1567. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the rules governing carer’s allowance and carer’s benefit in cases where a full-time carer is providing care to three dependants, given that the current system provides no additional payment for the third person despite the significant extra workload involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1383/26]
Topics / Social Welfare Benefits
A subject heading for parliamentary questionsSocial Welfare Benefits
681 questions from 119 TDs, between 5 February 2025 and 6 October 2026.
681
questions
667 written, 14 oral
119
TDs have asked
10
parties and groups
Independents counted together
6
departments asked
Questions per month
The record holds no questions for August, when the Dáil does not sit.
Jan 2025Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions |
|---|---|
| January 2025 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 45 |
| March 2025 | 26 |
| April 2025 | 19 |
| May 2025 | 39 |
| June 2025 | 83 |
| July 2025 | 46 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 88 |
| October 2025 | 39 |
| November 2025 | 39 |
| December 2025 | 27 |
| January 2026 | 21 |
| February 2026 | 50 |
| March 2026 | 19 |
| April 2026 | 10 |
| May 2026 | 22 |
| June 2026 | 60 |
| July 2026 | 12 |
| August 2026 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 33 |
| October 2026 | 3 |
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.
The TDs who asked most
Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them. Each question counts once.
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37
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34
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22
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20
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19
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18
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17
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17
Asked of
Debated under the same heading
Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.
The questions
1570. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection the exact criteria applicable to an under 66 fuel allowance application; the current means test limit for such an application, and if this has been recently increased. [1572/26]
1584. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection if assistance can be offered to a person (details supplied) with processing a working family payment claim; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1835/26]
1585. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps his Department is taking to design and deliver a targeted social welfare payment for families experiencing consistent poverty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1906/26]
1588. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection the interactions between targeted poverty payments and supports for families such as working family payment, child support payment and family leave benefits; the modelling undertaken of combined impacts on disposable income for families with children in or at risk of poverty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1911/26]
537. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person’s (details supplied) working family payment claim will be reviewed, given that they are working in excess of 38 weeks per fortnight; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73325/25]
538. Deputy Máire Devine asked the Minister for Social Protection for assistance in relation to a rent supplement case (details supplied). [73344/25]
545. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is aware that domestic abuse rent supplement is available for three months without a means test; if he understands that a victim of domestic abuse in some circumstances is working and required to pay the mortgage on the property where the children live; if this payment is considered as part of the means test in the case where the person cannot…
548. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people in receipt of a carer’s support grant in 2024 and in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73447/25]
550. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Social Protection the key measures taken to support carers during 2025; his priorities for 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73562/25]
315. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration will be given to introducing a gluten-free food allowance for pensioners with coeliac disease due to the extra cost associated with their dietary needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [72700/25]
316. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has considered the impact of the high cost of gluten-free food on pensioners with coeliac disease; and whether he will explore options to support affected individuals, such as a potential allowance or subsidy to offset these costs. [72701/25]
456. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection when an application for disability allowance by a person (details supplied) will be decided given the family urgently need assistance. [70934/25]
529. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if he accepts that the withdrawal of once-off supports provided in Budget 2025 leaves disabled households substantially worse off in 2026; the measures he will take to address this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69594/25]
530. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the budgetary rationale for removing once-off supports without providing equivalent permanent measures for disabled people; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69596/25]
542. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures in place to support people with disabilities with the cost of living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69340/25]
544. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Social Protection the supports available for self-employed people who are unable to work due to a life changing medical diagnosis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69437/25]
546. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection to reverse or amend the decision to automatically tax carer’s allowance and carer’s benefit from January 2026, given the financial hardship this will cause for full-time carers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69543/25]
548. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection the consultation which took place with carers’ representative groups before introducing automatic taxation of carer’s allowance and carer’s benefit; if he will consider suspending the measure pending meaningful consultation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69545/25]
551. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection if a teacher employed by the Department of Education and youth can access disability allowances if they are in receipt of illness related early pension payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69583/25]
570. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason self-employed workers who pay PRSI, when they get sick, have no access to income supports, despite working and paying taxes; if this anomaly will be examined; if illness benefit will be extended to the self-employed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70098/25]
575. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider changing the rules so that a person in receipt of death benefit is entitled to the living alone allowance upon reaching the age of 66. [70229/25]
577. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made in relation to carers allowance for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70293/25]
361. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 415 of 27 November 2025, if he will clarify a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68958/25]
165. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the assistance available for a person (details supplied) who was refused carer's benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68206/25]