279. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection if the amount of savings allowed for persons in receipt of carer’s allowance will be increased when the new changes are introduced (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36840/25]
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
282. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection to examine the case of a person (details supplied) and advise on entitlements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36851/25]
150. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update any proposals that are being considered with respect to abolishing the means test for carers who save the State billions of euro every year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36275/25]
153. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Social Protection if the back-to-school allowance will be payable to every child in care without being means tested; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36547/25]
157. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the first-year and full-year cost of abolishing the means test applied to foster parents in receipt of the child benefit payment. [36572/25]
160. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the additional first-year and full-year cost of increasing the age limit for the one-parent family payment to 12 years. [36575/25]
163. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of children resident in IPAS accommodation who are eligible to receive the child benefit payment. [36578/25]
516. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) was denied carer’s allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35593/25]
523. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of abolishing the means test for carer’s allowance and providing access to all who meet the other criteria for it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35643/25]
524. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of extending eligibility for the fuel allowance to all pensioners, to all in receipt of the working family payment and-or a medical card; the estimated full-year cost of abolishing the waiting period of a year for those on jobseeker’s allowance,; the cost of increasing the rate by €20 per week; and if he will make a…
527. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection the reasons his Department does not recognise civil partnerships registered in Northern Ireland between 16 May 2016 and 12 January 2020 for social welfare purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35693/25]
698. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health to provide details of the framework for the blind welfare allowance means assessment; and the guidelines on how savings affect the assessment. [35361/25]
124. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department will urgently assess the impact of their random reviews of means tested payments to the very old and disabled, having regard to the fact that the impact on the vulnerable people involved in terms of stress and anxiety may be far greater than any benefit achieved for the State and may in fact contribute to additional medical or car…
85. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is aware of the groups excluded from the jobseeker’s pay-related benefit, in particular the seasonal, casual, short-time or part-time workers such as school caretakers and secretaries who could benefit considerably from receiving the jobseeker’s pay-related benefit in lieu of the jobseeker’s benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matte…
119. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection if he expects the Programme for Government pledge to remove the means test requirement for qualification for a carers allowance payment to be introduced in Budget 2026, or to be phased out incrementally over several years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32785/25]
120. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the plans to review the carer’s allowance as it applies to pensioners who unfairly only qualify for half carers due to that fact that they are already in receipt of another social welfare payment. [31583/25]
127. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline his plans to abolish the means testing for carer's allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32977/25]
140. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection when the means test for disability allowance will be abolished; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32965/25]
146. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will give a timeline for implementing the Programme for Government commitment to phase out means testing for the carers’ allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33185/25]
163. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will ensure entitlement to disability allowance for young people who have been in receipt of domiciliary care allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33138/25]
164. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection The actions taken to increase the upper age limit for domiciliary care allowance from 16 to 18 years of age; if he will consider a straight transition on to disability benefit where possible, to reduce red tape; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32976/25]
183. Deputy Edward Timmins asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review and change the current very penal means test calculation on land or savings on, for example, the non-contributory old age pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32897/25]
184. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection to extend the winter fuel allowance to people with physical disabilities to a year round free fuel allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32780/25]
185. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration will be given to entitling persons on a widow’s pension working in schools to be able to claim job seeker's benefit when not being paid when off; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33210/25]
329. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection if there are plans to abolish the means test criteria for carers, who provide an invaluable service to their cared on behalf of the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26363/25]