Dara Calleary
Mayo · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“Agriculture is the backbone. We have all been in the Mansion House today, or everyone has said they were anyway. Energy security is key and crucial. Everybody wants energy security but nobody wants wind energy. We have to strike a balance and get a real discussion, but food security is most important.”
“While we have gaps there, we are addressing them. The Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, has announced the minor injury units, which will take the pressure off major hospitals and ensure services are available.”
“Recent figures from the CSO show that there is a 5.8% increase in the number of people living in rural areas between 2016 and 2022. In areas classified as highly rural and remote, the increase was 6.4%.”
“Enterprise Ireland is investing in Irish-owned, Irish-founded companies. Similarly, 59% of IDA investments were located outside the Dublin region. We will continue to work, looking at the progress we can make through the IDA, Enterprise Ireland and, as Senator O'Loughlin said, through supporting our local enterprise offices.”
“That is something we do daily and they are used where is necessary. The plan will be supported by ambitious, clear, practical and measurable actions. I have spoken to some of the funding programmes available within my Department.”
“Táim tar éis cuairt a thabhairt ar gach ceantar Gaeltachta chun plé fairsing a dhéanamh leis na pobail sin chun a fháil amach uathu féin cén cineál tacaíochta ar féidir a chur ar fáil dóibh chun cabhrú leo. Táim chun leanúint ar aghaidh leis an obair sin sa bhuiséad le teacht agus na buiséid eile.”
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“Second, it allows us to work with the carers’ organisations in a partnership way as to how we get this done. An increase of 60%, combined with the fact that people with an income of €138,000 are now eligible for a payment under the Department of Social Protection, shows my seriousness and intent. It is not just ambition; this is actually happening.”
“This is not just words and ambition. There was a 60% increase in the budget for the carer’s allowance income disregard. That has never been seen before. That means that households with an income of €110,000, and up to €138,000, become eligible for a social protection payment. That is actually happening. It will happen from 1 July next year. That is real and I want to continue with those kinds of levels of increases. As I said, I also have an eye to existing carers. I wish to ensure they are properly regarded. That is why we work closely with the carers’ organisation in relation to this and other issues. That is why we have a carer’s forum every year well in advance of the budget process. First, it helps alert people to the fact these changes have happened because we want to ensure people have the information.”
“I will engage with the Deputy in that regard. I want to abolish the means test over the course of this Government and during my time in this Department. I am also focused on those existing payments and ensuring those who are existing carers are properly rewarded for their extraordinary work. I am trying to reach a balance. If I have four years in this Department, I will abolish it, but I am also trying to work with the carers’ organisation on those existing carers.”
“It is difficult to estimate potential inflow with precision, but we will give the Deputy the figures based on the changes to date. I will try to give the Deputy as much information as I can regarding that figure. I am not fully sure where she is getting that figure of 53,000. I did not hear it.”
“I cannot give the Deputy that breakdown immediately but I will try to get it to her. I think she is just looking for a breakdown. It is hard to know because many people, who are not currently in receipt of carer’s allowance and never submitted an application because they did not qualify, will now apply. As I said, expanding the threshold to include couples with an income of €104,000 means there will be a lot of people, who never engaged with my Department before, engaging with it for the first time. We will give the Deputy an estimate of the number we expect to come from that. We will also be able to give the Deputy an estimate towards the end of this year as to how many extra people have come in as a consequence of the changes introduced in July 2025.”
“We will consistently publish data on take-up in quarterly statistical releases. As in previous years, when there has been an increase to the disregard, if people are on a reduced rate of carer's allowance due to their means, they are due an increase in their weekly payment. Their rate of payment will be automatically increased. The change of the disregard will come into effect in July 2026. This gives my Department ample time to raise awareness of the changes and give the kind of detail ahead of the changes the Deputy is looking for.”
“Even those with an income of €138,000 will gain a partial payment. There have been a number of changes to the scheme in recent years that have resulted in significant growth. The number of carers on the scheme has increased by 65% in the past ten years and the expenditure on the scheme has doubled to over €1.2 billion. The scheme is demand-led and it is also likely that many people who are currently outside the means threshold may not have previously applied for the carer’s allowance. On that basis, it is difficult to estimate potential inflow from this measure. I assure Deputy O’Reilly and other Deputies that the number of payments being made under the scheme is not budget capped. We are looking at a range of figures, including census figures and other declarations as to who is a carer, to monitor the potential inflow into the scheme.”
