517. Deputy Aisling Dempsey asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of previously unsuccessful applicants for Carer’s Allowance who have subsequently reapplied and qualified under the new thresholds, since 2020. [68703/26]
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
521. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 65399/26 of 16 September 2026, which compared the back to school clothing and footwear allowance against uniform costs alone, whether his Department has assessed the cost of school footwear, sports clothing and other required clothing alongside uniforms; the basis for the conclusion that the allowance compares favou…
524. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider allowing family carers who are aged over 66 years and are in receipt of a State Pension to receive the full-rate carers acknowledging the care they provide is the same as care provided by a carer younger than them and supporting them as they age to keep their loved one at home, significantly saving the State; and if he will advise…
2. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection the work his Department is undertaking to increase uptake of the working family payment. [67508/26]
7. Deputy Seamus Healy asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will increase the annual carer's support grant. [67666/26]
14. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection the analysis and consideration that has been given to introducing a second-tier child benefit payment for households, as a taxable payment. [67532/26]
16. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has benchmarked child benefit against comparable family-support payments in other European countries; the findings of any such analysis; and the way in which those findings are informing the development of measures to support families and reduce child poverty. [67342/26]
31. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has considered providing any additional social protection payment supports specifically for households who are reliant on home heating oil. [67645/26]
33. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the new working age payment. [66686/26]
36. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection if he intends to increase the Working Family Payment in the coming months. [67520/26]
37. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Social Protection when he will introduce a cost of disability payment. [66484/26]
58. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people in Dublin Bay North who availed of the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance payments this year. [67542/26]
61. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason exceptional needs payments for boiler replacements are being refused by DSP when local authority schemes do not cover replacement boilers, when SEAI warmer homes schemes and similar grants are taking 24-36 months to complete and people are left without heating or hot water when their boiler breaks down. [67421/26]
69. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection whether, in the context of Budget 2027, he intends to introduce a permanent cost of disability payment to recognise the additional and ongoing costs faced by people with disabilities; the estimated annual cost of introducing such a payment at different weekly rates; and the number of people who would potentially qualify. [67386/26]
86. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the proposed cost of disability payment. [67199/26]
93. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has assessed the impact of the child benefit payment rate remaining unchanged since 2016; and whether any review of the payment rate is planned. [67341/26]
97. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider increasing the income thresholds for the Working Family Payment as part of Budget 2027. [66998/26]
100. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on the possibility of a disability payment that is an entitlement for each person with a disability in the interests of equality and supporting independent living; and to make a statement on the matter. [67339/26]
104. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider extending the continuation period for social welfare payments from six weeks to 12 weeks. [67652/26]
117. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if the new cost-of-disability payment being rolled out by his Department will be means tested based on a partner’s income, in the same fashion that the carers allowance was; if he has met with disability rights groups regarding the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67177/26]
93. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection the time limits for backdating all social welfare payments under the remit of his Department, in tabular form. [67438/26]
390. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Social Protection If his Department has assessed the impact of the 18.5-hour weekly employment limit for carer's allowance recipients on their ability to satisfy financial requirements under other Government schemes, including family reunification arrangements administered by the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration. [66480/26]
391. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the carer's allowance application of a person (details supplied). [66554/26]
401. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection to confirm that consideration would be given to including an increased income threshold in the Fuel Allowance for those with dependent children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66924/26]
402. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has assessed the extent to which recipients of Carer’s Allowance are experiencing financial hardship as a result of increases in essential household costs, including electricity, heating, food, insurance and housing; and the measures that are available specifically to support carers experiencing such hardship or will they be…