Questions and answers published after July 2012 can be viewed here. Viewing by Government Department is possible by term or specific dates from March 2016 onwards. Written answers are published as received from departments. To see parliamentary questions published before July 2012, search in Dáil debates.
Questions and answers for all sittings
Page 17 of 200
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
oral
School Meals Programme
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
65. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the roll-out of the hot school meals programme. [7916/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Social Welfare Rates
Gary Gannon
66. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on whether the domiciliary care allowance payment of €340 per month is sufficient to care for a child with a severe disability that requires full time care and attention. [7889/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Departmental Schemes
Paul Murphy
67. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will extend the free travel scheme to all social welfare recipients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7897/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Poverty Impact Assessment
Paul Murphy
68. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if a poverty impact assessment was carried out into extending child benefit to 18 year-olds in full-time education or training compared to extending it to 16, 17 and 18 year-olds not in full-time education or training; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7895/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Departmental Schemes
Ruairí Ó Murchú
69. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on the work to operationalise the recommendations in the review of the reasonable accommodation fund and the disability awareness support scheme, and the plans to launch a reformed scheme this year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7230/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Social Welfare Schemes
Matt Carthy
70. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she intends to add additional schemes to those currently deemed non-assessable income with regard to farm assist; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7886/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Social Welfare Benefits
Paul Murphy
71. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will extend child benefit to 16, 17 and 18 year-olds not in full-time education or training; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7894/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
State Pensions
Alan Dillon
72. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline the changes to the State contributory pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7876/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Departmental Reviews
Claire Kerrane
73. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the Green Paper on Reform of Disability Payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7802/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Social Welfare Benefits
Christopher O'Sullivan
74. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection to consider increasing the weekly earnings disregard for disability allowance recipients as when using the benefit of work estimator (details supplied) recipients seem to have less take home now post budget than before; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7804/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
oral
School Meals Programme
Ciarán Cannon
75. Deputy Ciarán Cannon asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the roll-out of hot school meals. [7884/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
oral
School Meals Programme
Alan Dillon
76. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the hot school meals programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7875/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
oral
Social Welfare Schemes
Emer Higgins
77. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection if the expanded child benefit payments up to the age of 19 years includes those in third level education. [7785/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Social Welfare Benefits
Michael Lowry
78. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the implementation of the new pay-related jobseeker's benefit system; how this reform is improving the social welfare system for persons with a strong work history so they can receive enhanced benefits if they lose their employment; what measures are being taken to ensure its successful implementation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7455/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Departmental Schemes
Thomas Gould
79. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason the Irish Sign Language Act voucher scheme is to be suspended. [7906/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
oral
School Meals Programme
Brendan Griffin
80. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection the up-to-date position on the hot school meals programme; if she will provide details of the scheme in County Kerry; her future plans for Kerry schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7852/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Community Employment Schemes
David Stanton
81. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to expand and develop the community employment scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7805/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Social Welfare Eligibility
Richard Bruton
82. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider undertaking a pilot to inviting people to check if they are getting their full entitlements and targeting categories of persons who may be more likely to be missing out, perhaps in co-operation with other public bodies that may experience underpayment of benefits; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7860/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Departmental Data
Pádraig O'Sullivan
83. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of families in Cork city and county that have benefited from the double child benefit payment in December 2023, and from the January 2024 cost of living bonus, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7774/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Social Welfare Benefits
Ciarán Cannon
84. Deputy Ciarán Cannon asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the changes to child benefit for 18 year-olds. [7883/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Social Welfare Eligibility
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
85. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has considered whether illness benefit can be extended to self-employed persons. [7913/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Social Welfare Schemes
David Stanton
86. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline her plans to expand and develop the Tús initiative; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7806/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Legislative Programme
Rose Conway-Walsh
87. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on the legislative programme. [3501/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Social Welfare Code
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
88. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection whether she has considered the situation of those providing kinship care, and the discrepancy between the financial supports provided to kinship carers by comparison to non-familial foster carers. [7915/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Medical Aids and Appliances
Emer Higgins
89. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider allowing children suffering hair loss to avail of the grants for wigs based on their parents PRSI contributions. [7786/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Social Welfare Eligibility
Richard Bruton
90. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has considered initiatives to identify the extent of underclaiming of entitlements from her Department by categories such the low paid at work, by carers, and by pensioners, for whom rules of entitlement may be poorly understood; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7859/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Pension Provisions