“The programme for Government, as the Deputy knows, commits to increasing the carer’s allowance disregard, with a view to phasing it out over the lifetime of the Government, which is another four years. Removing the means test is a significant shift in policy direction and, therefore, this is a prudent and sustainable approach for us to take. I announced further improvements in budget 2026 to the carer’s allowance means test. They will be introduced in July 2026. For carers who work, the weekly income disregard will increase by 60% from €625 to €1,000 for a single person and from €1,250 to €2,000 for carers who are part of couple. This means, for example, that a carer in a two-adult household with an income of approximately €110,000 will still retain their full carer’s payment.”
“We will work with other Departments on energy efficiency awareness, investing in the energy efficiency of housing stock and giving people a chance to do that, as well as expanding the warmer home scheme so that we can reduce long-term fuel expenditure. I have asked for an update on any control measures around fuel allowance. I am surprised at the issue raised but I will engage with the Deputy on it.”
“I will certainly engage with the Deputy in that regard. We also have a commitment in the programme for Government to examine key benefits such as the fuel allowance, households benefits and the living alone allowance. That is an ongoing activity to make sure they are as relevant and targeted as possible. The household benefits package is specifically targeted at older people. It is paid at a rate of €35 per month for 12 months of the year. I wish to ensure it is as effective as possible and people get the benefit of it. We are also looking at how much in carbon tax revenues we can use to fund and expand measures such as this. In expanding them, however, I want to keep them targeted and focused on those who need it the most.”
“The changes we have made in this budget will be permanent; they do not comprise a year-to-year measure, so people will be able to plan in relation to that. If there is a specific issue, I will certainly discuss the case. We do not want anybody to be cold or without fuel as a consequence of somebody in receipt of social protection coming back into their household.”
“I will be raising the issue the Deputy raised last night. I do not believe there is any targeting of any group. There will always be controlled measures, but I do not believe there is any specific targeting. Once again, I point out that in relation to any particular case, additional supports are available, particularly where there is an illness or disability. We have extended fuel allowance eligibility to working family payment recipients, and that is a big change. Over 50,000 families will now become eligible for fuel loans who currently are not. We have a commitment within the programme for Government to enhance supports for lone parents. Two thirds of the recipients of the working family payment are in single adult households. I am constantly focusing on the rate of the fuel allowance and seeking to ensure it is relevant.”
“Once again, it is targeted at people on low incomes who are working, to support them. If there are specific cases that do not meet the criteria – I see the Deputy nodding – I will be more than happy to discuss them.”
“In practice, it would not be feasible to distinguish between households where adult children have moved back home and households where other adults have always lived. I understand exceptional needs will arise, and this is the reason we provide additional needs payments as part of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. Anyone who considers they may have an entitlement to an additional needs payment is encouraged to contact their local community welfare services. Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, a special heating supplement may in certain circumstances be paid to assist people who have special heating needs, such as in cases of ill health, infirmity or a medical condition. We have extended fuel allowance eligibility to working family payment recipients this year, and it is to be paid in March and backdated to January.”
“I thank the Deputy. The criteria for the fuel allowance are framed in order to direct the limited resources that are available to my Department in as targeted a manner as possible. To qualify for the fuel allowance payment, a person must satisfy all of the qualifying criteria, including a household composition test. This ensures that the payment is targeted at those who are more vulnerable to fuel poverty, including those reliant on social protection payments for longer periods and who are unlikely to have additional resources of their own. Disregarding an adult household member who is not reliant on a long-term social protection payment and who is in employment would change the targeted nature of the scheme.”
“This is not a silver bullet. I want to be very clear that My Future Fund is not going to be the answer to everybody’s problems, but it is happening on 1 January.”
“All employers have had seven years to get ready for and get used to this. We listened to their feedback on stepping the contributions and not introducing big contributions from the beginning. I confirm that in the Department of Social Protection, the Estimates in respect of payments to the organisations do include costs for, say, community employment and Tús where they arise. We have engaged at senior official level and with the Secretaries General of other Departments advising them that automatic enrolment was coming in on 1 January and that they needed to ensure provision. I cannot account for every other Department, but, on the back of this discussion, I will be reminding all my colleagues this afternoon that this is happening. It is a huge event for 750,000 to 800,000 workers who currently have no pension provision.”
