On prevailing side: this member voted with the winning side in 639 of 646 decisive votes (2 abstentions excluded). Read it as a government-or-opposition indicator rather than a measure of influence — the figure is near 100% for members supporting the government of the day and near 0% for those opposing it.
This is the point of the site: contributions keep the party held on the day, not the one held now.
| Party | Recorded as | Contributions | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| FG | Fine Gael | 2,285 | 2020-03-26 – 2024-10-22 |
Membership spells on record: FG 2011-02-25–2016-03-09 · FG 2016-03-10–2020-01-14 · FG 2020-02-08–2024-11-08
I thank the Deputies for raising those points. A group of current and former Members have brought a High Court action seeking to have class K contributions payable as public officeholders declared unconstitutional. The matter is subject to legal proceedings, so maybe I had better say no more. I do not want to-----
We can always get legal advice, but as far as I am concerned, it was an austerity measure taken during difficult times. It is now a simple question of whether we should reverse that measure.
Yes. The benefits available to the self-employed have been expanded considerably over the years. They get maternity benefit, paternity benefit, parent’s benefit, treatment benefit, the contributory pension, jobseekers’ benefit for the self-employed, the invalidity pension and the partial capacity benefit. They do not get illness benefit. That can be considered, but are people willing to increase their PRSI contributions to get it? They get quite a lot of benefits currently. It would be fair to say that the next Min…
Yes, they will now be able to apply for carer’s benefit, which is-----
It will help some people’s situations. My point remains the same. Deputy Sherlock knows well enough that it is a case of all for one and one for all on this matter.
I thank the Deputy for tabling this amendment. Regarding extending parent’s leave and benefit, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has responsibility for parent’s leave policy and I have responsibility for the associated benefit payment. Parent’s leave and benefit are available to eligible parents within the first two years following the birth or adoption of a child. An extension to parent’s leave and benefit by two weeks to nine weeks per parent was introduced from 1 August 2024.…
That is it.
There is a process.
The Deputy was strong on process last night.
The Deputy knows the process.
I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." While the rate of inflation has eased, prices of everyday items remain high. It is still expensive to do the weekly shop, to fuel your car, pay your bills and make ends meet. That is why this Government put together a budget that supports families and our most vulnerable, and puts money back in people's pockets. I will now turn to the Social Welfare Bill itself, section by section. Section 1 provides for definitions of the relevant Acts. The weekly earnings of an e…
-----to enable these important measures to be implemented.
I am a bit old for that. Deputy McGrath could try it.
Section 16 and Schedule 1 provide for increases in the rates of social insurance payments. I am very pleased to say that there will be a €12 increase per week in the maximum personal rate of PRSI-based benefits. Section 17 and Schedule 2 provide for increases in social assistance or, in other words, means-tested payments. It also provides for increases to qualified adults and other increases where relevant such as, for example the living alone allowance. Domiciliary care allowance is a payment in recognition of the…
They were all working away to make sure that people had the money they needed. I just want to acknowledge that. As I said, through it all, and with the help of this can-do culture of the team, we have stayed the course. I have learned at this stage, of course, that no matter what we do, it is not going to please everybody and there will always be calls to do more. I accept that but we cannot do everything. What we can do is give a helping hand to those who need it the most. When you look at this budget in its total…
There will be a treat when you turn up at the door.
I do not know what tricks you have up your sleeve. There will be some treats.
Bigger budgets.
There is. The Deputy took that out of last year's speech.
I thank all the Deputies who have contributed to the debate. It is fair to say that whether one is a pensioner, a carer, a person with a disability or a working family, the measures in this budget were designed to reach the people who need it most. This year's budget represents the largest social welfare package in the history of the State. Many of the social protection measures announced on budget day do not require primary legislation and therefore, are not reflected in this Bill. This includes the ten lump-sum p…