89. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of families in the Dún Laoghaire constituency expected to benefit from the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance in 2026; the estimated increase from extending eligibility to children aged two and three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46166/26]
Parliamentary questions
Questions
TDs ask ministers questions to get answers on the record, most of them in writing. Here is every one asked in the 34th Dáil, by the department it went to and the subject heading it was filed under. How questions work
Browse the questions
Showing questions asked by Barry Ward under the heading Social Welfare Benefits.
22 questions match, newest first.
240. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on the adequacy of financial supports available specifically for families with adult children with high support needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44679/26]
601. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider varying the dates in which the working family payment can be applied for; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27951/26]
602. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the total monies paid out under the working family payment for each of the years 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27952/26]
206. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on the adequacy of existing supports for single mothers in the weeks and months after giving birth; if any review of the State support structures can be considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12937/26]
207. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on the adequacy of support services available to single mothers compared with those for two-parent families, particularly during pregnancy and the early months of their child's life; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12941/26]
870. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the number of applications that his Department has received in 2026 under the emergency response payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12734/26]
871. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the number of applications that his Department has fully processed and paid out in 2026 under the emergency response payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12735/26]
872. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the number of applications that his Department has received in 2026 and have not yet been paid out under the emergency response payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12736/26]
873. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the number of applications that his Department has received in 2026 but were rejected under the emergency response payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12737/26]
874. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the total amount paid out to date in 2026 under the emergency response payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12738/26]
720. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 1545 of 13 January 2026, the position regarding a timeline for the phasing out of the means test for carer’s allowance as committed to in the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7738/26]
721. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 1545 of 13 January 2026, the approximate financial cost to the state of removing the means test for carers allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7739/26]
376. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 502 of 18 November 2025, the advice she would give to a teacher who has moved schools in the past 12-months but, due to their child’s illness, are forced to temporarily leave work and cannot qualify for carer’s allowance. [67757/25]
380. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection if his attention has been drawn to concerns of various NGOs and charities supporting elderly people in relation to the negative impact that the most recent budget had on elderly people that rely on state supports including the state pension and fuel allowance; the actions he will take to address these concerns; and if he will make a statement on the matt…
265. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider including verified disability-related expenses and private care costs as allowable deductions when assessing means for carer’s allowance; given the reality of many families not being able to access public healthcare supports due to significant delays; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56297/25]
266. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the phasing out of the carers allowance means test, as committed to in the Programme for Government; if there is a timeline for this commitment to be met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56298/25]
267. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection in relation to the income thresholds for carers allowance; if will he consider introducing a model similar to the Disability Tax Credit approach, where disability-related costs are acknowledged as reducing disposable income, thereby adjusting eligibility thresholds accordingly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56299/25]
268. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding any research or consideration given into the payment of a universal or partially universal carer support payment to replace or supplement the means-tested system, ensuring equity across income brackets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56300/25]
269. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the engagement that he has had with advocacy groups (details supplied) regarding the practical impact of the income disregard limits and proposed reforms, in relation to the income thresholds for carers allowance, the feedback he received, the way in which it is being incorporated into policy development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5…
935. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection if his attention has been drawn to the case of a person (details supplied); if he is conscious of the need to maintain financial independence in the case where one spouse loses their employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30110/25]
415. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding social welfare supports for those that work in a freelance capacity; if the exceptional needs payment can be reviewed to allow further flexibility and support for people in this position; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26747/25]