99. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the case of a person (details supplied); if he will clarify whether the homemaker’s scheme or homemaker’s disregard provisions apply in this instance; the options that exist to retrospectively address PRSI contribution shortfalls for individuals who left the workforce before these schemes were properly publicised or widely understood…
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
655. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Social Protection the options available to a person who has paid class D contributions rather than class A contributions for the entirety of their career, and now has limited access to supports such as illness benefit/illness pension, in view of the fact that they have been medically signed off as unfit to return to their job in the health service; and if he will make a …
659. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) was not awarded the blind pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54897/25]
243. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Social Protection to consider allowing older persons with disabilities to access disability allowance along with their pensions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54318/25]
244. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration will be given to pension security for foster carers to recognise the years spent caring for children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54335/25]
247. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if an application for long term carers contributions (details supplied) will be expedited. [54469/25]
248. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection if the fuel allowance can be paid to a qualifying household when there is a change of circumstances (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54527/25]
257. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will outline the criteria by which those with disabilities, who apply for positions under the disability-specific schemes such as WAM, are assessed; what information applicants have to supply to outline their disability in their application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54087/25]
335. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the increase in income disregards carer's allowance as committed to in the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52972/25]
336. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on the merits of eliminating the means test for the carer's allowance; the research his Department has carried out into this proposal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52973/25]
340. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Social Protection the financial supports available to cross-Border workers who live in this jurisdiction but are employed in the north of Ireland in the situation where they now no longer qualify for the working family payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53059/25]
348. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection to consider increasing the number of hours an applicant can work, and retain payment on carers allowance, from 18.5, to help those who are providing full-time care on lower incomes and lower hourly pay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53195/25]
350. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection for a summary of all recent changes to means tests for the disability allowance, including any changes to income disregards and maximum working hours. [53220/25]
363. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of expanding living alone allowance to all individuals over the age of 66; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53263/25]
369. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of years it will take before he will be in a position to abolish the means test for carer's allowance. [53384/25]
370. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount disregarded from means assessment under the job seekers allowance scheme and the non-contributory pension scheme from income derived from seaweed harvesting; when this disregard was last adjusted; the change in the consumer price index since; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53536/25]
371. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person whose self-employed income derives wholly from seaweed harvesting is eligible to receive farm assist; if such persons are made aware of this entitlement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53541/25]
374. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department will propose a policy change to allow for carers to be eligible for the fuel allowance without another person in the house having to be on a social welfare payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53557/25]
377. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person in receipt of death benefits under the occupational injuries scheme can avail of the living alone allowance; if not, if he will consider such a request; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53769/25]
381. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is aware that section 179(4) of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005's criteria for when a relevant person shall be regarded as requiring full-time care and attention precludes many carers of neurodivergent people; if he is aware that this passage does not acknowledge the essential needs specific to neurodivergent people who require full-…
383. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection to revise the approach to the income disregards for the means test for the carers allowance (details supplied). [53805/25]
387. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost in 2026 of increasing the income limit to be eligible for fuel allowance for persons aged over 66 to €560 per week for a single person or €1,120 for a couple; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53847/25]
542. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will consider removing the means test as a qualifying criterion for blind welfare allowance, in recognition of the additional financial burden experienced by people who are blind or vision impaired; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53833/25]
332. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason the fuel allowance payment for a person (details supplied) was stopped, and the options available to them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52844/25]
333. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) does not have an entitlement to the fuel allowance or living alone allowance; the options now available to the person; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52847/25]