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

Michael Murphy Written 13 Jan 2026 · to Social
1571. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the current status of work to introduce a cost of disability payment; when he expects to move from research and design to implementation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1594/26]
Michael Murphy Written 13 Jan 2026 · to Social
1572. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has undertaken an assessment of the cumulative impact of Budget 2026 measures on households where a person is in receipt of disability allowance, particularly those living alone; and if he will publish any such analysis. [1595/26]
Michael Murphy Written 13 Jan 2026 · to Social
1573. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration has been given to targeted transitional or seasonal supports for people with disabilities following the withdrawal of once-off cost-of-living payments provided in Budget 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1596/26]
Michael Murphy Written 13 Jan 2026 · to Social
1574. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection whether the adequacy of the fuel allowance for people with disabilities, particularly those with higher heating needs, has been reviewed in light of winter energy costs; and if additional targeted measures are under consideration. [1597/26]
Michael Murphy Written 13 Jan 2026 · to Social
1575. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will give consideration to the introduction of a targeted winter payment for people with disabilities to address additional disability-related costs during peak winter months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1598/26]
Michael Murphy Written 13 Jan 2026 · to Social
1576. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection the mechanisms in place to monitor the risk of poverty and social exclusion among people with disabilities following Budget 2026; and the way in which these align with Ireland's obligations under the UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities. [1599/26]
Paula Butterly Written 10 Dec 2025 · to Social
240. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Social Protection the supports and activation measures in place to enable and assist long-term welfare recipients to re-enter the workforce; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70561/25]
Brian Stanley Written 3 Dec 2025 · to Social
170. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review and expand the level of support provided under the treatment benefit scheme for individuals requiring audiological supports, including hearing aids, or those living with congenital deafness given that lifetime costs for such supports can exceed €50,000 compared to the current €1,000 provision; and if he will make a statement on the m…
Shay Brennan Written 2 Dec 2025 · to Social
363. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans for an emergency winter support for residents on disability allowance and similar schemes to offset the deficit created by the withdrawal of the 2025 cost of living measures. [67374/25]
Shay Brennan Written 2 Dec 2025 · to Social
364. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection the timeline for the introduction of the cost of disability payment. [67375/25]
Louis O'Hara Written 27 Nov 2025 · to Social
390. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department provides any financial supports to farmers who are injured and cannot work on their farm due to injury (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66862/25]
Pearse Doherty Written 27 Nov 2025 · to Social
414. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the treatment of compensation payments awarded under historical Northern Ireland criminal injuries schemes, such as the Criminal Injuries (Compensation) (Northern Ireland) Order 1977, where such awards relate specifically to injuries sustained as a result of troubles related violence; and if he will consider extending the income/cap…
Niamh Smyth Written 19 Nov 2025 · to Social
173. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if a request (details supplied) can receive consideration in view of the person's medical circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [64038/25]
Mark Ward Written 18 Nov 2025 · to Housing
549. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the rollout of a social housing passport to allow persons on social housing waiting lists to change local authority without losing time on the list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62732/25]
Martin Daly Oral 13 Nov 2025 · to Social
77. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Social Protection the current annual cost of the disability allowance and invalidity pensions schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62284/25]
Roderic O'Gorman Written 13 Nov 2025 · to Social
346. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Social Protection whether funding exists to cover the cost for a deaf person who wishes to use an Irish sign language interpreter to engage with a TD or local elected official; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62313/25]
Niall Collins Written 12 Nov 2025 · to Social
644. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection the plans to extend the treatment purchase scheme (hair replacement) to cover more than the five types of alopecia currently on the scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61717/25]
Ken O'Flynn Written 12 Nov 2025 · to Social
661. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department has examined how existing maternity and illness benefit schemes could be extended or adapted to provide income support to workers who experience pregnancy loss; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61385/25]
Cathal Crowe Written 12 Nov 2025 · to Social
663. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason the back to education allowance does not allow for a second Erasmus year (details supplied); if he will consider changing the scheme to allow for a second year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61631/25]
William Aird Written 12 Nov 2025 · to Social
690. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures his Department will take to support households facing increased energy and housing costs, particularly low-income and vulnerable groups; the number of persons that have benefitted to date from targeted schemes such as the fuel allowance and supplementary welfare allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62225/25]
Martin Kenny Written 5 Nov 2025 · to Social
128. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will make changes to the farm assist scheme to allow credit contributions for the purposes of the contributory pension for those who received no credits while on the farm assist scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60221/25]
Michael Healy-Rae Written 4 Nov 2025 · to Social
1164. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the supports which are available to a parent/guardian when the second parent has passed away (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58189/25]
Colm Burke Written 4 Nov 2025 · to Social
1199. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will revise the fee paid to dentists holding contracts under the dental treatment benefit scheme; the status of these plans; the timeframe for implementation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58675/25]
Barry Heneghan Written 4 Nov 2025 · to Social
1202. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the case of a person (details supplied); the options which are currently available to provide assistance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58946/25]
Ruth Coppinger Written 9 Oct 2025 · to Social
242. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Social Protection to extend the back to school allowance to all children in State care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54309/25]