DÍOSPÓIREACHTAÍ PARLAIMINTE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES DÁIL ÉIREANN DÁIL ÉIREANN TUAIRISC OIFIGIÚIL (OFFICIAL REPORT) Dé Máirt, 03 Samhain 2026 Tuesday, 03 November 2026 Vol. 1093 No. 4 Immigration Policy

1228. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department records the number of recipients and total expenditure for its principal social welfare payments by nationality or nationality grouping, including Irish, other EEA and non-EEA nationals; if so, the available figures for each of the past five years by payment type; and if not, whether his Department has assessed the feasibility of collecting such data. [77937/26]

Minister for Social Protection

Figures on the number of recipients by nationality grouping are published by the Department annually in its Annual Statistics Report, and on a quarterly basis in its Quarterly Statistical Report. These publications are available through gov.ie/dsp/statistics. Data from the Quarterly report is also available through the CSO's data portal, at data.cso.ie/product/DSP.

Expenditure is recorded at the scheme level, not the individual level, and it is not possible to accurately attribute expenditure to individual characteristics such as nationality. The number of recipients of social welfare payments by nationality grouping as of 31 December 2025 is shown in the following table. For previous years, please refer to Section B of the Department's Annual Statistics Reports published on gov.ie.

Social welfare payments by nationality