Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 March 2026
637. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of recipients of disability allowance by primary medical condition category in each of the years 2020 to 2025 and to-date in 2026, in tabular form; and if he will provide the percentage increase or decrease in each category over that period. [16712/26]
View answerThe medical condition of qualifying recipients of Disability Allowance were submitted by their doctor as part of the application form. The application is then assessed by the Department’s medical assessors, who are experienced doctors with various sub-specialty qualifications and hold full registration with the Irish medical council.
In January 2026, there were 173,375 recipients of Disability Allowance. Of these, 114,927 (66%) have an ICD-10 code recorded. The main medical conditions of Disability Allowance recipients where a code is recorded are: Mental and Behavioural Disorders (49%), Musculoskeletal and Connective Tissue (15%), Nervous System (7%), and Circulatory System (5%). These statistics are not routinely collated; a comparison to the last time such statistics were collate in March 2025 is set out in the table below.
|
ICD-10 Commencing Code |
Condition |
Total |
As a percentage of those where an ICD-10 code is recorded |
March 2025 percentage |
|
A |
Infectious and Parasitic Diseases |
176 |
0.2% |
0.2% |
|
B |
Infectious and Parasitic Diseases |
377 |
0.3% |
0.4% |
|
C |
Neoplasms |
3851 |
3.4% |
3.1% |
|
D |
Neoplasms, Blood, Blood-forming Organs |
985 |
0.9% |
0.9% |
|
E |
Endocrine, Nutritional, Metabolic |
3013 |
2.6% |
2.9% |
|
F |
Mental and Behavioral Disorders |
55790 |
48.5% |
47.7% |
|
G |
Nervous System |
7591 |
6.6% |
7.1% |
|
H |
Eye and Adnexa, Ear and Mastoid Process |
2146 |
1.9% |
1.9% |
|
I |
Circulatory System |
5723 |
5.0% |
4.8% |
|
J |
Respiratory System |
2393 |
2.1% |
1.9% |
|
K |
Digestive System |
2236 |
1.9% |
2.1% |
|
L |
Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue |
677 |
0.6% |
0.6% |
|
M |
Musculoskeletal and Connective Tissue |
16652 |
14.5% |
15.0% |
|
N |
Genitourinary System |
800 |
0.7% |
0.7% |
|
O |
Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Puerperium |
25 |
0.0% |
0.0% |
|
P |
Certain Conditions Originating in the Perinatal Period |
85 |
0.1% |
0.1% |
|
Q |
Congenital Malformations, Deformations and Chromosomal Abnormalities |
4030 |
3.5% |
4.1% |
|
R |
Symptoms, Signs and Abnormal Clinical and Lab Findings |
1896 |
1.6% |
1.5% |
|
S |
Injury, Poisoning, Certain Other Consequences of External Causes |
2321 |
2.0% |
2.4% |
|
T |
Injury, Poisoning, Certain Other Consequences of External Causes |
704 |
0.6% |
0.6% |
|
U-Z |
Others |
3456 |
3.0% |
2.1% |
