668. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Social Protection the rationale for the significant disparity between the rate of illness benefit, currently €244 per week, and the rate of jobseeker's benefit which can be up to €450 per week; and if consideration will be being given to reviewing the illness benefit payment rate to ensure parity and adequate income support for persons who are unable to work due to serio…
Topics / Social Welfare Rates
A subject heading for parliamentary questionsSocial Welfare Rates
129 questions from 47 TDs, between 22 January 2025 and 21 October 2026.
129
questions
127 written, 2 oral
47
TDs have asked
10
parties and groups
Independents counted together
3
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 | 1 |
| February 2025 | 6 |
| March 2025 | 6 |
| April 2025 | 2 |
| May 2025 | 7 |
| June 2025 | 7 |
| July 2025 | 36 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 7 |
| October 2025 | 5 |
| November 2025 | 3 |
| December 2025 | 2 |
| January 2026 | 2 |
| February 2026 | 2 |
| March 2026 | 4 |
| April 2026 | 5 |
| May 2026 | 3 |
| June 2026 | 19 |
| July 2026 | 7 |
| August 2026 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 1 |
| October 2026 | 4 |
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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22
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17
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9
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6
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6
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5
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5
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4
Asked of
Debated under the same heading
Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.
The questions
688. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost of increasing the carers allowance by two percent; in line with inflation; ten percent; 20 percent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62223/25]
388. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost in 2026 if the living alone allowance increased to €26 per week; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53848/25]
328. Deputy Séamus McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection if the living alone allowance will be increased in budget 2026 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52686/25]
99. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the percentage of jobseekers’ payment claimants that have had reduced rates applied to them in 2023, 2024 and 2025 to date; the amount by which jobseekers’ payments have been reduced in total as a result, for each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52261/25]
103. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of reduced rates for jobseekers payments that have been applied to recipients with dependent children in 2023, 2024 and to date 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52343/25]
112. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department plans to increase the rate of for the living alone allowance payment; if not, if he will consider same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52593/25]
740. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection the actions he plans to take in order to address concerns that social welfare payments are not moving in tandem with the rising cost of living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48170/25]
742. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding any Departmental review of the existing rate of payment under the living alone allowance to reflect the increased cost of living; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48307/25]
791. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection if the living alone allowance will be increased given many senior citizens are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48845/25]
1372. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the first-year and full-year cost of increasing the maximum rate of the additional needs payment for additional diet expenses by €1. [45798/25]
1442. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of bringing all disability-related payments to €350 per week; and to provide details of this calculation, in tabular form. [47487/25]
1443. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of removing the means test for the disability allowance, blind pensions and invalidity pension. [47495/25]
1444. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of removing the means test for all disability-related payments and bringing them up to at least €350 per week (details supplied). [47496/25]
1756. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will increase core social welfare rates by €16 per week as part of the Government’s target to reduce consistency rates to 2% nationally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41045/25]
1758. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will increase the living alone allowance to ensure a targeted measure to support single adult households, in line with MESL research; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41048/25]
1759. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will work towards aligning the child support payment to the primary social welfare payment and increase the payment by €6 per week for children under 12 and €15 per week for children 12 and over; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41049/25]
1764. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will ensure households are able to purchase the essential energy they need to stay warm and well, and raise the fuel allowance by €9.50 per week; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41208/25]
1792. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection if there are plans to increase the payment rate for people in receipt of half-rate carer's allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41748/25]
1859. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost of increasing all core social welfare payments by €1, providing a breakdown, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43647/25]
1865. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing the child support payment for under-12s by €6 or €10 and for over-12s by €10 or €15; to provide the current number of eligible children in each category, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44026/25]
1870. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing fuel allowance by €5 or €10 a week; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44031/25]
1871. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of extending the fuel allowance to 32 weeks at current rates; the estimated cost of increasing it by €5 or €10 a week at 32 weeks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44032/25]
1876. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost for every €1 increase in the living alone allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44037/25]
1877. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing the carer’s support grant by €150; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44038/25]