Niamh Smyth
91. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will outline the specifics regarding the pension entitlements being worked on for carers by her Department presently; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7584/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Social Welfare Benefits
Christopher O'Sullivan
92. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) who claimed jobseeker's benefit for self-employed and exhausted that benefit, is treated differently from a person who claimed jobseeker's benefit and exhausted that benefit when applying for the benefit for 65 year-olds; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7803/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Pension Provisions
Matt Carthy
93. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection if, in light of recent court judgments, she intends to provide State pension entitlements to the long-term non-married partners of deceased persons. [7885/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Poverty Impact Assessment
Paul Murphy
94. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will carry out a poverty impact assessment of extending child benefit to 16, 17 and 18 year-olds not in full-time education or training; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7896/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Departmental Reviews
Éamon Ó Cuív
95. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection when it is intended to introduce changes to means testing based on the report being prepared by her Department on means testing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7780/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
oral
Social Welfare Schemes
Brian Leddin
96. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Social Protection in light of her announcement that the free travel scheme is to be extended this July to people who have never been able to drive due to a disability, her views on the idea to expand the free travel scheme to the shared bike and e-bike schemes in towns and cities across the country to the same cohort; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7861/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Social Welfare Eligibility
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
97. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review the fact that standard disregards for maintenance that apply in the means testing of other payments do not apply in the means testing of the guardians payment non-contributory. [7914/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Poverty Data
Gary Gannon
98. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection what measures will be taken to respond adequately to the report carried out by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, and presented to the United Nations, which found that the State was failing to address the root causes of poverty through its ''short-term, emergency and temporary measures". [7890/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
State Pensions
Bernard Durkan
99. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which she might review cases where a contributory State pension was refused on the grounds of insufficient contributions, with particular reference to allowing partial payment in line with the level of contributions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7788/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Departmental Strategies
Alan Farrell
100. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the Government’s ‘Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-2025’; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4001/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Departmental Bodies
Marc Ó Cathasaigh
101. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection to report on the latest meeting of the Smart Energy Steering Group; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7856/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Social Welfare Code
Michael Lowry
102. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide details on the steps her Department is taking in addressing the 'cliff-edges' in welfare systems; as she is aware these 'cliff-edges' in the welfare systems are where benefit entitlements and other supports are withdrawn sharply; these 'cliff-edges' disincentivise individuals from increasing their work hours or accepting pay rises as they might end up financially worse off due to the sudden loss of benefits; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7456/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Departmental Schemes
Pádraig O'Sullivan
103. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the Irish sign language voucher scheme and when will it be introduced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7775/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Social Welfare Code
Michael Lowry
104. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the measures being taken to support low-income families, such as increases in weekly social welfare payments, an increase in the domiciliary care allowance, and increases in the income thresholds for the working family payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7457/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Departmental Data
James O'Connor
105. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated amount her Department spent on the farm assist payment in Cork east in 2023; the total number of recipients in Cork east for the same year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7857/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
State Pensions
Aindrias Moynihan
106. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider including adult dependant recipients who are 80 years and over for increase of payment which presently is only available to State pension recipients over 80 years and over; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7935/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
oral
Social Welfare Schemes
Niamh Smyth
107. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on plans to extend child benefit to those continuing in secondary education but who have turned 18 years of age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7585/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Departmental Reviews
Éamon Ó Cuív
108. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress made to date with the review of means testing of social protection schemes; when the report arising from this review will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7779/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Departmental Data
Catherine Connolly
109. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications received by her Department under the humanitarian assistance scheme in respect of Galway city and county since the flooding in Galway in November 2023; the amount paid out to-date under the scheme to the residents of Galway city and county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7854/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Industrial Disputes
Catherine Connolly
110. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 115 of 7 December 2023, for a status update on his Department's engagement with representatives of community employment supervisors and Tús supervisors with a view to resolving the pay gap; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7853/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Social Welfare Benefits
Thomas Gould
111. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the supports provided to family carers. [7887/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Social Welfare Schemes
Seán Sherlock
361. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications and awards for supplementary welfare under the criteria or reference to, the need for mental health supports, by county, in tabular form. [8075/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
State Pensions
Michael Collins
362. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection if persons over the age of 70 years who are capable and willing to work could be eligible for additional the State pension benefits; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8087/24]
Tue, 20 Feb 2024
written
Social Welfare Eligibility
Niamh Smyth
363. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on an application (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7411/24]