Topics / Departmental Schemes

A subject heading for parliamentary questions

Departmental Schemes

1,518 questions from 134 TDs, between 22 January 2025 and 22 October 2026.

1,518
questions
1,497 written, 21 oral
134
TDs have asked
11
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 202537
March 202580
April 202588
May 202573
June 202591
July 202590
August 20250
September 202588
October 202533
November 202591
December 202555
January 202631
February 202682
March 202658
April 2026107
May 2026150
June 202669
July 2026117
August 20260
September 2026108
October 202662

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.

  • 100% RDR11 from 1 TD · 1 seat today
  • Aontú5 from 2 TDs · 2 seats today
  • Fianna Fáil347 from 34 TDs · 48 seats today
  • Fine Gael340 from 24 TDs · 38 seats today
  • Green Party21 from 1 TD · 1 seat today
  • Independent87 from 10 TDs · 15 seats today
  • Independent Ireland159 from 3 TDs · 4 seats today
  • Labour Party83 from 11 TDs · 11 seats today
  • People Before Profit-Solidarity29 from 3 TDs · 3 seats today
  • Sinn Féin347 from 34 TDs · 39 seats today

The TDs who asked most

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

  1. 146
  2. 51
  3. 44
  4. 42
  5. 40
  6. 35
  7. 34
  8. 30

Asked of

Debated under the same heading

Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.

