Parliamentary questions

School Meals Programme

Alan Farrell

15. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on the roll-out of the hot school meals programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17836/24]

Departmental Programmes

Richard Bruton

16. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has considered the scope for promoting engaging activities and positive health measures as a part of the welfare programmes promoted by her Department to the pensioners whom she supports with regular financial payments and occasional urgent need payments as part of a more joined-up approach to positive ageing. [18076/24]

Social Welfare Offices

Ruairí Ó Murchú

17. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on the creation of processing hubs for community welfare and other services; whether she is aware of any administrative difficulties caused by the creation of the hubs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18405/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Catherine Connolly

18. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will outline, further to the recent scrapping of the green paper on disability reform, her plans to introduce a cost of disability payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18376/24]

Raidió Teilifís Éireann

Brendan Griffin

19. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of staff, including total WTE positions and grade breakdowns, working in the Department's scope section; if the section is adequately staffed to undertake the work required of it in relation to examining bogus self-employment in large organisations such as RTÉ; how long she expects the RTÉ scope investigation to take to conclude; if the scope section plans to examine cases of workers at RTÉ prior to the period currently under examination by the scope section; if the scope section is currently examining or has plans to examine other State or semi-State agencies; if so, which ones; the annual budget for the scope section for each of the past five years; how many prosecutions her Department has initiated as a result of bogus self-employment cases in each of the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18380/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Bernard Durkan

20. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has considered any options to improve the speed with which applications for disability allowance or similar means-tested payments are processed thus eliminating hardship for people who may be vulnerable; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18337/24]

Pension Provisions

Robert Troy

21. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection her assessment of the impact of the Supreme Court's recent decision to award a pension to a widower who was not married but had children with his former partner; if this will have an impact on other retrospective and future cases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18202/24]

Pension Provisions

Catherine Connolly

22. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection what value-for-money analysis has been carried out in relation to the different rates of participation in the proposed automatic enrolment pension scheme; the different rates of opt-outs; the different rates of suspension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18377/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

23. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on her examination of the issues facing kinship carers who receive nominal contributions from birth parents and who may then be prevented from receiving guardianship allowance. [18470/24]

State Pensions

Paul McAuliffe

24. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to provide a State pension for those currently in receipt of the increase for qualified adult under their partner’s pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18366/24]

Pension Provisions

Niamh Smyth

25. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection 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. [18134/24]

Labour Activation Measures

Brian Stanley

26. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount that was allocated in 2019 to 2023 to companies engaged by her Department in providing labour activation programmes; the number of clients they assisted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17614/24]

State Pensions

Aindrias Moynihan

27. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection to allow for caring periods under 20 years to be included for long-term caring contributions for the purposes of the State pension (contributory); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18355/24]

Employment Rights

Brendan Griffin

28. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection what threshold needs to be cleared for an appeal to be granted by her Department’s appeals office in respect of challenges to decisions by her Department's scope section against employers in relation to findings on bogus self-employment; if applications for appeal are scrutinised, what percentage of appeal applications by employers in respect of scope decisions on bogus self-employment were granted in 2023; the average time such an appeal takes to be heard and decided upon; the number (and percentage) of appeal hearings in 2023 initiated by employers in respect of scope decisions on bogus self-employment, where the appellant subsequently did not present for the hearing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18381/24]

Poverty Data

Gino Kenny

29. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is aware that one in five (19.7%) people unable to work due to disability live in consistent poverty, that this is almost four times higher than the national average (5.3%); what measures will she take to lift people with disabilities out of poverty; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9513/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Violet-Anne Wynne

30. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans in respect of the means test for the carer's allowance; how she plans on ensuring that more carers can avail of the payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18269/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Thomas Gould

31. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to reform payments to family carers. [18408/24]

Parental Leave

Paul Murphy

32. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will allocate funding to extend paid parental benefit to cover at least the first year of a child’s life; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18330/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

33. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection whether she is aware of the substantial discrepancies that exist between initial applications for domiciliary care and the level of success of appeals with regard to same; and what she intends to do to address this. [18473/24]

