Topics / Departmental Policies

A subject heading for parliamentary questions

Departmental Policies

1,112 questions from 127 TDs, between 22 January 2025 and 22 October 2026.

1,112
questions
1,096 written, 16 oral
127
TDs have asked
10
parties and groups
Independents counted together
20
departments asked

This is one of the catch-all headings the Oireachtas uses for how a department runs rather than what a question is about, so it is left out of the range and focus figures.

Questions per month

The record holds no questions for August, when the Dáil does not sit.

Jan 2025Oct 2026
Show as a table
MonthQuestions
January 20258
February 202535
March 202529
April 202551
May 202530
June 202557
July 202568
August 20250
September 202589
October 202524
November 202538
December 2025102
January 202628
February 202683
March 202669
April 202676
May 202689
June 202683
July 202671
August 20260
September 202645
October 202637

Who asks, by party

The party each TD belonged to on the day, in alphabetical order. Parties differ a lot in size, and members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them, so this shows who raised it, not how much a party cares about it.

  • Aontú25 from 2 TDs · 2 seats today
  • Fianna Fáil305 from 30 TDs · 48 seats today
  • Fine Gael153 from 22 TDs · 38 seats today
  • Green Party28 from 1 TD · 1 seat today
  • Independent75 from 12 TDs · 15 seats today
  • Independent Ireland110 from 3 TDs · 4 seats today
  • Labour Party59 from 11 TDs · 11 seats today
  • People Before Profit-Solidarity53 from 3 TDs · 3 seats today
  • Sinn Féin209 from 32 TDs · 39 seats today

The TDs who asked most

Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them. Each question counts once.

  1. 94
  2. 69
  3. 42
  4. 30
  5. 29
  6. 28
  7. 27
  8. 21

Asked of

Debated under the same heading

Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.

