91. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide an update on the progress made by his Department in exploring the introduction of a targeted second-tier child benefit payment for low-income families in light of recent reports highlighting a significant rise in child poverty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33150/25]
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
96. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to suspend the periodic means test reviews for carers in receipt of carer's benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33130/25]
107. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection if he recognises the anomaly in the social welfare system which means that people in receipt of widow’s pension, and who are working, are penalised if they become ill and can no longer work, because they cannot claim illness benefit for example; if he intends to address this anomaly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32743/25]
123. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Social Protection the breakdown of illness benefit recipients by length of time they have been in receival of the payment, under 1 year, between 1 and 2 years, between 2 and 3 years, between 3 and 4 years and between 4 and 5 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32949/25]
134. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration will be given to entitling persons on widows’ pension to claim illness benefit when off sick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33211/25]
142. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider extending social welfare benefits to surrogate parents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33201/25]
148. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is aware of a cohort of people in the State with five plus years of PRSI contributions who are only entitled to the minimum rate of jobseeker’s pay-related benefit; if he is aware that this group, due to historically favourable circumstances in the housing market may have had the means to purchase a house, pay off a mortgage or accumulate savi…
166. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost of extending illness benefit to the self-employed; the estimated increase in PRSI rates that would be required to meet this cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32947/25]
176. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide a breakdown, by county, of the number of persons who have qualified for the new pay-related benefit since it was introduced; if he will confirm the average payment rate under the scheme to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32946/25]
181. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people who have availed of parents benefit in each of the years 2022, 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form; the number of mothers and the number of fathers who have availed of parent's benefit in each of these years; his views on whether further steps can be taken to encourage greater uptake of parent's benefit; and if he will …
182. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection regarding the self-employed who are on an S contribution for access to illness benefit, if he will implement a similar scheme as the scheme in place for job seekers benefit for self-employed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32973/25]
332. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider streamlining jobseeker's benefit claims during holidays for school bus escorts and other seasonal education workers to ensure timely payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33237/25]
333. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) will receive a decision on an application for disablement benefit made in October 2023; if he will outline the reason the decision has taken so long and engage with Tusla on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33339/25]
109. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide an update on a carer’s allowance appeal for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32916/25]
110. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection If consideration will be given to abolishing the means test for carers who provide an invaluable service to the State (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33087/25]
111. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will increase the current means test threshold for disability allowance that is currently set at €50,000 and has not been reviewed for years and is out of touch with inflation and the current cost of living (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33091/25]
112. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 398 of 12 June 2025, if a person (details supplied) can discuss in person or by phone the reasons for the ongoing refusal of the non-contributory pension claim; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33134/25]
551. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding job seeker’s allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31879/25]
554. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection to examine the case of an illness benefit claim for a person (details supplied). [32024/25]
556. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the carers allowance application for a person (details supplied). [32158/25]
560. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of families in each county that have received the baby boost grant since its introduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32239/25]
561. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) is not receiving the widowers grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32270/25]
562. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on a HAS application for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32300/25]
566. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide a breakdown, by county, of the number of people who have received the free travel pass since it was extended to persons who are medically unable to drive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32352/25]
567. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide a breakdown, by county, of the number of persons over 70 who have qualified for the fuel allowance since the means test for over 70s was introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32353/25]