“It has been engaging with its members across the country to get ready for it. I want to make it very clear that this is not an opt-in for employers, regardless of who they are. If there is an employee who fulfils the criteria and who is not linked through payroll to a pension at the moment, he or she will be covered.”
“The position is that automatic enrolment is a legal requirement. Therefore, the employers will have to give access to My Future Fund to employees aged between 23 and 60 and earning over €20,000 who do not have an existing payroll-connected pension. We have made it very clear in the Department that this is happening. The point has been made at official level, including to the Department of public expenditure, that this is happening on 1 January and that people need to make provision. We have also made the point to all employers across the State. We have worked closely with groups such as ICTU in relation to this. I attended a really good seminar with ICTU a few weeks ago, on 23 October. ICTU is fully behind this and is very aware of it. In fact, it was very frustrated that we did not introduce this in September.”
“For community and voluntary groups and employers generally, this approach gives clear certainty on the rates that will be applicable so as to facilitate the gradual absorption of labour costs. My Department has been very proactive throughout this year - and indeed previously - in advising other Departments, including the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, about this issue. I will be taking the opportunity again to remind my Cabinet colleagues in coming days. Automatic enrolment is starting on 1 January and no worker should be disadvantaged as a consequence.”
“It is worth mentioning that, in response to feedback from that consultation, the design of the auto-enrolment system provides for phasing in of contribution rates over a decade. Employees will be required to make initial contributions of 1.5% of gross earnings, rising by 1.5% every three years until they reach a maximum contribution rate of 6% in year ten. These contributions will be matched on a one-for-one basis and on the same timeline by employer contributions and topped up by the State at a rate of €1 for every €3 contributed by the employee. That phased approach has arisen as a consequence of the consultations the Department has undertaken in the design of the system.”
“Gabhaim buíochas as an gceist. The auto-enrolment savings system, known as My Future Fund, will commence on 1 January 2026. My Department has had extensive engagement with employers, including those in the community and voluntary sector, and with Government Departments, since the release of the automatic enrolment strawman public consultation in 2018. Its impending implementation has been well flagged to all those groups since the enactment of the auto-enrolment Act in 2024 and extensively throughout this year. Therefore, employers have been given a substantial lead-in period to budget appropriately for its introduction, including through budget negotiation with sponsors where appropriate.”
“I once again emphasise that I can make any officials available - and I commend Deputy O'Reilly, who has taken up this offer on several occasions - to brief on automatic enrolment. It is a major step change, but the officials in my Department have been more than generous with their time and expertise. I encourage every party to follow Deputy O'Reilly's proactivity in this space. We will brief them. They might not like the answers but we will absolutely give them the information. I commend the Bill to the House.”
“It is a year. If it were a month, that would be gross earnings of €20,000 to €80,000 a month, so I presume he is talking about annual contributions. That €300 becomes €700 for the participant after the employer and the State contribution. That is put aside for their future. Deputy Stanley spoke of the exclusion of people earning under €20,000 from AE and the exclusion of part-time workers. It is possible for those workers to opt in. The reason they were not being automatically enrolled is affordability. If they have a number of part-time jobs that reach the threshold, they can choose to be enrolled. I thank all the Deputies. We will have Committee Stage next week and we will have further engagement.”
“I am not sure whether it was a mistake on Deputy Hayes's part but he mentioned that an employee could be down €300 to €1,200 a month after being enrolled in My Future Fund. I do not think so.”
“Your €3 becomes €7 regardless of your age. I once again emphasise the point that the contributory pension and the non-contributory pension remain as the bedrock of our State pension system. For somebody who is on the average industrial wage, which is around €46,000 at the moment, when you drop to €16,000, it is a huge drop for the 750,000 to 800,000 people who have no other plans in place. Auto-enrolment will not make up the entire gap; it will make up a significant gap and make a big difference. In terms of the assessments of AE, we have published a macro and a microeconomic assessment, the SME test around automatic enrolment and the poverty test around automatic enrolment.”
“It is not just for the community and voluntary groups; it is for businesses small and large. We stacked the contributions deliberately to assist people, not just savers but also businesses, in stepping it up such that it is a phased in approach and they can prepare further contributions. We will continue on the basis of this evening's debate to remind my colleagues in the Government - I will do so formally again - of the fact that we will start this on 1 January and that they should make provision for it and should make information available. In relation to Deputy O'Donoghue's point about older people in automatic enrolment, the system has been designed to be simple and for people to understand it. Every €3 a person puts in, the employer puts in another €3 and the State tops up by €1, so that €3 becomes €7. It is a significant carrot.”
