175. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will report on the extension of the free travel companion pass; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50695/25]
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
301. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the rationale for deferring the €285 child benefit increment until 2027; the Department’s estimate of the number of children that will remain in income poverty as a result of this deferral; whether interim measures will be put in place to mitigate the impact on low-income families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51016/25]
83. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the recipients of the fuel allowance, by county, in tabular form; his plans to expand the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50641/25]
90. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people in receipt of partial capacity benefit for the years 2020-2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50662/25]
91. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people in receipt of disability allowance for the years 2020-2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50663/25]
93. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Social Protection the dental benefits a person in receipt of carer’s allowance or carer’s benefit can avail of; whether his Department plans to expand the range of free dental services that carers can avail of, such as the services available under the dental treatment services scheme recipients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50716/25]
406. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the correspondence (details supplied); if a decision regarding a carer’s allowance application could be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49694/25]
414. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons who were in receipt of living alone allowance and subjected to a review by his Department in 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form. [50015/25]
415. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review a claim and medical reports for a person (details supplied) with a view to approving the application, given the person has been in receipt of supplementary welfare allowance for a long period of time and two GPs continue to deem the person unfit for work; if a general practitioner appointed by his Department will examine the applic…
416. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Social Protection to consider awarding a half carer’s allowance payment to persons who are caring for family members in an almost full-time capacity to provide the care required for a person in between care hours approved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50237/25]
420. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Social Protection when the weekly household income limit for back to school clothing and footwear allowance was last increased. [50380/25]
421. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people who will receive an increase in their carer's allowance payment when the changes to the means test takes effect in July 2025, by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50466/25]
422. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of families who have benefitted from the newborn baby grant since it was introduced, by county; if he has any plans to review the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50467/25]
300. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider allowing those on primary social welfare payments, such as disability allowance, to receive half rate payments on bereaved partners pension, or vice versa; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49498/25]
999. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an update on the engagement there has been with foster carers to deliver on their requests regarding the foster care allowance, pension issues and so on; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47564/25]
541. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Finance the status of any plans to recategorise carer's allowance such that it is no longer taxable or reckonable as income for the purposes of means assessment. [46184/25]
1322. Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher asked the Minister for Social Protection if it can be ensured that those in receipt of disability allowance and attached benefits (details supplied) are not penalised if accepted onto the proposed Budget 2026 full rollout of the basic income for the arts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47260/25]
1325. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number or persons in receipt of jobseeker's allowance for more than 12 months; the number of those who have engaged on a training course or community employment scheme; the number who have not engaged on a training course or community employment scheme; and his views on job activation measures being undertaken for those on long term job se…
1331. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Social Protection if a process will be considered where seasonal workers can apply for jobseeker’s benefit in advance of being laid off for the summer (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44732/25]
1373. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated first-year and full-year cost of two double monthly child benefit payments. [45874/25]
1398. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection if the universal over 70s companion pass will come into effect on 1 September 2025; if all persons over 70 years have now been contacted and supplied with their companion pass; the breakdown of the number of people who will benefit from this measure, by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46536/25]
1416. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason illness benefit for a five-week period ending on 23 July 2025 has been refused for an individual (details supplied), even though this individual was self-isolating due to Covid during that period and did not consult a doctor as she self-diagnosed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47067/25]
1441. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of households in Dublin Bay North in receipt of the fuel allowance in 2023 and 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47481/25]
1762. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons who applied for job seeker's allowance or job seeker's benefit who listed their previous employment as farming in each of the past ten years and to date in 2025. [41148/25]
1828. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection for consideration on providing free travel for all means tested social welfare recipients, to promote the use of public transport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42367/25]