625. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of mothers who accessed maternity benefit in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. [16408/26]
Topics / Social Welfare Schemes
A subject heading for parliamentary questionsSocial 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
| Month | Questions |
|---|---|
| January 2025 | 0 |
| February 2025 | 30 |
| March 2025 | 44 |
| April 2025 | 20 |
| May 2025 | 55 |
| June 2025 | 12 |
| July 2025 | 44 |
| August 2025 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 56 |
| October 2025 | 7 |
| November 2025 | 14 |
| December 2025 | 4 |
| January 2026 | 44 |
| February 2026 | 23 |
| March 2026 | 33 |
| April 2026 | 34 |
| May 2026 | 7 |
| June 2026 | 41 |
| July 2026 | 4 |
| August 2026 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 13 |
| October 2026 | 7 |
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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67
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23
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21
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18
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16
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15
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12
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11
Asked of
Debated under the same heading
Debates whose official heading is exactly these words.
The questions
626. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications, approvals and refusals for exceptional needs payments (additional needs payments) processed by the Community Welfare Service, broken down by county, for each of the years 2021 to 2025 inclusive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16424/26]
627. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Social Protection the total expenditure on exceptional needs payments (additional needs payments) by county, for each of the years 2021 to 2025, inclusive; the average payment awarded in each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16426/26]
629. Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will reconsider the decision of his Department to refuse an exemption to a person in receipt of invalidity pension (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16535/26]
630. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if the residents in a location (details supplied) are eligible for the emergency response payment; if the emergency response payment will cover costs associated with the damage caused to their cars and personal items contained within, as a result of the underground carpark flooding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16539/26]
638. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the average duration of time recipients have remained on disability allowance; the number of recipients on the scheme for more than five years; and the annual exit rate from the scheme in each of the years 2020 to 2025. [16713/26]
639. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether any internal administrative guidance, medical assessment protocols, or decision-making frameworks relating to eligibility for disability allowance have been amended, revised, or updated since 1 January 2020; and if so, if he will outline the nature and date of those revisions. [16714/26]
640. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated gross annual expenditure on disability allowance in each of the years 2020 to 2025 and the projected expenditure for 2026. [16715/26]
642. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection whether the ongoing ‘cost-of-disability payment’ consultation includes consideration of additional payments to pensioners with disabilities who do not currently receive an additional support in recognition of their higher costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16991/26]
644. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if an application (details supplied) for carer’s leave benefit can be granted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17102/26]
645. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Social Protection if an application (details supplied) for the bereaved partners contributory pension can be reviewed and awarded given that the applicant has demonstrated and provided all possible evidence that they co-habited with their partner for in excess of five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17132/26]
646. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection to advise when in March/April 2026 the fuel allowance payment will be made to working family payment recipients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17160/26]
647. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Social Protection if he is aware of any information/notice or circular being issued by his Department to HSE-funded health and social care services (details supplied) pertaining to possible changes to means testing of residents in receipt of a social welfare payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17169/26]
648. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Social Protection if the Government is actively considering any changes to means testing of a social welfare payment (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17234/26]
8. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of individuals currently in receipt of jobseeker's allowance and jobseeker's benefit in Cork and Limerick, with particular focus on Intreo areas such as Mallow, Newmarket, Macroom and Kilmallock; the most recent trends in these figures over the past 12 months; the supports and activation measures in place locally, such as training, employm…
22. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide an update on the planned extension of the fuel allowance scheme to families in receipt of the working family payment; the expected number of beneficiary households; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15632/26]
27. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will conduct a full review of the CE scheme to ensure that placement processes are efficient, responsive, and supportive of participants seeking to return to work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14229/26]
40. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection whether he will expand and promote access to the wage subsidy scheme, including consideration of its availability to Oireachtas members as employers, in order to support the recruitment and retention of people with disabilities in workplaces and public service roles, and keep them close to policy makers. [15483/26]
74. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Social Protection the plans to further reduce the minimum hours worked requirement for the wage subsidy scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15526/26]
599. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport to provide a breakdown of the 2,000 recipients of the so-called ‘basic income for the arts’ scheme, by the artistic or creative area or field or sector they work in; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14060/26]
616. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport his plans to support those currently on the basic income for the arts scheme which is due to end in February 2026 whereas the permanent scheme is due to start in September 2026 leaving a gap of seven months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14741/26]
712. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review correspondence (details supplied); the status of the application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14588/26]
713. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason recipients, despite being required to provide at least 35 hours of care per week over five to seven days subject to DSP assessment, receive a payment that is significantly below the minimum wage for an equivalent number of hours (details supplied); if he will consider reviewing the hourly payment level of carer’s allowance; and if he will m…
714. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Social Protection to review the amount awarded in jobseeker's benefit for a person (details supplied). [14670/26]
718. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review correspondence (details supplied); the status of the review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14803/26]