“In relation to the funding for community and voluntary groups, my Department has been quite proactive in advising other Departments, including the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, about this issue throughout 2025 and about all the money that is necessary. We have also engaged with employers and have had extensive engagement across the system in relation to automatic enrolment since our straw man public consultation in 2018. We have made every effort over recent years to ensure that people knew that this was due to be enacted. It was due to be enacted from September of this year, and there was quite a lot of coverage earlier this year when we extended it to January. There has therefore been a substantial lead-in period.”
“Second, we wanted a dedicated expert function through NAERSA to manage AE and to give confidence to people whose future is dependent on the success of it. NAERSA is making the independent choices in that regard. The NTMA also reports to different Departments. In terms of efficiency, it is important that NAERSA reports to my Department. The NTMA invests State money in the international stock market. It uses commercial investment managers from private industry to do that, which is what NAERSA will do with people's retirement savings. I welcome Deputy Hayes's acknowledgement of the increased supervision within the Bill.”
“With the greatest of respect, while Deputies come in and say they know nothing about it, there have been many opportunities to discuss it and to share the information. In particular, since I have come into office, I have provided briefings, audiovisual room hearings and updates on it. As regards the specific areas, Deputy O'Reilly raised the issue in relation to the NTMA. There are a number of reasons the NTMA is not the best institution to manage retirement savings funds through the automatic enrolment system. First, the NTMA manages State money. It does not, in our opinion, have the systems, the knowledge or the processes to manage up to 750,000 individual savings. This is a key part of auto-enrolment. It is not State money; it is the money of everybody who has enrolled. That is one thing. The NTMA does not have the skills to do that.”
“Deputy Healy spoke of the cliff edge for people with disabilities who lose secondary benefits, as did Deputy Boyd Barrett. It is good to have the latter back in the Chamber and to see him in fighting form. In budget 2026 we ensured that those with disabilities can retain their fuel allowance payment for five years after taking up work. We have also extended the back-to-work family dividend to people on disability allowance in order that they can keep their child support payment for up to four children for a full year and 50% for the second year. Deputy Stanley raised quite a number of issues around auto-enrolment, which I will move on to now. There has been a lot of debate about auto-enrolment in this House over recent years.”
“From next July, a household on an income of €104,000 will be able to claim a full social welfare payment for carer's allowance. That is the first time that level of income can qualify for a social welfare payment. We will closely monitor the inflows arising because many people may make a decision now to seek carer's allowance. I may have a chance to discuss this again in the morning and in committee in detail next week on Committee Stage. I have dealt with child poverty. To respond to Deputy Hayes, the ESRI in its post-budget analysis stated that there will be a decrease in the rate of child poverty as a consequence of the budget measures, in particular the child support payment. That will not come through for another two years in terms of the figures being measured, but I think it pretty much will show that.”
“We have set up within our Department a strategic, focused network on the cost of disability and have begun our engagements with the disability groups as to what a cost-of-disability payment might look like, who should get it and the various issues that need to go into it. I have asked my officials to have that work completed ahead of next year's budget. It is complex and there is a lot of work involved in it, but I am confident that I will be in a position to bring a proposal to the Government ahead of next year's budget. Deputy O'Reilly and, I think, virtually every other Deputy raised the carer's allowance. The full cost of abolishing the means test for the carer's allowance is €600 million. We will deliver that over the lifetime of this Government.”
“We are having that impact. We are also looking at a pay-related approach in a number of other areas. The increases in PRSI that are contained in the PRSI roadmap are to address the future sustainability of the Social Insurance Fund, as well as pay-related benefit schemes. I remind the House that we are paying up to €450 per week to recipients under this scheme, which is €200 more than jobseekers' payments. I recognise that many Deputies raised the cost of disability. We are committed in the programme for Government to introducing a permanent and annual cost-of-disability support payment. We have started the work on that not only within our Department but through the Taoiseach's Department, the disability programme office and the Cabinet committee on disability.”
