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

Willie O'Dea Written 30 Apr 2026 · to Social
26. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people expected to receive the carer's support grant this year. [31086/26]
Paul Murphy Written 30 Apr 2026 · to Social
27. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will introduce a scheme to provide bikes free of charge for people in receipt of social protection payments and State pensions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31413/26]
Naoise Ó Cearúil Written 30 Apr 2026 · to Social
28. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of domiciliary care allowance applications received, approved and refused in Kildare north in the past three years; the number subsequently approved on appeal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31274/26]
Ruairí Ó Murchú Written 30 Apr 2026 · to Social
35. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection in light of Louth County Council’s decision to pause housing grant applications from 1 May 2026, whether there is a Department of Social Protection scheme available for people whose oil or gas boilers have irretrievably broken, where they cannot afford to pay for a retrofit through SEAI, and do not have the means to pay for a new boiler; and if he wi…
Catherine Ardagh Written 30 Apr 2026 · to Social
36. Deputy Catherine Ardagh asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on phasing out the means test for the carer’s allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31305/26]
Roderic O'Gorman Written 30 Apr 2026 · to Social
37. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Social Protection if, in light of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, consideration is being given to a further extension of the fuel allowance season; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31311/26]
Sean Fleming Written 30 Apr 2026 · to Social
39. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection if he plans to make any changes to the work and access scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31084/26]
Ruairí Ó Murchú Written 30 Apr 2026 · to Social
41. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Social Protection the rationale for the relevant years to be different in jobseeker's benefit (employed) and jobseeker's benefit (self-employed) where JSB for employees are considered on 12 months and self-employed are considered on two years; the mechanisms there are to ensure that a person who sets up a business that closes in less than two years are able to get a p…
Ryan O'Meara Written 30 Apr 2026 · to Social
43. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has any plans to review the qualifying criteria for the living alone allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31081/26]
Sean Fleming Written 30 Apr 2026 · to Social
46. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people currently supported under the work and access programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31083/26]
Mark Wall Written 30 Apr 2026 · to Social
48. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing carer’s allowance and carer’s benefit to €325 a week; the full-year cost of increasing the monthly domiciliary care allowance to €400; and the full-year cost of increasing the annual carer support grant to €2,150. [31339/26]
Brendan Smith Written 30 Apr 2026 · to Social
50. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if assistance is available under the additional needs payments scheme to assist persons to meet essential household costs (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31236/26]
Naoise Ó Muirí Written 30 Apr 2026 · to Social
54. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide an update on the number of families who have availed of the newborn baby grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31314/26]
Barry Ward Written 30 Apr 2026 · to Social
55. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection the mechanisms that will be in place to ensure that everyone that is entitled to the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance is made aware of this payment in advance of the summer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29991/26]
Thomas Gould Written 30 Apr 2026 · to Social
56. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection whether consideration could be given to a compassionate approach to the reduction of entitlements for a carer following the death of a person. [31075/26]
Paul Murphy Written 30 Apr 2026 · to Social
58. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider expanding the free travel scheme to more recipients in light of the fuel crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31414/26]
Catherine Callaghan Written 30 Apr 2026 · to Social
64. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures that are being explored to ensure that his Departmental budget allocated for the fuel allowance scheme will be sufficient to provide for those in need next winter, in light of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31282/26]
Paul Murphy Written 30 Apr 2026 · to Social
69. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is concerned about undue delays in processing invalidity pensions, as in the case of a person (details supplied); the steps he will take to ensure that applicants suffering from health issues are not placed under further distress as a result of difficulties accessing their entitlements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31411/26]
John Lahart Written 30 Apr 2026 · to Social
70. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people that have benefitted from the extension of the fuel allowance this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31092/26]
John Lahart Written 30 Apr 2026 · to Social
76. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has any plans to further extend the fuel allowance season this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31093/26]
John Connolly Written 30 Apr 2026 · to Social
78. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to enhance application processes within the social welfare system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31290/26]
Erin McGreehan Written 30 Apr 2026 · to Social
79. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which means testing criteria for social welfare payments are kept under review for discrepancies for social welfare payments, particularly for qualified adult payments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31079/26]
Louise O'Reilly Written 30 Apr 2026 · to Social
81. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has given consideration to modernising the communications allowance to account for broadband and mobile data costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31212/26]
Shay Brennan Written 30 Apr 2026 · to Social
86. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of online applications for domiciliary care allowance since the application process moved online; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31104/26]
Paul McAuliffe Written 30 Apr 2026 · to Social
92. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection if he plans to change the income thresholds for those over the age of 66 in receipt of the fuel allowance, for both single individuals and couples; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31243/26]