83. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons holding a free travel pass on 31 August 2026, by qualifying category including State pension, disability allowance, invalidity pension, blind pension and carer's allowance recipients; the beneficiaries of temporary protection from Ukraine, where applicable, international protection applicants, where applicable, and all other quali…
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
Which departments get asked most
Department names as the record prints them. Some changed in June 2025.
All 20 departments
| Department | Questions | Oral | Written |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health | 27,342 | 145 | 27,197 |
| Education | 13,896 | 145 | 13,751 |
| Transport | 11,008 | 139 | 10,869 |
| Justice | 9,783 | 135 | 9,648 |
| Housing | 9,020 | 160 | 8,860 |
| Children | 8,676 | 129 | 8,547 |
| Finance | 5,833 | 153 | 5,680 |
| Social | 5,830 | 135 | 5,695 |
| Agriculture | 4,888 | 136 | 4,752 |
| Enterprise | 3,878 | 139 | 3,739 |
| Foreign | 3,856 | 190 | 3,666 |
| Climate | 3,825 | 114 | 3,711 |
| Public Expenditure | 3,685 | 167 | 3,518 |
| Further and Higher Education | 3,394 | 127 | 3,267 |
| Taoiseach | 2,585 | 1,436 | 1,149 |
| Defence | 2,499 | 162 | 2,337 |
| Culture | 2,376 | 147 | 2,229 |
| Rural | 2,331 | 140 | 2,191 |
| Environment | 1,029 | 26 | 1,003 |
| Tourism | 703 | 31 | 672 |
What's being asked about lately
23 Sep 2026 to 22 Oct 2026
Browse the questions
126,437 questions, newest first.
84. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection the plans in place to enhance and expand Social Welfare and Intreo Services in County Laois to match local population growth to ensure timely access for claimants. [67396/26]
85. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection whether the review of means testing in the social protection system will be completed this quarter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66609/26]
86. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the proposed cost of disability payment. [67199/26]
87. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection If he will provide a county breakdown of the numbers of students receiving a hot school meal every day. [67249/26]
88. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people in Cavan Monaghan that are eligible for Fuel Allowance. [67384/26]
89. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection whether he is considering advocating, as part of the pre-budget process, for targeted employer PRSI relief measures for SMEs, particularly in respect of lower-paid workers, in order to help locally owned businesses maintain employment and remain competitive in the face of rising business costs. [63668/26]
90. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration has been given to the way that eligibility reviews are communicated to persons in receipt of the State Pension (non-contributory), particularly given that these individuals are often vulnerable. [67603/26]
91. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has had any engagement with an organisation (details supplied) in relation to Budget 2027. [67198/26]
92. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to tackle youth unemployment. [66583/26]
93. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has assessed the impact of the child benefit payment rate remaining unchanged since 2016; and whether any review of the payment rate is planned. [67341/26]
94. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Social Protection the current status of the Government's commitment to review the means test for carer's allowance; and whether he is considering the abolition of the means test in recognition of the vital role played by family carers. [67391/26]
95. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Social Protection the next steps in terms of progressively increasing the weekly rates of Carer's allowance and Carer's Benefit as committed to in the Programme for Government. [67618/26]
96. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures are being taken to ensure that social welfare recipients can transition into further education, apprenticeships and training programmes without suffering a loss of income that would discourage participation. [66712/26]
97. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider increasing the income thresholds for the Working Family Payment as part of Budget 2027. [66998/26]
98. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Social Protection whether he will undertake a review of opportunities for people to stay on employment schemes after they have turned 65 years old, given the valuable work they contribute and the shortage for people in schemes such as Tús and Community Schemes (CE) schemes in vulnerable communities. [67629/26]
99. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection if persons on invalidity pensions are eligible for fuel allowance; to outline the criteria for fuel allowance; and if any changes will be included in the upcoming budget. [67324/26]
100. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on the possibility of a disability payment that is an entitlement for each person with a disability in the interests of equality and supporting independent living; and to make a statement on the matter. [67339/26]
101. Deputy Seamus Healy asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will increase carer’s allowance and carer’s benefit to €325 per week. [67667/26]
102. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department will consider further reforms to the pension treatment of foster care work, including bringing foster care work directly within the State Pension system. [67646/26]
103. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons who have applied for the job seekers allowance or job seekers benefit who listed their previous employment as farming; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67163/26]
104. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider extending the continuation period for social welfare payments from six weeks to 12 weeks. [67652/26]
105. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection in the context of Budget 2027, he will consider further reform of Carer’s Allowance, including increasing the weekly rate and further easing or removing the means test in recognition of the significant contribution made by family carers; and the estimated cost of each of these measures. [67387/26]
106. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Social Protection the targeted income supports in relation to those with disabilities he is considering as part of Budget 2027 negotiations. [67299/26]
107. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Social Protection the process used by his Department to identify and investigate suspected social welfare fraud; the number of cases of social welfare fraud detected and confirmed in each of the past three years; the value of any overpayments identified and recovered during that period; the measures currently in place to prevent fraud and abuse of the social welfare s…