“Therefore, there have been very targeted measures on this occasion and they are not one-off. They are permanent, targeted payments that will assist people and families. I will try to deal with some of the issues that were in the remit of the Bill. I will not get to them all. We will have the chance to discuss them at parliamentary questions tomorrow and at committee next week. Deputy O'Reilly and a number of Deputies raised the issue of jobseeker's pay-related benefit. Budget 2026 does not provide for a change in jobseeker's pay-related benefit because it is a new scheme and I needed to go through an annual cycle to see the impact on workers, as the Deputy predicted I would say.”
“A number of Deputies have raised the whole area of child poverty but we have provided the largest ever increases in the rates of child support payments, which are specifically targeted at people on social protection and on the lowest incomes. We have increased the threshold for the working family payment. We have increased the domiciliary care allowance, DCA. I have also applied extra resources to addressing appeals in DCA this year to try to get as quick a response as possible. Among all of the social protection budget measures, the €10 is in excess of this year's inflation rate. I accept that there is grocery inflation and energy inflation and that is why we have done targeted measures in extending the fuel allowance to those on the working family payment and also making changes to the fuel allowance for those people on disability.”
“Gabhaim buíochas le gach Teachta as a gcuid óráidí anocht. Bhí turas suimiúil againn. Ní coimirce sóisialaí amháin a phléamar. Bhí muid ag caint faoi dhroichid, faoi bheithígh agus faoi gach rud. Gabhaim buíochas le gach Teachta a chur suim sa díospóireacht agus a thug am don ábhar tábhachtach seo. Tá sé thar a bheith tábhachtach a rá go bhfuil €28.9 billiún le caitheamh ar chúrsaí coimirce sóisialaí sa chéad bliain eile. We will be spending €28.9 billion in the Department of Social Protection in 2026, which includes €1.15 billion in new measures. That is a record amount and a record investment in families, in communities and in people across the country. I said in opening the debate that we had prioritised resources and concentrated on a number of areas.”
“In commending the Bill to the House, I thank the 7,000 or so people who work across this country in the Department of Social Protection to ensure that the benefits of the Department and its work make a difference to families and communities right across the country. It is my privilege to be their Minister and to introduce my first social welfare Bill.”
“Looking at the final amendment to the automatic enrolment legislation, the current Act provides for offences relating to hindering an employee from participating in the automatic enrolment retirement savings system and that offences relating to the non-payment of contributions be dealt with through a fixed payment notice procedure. The amendment in paragraphs (f) and (g) extends this to include any contravention of the provisions that obligate an employer to provide a notice to an employee of their enrolment in My Future Fund. This amendment reflects that low-level regulatory breaches are best suited to being dealt with under the fixed payment notice procedure. This concludes the amendments in the Bill relating to the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Act. Finally, section 16 is the Short Title of the Act.”
“In practice, investment management providers, like all other businesses, use subcontractors to provide a wide range of services, including, for example, IT, logistics, facilities and security management. The proposed change retains the position that the investment management provider itself shall be a regulated financial services provider within the meaning of the Central Bank Acts. As a safeguard, it also provides that the authority may, at its discretion, require that some selected subcontractors would likewise be regulated.”
“The automatic enrolment legislation further requires that the employer notify their employee that they have been enrolled. However, it currently does not specify a time period for this notice to be provided. This amendment sets out a requirement of providing notice to the employee within 14 days from the receipt of the determination of enrolment given to the employer. Paragraph (d) mirrors this previous amendment, in terms of assigning an enrolment date and the employer notification, for employees who opt in to the automatic enrolment retirement savings system. Paragraph (e) amends the requirement that all subcontractors of investment management providers be a regulated financial services provider.”
“Paragraph (a) restores the original policy intent to provide for six months from the establishment date of the National Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Authority for the development of the statement of strategy. Similarly, paragraph (b) provides for the reporting period for the Pensions Authority's first supervisory report to cover the period from 14 October 2025 to 31 December 2026. The amendment in paragraph (c) grants the National Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Authority a provision for operational flexibility in assigning an automatic enrolment retirement savings date using Revenue payroll data. This provision is limited, giving flexibility of no more than 31 days. The amendment is necessary, particularly at calendar year-end periods, when some employers bring January payroll runs forward to mid-December.”
“A further €23.7 million in funding is being provided for the administration of the National Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Authority. My Future Fund has been discussed and planned for many years but is now happening and starts in January, just seven weeks away. Given the tight timeline for the commencement of My Future Fund, some technical amendments have been included in the social welfare budget Bill, in section 15. These amendments have no material impact on the provisions of the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Act, which was passed by the Oireachtas in 2024, or the policy intent that underlines the Act. I will go through the amendments now for the benefit of the House. In section 15(1), paragraphs (a) and (b) relate to the change in implementation timelines out to January 2026.”
