104. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on a policy matter (details supplied); and the reason his Department will not accept a letter from a hospital as proof of illness for illness benefit claims. [74561/26]
Topics / Social Welfare Eligibility
A subject heading for parliamentary questionsSocial Welfare Eligibility
524 questions from 120 TDs, between 22 January 2025 and 21 October 2026.
524
questions
517 written, 7 oral
120
TDs have asked
11
parties and groups
Independents counted together
5
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 | 11 |
| February 2025 | 57 |
| March 2025 | 25 |
| April 2025 | 16 |
| May 2025 | 36 |
| June 2025 | 17 |
| July 2025 | 45 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 37 |
| October 2025 | 32 |
| November 2025 | 28 |
| December 2025 | 9 |
| January 2026 | 23 |
| February 2026 | 40 |
| March 2026 | 14 |
| April 2026 | 7 |
| May 2026 | 40 |
| June 2026 | 42 |
| July 2026 | 6 |
| August 2026 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 31 |
| 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.
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22
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18
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16
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15
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15
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14
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13
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12
Asked of
Debated under the same heading
Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.
The questions
502. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will clarify the eligibility criteria for the household benefits package and fuel allowance in the case of an Irish citizen (details supplied), who is in receipt of a disablement pension but resides in Northern Ireland; if residence outside the State automatically disqualifies a person from the household benefits package; and if the same residency…
506. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the way in which an inheritance received by a recipient of disability allowance is assessed under the means test; the amount of capital that may be held before any reduction in payment applies; the amount at which the payment ceases entirely; if consideration has been given to disregarding, in whole or in part, an inheritance received from a parent by a…
390. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the eligibility criteria for the fuel allowance scheme for people aged 66 and over (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69886/26]
393. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Social Protection If he will address the concerns raised in correspondence details attached regarding the financial difficulties experienced by households where a person remains unable to return to work following cancer treatment and is approaching the end of their illness benefit entitlement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [69954/26]
394. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection he will consider permitting people to get fuel allowance if a family member, who is not on a qualifying payment lives with them. [70047/26]
399. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is aware of the difficulties being experienced by families who are being refused fuel allowance on household means grounds where adult children remain living in the family home due to the lack of affordable rental accommodation and housing options; whether consideration is being given to amending the means assessment for fuel allowance in such ca…
414. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection when the comprehensive review of means testing within the social protection system commenced; the status of that review; when he expects the review to be completed and its finding published; and the reasons for the length of time taken to complete the review. [70566/26]
116. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review social welfare income and eligibility thresholds for people who are medically certified as unfit to work due to severe long-term illnesses, such as multiple sclerosis, with a view to ensuring they are not excluded from necessary financial supports. [69235/26]
118. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason habitual residency requirements are invoked for an Irish person working abroad and who has to return home at short notice due to illness or change of family circumstances pertaining to the returning person themselves or other family members and may delay processing and approval of a legitimate social protection claim. [69293/26]
487. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person who qualifies for the State Pension and continues to provide full-time care is only entitled to a half-rate carer’s allowance; and whether this arrangement will be reviewed, given that their caring responsibilities have not changed. [68035/26]
489. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection to review the case of a person (details supplied). [68064/26]
491. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Social Protection the factors taken into account in determining child benefit entitlement in cases involving a shared-care arrangement; the basis on which an assessment of care arrangements can be revised following Social Welfare Inspector findings; the methodology used to assess the proportion of care provided by each parent; and the procedures in place to ensure both par…
32. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if there has been an increase in the number of persons qualifying for the carers allowance on each of the occasions when the qualification threshold has been relaxed, or each occasion where the income disregard has increased; and if he will outline the number of new persons successfully claiming the allowance after each change to the criteria. [67173/2…
35. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Social Protection the current refusal rates for first-time applications for carer's allowance, domiciliary care allowance and disability allowance; the percentage subsequently overturned on review or appeal; the current average processing time for first-time applications of these three payments; the current average processing time for a review and/or appeal; and the…
41. Deputy Seamus Healy asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will grant full rate carer’s allowance to applicants in receipt of other social protection payments. [67665/26]
44. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Social Protection whether he will consider reforming the Carer's Support Grant to provide for two qualifying dates and biannual payments or an alternative pro-rata entitlement for persons who commence or cease providing full-time care during the course of the year. [67619/26]
46. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Social Protection if, in light of the extension of Fuel Allowance eligibility to recipients of the Working Family Payment from 1 January 2026, he will review the eligibility criteria for Fuel Allowance for persons in receipt of Carer's Allowance; whether he acknowledges that some carers with household incomes comparable to those of Working Family Payment recipients are…
47. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection if open GoFundMe campaigns are assessed in additional needs payment applications; and to outline his Departments policy on this. [67323/26]
51. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection whether he is satisfied that the eligibility criteria for the rural social scheme continues to reflect the needs of rural communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67556/26]
54. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures being taken to ensure that families who may previously have been ineligible for carer’s allowance are aware of the significant increase in the income disregard introduced in July 2026; whether targeted communications are being issued to previous applicants; and if he will consider a further public information campaign on the revised elig…
56. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has reviewed the processes of eligibility assessments, appeals, and administration which disabled people must undergo to access supports. [67516/26]
72. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will report on the impact to date of the change in income disregards for the carer’s allowance which came into effect in July 2026. [67290/26]
78. Deputy Seamus Healy asked the Minister for Social Protection to implement a disregard of carer’s allowance and carer’s benefit in the assessment of income for other social protection payments such as the working family payment. [67664/26]
80. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason carer's allowance payments are included in the calculation of income when deciding the eligibility for the BSCFA when other payments, such as WFP, are not; and whether there are plans to remove carers allowance from the BSCFA calculations. [67423/26]