183. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection the rationale for maintaining the weekly means limit of €100 for the increase for a qualified adult for State pension recipients at the same level since 2007, notwithstanding increases in wages, pensions and the cost of living over that period; whether any assessment has been carried out on the real-terms value of this threshold; and if he will make a s…
Topics / Social Welfare Code
A subject heading for parliamentary questionsSocial Welfare Code
195 questions from 79 TDs, between 5 February 2025 and 20 October 2026.
195
questions
184 written, 11 oral
79
TDs have asked
10
parties and groups
Independents counted together
3
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 | 27 |
| March 2025 | 4 |
| April 2025 | 7 |
| May 2025 | 11 |
| June 2025 | 13 |
| July 2025 | 1 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 14 |
| October 2025 | 3 |
| November 2025 | 17 |
| December 2025 | 5 |
| January 2026 | 5 |
| February 2026 | 1 |
| March 2026 | 43 |
| April 2026 | 4 |
| May 2026 | 17 |
| June 2026 | 1 |
| July 2026 | 6 |
| August 2026 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 8 |
| October 2026 | 8 |
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.
-
19
-
9
-
8
-
8
-
7
-
7
-
6
-
6
Asked of
Debated under the same heading
Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.
The questions
184. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of State pension (contributory) recipients who are in receipt of a reduced rate increase for a qualified adult due to the current €100 weekly means threshold; the number who do not qualify due to means exceeding €310; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22766/26]
185. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person's long term caring contributions and homemaker's credits can be used towards accessing the invalidity pension (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22768/26]
186. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Social Protection if a non-contributory pension case (details supplied) will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22862/26]
190. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of reducing the minimum hours requirement under the wage subsidy scheme from 15 hours to 10 hours; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22936/26]
1163. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will address the situation whereby employees whose employer (details supplied) has entered a mandatory 30-day collective redundancy consultation period have been informed that they can not apply for the jobseekers pay related benefit (JPRB) during this period and will instead only qualify for an exceptional needs payment capped at €254 per week;…
1164. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the correct procedure for employees of a company (details supplied) who obtain new employment during the statutory 30-day collective redundancy consultation period; the steps such employees are required to take in order to comply with his Departmental rules during this period; the reason departmental representatives were unable to provide accurate inf…
1165. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the statutory process that applies where a company enters a creditors’ voluntary liquidation and triggers a thirty-day collective redundancy consultation period, during which employees are not dismissed, are not required to attend work, and receive no wages; the way in which his Department treats the employment status of workers during this period; an…
1166. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is aware of the circumstances affecting employees of a company (details supplied), which ceased trading on 20 February 2026 and placed all staff on temporary unpaid lay-off pending a creditors’ voluntary liquidation expected to be completed approximately fourteen days after cessation, during which a statutory consultation period is running until…
1167. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if he accepts that an anomaly arises whereby employees who are not working and receiving no wages during a statutory consultation period cannot access jobseeker’s benefit until the formal redundancy takes effect, even though their employment has effectively ended in practice; the policy in such cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18…
1168. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason employees affected by the cessation of a company (details supplied) have received contradictory advice from Intreo offices, with some being instructed to apply for jobseeker’s payments and others told to cancel their claims; the action his Department will take to ensure consistent guidance for workers in similar circumstances; and if he wil…
1169. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the way in which PRSI contributions, continuity of insurance, and contribution records are treated for employees placed on temporary unpaid lay-off during a statutory consultation period prior to redundancy; whether gaps arise that could affect entitlements to future benefits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18801/26]
1170. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the way in which employment status is recorded during a statutory consultation period where employees are still legally employed but are not working and are not being paid; the reason some employees of a company (details supplied) report that MyGov.ie lists them as ceased even though the company has not formally dismissed them; whether any administrat…
1171. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures his Department plans to take to ensure that employees placed on temporary unpaid lay-off during a statutory redundancy consultation period are not left without any income support; if he will address the gap in the system in future cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18803/26]
1178. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to link maternity benefit, paternity benefit and parent’s leave and benefit to wages, as has been done with jobseeker’s benefit. [19009/26]
1190. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration has been given to reclassifying maternity credits as paid contributions for the purposes of treatment benefit eligibility; if he will respond to matters raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19613/26]
1191. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration has been given to reclassifying maternity credits as paid contributions for the purposes of treatment benefit eligibility; if he will respond to matters raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19614/26]
1196. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection the payment entitlements for a person who is currently on disability allowance and will reach 65 years-of-age this year in view of the fact that the State Pension (Non Contributory) applies to people over 66 years of age; the payment which the person is entitled to in the intervening year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19723/26]
1198. Deputy Marie Sherlock asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for disability allowance made by people with dementia aged up to 66 years-of-age for each of the years 2021-2025 and to-date in 2026; the number of applications that were accepted, rejected and under review; the main reasons why those applications were rejected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19837/26]
1200. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if the free travel pass can be extended to cover travel costs for persons who attend day care services provided by the HSE given that at present a daily charge exists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19981/26]
1202. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Social Protection if the qualifying criteria for the living alone allowance can be expanded so that a public sector pensioner (details supplied) who is ineligible for a qualifying payment may be considered eligible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20038/26]
1203. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection if there has been a change to the criteria recently in order for parents to be granted domiciliary care allowance for children who have specific needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20061/26]
1204. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of State pension recipients to date that have sought a review of their pension rate based on the new long-term carers contribution scheme; the number of these reviews that led to a higher payment of pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20118/26]
1207. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of deceased persons' estates from which his Department has sought repayment of social welfare payments, by payment type; the total value of repayments sought in each year for each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20166/26]
1208. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the criteria and procedures used by his Department when deciding whether to seek recovery of funds from the estate of a deceased person who was in receipt of a means tested payment; the way in which consistency and fairness are ensured in these decisions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20167/26]