Topics / Social Welfare Schemes

A subject heading for parliamentary questions

Social Welfare Schemes

492 questions from 102 TDs, between 5 February 2025 and 21 October 2026.

492
questions
483 written, 9 oral
102
TDs have asked
11
parties and groups
Independents counted together
6
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 20250
February 202530
March 202544
April 202520
May 202555
June 202512
July 202544
August 20250
September 202556
October 20257
November 202514
December 20254
January 202644
February 202623
March 202633
April 202634
May 20267
June 202641
July 20264
August 20260
September 202613
October 20267

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.

  • 100% RDR1 from 1 TD · 1 seat today
  • Aontú14 from 2 TDs · 2 seats today
  • Fianna Fáil107 from 28 TDs · 48 seats today
  • Fine Gael77 from 16 TDs · 38 seats today
  • Green Party4 from 1 TD · 1 seat today
  • Independent26 from 6 TDs · 15 seats today
  • Independent Ireland19 from 3 TDs · 4 seats today
  • Labour Party43 from 7 TDs · 11 seats today
  • People Before Profit-Solidarity12 from 3 TDs · 3 seats today
  • Sinn Féin165 from 27 TDs · 39 seats today

The TDs who asked most

Members of the Government answer questions rather than ask them. Each question counts once.

  1. 67
  2. 23
  3. 21
  4. 18
  5. 16
  6. 15
  7. 12
  8. 11

Asked of

Debated under the same heading

Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.

The questions

Cormac Devlin Written 27 May 2025 · to Social
437. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has engaged with the Minister for Finance and the Revenue Commissioners on the regulatory impact of trustee liquidations on small pension approved retirement fund holders; if he will support the establishment of a fallback mechanism for affected pensioners to avoid hardship or disruption to income; and if he will make a statement on the matter. …
Liam Quaide Written 13 May 2025 · to Social
797. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide an update on the launch of an information campaign to promote the expanded scope of the wage subsidy scheme; his plans to promote a greater level of awareness and uptake among employers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23655/25]
Brian Brennan Written 7 May 2025 · to Social
279. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a contributory pension was not awarded to a person (details supplied); the other options available at this time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22041/25]
Darren O'Rourke Written 7 May 2025 · to Social
280. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection the median time to process carer’s allowance reviews and appeals currently; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22079/25]
Willie O'Dea Written 7 May 2025 · to Social
285. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection when a decision will be made in relation to an invalidity pension appeal (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22254/25]
Mark Wall Written 7 May 2025 · to Social
286. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection if child maintenance payments are disregarded from secondary social welfare entitlements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22282/25]
Ken O'Flynn Written 7 May 2025 · to Social
287. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department is aware of a review into a carer’s allowance application submitted by a person (details supplied); if his Department has received this review request; if a decision has been made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22303/25]
Seán Fleming Written 7 May 2025 · to Social
289. Deputy Seán Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection if advice will be provided for a person who is living in Ireland but was born in England and has Irish citizenship in relation to pension matters (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22451/25]
Carol Nolan Written 7 May 2025 · to Social
290. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection when recipients can expect payment under the revised terms of the widow's or widower's pension, particularly in respect of non-married or cohabiting couples, following the judgment of the Supreme Court on 22 January 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22462/25]
Seán Crowe Written 7 May 2025 · to Social
291. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection the average time it takes for a successful additional needs payment to be paid after receipt of an application. [22463/25]
Louise O'Reilly Written 7 May 2025 · to Social
292. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount of domiciliary care allowance applications received; the amount of domiciliary care allowance applications awarded; the amount of domiciliary care allowance applications withdrawn; the average time in weeks to award; the amount of domiciliary care allowance applications that were carried over to the next year; the amount of appeals made r…
Louise O'Reilly Written 7 May 2025 · to Social
293. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount of disability allowance applications received; the amount of disability allowance applications awarded; the amount of disability allowance applications withdrawn; the average time in weeks to award; the amount of disability allowance applications that were carried over to the next year; the amount of appeals made regarding disability allo…
Louise O'Reilly Written 7 May 2025 · to Social
294. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide an up-to-date breakdown of the number of recipients of disability allowance by qualifying medical condition, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22466/25]
Louise O'Reilly Written 7 May 2025 · to Social
295. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection for an estimation of the cost to extend jobseeker’s pay-related benefit to part-time, seasonal and casual workers, who find themselves periodically out of work and are currently eligible to avail of jobseeker’s benefit; the number of part-time, seasonal and casual workers in receipt of jobseeker’s benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matt…
Martin Kenny Written 7 May 2025 · to Social
296. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Social Protection if he plans to disregard farm income from environmental schemes such as ACRES for the purpose of farm assist applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22475/25]
Seán Fleming Written 7 May 2025 · to Social
297. Deputy Seán Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection to examine the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22527/25]
Seán Fleming Written 7 May 2025 · to Social
301. Deputy Seán Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection to outline the process, and reasons why people who are seeking to pay voluntary PRSI contributions cannot do so in terms of their period since their last employment; the number of contributions required under this scheme in the first place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22637/25]
Eoin Hayes Written 7 May 2025 · to Social
303. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason for the reduction in citizens information centres across Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22689/25]
James O'Connor Oral 1 May 2025 · to Social
87. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will remove inconsistencies and anomalies in the current jobseeker's allowance scheme which discourage people from taking up employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21699/25]
Paul Lawless Oral 1 May 2025 · to Social
89. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the transitional supports being put in place for the 380 people whose one-parent family payment and half-rate carer’s allowance are both due to end this year; and whether he accepts that the sudden loss of these payments risks plunging vulnerable families into financial hardship and uncertainty. [21009/25]
John Connolly Written 1 May 2025 · to Social
90. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of employers currently availing of the wage subsidy scheme, WSS, the number of employees employed in companies that avail of the WSS; the number of companies that avail of strand 2 of the WSS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21677/25]
Catherine Connolly Oral 1 May 2025 · to Social
91. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection when the means test for carer’s allowance will be abolished; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20503/25]
Michael Murphy Written 1 May 2025 · to Social
106. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will explore the possibility of reducing the minimum hours of the wage subsidy scheme from 15 hours to ten hours (details supplied). [19846/25]
Brian Stanley Written 29 Apr 2025 · to Social
1379. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications registered per operational scheme for the period of 2020 to 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18613/25]
Brian Stanley Written 29 Apr 2025 · to Social
1380. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of claims per operation scheme awarded for the period of 2020 to 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18614/25]