132. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 536 of 30 June 2026 and 624 of 16 June 2026, to outline the factors which are examined and the thresholds which must be satisfied under the criterion of the 'nature and pattern of employment' as part of satisfying the habitual residence condition. [52165/26]
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
133. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on a review of carer's allowance for an individual (details supplied). [52233/26]
508. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department records the reasons for which exceptional needs payments and other community welfare service grants are awarded; whether these records identify grants provided to individuals or families who have had to leave their home due to domestic violence; if so, the number and total value of such grants provided in each of the past five …
509. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection whether he has considered extending eligibility for the working family payment to self-employed workers insured under PRSI Class S who satisfy the income thresholds applicable to the scheme; whether any proposals to amend the qualifying conditions are under consideration as part of future social protection policy or budgetary discussions; and if he w…
510. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has undertaken, or plans to undertake, any review of the exclusion of self-employed workers insured under PRSI Class S, including directors of small family-run businesses, from eligibility for the working family payment; whether any assessment has been carried out of the impact of this exclusion on low-income self-employed fami…
514. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing all headline weekly social protection payment to €350, €400, and €450 per week, excluding disability allowance, invalidity pension, partial capacity, disablement pension and blind person’s pension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51270/26]
515. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing disability, blind pensions and invalidity pension to €400, €450, and €500 per week; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51271/26]
517. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing child benefit by 10% and extending payment to all children aged 18 years or under, including those in the international protection process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51273/26]
518. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing qualified child rates by €6 for children under 12 and €15 for children 12; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51274/26]
524. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection the policy rationale for excluding the self-employed statutory sick PRSI and illness benefit, given that self-employed PRSI Class S contributors pay into the social insurance fund but cannot access short term income supports when ill; whether the Government intends to introduce a sick pay scheme or amend illness benefit eligibility for the self-emplo…
531. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Social Protection to consider extending the DCA payment to 18 years of age. [51827/26]
532. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department is currently considering increasing the income disregard limit for Carer’s Allowance for couples; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51843/26]
302. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Youth to address an issue of an overpayment claim on a pension (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50363/26]
351. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing all core weekly social welfare payments by €1, in tabular form. [50469/26]
353. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people in receipt of the carer’s allowance, by county, in tabular format. [50713/26]
205. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Social Protection if following admission of a care recipient to long-term residential care, his Department is considering the introduction of a 12 week continuation period for recipients of carer's benefit, similar to the transition period that is currently afforded to carer's allowance recipients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49939/26]
210. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) in County Clare will receive a response regarding an overpayment from his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50077/26]
483. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he would consider extending the domiciliary care allowance to those aged 16 and over in the case of type 1 diabetes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47048/26]
485. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason no dedicated streamlined process exists to manage recurring jobseeker's claims arising from seasonal closures in the early years and Montessori sector; the reason workers must apply in the same manner as new applicants each summer despite the predictable, calendar based nature of this non employment period; and if he will make a statement …
490. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection the policy in relation to overpayments of social welfare; if it is mandatory to repay all social welfare overpayments or if it can be written off; if so, in what circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47298/26]
494. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the options available when a person cannot afford the necessary GP fees to fulfil criteria for a given social welfare payment when the person does not qualify for a medical card or GP-visit card; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47657/26]
496. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Social Protection if a pensioner and former coal miner can now apply for the disablement benefit payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47676/26]
3. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he plans to address barriers - administrative, financial and others - to accessing social welfare payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46287/26]
16. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to improve turnaround times on decisions regarding applications for supplementary welfare allowance to cover transport costs for getting to hospital appointments for patients who receive notification of an appointment at short notice and do not have sufficient time to apply and wait for approval of their travel supplement; and if he will …
29. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has given consideration to the difficulties faced by renters accessing the emergency response payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46283/26]