Departmental Bodies

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

34. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection when we can expect to know the findings of the interdepartmental working group between her Department and the Department of Health concerning a reform of the disability payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18079/24]

Employment Support Services

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

35. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the tender for EmployAbility which was due to be published in April 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18471/24]

Disability Services

Gary Gannon

36. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection how the green paper on disability reform will impact students in higher education receiving disability payments. [9087/24]

Employment Support Services

Matt Carthy

37. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will review the position regarding the mandatory retirement age for participants on the job initiative scheme to ensure that those who wish to can remain on the scheme past the State pension age. [17717/24]

Social Insurance

Paul Murphy

38. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is concerned at the impact proposed cuts to employers’ PRSI will have on the Social Insurance Fund; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18331/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Pauline Tully

39. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider altering the Social Welfare and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024 to apply the reduced rate of social welfare payments to Ukrainian people who arrive after a particular date instead of the current approach of connecting the reduced payment to new designated centres; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18412/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Thomas Gould

40. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection whether ME is eligible for disability allowance. [18407/24]

Pension Provisions

Bernard Durkan

41. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applicants who have been refused insurance-based private pensions on the basis of insufficiency of contributions over their working lives or part thereof; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18338/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Peadar Tóibín

42. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of times an individual in receipt of carer’s allowance had their allowance stopped, in each of the past ten years and to date in 2024; and to provide a sample of reasons that carer’s allowance may be withdrawn from carers. [17668/24]

School Meals Programme

Violet-Anne Wynne

43. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider extending the hot school meals programme to a school (details supplied) on a permanent basis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18268/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Paul Murphy

44. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will introduce a living wage for family carers through the social protection system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18329/24]

Departmental Priorities

Paul Murphy

45. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will introduce a universal disability payment of at least €350 a week; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18328/24]

Disability Services

Ruairí Ó Murchú

46. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an expected launch date of the reformed reasonable accommodation fund, following the recommendations from the review of the fund; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18406/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Richard Bruton

47. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has considered designing new initiatives to tackle under-claiming of benefits, which is widespread across her own Department and other agencies of Government. [18077/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Niamh Smyth

48. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of plans to extend child benefit for those continuing in secondary education but who have turned 18 years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18135/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Mark Ward

49. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline the appeals process for domiciliary care allowance payments that are refused; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18431/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

50. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection what steps she intends to take regarding the extent of the backlog in processing disability allowance claims. [18474/24]

International Protection

Matt Carthy

51. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will report on her engagements with Cabinet colleagues regarding the ending of the Temporary Protection Directive next year. [17716/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Aindrias Moynihan

52. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection to give consideration to extending the carer’s benefit to include the self-employed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18354/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Paul Murphy

53. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will abolish means testing of carer’s allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18327/24]

Business Supports

Pearse Doherty

219. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider targeted supports to businesses experiencing increased costs through changes, including rebates, under employers PRSI; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15233/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

John McGuinness

220. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if carer’s allowance will be approved for a person (details supplied) who is giving full-time care to their father; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18538/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

David Stanton

221. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people currently availing of carer’s benefit; the estimated cost of the benefit in 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18589/24]

School Meals Programme

Matt Shanahan

222. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update as to when a school (details supplied) will be included in the new programme of national school meals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18644/24]

Departmental Contracts

Éamon Ó Cuív

223. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount of money being paid by her Department to private bus companies under contracts for the free travel scheme; the reason these companies are not precluded from charging a booking fee on scheduled services and particularly on services where the buses are often forced to refuse passengers due to being at capacity, thus forcing people who need to ensure they get on the bus to pay the booking fee; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18646/24]

Departmental Data

Pearse Doherty

224. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 463 of 12 December 2023, the estimated revenue that will be raised in each of the years 2024 to 2030 by the proposed increases in all classes of PRSI, disaggregated by PRSI class, employer, employee and self-employed, in a scenario (details supplied), in tabular form. [18667/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Bernard Durkan

225. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if the living alone allowance is payable in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18683/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Bernard Durkan

226. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if an exceptional needs payment will be made in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18686/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Bernard Durkan

227. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if a case will be urgently reviewed (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18687/24]

