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

Aidan Farrelly Written 24 Feb 2026 · to Social
723. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications received, awarded and approved for supplementary welfare allowance grants in relation to fuel poverty and assistance with payment of outstanding energy bills over the past five years, by county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15010/26]
William Aird Written 24 Feb 2026 · to Social
729. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on a case (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15172/26]
John Paul O'Shea Written 17 Feb 2026 · to Social
840. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications received under the work and access scheme in 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026; the number of applications approved in each of these years to date; the amount expended on the scheme in the same respective time periods, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11667/26]
John Paul O'Shea Written 17 Feb 2026 · to Social
841. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications made for each of the respective seven supports under the work and access scheme to date; the number of these applications approved; the number declined; the number pending a decision; the amount expended under each support to date, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11668/26]
John Paul O'Shea Written 17 Feb 2026 · to Social
842. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of employees and employers currently utilising and benefiting from the wage subsidy scheme; the number of employers availing of strand 2 and strand 3 of the scheme; if an increase in the overall number utilising the scheme has occurred since the minimum weekly hours threshold was reduced in April 2024; and if so, the details of any…
John Paul O'Shea Written 17 Feb 2026 · to Social
843. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the breakdown, by employer size, (micro, small, medium and large) accessing, respectively, the work and access and wage subsidy schemes administered by his Department; the details of the supports provided to each employer category, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11670/26]
John Paul O'Shea Written 17 Feb 2026 · to Social
844. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if numbers and details of use of the wage subsidy scheme and the work and access scheme, and the associated supports are monitored by his Department; if such statistics are or will be published on a routine basis; if so, to give details; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11671/26]
Mark Wall Written 12 Feb 2026 · to Social
439. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection if the Government will consider extending and reforming a social protection payment (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11150/26]
Liam Quaide Written 4 Feb 2026 · to Social
729. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection whether compensation following an accident is taken into consideration during the income assessment for disability allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8122/26]
Liam Quaide Written 4 Feb 2026 · to Social
730. Deputy Liam Quaide asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on his plans to reform the disability allowance and remove anomalies in the means test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8123/26]
Mairéad Farrell Written 4 Feb 2026 · to Social
735. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason his Department is putting resources into reviewing existing carers allowance applications given the move towards abolishing the means test for this payment; if his attention has been drawn to the stress that carers experience when they receive letters which indicate that their means are being review and that they may have to make repaymen…
Mairéad Farrell Written 4 Feb 2026 · to Social
736. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on plans to abolish the carers allowance means test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8266/26]
John Paul O'Shea Written 29 Jan 2026 · to Social
318. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people, by county, who availed of their entitlement under the treatment benefit scheme in respect of the €500 grant towards a hearing aid in each year 2020-2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7157/26]
John Paul O'Shea Written 29 Jan 2026 · to Social
319. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people, by county, who availed of their entitlement under the treatment benefit scheme in respect of optical support, broken down by free eye tests, free glasses and grants towards contact lenses for each of the years 2020-2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7158/26]
John Paul O'Shea Written 29 Jan 2026 · to Social
320. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people, by county, who availed of their entitlement under the treatment benefit scheme in respect of the €500 grant for wigs for each of the years 2020-2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7159/26]
John Paul O'Shea Written 29 Jan 2026 · to Social
321. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people, by county, who availed of their entitlement under the treatment benefit scheme in respect of dental work for each of the years 2020-2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7160/26]
Robert O'Donoghue Written 27 Jan 2026 · to Social
683. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Social Protection the engagement his Department has had with women’s organisations regarding concerns that the qualified adult system classifies women as dependants; whether these concerns will inform future reform; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5462/26]
George Lawlor Written 27 Jan 2026 · to Social
687. Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will investigate the calculation of means of a couple (details supplied) with regard to their disability allowance claim; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5591/26]
Pádraig O'Sullivan Written 27 Jan 2026 · to Social
706. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider broadening the scope of Catherine's Law to cover all scholarships to third level education (details supplied); if he will provide clarity on how his Department distinguishes between the various scholarships for exemption; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6366/26]
Barry Heneghan Written 27 Jan 2026 · to Social
707. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection the winter supports currently available to people with disabilities; whether additional targeted measures are under consideration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6386/26]
Willie O'Dea Written 20 Jan 2026 · to Social
684. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection his additional plans to financially assist people with disabilities during 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3396/26]
Peter 'Chap' Cleere Written 20 Jan 2026 · to Social
700. Deputy Peter 'Chap' Cleere asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of families who have benefited from the new baby grant, broken down by county for 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4002/26]
John Connolly Written 14 Jan 2026 · to Social
112. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he plans to enhance the farm assist and fish assist scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2841/26]
John Connolly Written 14 Jan 2026 · to Social
113. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will include seaweed harvesting for a bespoke social protection scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2842/26]
John Clendennen Written 13 Jan 2026 · to Social
1507. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on the proposal that schools should have greater autonomy over the hot school meals programme, with any savings achieved through reduced waste retained at school level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2412/26]