The main income supports provided by the Department to carers are the carer's allowance, carer's benefit, domiciliary care allowance and the carer's support grant. Spending on those payments in 2026 is expected to be over €2.2 billion. In general, people who are eligible for two social welfare payments at the same time receive the higher payment for which they are eligible; they do not receive both payments simultaneously. For instance, a jobseeker who falls ill does not receive both a jobseeker payment and an illn…

We absolutely agree with the Deputy on the role of carers and the role of family carers. That is why we have made changes and made such commitments in terms of the means test. It is also why the exception in relation to the half-rate of carer's allowance is made. Those in receipt of the half-rate are the only cohort for whom that exception is made. We have a programme for Government commitment to better support parents aged 66 or over who are caring for children with lifelong disabilities, and I will advance that c…

There are supports. There are additional supports as well. It is important that everybody is aware of them in order that they do not miss them. We know that the carer's support grant increased to €2,000 last June. I refer to those who are getting carer's allowance at both the full rate and the half-rate and other full-time carers. The household benefits package is available to help to meet the costs of electricity, gas and the TV licence. It is available to carers under the age of 70 who are getting carer's allowan…

We are fully aware, as a Government, of the challenges facing individuals and families. We have consistently ensured that core social welfare rates have increased at or above the rate of inflation. For example, as I said earlier, core rates increased by about 20% over the period between 2021 and 2025, which is more than the rate of inflation of 18.5% over the same period, and the increase of 4.1% on most payments announced in the October budget exceeds the increase in consumer prices reported by the CSO of 3.2% ove…

In relation to rent, the Department of Social Protection rent supplement as it exists today is seen as a short-term support paid to families and individuals as an initial payment where they first encounter difficulties in meeting rent costs. Longer-term support is given through the housing assistance payment. The rent limits applied on rent supplement are aligned with those on the housing assistance payment. Expenditure for rent supplement paid by the Department of Social Protection in 2025 is provisionally estimat…

That is why we have delivered. Deputy O'Reilly has raised child poverty in particular. I have mentioned and reiterate the record increases in the child support payment, which goes to those on the lowest incomes. There is €1.15 billion in new measures for 2026 in the Department. The child support payment, to reiterate, increased by €16 per week to €78 for children aged 12, which is a 26% increase in the child support payment, and increased by €8 to €58 for children under 12, which is a 16% increase. The total annual…

I have given Deputy O'Reilly the answer. I have given her the increases that we have made in payments this year. There is a €28.9 billion investment in social welfare, €1.15 billion in new measures, and €320 million to reduce child poverty. As I said, there are record increases in the child support payment. These increases are well in excess of inflation, particularly for children over the age of 12. Once again, I reiterate that there is a €16 per week increase to €78, which is 26%, and a weekly increase of €8 for …

I thank Deputy Moynihan for raising this issue. As he knows, we made a commitment to introduce an automatic enrolment retirement savings system. The aim of introducing automatic enrolment is to address the pension coverage gap that exists in Ireland and, in particular, to provide workers with access to a quality assured retirement savings scheme, thereby giving greater comfort and security regarding their retirement income. My Future Fund commenced on 1 January 2026. More than 763,000 employees who were not activel…

At this point, we have 94,062 employers registered, with 700,256 employees registered. There is a gap between 700,256 and 763,000 and we are working to address that by engaging in further information campaigns with employers. The call centre dealing with this has been open since 1 January. It has taken 4,620 calls and 3,748 online chats. Of those queries, 57% have been from employers, 21% from participants and 15% from agents. The numbers are continuing to climb every day. At this point, I think a 92% response from…

In relation to the breakdown of employers and employees registered, we will certainly provide those figures when we get through this period of bedding in and NAERSA will be in a position to provide them. I do not think we can just divide the number of employees by employers in terms of saying it is seven. Multiple types of employment and employers are registered.

I will go back and get some detail for Deputy Moynihan regarding his specific queries as well. I also encourage every Deputy in regard to this matter. We have the My Future Fund portal up and running and quite a number of scenarios are outlined in it in relation to people's questions. I will revert to the Deputy in relation to his specific queries.

I thank the Deputy for the question. Rent supplement, as it currently exists, is a short-term support paid to families and individuals as an initial payment when they encounter difficulties in meeting rent costs, for example, on loss of employment when they apply for a jobseeker's payment. As we discussed earlier with Deputy O'Reilly, where longer term support is required, the person transitions onto the housing assistance payment, HAP. The rent limits applied on rent supplement are aligned with those on HAP. Expen…

It is €52.2 million for rent supplement and €570 million for HAP. The issue of a review of the rent limits is a matter in which my colleague, the Minister for housing, is taking the lead. I understand the Minister has approved the commencement of a review of HAP rent limits. Officials from my Department will provide input to this review. Any changes to the rent supplement limits will then be aligned to the outcome of the housing assistance payment review. It is important to note, however, that there is flexibility …

That figure is 5,706 for active recipients. I apologise because I meant to give the Deputy that figure, too. I work with the Department of Housing on reviewing the limits and ensuring that our rent supplements are aligned. I am conscious and aware that they have not been reviewed in some time and I am absolutely determined to make sure we work with them. If there are delays or blockages in cases, then I ask the Deputy to bring them to my attention and we will look at ensuring that those delays are not adding to peo…

I am not going to comment on an individual case, but I will certainly revert to the Deputy. In relation to exceptional needs generally, the matter has been raised by the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach and Deputy O'Reilly in the committee. I plan on organising a session with the community welfare team to go through everything to get feedback. We will be doing that in the audiovisual room at some stage in February. The Deputy's example is the kind of anomaly I want hear about. Explanations might also be given as to why they…

We will be doing it in February. It is an issue that keeps coming back. We want to try to get feedback from every Deputy and Senator in relation to that. We will do that at some stage in February. I will let every Deputy know.

The Department of Social Protection provides a range of income support payments for disabled people. There are approximately 231,000 recipients of disability income support payments, amounting to an estimated expenditure of €3.24 billion in 2025. The Government recognises the significant additional costs that disabled people face in their daily lives and is committed to improving outcomes for disabled people by introducing permanent measures. That is why the programme for Government includes a range of commitments …

We are currently providing 231,000 people across the country with a disability income support payment, with an expenditure of €3.24 billion in 2025. There are a number of significant measures in budget 2026. We have included a €10 increase in the weekly rate of payment, which would bring the personal rate of payment to €254 per week from this month. That is a €51 increase to weekly income support payments since budget 2021. There have been the highest ever increases in the child support payment, with an increase of…

I thank both Deputies. I am certainly aware of the pressures that people with disabilities are under. Nobody has an exclusive right in relation to that understanding. That is why we want a permanent payment, one that is shared and the design of which is agreed by those with disabilities and their advocates. That is why we are engaging in this process already ahead of budget 2027. Within my Department, I have made it very clear that this is my priority for budget 2027. We have increased payments this year ahead of i…

I thank the Deputy for her question. In budget 2026, we have provided for a substantial package of €28.9 billion of social protection measures with €1.15 billion of new social protection measures. This contained significant targeted measures to support people with disabilities, including a €10 increase in the weekly rate of payment bringing the personal rates of payment to €254 per week from January and the highest ever increases in the child support payment - an increase of €16 to €78 per week for children aged 12…