The questions

Pádraig O'Sullivan Written 12 May 2026 · to Climate
271. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the number of homes to date that have been retrofitted using funding derived from carbon tax receipts; the total amount of such funding allocated for this purpose; the average grant awarded per dwelling; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34836/26]
Michael Collins Written 12 May 2026 · to Transport
391. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Transport if he will address the exclusion of feed mill operators and other own account transport operators within the agricultural supply chain from the road transport support scheme; if he will consider extending eligibility to businesses that operate HGV fleets for the delivery of essential agricultural inputs but do not operate "for hire or reward"; and if he wil…
Michael Collins Written 12 May 2026 · to Transport
392. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Transport if his Department will undertake an urgent review of the eligibility criteria for the road transport support scheme to ensure that businesses providing essential services to the agricultural sector, such as feed mills, fertiliser suppliers and agricultural merchants, are not unintentionally excluded from fuel support measures; and if he will make a statemen…
Michael Collins Written 12 May 2026 · to Transport
393. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Transport if he will consider amending the road transport support scheme to include own account operators who incur the same fuel costs as licensed hauliers and who provide essential services to primary producers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34912/26]
Michael Cahill Written 12 May 2026 · to Finance
455. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance to consider introducing as a matter of priority an Index Linked Lifetime Tax-Free Threshold available to all Citizens of €600,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34227/26]
Sean Fleming Written 12 May 2026 · to Health
1167. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health if she will include asthma in the long-term illness scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34887/26]
Danny Healy-Rae Written 12 May 2026 · to Further and Higher Education
1249. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to review the SUSI threshold disregard for students working as the recent increase from €8,424 to €8,830 is not adequate. [35186/26]
Aengus Ó Snodaigh Written 12 May 2026 · to Further and Higher Education
1251. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science for assistance with a DARE scheme application (details supplied). [33986/26]
Seán Ó Fearghaíl Written 12 May 2026 · to Further and Higher Education
1263. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the policy rationale for excluding certain QQI validated undergraduate programmes delivered by private higher education institutions from eligibility under the free fees initiative and from SUSI grant support; whether he is aware that the BA (Hons) in Psychology at Carlow College is currently the only u…
Claire Kerrane Written 12 May 2026 · to Further and Higher Education
1279. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he has considered excluding students' own income from summer employment/weekend work as part of the means test for SUSI grants; if he will examine the cost of removing it to better support families who have to pay fees in full, without support, due to the part-time work of the applicant; and if he will…
Malcolm Byrne Written 12 May 2026 · to Further and Higher Education
1285. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of students in receipt of the SUSI grant for 2025/2026 and each level thereof, such as partial fees, full fees, fees plus maintenance and so on; the percentage that this represents of the overall full time undergraduate student population; the additional numbers who benefitted from changes made …
Aengus Ó Snodaigh Oral 7 May 2026 · to Culture
3. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport his plans to improve accessibility for artists to apply for the 2026 basic income for the arts, BIA, scheme. [33423/26]
Brian Stanley Written 7 May 2026 · to Health
570. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health the qualifying criteria for the critical illness protocol; if there is a defined list of medical conditions that qualify under this scheme; if those who contracted long-Covid while working on the frontlines during the pandemic for the HSE are eligible for this payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33904/26]
Paul Nicholas Gogarty Written 6 May 2026 · to Finance
216. Deputy Paul Nicholas Gogarty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the full cost to the Exchequer of the disabled drivers scheme in 2025, to include all tax exemptions under the scheme and the fuel grant element; whether regular Tax Expenditure Evaluation Reports have been carried out on the scheme as required under his Department's Tax Expenditure Evaluation Guidelines 2014 and 2024; and if he will make a…
Darren O'Rourke Written 6 May 2026 · to Finance
217. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the reason the bike-to-work scheme is not available to those who are retired, on a pension and continue to pay tax; if he plans to change this position; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32059/26]
Erin McGreehan Written 6 May 2026 · to Finance
243. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if applications for the disabled drivers and disabled passengers scheme will still be accepted while the new grant-based vehicle adaptation scheme is being developed by the Department of Transport; and if so, whether the eligibility conditions for obtaining a primary medical cert will be broadened given its current strict limitations to six medica…
John Paul O'Shea Written 6 May 2026 · to Enterprise
292. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment further to the reported expenditure of approximately €30 million under the smart regions enterprise innovation scheme, the status of the remaining €115.3 million in allocated funding; whether the scheme is being continued, restructured, or discontinued; the reasons for the significant delays and administrative challenges reported; …
John Paul O'Shea Written 6 May 2026 · to Enterprise
293. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment whether the Community Enterprise Association of Ireland was consulted in the design or implementation of the smart regions enterprise innovation scheme; if so, the nature and timing of this engagement and any input received; if not, the reason for the absence of such consultation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [330…
Albert Dolan Written 6 May 2026 · to Education
379. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Education and Youth when the next announcement regarding the identification of schools for DEIS status is expected, having regard to the DEIS Strategy to 2035 and Implementation Plan 2026–2028; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32299/26]
Shane Moynihan Written 6 May 2026 · to Education
401. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether there are plans to consider additional schools for inclusion in the DEIS programme; the timeframe for any such expansion, especially for schools that were established after the last review point; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32497/26]
Cathal Crowe Written 6 May 2026 · to Education
402. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Youth the status of an application by a school (details supplied) under the climate action summer works scheme 2026; if she is aware that the school; if she will ensure this application is prioritised for approval in the upcoming Tranche 2 of the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32499/26]
Ken O'Flynn Written 6 May 2026 · to Education
407. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide the total number of students who accessed the iScoil programme in 2025 and to date in 2026, with a breakdown by county; to confirm which authority makes the final decision on admission; to provide the number of students refused access or placed on a waiting list in 2025 and to date in 2026; the average time from referral to placement in eac…
Ken O'Flynn Written 6 May 2026 · to Education
408. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether the iScoil programme is available to students who are unable to secure a mainstream school place and currently on reduced timetables or receiving limited home tuition, including cases where students are receiving as little as seven hours per week; whether such students are eligible for iScoil as an interim educational provision pending the sec…
Ken O'Flynn Written 6 May 2026 · to Education
409. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth the role of the Tusla Education Welfare Service in the referral, approval and allocation of places on the iScoil programme; whether Tusla acts as the primary gateway for access or can other agencies directly initiate referrals; the criteria applied by Tusla when determining eligibility for iScoil; whether Tusla maintains a waiting list or prioritisati…
Ken O'Flynn Written 6 May 2026 · to Education
410. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Education and Youth to provide the exact funding allocated by her Department to iScoil in 2023, 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026, specifying the funding stream, and whether it is provided on a grant, contract or other basis; whether a written agreement, service level agreement or formal performance framework exists governing the delivery of services by iScoil, and if so, t…