1273. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection whether consideration is being given to extending eligibility for the fuel allowance to households experiencing high energy costs arising from disability-related needs. [43752/26]
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.
-
22
-
18
-
16
-
15
-
15
-
14
-
13
-
12
Asked of
Debated under the same heading
Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.
The questions
1283. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason for the differential treatment between disability allowance and invalidity pension in respect of means testing of a partner’s income; whether consideration has been given to extending similar financial independence protections to disability allowance recipients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43899/26]
1285. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will outline the eligibility criteria for the back to work enterprise allowance, including the requirement to be in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment. [43948/26]
1286. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection the policy rationale for restricting access to the back to work enterprise allowance to individuals in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment, and excluding those signing for PRSI credits only. [43949/26]
1287. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is aware that individuals who are unemployed and signing for PRSI credits, but who do not qualify for jobseeker’s payments due to means testing, are not eligible for the back to work enterprise allowance; and if he will address this gap. [43950/26]
1288. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has examined the impact of household means testing, particularly a spouse’s income, on access to activation supports such as the back to work enterprise allowance. [43951/26]
1289. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of individuals currently signing for PRSI credits who are not in receipt of a jobseeker’s payment due to means testing of household income. [43952/26]
1290. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for the back to work enterprise allowance, that were refused in each of the past five years on the basis that the applicant was not in receipt of a qualifying payment. [43953/26]
1291. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has conducted any review of the eligibility criteria for the back to work enterprise allowance, in the past five years; and if so, if he will provide details of same. [43954/26]
1292. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider extending eligibility for the back to work enterprise allowance, or introducing an alternative support, to include individuals who are signing for PRSI credits but excluded from payments due to means testing. [43955/26]
1293. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection the way current policy aligns with the objective of encouraging self-employment and reducing long-term reliance on the State, given that certain unemployed individuals are excluded from enterprise supports due to means testing. [43956/26]
1294. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will address the situation whereby two individuals who are both unemployed and seeking to establish a business are treated differently under the back to work enterprise allowance, based solely on household income. [43957/26]
144. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person who has paid a D class stamp all their working lives, will qualify for any State payments including the State pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40473/26]
734. Deputy Frankie Feighan asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason an application for carer's allowance (details supplied) was refused; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38758/26]
737. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection his position regarding the carer's allowance application by a person (details supplied).; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38803/26]
759. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection if an otherwise valid ARP claim may be refused solely because his Department's internal “one-application-at-a-time” restriction prevented an applicant from submitting an ARP application that was attempted on 1 March 2026, in respect of a hosting arrangement that commenced on that same date which was prior to the legislative change that took effect on 3…
760. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department is entitled, in such circumstances, to treat the later date of receipt (arising only because the system blocked the earlier submission attempt) as the legally relevant date for determining eligibility under the amended ARP rules. [39874/26]
761. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection to examine an application for disability allowance submitted to his Department by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39921/26]
762. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection to clarify the rules around eligibility for fuel allowance while on long-term SWA; if an individual is eligible for fuel allowance if they are waiting for a decision on another payment whose application has been ongoing for two years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39948/26]
773. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the correspondence (details supplied); whether a dependent child aged 21 and in full-time third-level education can be included as a qualified child on a jobseeker's allowance claim; whether the person concerned is entitled to claim jobseeker's allowance in their own right during the summer months [40299/26]
182. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a retained, part-time firefighter would have to leave the fire service to attain full-time employment in the event of being unable to obtain another part-time job as per their jobseeker's benefit agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38253/26]
675. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Social Protection whether foster carers qualify for the Christmas bonus. [37117/26]
676. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection the rationale for the requirement that a person must have at least 26 paid PRSI contributions in each of the governing contribution years to qualify for treatment benefit, regardless of a substantial lifetime contribution record; whether consideration has been given to alternative qualifying conditions that better recognise long-term contributors who …
683. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection whether he is considering reform or abolition of the partner means test for disability allowance; the reason disability allowance is treated differently from invalidity pension in relation to a partner's income; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37345/26]
684. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if a person on disability allowance and in receipt of a free travel pass, on taking up employment will have no restrictions on retaining this travel pass as they have a long-term disability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37378/26]