The questions

Cormac Devlin Written 17 Sep 2025 · to Finance
292. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Finance if he will cost the annual Exchequer impact of increasing the guide-assistance dog allowance from €825 to €1,250; and if he will examine index-linking this allowance from 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47919/25]
Cormac Devlin Written 17 Sep 2025 · to Finance
293. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider permitting medical expenses tax relief on verified veterinary bills associated with accredited assistance dogs in addition to the current allowance; if he will publish costings for annual caps of €1,000 and €1,500 per claimant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47920/25]
Cormac Devlin Written 17 Sep 2025 · to Finance
294. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Finance if he will examine the introduction of a refundable tax credit for assistance-dog insurance premiums and mandatory recertification costs, including costings for caps of €300 and €500 per annum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47921/25]
Cormac Devlin Written 17 Sep 2025 · to Finance
298. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Finance if he will request the tax strategy group to prepare a paper for Budget 2026 on options to improve affordability for assistance-dog owners and for households with large family pets, including distributional analysis, compliance incentives for licensing, microchipping and indicative costings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47925/25]
Cormac Devlin Written 17 Sep 2025 · to Finance
305. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Finance if he will expedite targeted modernisations to the Section 110 regime, including rectifying unintended impacts of recent credit rule changes, modifying the day €10 million asset threshold, extending the eight-week election period, and consolidating duplicative interest deductibility provisions; the public consultation plan; the expected timeline for draft legis…
Ken O'Flynn Written 17 Sep 2025 · to Finance
331. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Finance to detail his Department's reservations in relation to AE supervision cited in 2024, the changes that were sought, which were accepted; and the current oversight model involving the Pensions Authority and Department of Social Protection. [48751/25]
Albert Dolan Written 17 Sep 2025 · to Public Expenditure
351. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the rules and legal framework governing contract variations or modifications to public contracts after award, including the circumstances under which such variations are permitted; and whether contracting authorities are required to publish details of such post-award changes. [47749/25]
Ruairí Ó Murchú Written 17 Sep 2025 · to Enterprise
401. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the work being carried out by his Department and any engagement with other Departments and Government agencies to address concerns in relation to issues such as AI, social media algorithms, disinformation and cybersecurity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47593/25]
Martin Daly Written 17 Sep 2025 · to Enterprise
423. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the role international recruitment is expected to play in meeting the labour demands of Ireland’s housing programme; and if streamlined visa or recognition pathways are being considered for qualified tradespeople from abroad. [48569/25]
Ken O'Flynn Written 17 Sep 2025 · to Enterprise
427. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the means by which the State ensures balanced representation on high-level advisory panels with foreign business leaders, including SMEs and Irish enterprises; and the means by which panel advice is tracked to policy outcomes. [48754/25]
James O'Connor Written 17 Sep 2025 · to Education
543. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Youth the procedures for the way in which a primary school can be included in the DEIS scheme; if her Department has considered a school in County Cork (details supplied) for inclusion in the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48647/25]
Niamh Smyth Written 17 Sep 2025 · to Education
564. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education and Youth the reason for the delay (details supplied) in opening the timebound provision system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48824/25]
Pat Buckley Written 17 Sep 2025 · to Education
566. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Education and Youth if a school (details supplied) will be included in the DEIS scheme at the earliest opportunity. [48871/25]
Darren O'Rourke Written 17 Sep 2025 · to Education
569. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Education and Youth for an update on the time-bound provision; and if she will confirm that the provision will open in Q4 of 2025. [48913/25]
Ken O'Flynn Written 17 Sep 2025 · to Social
749. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has undertaken analysis on the way in which the projected doubling of the older population over the next 25 years will impact demand for social protection supports; and if so, whether long-term funding models have been identified. [48363/25]
Ken O'Flynn Written 17 Sep 2025 · to Social
751. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has considered targeted supports for carers of older people, in recognition that early intervention and consistent community presence will reduce the burden on both the health and social protection systems. [48366/25]
Ken O'Flynn Written 17 Sep 2025 · to Social
755. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection if additional supports, such as an enhanced qualified child allowance, targeted housing subsidies, or expanded childcare supports, are planned for households in or near poverty particularly affected by housing costs; and the timeline and funding plan for such measures. [48418/25]
John Paul O'Shea Written 17 Sep 2025 · to Social
795. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if measures will be introduced to expand employment opportunities for deaf and disabled individuals (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49158/25]
Pádraig Rice Written 17 Sep 2025 · to Social
797. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of the Programme for Government commitment to “continue to significantly increase the income disregards for carer’s allowance in each budget with a view to phasing out the means test during the lifetime of the Government”; the work carried out to date to progress this commitment; his plans with respect to the upcoming Budget 2026; and if he …
Ruairí Ó Murchú Written 17 Sep 2025 · to Justice
808. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will provide an update on the progress of establishing community safety partnerships and possible review mechanisms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47704/25]
Mairéad Farrell Written 17 Sep 2025 · to Children
1057. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the consideration that has been given to extend still birth leave in cases in which babies are born at 18-weeks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48142/25]
Niamh Smyth Written 17 Sep 2025 · to Children
1102. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she plans to extend the two-year period for when parents can claim parents' benefit after their child is born; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48668/25]
John Paul O'Shea Written 17 Sep 2025 · to Children
1106. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will recognise the role of school assistance dogs within the implementation framework of the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025–2030; if she will support the expansion of the evidence-based school assistance dog pilot, operated by an organisation (details supplied) to additional schools nationwide, in vi…
Séamus McGrath Written 17 Sep 2025 · to Children
1107. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality regarding recognition of school assistance dogs within the national human rights strategy’s implementation framework (details supplied) and supporting the expansion of this evidence-based pilot to more schools nationwide; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49004/25]
John Paul O'Shea Written 17 Sep 2025 · to Children
1110. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will ensure that inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is formally considered by the Cabinet Committee on Disability, in order that people with IBD are included in national discussions on disability rights and supports; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49048/25]