“As the House will be aware, the forthcoming introduction of My Future Fund will take place from January. This is a transformative scheme that will improve the lives of many people by helping them to save now and build up a retirement pot that will give them security in retirement. Put simply, for every €3 a worker saves, the employer will be required to add another €3 and the State will also provide a top-up, so that every €3 saved by a worker turns into €7. That €7 will be invested on behalf of the worker, so the worker will benefit not just from the employer and State top-ups but from investment returns. Budget 2026 commits some €154 million to fund State top-up contributions for the automatic enrolment retirement savings system next year.”
“This section also provides for the largest ever increases to the child support payment, as well as proportional increases for qualified adults. Section 12 provides for €10 increases in social assistance, in other words, means-tested payments, with proportional increases for qualified adults. It also provides for the budget increases to the child support payment. Domiciliary care allowance is a payment in recognition of the additional costs involved in caring for children with a severe disability. It is not means tested. Section 13 provides for an increase in the rate of payment from €360 to €380 a month. Section 14 is a technical amendment, correcting the reference to a section in the Taxes Consolidation Act, following an amendment in the Finance Bill. This concludes the social welfare and budget measures in the Bill.”
“It extends the period of time that a person may qualify for the payment from one month to three months. The working family payment provides extra financial support to working families on low pay who have children. Section 9 provides for a €60 increase in the weekly income thresholds of working family payment for all family sizes. This will mean that existing recipients whose employment earnings do not increase will see their payments rise by €36 per week. Section 10 extends the back-to-work family dividend to recipients of the blind pension and the disability allowance. Section 11 and Schedule 1 provide for increases in the rates of social insurance payments. There will be a €10 per week increase in the maximum personal rate of the PRSI-based benefits set out in the Schedule.”
“This measure comes into effect in January and will save employers some €645 annually on employer PRSI for each of their employees working full-time on the minimum wage. Section 3 provides for a €10 increase in the weekly rate of maternity benefit to €299 from January coming. Sections 4, 5 and 6 provide for the equivalent increases in relation to adoptive benefit, paternity benefit and parent's benefit, respectively. Section 7 is to give effect to the increases in the graduated rates of jobseeker’s benefit and jobseeker’s benefit for the self-employed. Section 8 is an administrative amendment in relation to the newborn baby grant, which is a once-off €280 payment for newborn or adopted children given in addition to the first month of a child benefit payment.”
“I will now discuss the Bill section by section. Section 1 provides for definitions of the relevant Acts. Looking at section 2, the weekly earnings of an employee determine the PRSI rate an employer pays on behalf of that employee. Currently, employer PRSI is charged at a rate of 9.0% on weekly earnings between €38 and €527. When weekly earnings are in excess of €527 the employer PRSI at the higher rate of 11.25% applies. The earnings threshold increase from €527 to €552 in section 2 takes account of the forthcoming increase in the minimum wage from €13.50 to €14.15 per hour. Employers with employees on the national minimum wage will, therefore, continue to attract the lower rate of employer PRSI.”
“Programmes such as community employment, Tús, and the rural social scheme are hugely important, not only in giving people a sense of purpose and a direction forward but in helping to sustain communities. Key supports such as meals on wheels, Tidy Towns and many others would simply not exist without these schemes. In budget 2026, I have secured an increase to the additional payment, or the top-up, offered to people on welfare who participate on a CE, Tús or RSS scheme to €32.50 for 19.5 hours per week. I am also pleased to increase the value of the materials cost grant by up to €1,000 for each community employment sponsor. The back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance is being extended to two- and three-year olds. In addition, the Christmas bonus to be paid in the week commencing 1 December will be paid on the same basis as last year.”
“That means that a person who is caring in a household where their partner might earn up to €108,000 per annum will receive a full carer's payment. These are the largest ever increases in the carer’s income disregards and they are evidence of the Government's determination to deliver on its commitment to eliminate the means test over the life of the Government. As Minister for Social Protection with a dual brief covering the Department of Rural and Community Development agus An Ghaeltacht, I am very much aware of the power of schemes that are operated by the Department of Social Protection that have a dual mandate. These schemes help those on welfare by helping them to help their communities.”