476. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he plans to allow for the reinterpretation of the 18.5-hour work cap for carers who wish to avail of further education (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46815/26]
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
589. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason a person (details supplied) has been waiting nearly two years for a blind welfare allowance application to be processed. [47207/26]
10. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of additional people that will benefit from increases in the carers allowance means test threshold due in July 2026; whether he has engaged with the Minister for Health and her Department to ensure that carers allowance income will not be included under the medical card means test so that those who benefit from the expanded threshold will not b…
13. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline any additional disability-related supports he is planning to introduce in the upcoming budget to help disabled people with the increasing costs of living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46362/26]
15. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he plans to increase the supports available to parents through the maternity benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46368/26]
21. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the adequacy of supports available to individuals who pay PRSI, whether employed or self-employed, who find themselves out of work due to circumstances such as illness, bereavement and injury and to students who are engaged in employment, given concerns that many such individuals are not eligible for supplementary welfare allowance d…
63. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection the actions he plans on taking for those who have been working to date this year as reserves in the Defence Forces, and are now being left without certainty regarding income as they do not have the necessary PRSI contributions to qualify for jobseekers benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46151/26]
66. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people he expects to benefit from the forthcoming increase in income disregards for the carer’s allowance; the plans for further changes in Budget 2027; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46039/26]
68. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the average processing times for carer's allowance, disability allowance, and domiciliary care allowance applications; the number of applications awaiting decision in each scheme; the average time taken to determine appeals in each scheme in 2025 and to date in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46257/26]
76. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the timeline for the conclusion of the public consultation on a potential new targeted child payment and new working age payment launched by his Department on 5 May 2026; the number of submissions received to date; when he expects to bring proposals arising from the consultation to Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46256/…
79. Deputy Edward Timmins asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider a review of the minimum 16 hours required weekly worked hours to qualify for carer’s benefit for teachers who are not on full time hours; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46264/26]
85. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection the analysis his Department has carried out on the eligibility of low-income farmers for carers allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46270/26]
87. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will examine the impact of inflation and cost of living on the real value of the carer’s allowance and disability allowance, particularly for recipients who experience a different cost of living due to the cost of their disability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46201/26]
89. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of families in the Dún Laoghaire constituency expected to benefit from the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance in 2026; the estimated increase from extending eligibility to children aged two and three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46166/26]
345. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection to clarify the reason there is a discrepancy between his Department and the Revenue Commissioners in relation to an application for maternity benefit (details supplied). [46513/26]
346. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection to examine an application where further information has been submitted (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46546/26]
386. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated first year and full year cost of increasing the child benefit by €5. [46722/26]
387. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the breakdown of the estimated first year and full year cost of an increase in €10 to each disability-contingent payment, in tabular form. [46723/26]
388. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the first year and full year cost of extending free travel to all recipients of the domiciliary care allowance. [46757/26]
389. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the first year and full year cost of increasing the living alone benefit by €5. [46758/26]
391. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the first year and full year cost of increasing jobseeker's pay-related benefit, jobseeker's benefit, jobseeker's allowance and jobseeker's self-employed by €5. [46760/26]
392. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the first year and full year cost of equalising 18-24 years-of-age rates of jobseeker's benefit and allowance with the standard rates. [46761/26]
393. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the first year and full year cost of increasing all working age social welfare payments including foster care allowance by €5. [46762/26]
394. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the first year and full year cost of increasing carer's allowance by €5. [46763/26]
395. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the first year and full year costs of increasing the working family payment, one parent family payment and jobseeker's transitional by €5.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46764/26]