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

Richard Boyd Barrett Written 30 Apr 2026 · to Social
354. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the length of time a person can avail of carer's benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31567/26]
Richard Boyd Barrett Written 30 Apr 2026 · to Social
355. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection if savings are taken into account in the means test for disability allowance; if so, the amount allowed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31568/26]
Robert O'Donoghue Written 29 Apr 2026 · to Social
166. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration has been given to introducing a mechanism whereby parents who are separated or divorcing, but cannot live separately due to the housing crisis, may qualify for one-parent family supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31047/26]
Niamh Smyth Written 29 Apr 2026 · to Social
167. 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 application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31103/26]
John Paul O'Shea Written 29 Apr 2026 · to Social
168. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the total expenditure on social welfare in each of the years 2005 to 2025; the projected total expenditure on social welfare in 2026, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31183/26]
John Paul O'Shea Written 29 Apr 2026 · to Social
169. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the projected surplus or deficit in the social insurance fund for each year 2025 to 2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31184/26]
John Paul O'Shea Written 29 Apr 2026 · to Social
170. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the total expenditure on disability payments for each of the years 2016 to 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31185/26]
John Paul O'Shea Written 29 Apr 2026 · to Social
171. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the total expenditure on carers allowance payments for each of the years 2016 - 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31186/26]
John Paul O'Shea Written 29 Apr 2026 · to Social
172. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the total expenditure on one parent family payment for each of the years 2016 - 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31187/26]
John Paul O'Shea Written 29 Apr 2026 · to Social
173. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the total expenditure on pension payments for each of the years 2016 - 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31188/26]
John Paul O'Shea Written 29 Apr 2026 · to Social
174. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the total expenditure on the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance for each of the years 2016-2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31189/26]
John Paul O'Shea Written 29 Apr 2026 · to Social
175. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the total expenditure on qualified child payment / child support payments for each of the years 2016 - 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31190/26]
John Paul O'Shea Written 29 Apr 2026 · to Social
176. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the total expenditure on child benefit payments for each of the years 2016 - 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31191/26]
John Paul O'Shea Written 29 Apr 2026 · to Social
177. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the total expenditure on maternity benefit for each of the years 2016 - 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31192/26]
John Paul O'Shea Written 29 Apr 2026 · to Social
178. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the total expenditure on all jobseekers allowance payments for each of the years 2016 - 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31193/26]
Louise O'Reilly Written 28 Apr 2026 · to Social
752. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated annual cost of increasing the weekly earnings disregard for recipients of the one-parent family payment and jobseeker's transitional payment to €210; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29716/26]
Cathal Crowe Written 28 Apr 2026 · to Social
770. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) in County Clare will receive a decision on their appeal for domiciliary care allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29970/26]
Pearse Doherty Written 28 Apr 2026 · to Social
779. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision for a jobseeker allowance application will be made for a person (details supplied); if any additional information or documents are required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30314/26]
Michael Cahill Written 28 Apr 2026 · to Social
780. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection if the backdating of disability allowance for cam be urgently allowed for a person (details supplied), as this man is very sick and could not submit the form due to illness; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30341/26]
Rory Hearne Written 28 Apr 2026 · to Social
783. Deputy Rory Hearne asked the Minister for Social Protection if the case of a person can be reviewed (details supplied); to provide an update on their social welfare application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30548/26]
Grace Boland Written 28 Apr 2026 · to Social
794. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider extending the back-to-work enterprise allowance (BTWEA) to include individuals who are signing on for PRSI credits but are excluded from payments due to means testing; or alternatively, if he will consider introducing a parallel pathway for people in such a position to access the BTWEA; and if he will make a statement on the matter.…
Claire Kerrane Written 28 Apr 2026 · to Social
795. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made on a disability allowance appeal (details supplied) submitted in November 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30911/26]
John Paul O'Shea Written 28 Apr 2026 · to Social
796. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people currently in receipt of a heating supplement payment; if he can provide a breakdown of this payment, per county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30927/26]
John Paul O'Shea Written 23 Apr 2026 · to Social
409. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been made on a request to further backdate a widower's contributory pension award to a person ( details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29263/26]
Barry Ward Written 23 Apr 2026 · to Social
410. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 1877 of 14 April 2026, his views on whether it is equitable that some people with medical diagnosis qualify for the diet supplement administered under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme but others in the same financial and medical circumstances do not; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29362/26]