Topics / Social Welfare Payments

A subject heading for parliamentary questions

Social Welfare Payments

822 questions from 114 TDs, between 22 January 2025 and 21 October 2026.

822
questions
801 written, 21 oral
114
TDs have asked
10
parties and groups
Independents counted together
10
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
MonthQuestions
January 20253
February 202594
March 202513
April 202540
May 202536
June 202543
July 202540
August 20250
September 202520
October 20258
November 202594
December 202528
January 202675
February 202642
March 202625
April 202669
May 202638
June 202662
July 202630
August 20260
September 202648
October 202614

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.

  • Aontú28 from 2 TDs · 2 seats today
  • Fianna Fáil201 from 30 TDs · 48 seats today
  • Fine Gael135 from 20 TDs · 38 seats today
  • Green Party5 from 1 TD · 1 seat today
  • Independent55 from 9 TDs · 15 seats today
  • Independent Ireland51 from 3 TDs · 4 seats today
  • Labour Party57 from 10 TDs · 11 seats today
  • People Before Profit-Solidarity42 from 3 TDs · 3 seats today
  • Sinn Féin222 from 29 TDs · 39 seats today

The TDs who asked most

Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them. Each question counts once.

  1. 66
  2. 48
  3. 36
  4. 35
  5. 29
  6. 27
  7. 26
  8. 25

Asked of

Debated under the same heading

Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.

The questions

Ciarán Ahern Written 4 Feb 2026 · to Social
732. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Social Protection to include Dublin south-west in the emergency response payment following significant flooding in certain areas which has resulted in significant damage to properties and household goods; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8129/26]
John McGuinness Written 4 Feb 2026 · to Social
734. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason for a reduction in the adult dependent payment for a person (detail supplied).; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8183/26]
Johnny Mythen Written 4 Feb 2026 · to Social
740. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will extend the closing date for stage 1 of the emergency response payment (formerly the humanitarian assistance scheme) to address hardship in the immediate aftermath of emergency events such as flooding, as it is due to close on 4 February 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8554/26]
Niamh Smyth Written 28 Jan 2026 · to Social
117. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if appeal payments can be accelerated (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6783/26]
Barry Heneghan Written 27 Jan 2026 · to Social
686. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection the current position regarding the introduction of a cost of disability payment; the considerations being examined by his Department in relation to the design, eligibility criteria and implementation of such a payment; whether an indicative timeline has been developed for its introduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5562/26]
Rose Conway-Walsh Written 21 Jan 2026 · to Social
186. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will intervene to reinstate the disability allowance for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5080/26]
Niamh Smyth Written 20 Jan 2026 · to Social
682. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection to review case (details supplied) and provide an update on the matter. [3322/26]
Louis O'Hara Written 20 Jan 2026 · to Social
693. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Social Protection if disability allowance payments will be reinstated for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3712/26]
Darren O'Rourke Written 20 Jan 2026 · to Social
703. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection if travel expenses such as an employee's mileage is taken into account when being assessed for carer's allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4043/26]
Seamus Healy Oral 15 Jan 2026 · to Social
2. Deputy Seamus Healy asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to introduce, as promised, a weekly cost-of-disability payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3197/26]
Michael Collins Written 15 Jan 2026 · to Social
4. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on meetings between his Department and disabled persons’ organisations regarding the proposed cost-of-disability payment; to provide a timeline for its introduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3294/26]
Catherine Callaghan Oral 15 Jan 2026 · to Social
7. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps being taken to ensure that parents who are aged 66 years and above and caring for children with lifelong disabilities retain the rate at which they are paid their carer’s allowance and concurrently receive the State pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2827/26]
Richard Boyd Barrett Oral 15 Jan 2026 · to Social
10. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the details of the maximum rent supplement payment; and whether he will review these maximum limits. [2903/26]
Paul Murphy Oral 15 Jan 2026 · to Social
11. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection when he will introduce a permanent cost-of-disability payment as promised in the programme for Government. [2794/26]
Paul Murphy Oral 15 Jan 2026 · to Social
13. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will introduce an emergency winter payment for disabled people to compensate them for the cuts imposed on them in the Budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2795/26]
Paul Lawless Written 15 Jan 2026 · to Social
15. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures he is taking to address the growing gap between social welfare payment rates and the actual cost-of-living, particularly in relation to food, energy, housing, childcare and transport; if he accepts that once-off lump sum payments have failed to provide ongoing protection for low-income households; the plans to introduce permanent increases …
Aisling Dempsey Written 15 Jan 2026 · to Social
17. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Social Protection for an overview of measures being taken in his Department in 2026 to support people with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2685/26]
Naoise Ó Cearúil Written 15 Jan 2026 · to Social
20. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of new applicants aged 66 years and over who have been approved for the fuel allowance under the revised means thresholds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2789/26]
Louise O'Reilly Written 15 Jan 2026 · to Social
21. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has given consideration to a cost of disability payment given the increasing vulnerability of households with one or more disabled members to poverty; his plans to ameliorate this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2837/26]
Richard Boyd Barrett Written 15 Jan 2026 · to Social
24. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the rules and regulations governing the approval of rent supplement payments; and his plans to increase the payment. [2902/26]
John Paul O'Shea Written 15 Jan 2026 · to Social
25. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of individuals in Cork per Intreo area currently in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance and jobseeker’s benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1241/26]
Pádraig O'Sullivan Written 15 Jan 2026 · to Social
28. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to introduce a cost of disability payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2520/26]
Joe Cooney Written 15 Jan 2026 · to Social
31. Deputy Joe Cooney asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to introduce a permanent annual cost of disability support payment; the potential cost to the Exchequer of such a payment; if there is a timeline for the introduction of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [69982/25]
Willie O'Dea Written 15 Jan 2026 · to Social
33. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the proposed annual cost of disability support payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2597/26]
Eoin Hayes Written 15 Jan 2026 · to Social
34. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide any analysis on the inflation of costs associated with energy, housing, and groceries for people dependent on social protection supports for the majority of their income; and the way in which that compares with increases in social protection payments over the past five years. [2755/26]