Independent Ireland TD Ken O’Flynn has called on the Government to publish a comprehensive breakdown of social welfare payments received by foreign nationals, raising what he described as the “elephant in the room” during a Dáil debate on welfare reform.
Speaking during Wednesday’s Second Stage debate on the Social Welfare Bill 2026, the Cork TD highlighted figures showing that 347,736 people of non-Irish nationality were receiving at least one social welfare payment at the end of 2025.
“The elephant in the room that the Tánaiste did not mention whatsoever is that figures released by the Department of Social Protection earlier this year show that 347,736 people with non-Irish nationality are receiving a social welfare payment,” O’Flynn told the Dáil.
The figures were originally provided by Social Protection Minister Dara Calleary in response to a parliamentary question from Independent TD Carol Nolan in October.
Of the approximately 1.97 million people receiving at least one social protection payment, 347,736 were recorded as having a non-Irish nationality.
The figure includes people receiving Child Benefit and pensions, as well as foreign nationals who are working and paying taxes.
“The debate on migration, housing, public services and State spending is far too often conducted in an atmosphere where legitimate questions are dismissed rather than answered. The public deserves facts and honesty,” Nolan said following the publication of the figures.
O’Flynn acknowledged that some foreign nationals receiving payments were working and contributing through taxation.
“That includes child benefit and pensions and, of course, some of those people are working and paying their tax. Nobody should be criticised for that,” he said.
However, he called on the Government to publish a full breakdown of payments under every scheme, categorised by nationality and duration of claim.
“Will the Minister publish a full breakdown of every payment under every scheme by nationality and duration of claim? That would be a far fairer way to approach the issue in this House,” he asked.
‘Nobody wants to be on the dole’
O’Flynn’s intervention came amid a wider political row over Tánaiste Simon Harris’s calls for a tougher approach to long-term unemployment.
At the Fine Gael Ard Fheis in Cork last weekend, Harris told delegates that “the dole is a safety net, not a way of life”, arguing that people who were capable of working should be encouraged to return to employment.
He also defended the prospect of financial penalties for those who repeatedly refuse to engage with employment services.
O’Flynn criticised the Government’s approach, arguing that Fine Gael had been in power for 15 years and should take responsibility for the number of people who remained unemployed.
He told the Dáil that 6,329 people had been receiving Jobseeker’s Allowance for more than ten years, while a further 30,000 had been receiving it for more than five years.
“The Government should be examining why 30,000 people have been unemployed for more than five years. Is it an education problem? Is it that they have not engaged properly with supports?” he asked.
“I do not believe it is a question of not properly engaging. Some people are just left behind by society. Some people need to be helped a little bit more rather than being kicked while they are down.”
He added that people receiving unemployment payments were often struggling to meet basic household expenses.
“Nobody wants to be on the dole. Nobody wants to be on that amount of money, worrying about whether they will put food on the table or pay the ESB bill, gas bill or whatever other bill arrives,” he said.
“Most people on the dole with whom I have engaged are afraid of the postman’s knock and the next bill that is coming through their door.”
O’Flynn also criticised the Government over the cost of living, claiming that 500,000 people were in arrears on their electricity or gas bills.
“There are now 500,000 people in this country in arrears on their ESB or gas bill. Where is the €350 per week the Government promised?” he asked, referring to the Government’s pre-election commitment to increase the State pension.
Fianna Fáil TD warns against ‘jackbooting’ unemployed into work
Elsewhere in Wednesday’s debate, Fianna Fáil TD John McGuinness called for greater compassion in the Government’s approach to people receiving social welfare.
“We need far greater humanity and compassion in what we are saying about others,” he said.
He criticised suggestions that unemployed people should simply be forced back into employment, warning against “jackbooting” people into positions they might be incapable of fulfilling.
“We should not then, in the next sentence, say that we should get them all out to work as if we are going to jackboot them into a position where they would have to do something they are incapable of doing,” McGuinness said.
However, other Government TDs defended Harris’s comments.
Fine Gael TD Brian Brennan said the Tánaiste was “correct to bring a start to the debate in this regard”, arguing that people who were capable of working should be encouraged to engage with employment supports.
The Social Welfare Bill 2026, introduced by Social Protection Minister Dara Calleary, gives effect to measures announced in Budget 2027, including changes to social welfare payments and employment activation penalties.