asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider increasing the hours a person in receipt of the full rate of carer’s allowance is permitted to work from 18.5 hours to 20 hours a week; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8333/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Michael Creed

111. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person (details provided) who has been denied a benefit payment recently has sufficient contributions to be eligible for a contributory pension when they reach 66 years in January of next year; if she will review the decision to refuse the benefit payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8343/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Paul McAuliffe

112. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on a carer's allowance application for a person (details supplied). [8351/24]