Topics / Social Welfare Code

A subject heading for parliamentary questions

Social 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
MonthQuestions
January 20250
February 202527
March 20254
April 20257
May 202511
June 202513
July 20251
August 20250
September 202514
October 20253
November 202517
December 20255
January 20265
February 20261
March 202643
April 20264
May 202617
June 20261
July 20266
August 20260
September 20268
October 20268

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.

  • Aontú19 from 1 TD · 2 seats today
  • Fianna Fáil43 from 23 TDs · 48 seats today
  • Fine Gael29 from 11 TDs · 38 seats today
  • Green Party2 from 1 TD · 1 seat today
  • Independent16 from 7 TDs · 15 seats today
  • Independent Ireland5 from 2 TDs · 4 seats today
  • Labour Party13 from 7 TDs · 11 seats today
  • People Before Profit-Solidarity11 from 2 TDs · 3 seats today
  • Sinn Féin42 from 18 TDs · 39 seats today

The TDs who asked most

Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them. Each question counts once.

  1. 19
  2. 9
  3. 8
  4. 8
  5. 7
  6. 7
  7. 6
  8. 6

Asked of

Debated under the same heading

Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.

The questions

Pádraig Rice Written 26 Feb 2025 · to Social
202. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Social Protection the timeline for the implementation of the working age payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8437/25]
Michael Fitzmaurice Written 26 Feb 2025 · to Social
205. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason that capital value of land is reckonable for some means tested social welfare, i.e. jobseeker's allowance, and not for other means tested social welfare payments, i.e., State pension (non-contributory); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8539/25]
Holly Cairns Written 25 Feb 2025 · to Social
573. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide an update and a proposed timeline, as per the commitment in the Programme for Government, when the means testing for carer’s allowance will be abolished. [7190/25]
Roderic O'Gorman Written 25 Feb 2025 · to Social
602. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to phase out the means test for carer's allowance within this Government; the proposed timeline for this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7838/25]
Carol Nolan Written 5 Feb 2025 · to Social
636. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on his officials' engagement with the Office of the Attorney General and the office of the Parliamentary legal advisor on new legislative changes to the criteria for qualifying for the widows and widowers pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2244/25]
Liam Quaide Written 5 Feb 2025 · to Social
639. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide a timeline for legislation to give entitlement to unmarried cohabitants to a widow’s, widower’s or surviving civil partner’s contributory pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2257/25]
Brian Brennan Written 5 Feb 2025 · to Social
652. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner's Pension) Bill 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2379/25]
Pat Buckley Written 5 Feb 2025 · to Social
653. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Social Protection to urgently enact the Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner’s Pension) Bill 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2399/25]
Niall Collins Written 5 Feb 2025 · to Social
657. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection the timeline for when the means test will be abolished for the carer’s allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2441/25]
Mary Lou McDonald Written 5 Feb 2025 · to Social
659. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Social Protection if the supplementary welfare allowance can be used to replace gas boilers for those who do not have the means to pay to replace them on their own (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2454/25]
Mark Wall Written 5 Feb 2025 · to Social
662. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the up-to-date position on the Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner’s Pension) Bill 2024; the current position of the Bill; the estimated time to enact the Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2494/25]
Pádraig Rice Written 5 Feb 2025 · to Social
666. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of the Bereaved Partner’s Pension Bill 2024; if he will commit to urgently progressing this legislation to give effect to the O’Meara judgment from January 2024; the timeline to publish the Bill; if he plans to act on the pre-legislative scrutiny recommendations of the Joint Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development, an…
Peter 'Chap' Cleere Written 5 Feb 2025 · to Social
668. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason domiciliary care allowance ceases at 16 years of age; if he will increase the age limit in line with child benefit due to the number of 16-year-olds not eligible for disability allowance who still have a condition requiring care by their parents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2543/25]
Paul Murphy Written 5 Feb 2025 · to Social
669. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the timeframe for when the means tests will be removed for carer’s allowance; if there will be any change to the way carer’s allowance is taxed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2549/25]
Aindrias Moynihan Written 5 Feb 2025 · to Social
670. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection the timeline for legislation to be enacted on the Supreme Court’s judgement to the entitlement of an unmarried co-habitant to a widow’s, widower’s or surviving civil partner’s contributory pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2599/25]
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire Written 5 Feb 2025 · to Social
681. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Social Protection the terms of the widow's or widower's pension, particularly in respect of non-married or co-habiting couples, and the judgment of the Supreme Court on 22 January 2024; the expected timeline in terms of the legislative changes that are required in respect of this decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2798/25]
Pat Buckley Written 5 Feb 2025 · to Social
687. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Social Protection to ensure that the Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner's Pension) Bill 2024 is enacted without further delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2939/25]
Mairéad Farrell Written 5 Feb 2025 · to Social
728. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection following on from the recent Supreme Court case which recognised the rights of cohabiting partners to access the widow’s and widower’s pension, when such payments will begin to be disbursed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3237/25]
Brendan Smith Written 5 Feb 2025 · to Social
761. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will bring forward to the earliest possible date the timeline for the abolition of the means test for the carer’s allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3498/25]
Barry Heneghan Written 5 Feb 2025 · to Social
766. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection the additional supports that are being considered to improve employment opportunities and social welfare provisions for people with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3592/25]