Personal Public Service Numbers

Bernard Durkan

228. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if and when a PPS number might be provided in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18699/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Bernard Durkan

229. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if a one-parent family payment or other allowance is payable in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18700/24]

Labour Market

Bernard Durkan

230. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the options available for a first-time job applicant (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18702/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Bernard Durkan

231. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which the carer's allowance has been improved in recent times to meet requirements of more persons; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18707/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Bernard Durkan

232. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection when the return of the funeral bereavement grant may be envisaged other than by way of an exceptional needs payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18708/24]

Departmental Priorities

Bernard Durkan

233. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which satisfactory provision continues to be made for those retiring at 65 years of age; the extent of any recent progress in this area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18709/24]

Social Welfare Payments

Bernard Durkan

234. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of appeals currently in hand in respect of means-tested social welfare payments and non-means-tested payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18710/24]

Departmental Priorities

Bernard Durkan

235. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which she continues to examine the situation whereby women who left full-time employment to care for a relative or family member and returned to the workforce with insufficient time to enable them to make the necessary contributions can meet the necessary contributions to qualify for a pension; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18711/24]

Departmental Priorities

Bernard Durkan

236. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which the waiting time for a decision in respect of applications for various social welfare payments has been shortened; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18712/24]

Departmental Priorities

Bernard Durkan

237. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which the waiting time for determination of appeals has been shortened; the average length of time for processing appeals at present; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18713/24]

State Pensions

Bernard Durkan

238. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of pension applications for contributory-related State pension received in each of the past five years to date; the number granted, refused or pending; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18714/24]

Departmental Priorities

Bernard Durkan

239. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the degree to which her Department has in place an appropriate method for determination of eligibility for domiciliary care allowance, given the number of children who are now deemed eligible on the basis of special needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18715/24]

Departmental Priorities

Bernard Durkan

240. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the degree to which she and her office continue to ensure the making of a basic payment to applicants of social welfare payments while the primary application is being processed in order to alleviate hardship; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18716/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Cathal Crowe

96. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider increasing the household benefits package allowance for those in receipt of a pension; and if she will remove the means test for those over 66 years of age. [18133/24]

State Pensions

Robert Troy

97. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she plans to bring forward proposals to amend pension entitlements in order that women who had to leave work due to marriage could qualify for a pension in their own right regardless of their husband’s means. [18158/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Niamh Smyth

98. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of a review/appeal for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18161/24]

School Meals Programme

Marc Ó Cathasaigh

99. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is aware that children with coeliac disease, which has an incidence rate of 1 in 100 people in Ireland, are unable to avail of the hot school meals programme; the steps her Department can take to address this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18163/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

John McGuinness

100. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if children's allowance benefit will continue to be paid to a person (details supplied); and if arrears will also be paid. [18167/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Brendan Griffin

101. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been made on an application for partial capacity benefit by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18175/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Bernard Durkan

102. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection when illness benefit or other suitable illness payment will issue in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18177/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Brendan Griffin

103. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been made on an application for child benefit by a person in County Kerry (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18182/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Bernard Durkan

104. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress to date in the determination of an appeal for carer's allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18187/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Patricia Ryan

105. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason the unemployment benefit payments of a school caretaker (details supplied) are not going into their account when they are on annual leave. [18211/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Duncan Smith

106. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps she will take to expedite an application for carer's allowance by a person (details supplied) which was submitted in December 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18224/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Denis Naughten

107. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 814 of 9 April 2024, the corresponding number of recipients of carer's benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18233/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Denis Naughten

108. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 814 of 9 April 2024, if she will provide a breakdown of the numbers and primary payments received by recipients of the half-rate carer's allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18235/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Claire Kerrane

109. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider making changes to the ongoing situation where workers (details supplied) have to sign on for jobseeker's allowance during school holidays, given the time delay and difficulties workers face on this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18252/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Thomas Pringle

110. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made on a domiciliary care allowance application (details supplied) which has been in processing for a number of months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18267/24]

School Meals Programme

David Stanton

111. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Social Protection how students with serious medical conditions, such as those who are coeliac, are accommodated under her Department’s hot school meals programme; if there is a distinction between medical conditions and food intolerances under the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18365/24]

