36. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will make progress on his commitment to abolish the means-test for carers in the next Budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46172/26]
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
69. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps that will be taken towards abolishing the means test for carers’ allowance in the Budget; if he has considered abolishing the means test for disability allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46272/26]
73. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection when his Department will publish a concrete roadmap and timeline for the complete abolition of a means test, given the recent income increase in family carers allowance thousands of family carers are still facing complex financial issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46152/26]
621. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection to review an application for a person (details supplied); if the scheme will be continued; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45260/26]
623. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on a domiciliary care allowance application (details supplied). [45391/26]
632. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) will receive a decision on their application for the carers’ allowance; if their payment will be backdated to the date of application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45803/26]
236. 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. [44675/26]
237. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 1545 of 13 January 2026, the approximate financial cost to the State of removing the means test for carer’s allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44676/26]
238. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on the merits of allowing for a savings disregard in relation to the means test for carer’s allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44677/26]
239. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the removal of the mean’s test for carer’s allowance as committed to in the Programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44678/26]
248. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Health the supports available to self-employed individuals who are unable to work due to cancer treatment; the way in which they can obtain additional financial assistance to help cover the costs of medical treatments, even with spouses who make over €538 per week; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44406/26]
249. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Health to review the criteria regarding financial assistance for cancer patients; the measures that are being taken to prevent patients and their families from experiencing financial hardship; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44407/26]
1174. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Social Protection if a community employment scheme participant that was previously on jobseeker's benefit is eligible for the fuel allowance payment, as long-term jobseekers benefit recipients are; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41787/26]
1175. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Social Protection the criteria in which a community employment scheme participant qualifies for the fuel allowance payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41788/26]
1196. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the 18.5 hour weekly work limit attached to Carer’s Allowance eligibility in circumstances where carers wish to remain in employment, particularly in professions such as teaching where standard working hours exceed the permitted threshold; if consideration has been given to introducing greater flexibility for qualified profe…
1201. Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will ensure that the entitlement of a person (details supplied) to carer's allowance is determined for an application first made in August 2025; the reasons this allowance has not been approved to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42697/26]
1203. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing the €20,000 disregard to €50,000 in the capital formula for blind pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42733/26]
1204. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection to confirm if a “qualified child increase” is taken into account in means tests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42766/26]
1207. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 758 of 26 May 2026, if he could provide details surrounding the current review into means testing across all social assistance schemes that his Department administers; whether a public consultation will be held as part of this review; whether his Department will engage with relevant advocacy groups as part of this…
1209. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will undertake a review of the means test for disability allowance, with particular regard to the assessment of a partner’s income; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42956/26]
1210. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider reviewing the means test for disability allowance to allow persons with a disability to access the allowance in their own right (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42989/26]
1212. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection the way medical negligence or catastrophic personal injury awards are treated as assessable savings or means by his Department and State agencies under his Department’s remit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43001/26]
1240. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if kinship carers are eligible for the back-to-school allowance. [43138/26]
1261. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the means testing criteria applied to disability payments, particularly in relation to cohabitation and marriage, whereby the income of a spouse or partner is taken into account; if he accepts that this practice may undermine the financial independence and personal autonomy of people with disabilities; and if consideration will be gi…
1272. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for the carer’s support grant and carer’s allowance currently awaiting decision; the average processing time; and any measures being taken to reduce delays. [43751/26]