1202. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration will be given to a review of the current means-testing arrangements for the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance as they apply to foster children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42713/26]
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
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 | 27,764 | 145 | 27,619 |
| Education | 14,148 | 145 | 14,003 |
| Transport | 11,178 | 139 | 11,039 |
| Justice | 9,962 | 135 | 9,827 |
| Housing | 9,139 | 160 | 8,979 |
| Children | 8,691 | 142 | 8,549 |
| Social | 5,914 | 135 | 5,779 |
| Finance | 5,884 | 153 | 5,731 |
| Agriculture | 4,894 | 136 | 4,758 |
| Enterprise | 3,942 | 139 | 3,803 |
| Climate | 3,915 | 130 | 3,785 |
| Foreign | 3,868 | 190 | 3,678 |
| Public Expenditure | 3,737 | 167 | 3,570 |
| Further and Higher Education | 3,437 | 140 | 3,297 |
| Taoiseach | 2,665 | 1,495 | 1,170 |
| Defence | 2,599 | 179 | 2,420 |
| Culture | 2,492 | 147 | 2,345 |
| Rural | 2,361 | 140 | 2,221 |
| Environment | 1,029 | 26 | 1,003 |
| Tourism | 703 | 31 | 672 |
What's being asked about lately
7 Oct 2026 to 5 Nov 2026
Browse the questions
128,322 questions, newest first.
1203. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing the €20,000 disregard to €50,000 in the capital formula for blind pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42733/26]
1204. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection to confirm if a “qualified child increase” is taken into account in means tests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42766/26]
1205. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of parents or guardians required to complete forms or applications relating to children leaving school at 16 years- of age, in each of the past five years, in tabular form; if consideration has been given to extending supports such as child benefit until the age of 19 years-of-age in line with current educational participation; and if he …
1206. Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be reached in respect of a 317 review of both applications for domiciliary care allowance (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42923/26]
1207. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 758 of 26 May 2026, if he could provide details surrounding the current review into means testing across all social assistance schemes that his Department administers; whether a public consultation will be held as part of this review; whether his Department will engage with relevant advocacy groups as part of this…
1208. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the case of a person (details supplied); if he will provide an update on the invalidity pension review in question; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42948/26]
1209. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will undertake a review of the means test for disability allowance, with particular regard to the assessment of a partner’s income; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42956/26]
1210. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider reviewing the means test for disability allowance to allow persons with a disability to access the allowance in their own right (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42989/26]
1211. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection if jobseekers benefit has been categorised as a qualifying payment for fuel allowance; if not, if he will consider making this change before the next fuel allowance season as it is a payment which should be included.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42990/26]
1212. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection the way medical negligence or catastrophic personal injury awards are treated as assessable savings or means by his Department and State agencies under his Department’s remit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43001/26]
1213. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update regarding a request for review of DCA application in respect of a person (details supplied). [43093/26]
1214. Deputy Ann Graves asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider adding disability recipients to the annual €2,000 lump sum payment in Budget 2027; and if he will make a permanent cost of disability payment to protect vulnerable people from poverty. [43096/26]
1215. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated first year and full year cost of providing a carer’s pension, 2% contribution of the minimum annual living wage. [43103/26]
1216. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated first year and full year cost of expanding the free travel scheme to include those in receipt of domiciliary care allowance. [43104/26]
1217. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated first year and full year cost of pension provision for foster carers and kinship carers respectively. [43106/26]
1218. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated first year and full year cost of extending the guardian payment to cover children over the age of 12. [43107/26]
1219. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated first year and full year cost of increasing the rate of guardian payment to be on par with foster allowance. [43108/26]
1220. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated first year and full year cost of hiring a case worker to help social welfare applicants. [43109/26]
1221. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated first year and full year cost of increasing support for social welfare applicants struggling with literacy/accessibility. [43111/26]
1222. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated first year and full year cost of doubling the provision of paternity leave benefit to four weeks. [43112/26]
1223. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection for the first year and full year cost of increasing jobseeker’s allowance by €1. [43113/26]
1224. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection for the first year and full year cost of increasing the State pension by €1. [43114/26]
1225. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection for the first year and full year cost of increasing qualified child payment for over and under 12s by €1. [43116/26]
1226. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection for the first year and full year cost of establishing a social welfare adequacy commission. [43117/26]