Pension Provisions

Catherine Connolly

112. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection with regard to the proposed automatic enrolment pension scheme, what analysis has been carried out regarding the consequences; if there are fewer participants than the 750,000/800,000 on which the scheme is predicated; what analysis has been carried out regarding the consequences of varying numbers of participants opting out of and/or suspending participation in the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18375/24]

Departmental Advertising

Ged Nash

113. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Social Protection for figures on the total spend for all forms of advertising in the years 2022 and 2023 in her Department; if figures can be provided on each Department’s spend on local media advertising (print and broadcast respectively, and broken down on that basis) for those years; if the Department used/uses an agency to place advertising; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18399/24]

Departmental Contracts

Carol Nolan

114. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection if her Department has at any time engaged the services of a company (details supplied) or allocated the company funding or support in any capacity; if she or her officials have engaged with personnel from the company; if so, the details of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18451/24]

School Meals Programme

Seán Sherlock

390. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection what action has been taken to monitor and reduce food waste and packaging waste in the school meals programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18277/24]

School Meals Programme

Seán Sherlock

391. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the action taken on each of the 18 recommendations contained within her Department's evaluation of the school meals programme undertaken in 2022, per recommendation, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18278/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Brendan Griffin

392. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision on a rent supplement application (details supplied) by a person who had to leave the family home will be reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17347/24]

School Meals Programme

Frankie Feighan

393. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide a list, by county, of all primary schools now providing hot school meals following this week's expansion, in tabular form; if she will include the address, location and roll number of each school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17362/24]

Community Welfare Services

Sorca Clarke

394. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of WTE staff, by grade, working in the National Community Welfare Contact Centre as of 15 April 2024. [17415/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Sorca Clarke

395. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for invalidity pension that were refused by her Department in the years of 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form. [17416/24]

Departmental Staff

Sorca Clarke

396. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide a list of all assistant secretaries and principal officers in her Department, with their current responsibilities. [17417/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Bernard Durkan

397. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress to date in the determination of the review for DCA in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17430/24]

Social Welfare Schemes

Jim O'Callaghan

398. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if a change to the eye examination fee for contractors is now under consideration after Department officials met with stakeholders in March to discuss a change to the (optical) treatment benefit scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17465/24]

Tax Reliefs

Richard Bruton

399. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will indicate the number of claimants who are availing of the exemption from the means test of the renting of a room with revenue up to €14,000. [17480/24]

School Meals Programme

Ivana Bacik

400. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Social Protection the provenance of meat, vegetables and other ingredients for the hot school meals programme; if the ingredients are sourced in Ireland; and the procurement process for same. [17495/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Bernard Durkan

401. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection when payment of carer’s allowance will be urgently restored in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17523/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Bernard Durkan

402. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress to date in determining an appeal (details supplied); when a final determination is likely to issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17529/24]

School Meals Programme

Cathal Crowe

403. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection when the schools (details supplied) announced for the hot school meals programme can expect the meals to be rolled out; and what options are available for those with allergies. [17536/24]

School Meals Programme

David Stanton

404. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Social Protection if a school (details supplied) will be included in the hot school meals programme for the 2024-2025 school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17538/24]

Social Insurance

Pearse Doherty

405. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection if the scheduled increases in PRSI between 2024 and 2028 are factored into table 2 (showing cashflow projections with respect to SIF in selected years) of the actuarial review of the social insurance fund as at 31 December which was completed by her Department in December 2023; and if she will provide an updated equivalent table providing cashflow projections with respect to SIF for those selected years which take account of the aforementioned PRSI increases. [17553/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Louise O'Reilly

406. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if there are plans to expand the training support grant to cover longer-term courses and those above QQI Level 6; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17563/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Louise O'Reilly

407. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the supports available to someone returning to education part-time and continuing to work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17564/24]

School Meals Programme

Jim O'Callaghan

408. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will detail, on a county-by-county basis, a breakdown of the 150,000 children that will benefit from the expansion of the hot meals scheme announced on 15 April 2024, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17606/24]

Social Welfare Fraud

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

409. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons prosecuted for social welfare fraud in the years of 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17626/24]