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

Peadar Tóibín Written 18 Jun 2026 · to Social
35. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to assess the financial adequacy of the State pension and supplementary social welfare payments for older, single persons who face escalating living costs and a chronic deficit of suitable single-unit accommodation options. [46329/26]
Mark Wall Written 18 Jun 2026 · to Social
37. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide the current processing time for appeals of all social welfare payments in 2026. [46170/26]
John Paul O'Shea Written 18 Jun 2026 · to Social
62. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection for a breakdown of all persons currently on jobseeker's allowance, per Intreo area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45903/26]
Sean Fleming Written 18 Jun 2026 · to Social
70. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection the number that received the carer’s support grant in 2026; the way in which this compares to 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46034/26]
Thomas Gould Written 18 Jun 2026 · to Social
71. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection whether he is aware that applications for assistance with bills under the urgent needs payment scheme in the first three months of this year has doubled. [46299/26]
Shane Moynihan Written 18 Jun 2026 · to Social
77. Deputy Shane Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the evidentiary requirements for carer’s allowance applications and reviews; if he will examine whether carers are being asked to repeatedly provide medical or supporting documents already held by the Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45626/26]
Michael Cahill Written 18 Jun 2026 · to Social
337. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will outline a clear timeline for the abolition of the means test for carer's allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46437/26]
Michael Cahill Written 18 Jun 2026 · to Social
338. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection the timeline for the introduction of the cost of disability payment. [46438/26]
Mark Wall Written 18 Jun 2026 · to Social
339. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the average waiting time for an additional needs payment for assistance with the cost of a funeral for each of the past three years; the number of applications per county; the number that were successful, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46445/26]
Mark Wall Written 18 Jun 2026 · to Social
340. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the average waiting time for an additional needs payment for assistance with the cost of a fitting out a new social home for each of the past three years; the number of applications per county; the number that were successful; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46446/26]
Michael Healy-Rae Written 18 Jun 2026 · to Social
342. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a teacher (details supplied) out of contract is exempt from claiming the job seekers pay related benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46468/26]
Pádraig Mac Lochlainn Written 18 Jun 2026 · to Social
343. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Social Protection to advise on a matter raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46479/26]
Louise O'Reilly Written 18 Jun 2026 · to Social
357. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the first year and full year cost of expanding the guardian's payment (non-contributory) threshold by 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% respectively. [46596/26]
Aengus Ó Snodaigh Written 18 Jun 2026 · to Health
453. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Health the reason the invalidity pension of a person (details supplied) is now being claimed by the HSE; the reason no notice was given to their spouse; and if consideration was given to the fact that they have a joint mortgage that cannot now be met. [46431/26]
Carol Nolan Written 16 Jun 2026 · to Social
625. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of jobseeker's allowance or jobseeker's benefit; and the breakdown by nationality indicating the number of Irish citizens, UK nationals, EU/EEA nationals, and the rest of the world. [45515/26]
Paul Lawless Written 16 Jun 2026 · to Justice
635. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the amount paid out under the accommodation recognition payment in each year since its establishment, in tabular form. [45765/26]
Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh Written 10 Jun 2026 · to Social
150. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for the carer’s support grant and carer’s allowance currently awaiting decision; the average processing time for each scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44223/26]
Holly Cairns Written 10 Jun 2026 · to Social
151. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline work undertaken by his Department in regard to examining the age at which domiciliary care allowance ends; whether his Department would consider increasing the age from 16 to 18; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44231/26]
Robert O'Donoghue Written 10 Jun 2026 · to Social
152. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection the legal and administrative basis for the requirement that recipients of carer’s allowance notify his Department of short absences from the State; if his Department has assessed the necessity and effectiveness of this requirement in the administration of the scheme; whether any review of the requirement is planned; and if he will make a statement…
Robert O'Donoghue Written 10 Jun 2026 · to Social
153. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection if the requirement for recipients of carer’s allowance to notify his Department of short absences from the State applies to travel within the island of Ireland, including cross-Border journeys; whether the requirement has been applied in such circumstances; whether any review of the requirement is under consideration; and if he will make a stateme…
Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh Written 10 Jun 2026 · to Social
156. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of recipients of the working family payment in each of the past five years; the average payment awarded; and whether his Department has assessed barriers to uptake among eligible households. [44352/26]
Carol Nolan Written 9 Jun 2026 · to Housing
1041. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total expenditure on housing assistance payments for non-Irish nationals in each of the years 2022 to 2025 and to date in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41982/26]
Michael Healy-Rae Written 9 Jun 2026 · to Social
1181. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection to review an overpayment claim regarding a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42239/26]
Naoise Ó Cearúil Written 9 Jun 2026 · to Social
1202. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration will be given to a review of the current means-testing arrangements for the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance as they apply to foster children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42713/26]
Niamh Smyth Written 9 Jun 2026 · to Social
1208. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the case of a person (details supplied); if he will provide an update on the invalidity pension review in question; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42948/26]