35. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection to confirm the social protection payment increases that came into effect from 1 January 2026; the level of increased spending overall; the amount of people to benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2712/26]
Topics / Social Welfare Payments
A subject heading for parliamentary questionsSocial 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
| Month | Questions |
|---|---|
| January 2025 | 3 |
| February 2025 | 94 |
| March 2025 | 13 |
| April 2025 | 40 |
| May 2025 | 36 |
| June 2025 | 43 |
| July 2025 | 40 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 20 |
| October 2025 | 8 |
| November 2025 | 94 |
| December 2025 | 28 |
| January 2026 | 75 |
| February 2026 | 42 |
| March 2026 | 25 |
| April 2026 | 69 |
| May 2026 | 38 |
| June 2026 | 62 |
| July 2026 | 30 |
| August 2026 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 48 |
| October 2026 | 14 |
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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66
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48
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36
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35
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29
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27
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26
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25
Asked of
Debated under the same heading
Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.
The questions
36. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps his Department is taking to design and deliver a targeted social welfare payment for families experiencing consistent poverty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1858/26]
37. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide analysis carried out by his Department on the net financial effect on individuals and families when a disabled person turns 16 years of age, given that disabilities payments commence but the domiciliary care allowance ends. [2754/26]
38. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for the fuel allowance, per month, for the past three years, specifying which of these applicants are also in receipt of the working family payment or another automatically qualifying social welfare payment, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2836/26]
39. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps being taken to address delays and barriers experienced by applicants for social protection and disability-related payments in Dublin Bay North, including waiting times for decisions and appeals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2678/26]
41. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people who received the newborn baby grant in County Cork in 2025, and so far in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2684/26]
42. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the current average processing times for disability related payments for applicants in Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1242/26]
43. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of newborn baby grants made to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2592/26]
44. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection the changes he plans to make to the means assessment carried out by his Department in order to remove anomalies in relation to the disability allowance identified in the Programme for Government; if he will provide details of the anomalies currently being observed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2744/26]
45. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection the future plans he and his Department have for persons living with a disability following the outcome of Budget 2026, where there is now evidence that persons with a disability are facing a cost of living crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2595/26]
47. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people in County Carlow and in County Kilkenny who received the newborn baby grant in 2025, and so far in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2682/26]
48. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is aware that customers on pre-pay energy arrangements are finding their energy cut-off abruptly for days at a time while applying to the community welfare officer for emergency supplementary payments; if he is aware of the material deprivation these customers are being subjected to; if he has any plans to implement a system that will provide m…
52. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for the supplementary welfare allowance per month, for the past three years, specifying the original qualifying welfare payment and the reasons for each application by percentage, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2840/26]
57. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the current average processing times for disability allowance and invalidity pension applications and appeals; the number of applicants currently waiting longer than six months for an initial decision; whether he accepts that prolonged delays are pushing people with disabilities into poverty and dependency on family members; if he will review the existi…
60. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps being taken to ensure that disability supports and payments adequately meet the needs of people with disabilities, income adequacy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2677/26]
63. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection the possible payment schemes available to older children or young adults that will enable them to stay in full time secondary education, who were never in care, but due to deaths or other circumstances do not have the financial support of parents, wider family or others; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2858/26]
64. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Social Protection the expanded services that will be provided by the An Post Network on behalf of his Department;; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2791/26]
65. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of newborn baby grants which have been paid in Cavan and Monaghan in the first year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2825/26]
66. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection the reasons for not introducing an emergency winter payment for disabled people of €400, as sought by the Disability Federation of Ireland, the Irish Wheelchair Association and Access for All. [2581/26]
67. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to increase disability supports (details supplied). [2884/26]
71. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Social Protection the plans to increase the qualifying income limits and funding amounts for the humanitarian assistance scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2826/26]
78. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to increase the living alone allowance. [2901/26]
80. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider expanding the domiciliary care allowance criteria to better support families caring for children with complex needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2676/26]
82. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to increase supports for fishermen and women and the fishing industry after the disastrous quota negotiations recently (details supplied). [2885/26]
84. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection to confirm whether he engages with the Minister for Health when increases to social protection payments are occurring, particularly with regard to medical card thresholds and payments to older people in order that welcome increases in social protection payments would not have the unintended consequence of disqualifying a person for a medical card as a res…