Dara Calleary

There is no such implication.

The Government is committed to protecting vulnerable households from the impact of energy costs through a combination of financial supports, energy efficiency, awareness initiatives and investment in programmes to improve the energy efficiency of the housing stock. The overall strategy to combat fuel poverty and energy poverty is under the remit of the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environ…

We are very focused on energy poverty. That is why the fuel allowance increase is 15%, which supports over 460,000 households that require most support with energy costs. This is the first year the fuel allowance has been expanded to working families. Those on the working family payment will get a back payment in March of their fuel allowance backdated to 1 January. That will bring an additional 5…

The increase in the fuel allowance is 15%. That is a permanent increase; it will not be from year to year. We expanded fuel allowance to the 50,000 families who are on the working family payment. Again, that is a permanent increase and a fundamental change to the fuel allowance payment. We are absolutely focused on energy poverty. We are working with the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, to address the i…

The Department of Social Protection provides a range of income support payments for disabled people. There are currently 231,000 recipients of disability income support payments, with an estimated expenditure of €3.24 billion in 2025. The Government recognises the many additional costs that disabled people face in their daily lives; I agree with the Deputy on that issue. We are committed to impro…

I agree about the complexity of the costs facing people with disabilities. We are anxious to capture all those to make this a permanent cost, and one that reflects what they want in it. We will engage with all of the organisations, including the Disability Federation of Ireland, about that. In budget 2026 we have already taken measures, including a €10 increase in the weekly rate of payment, which…

Every day is a school day. We appreciate the pressures that every family is under. That is why we introduced permanent increases in budget 2026, which took effect from 1 January. The €10 increase in the weekly rate of payment brings to €51 the increase in the weekly disability income support payment since budget 2021. There are the highest ever increases in child support payment and a €20 per mont…

As the Deputy knows, we introduced the automatic enrolment system from 1 January. The aim of introducing auto-enrolment is to address the pension coverage gap that exists in Ireland and 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. More than 763,000…

Obviously, I do not want any CEO to be in that position. We will continue to engage with the Departments. I have the up-to-date figures. As of 12 January, 94,062 employers were registered and 700,256 employees were registered. The total amount collected to date since 1 January is €14.47 million. The contact centre, which has been open since 1 December, has taken 4,620 calls and 3,748 online chats.…

We want to continue that engagement. In relation to Tata Consultancy Services, TCS, I have done more research since the Deputy and I last engaged on this. TCS is not included on any UN or EU database of companies that are involved in specific activities related to Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. Specifically, the UN, pursuant to Resolutions 31/36 and 53/25, produces a …

I thank Deputy Ardagh for the question. I will address the general issue first. My Department is committed to supporting disabled people into employment and offers a range of employment supports to achieve this. My Department's Intreo service is a single point of contact for all employment supports in the State. Disabled people can make an appointment to meet with a designated disability employmen…

I will engage with the Minister, Deputy Naughton, in relation to Scoil Eoin and its designation. We want to continue to raise the profile of people with intellectual disabilities in employment throughout 2026. During the course of the year, we will have a specific range of training and work events for employers, offering opportunities for those with disabilities. I say again to all employers that …

I will do that. In relation to the wage subsidy scheme, as of the end of November 2025, we had 1,550 employers and 2,615 employees availing of the scheme. On the work and access scheme, we had paid 221 grants to the end of November 2025. On WorkAbility, we have supported 4,585 people since 2024. I join the Deputy in paying tribute to the Oireachtas, in particular to former Ceann Comhairle, Deputy …

As the Deputy knows, the wage subsidy scheme is a key disability employment support. It aims to encourage employers to offer substantial and sustainable employment to disabled people through a subsidy. In December 2025, 1,551 employers were availing of the wage subsidy scheme and 2,626 employees were supported through the scheme. Budget 2026 provided for the scheme to be expanded to those who acq…

I thank the Deputy. We will certainly work across the House in relation to this area of furthering employment opportunities for those with disabilities. As we discussed earlier, WorkAbility is working on 57 local, regional and national projects right across the country. We have also work in access, which is one of the changes we announced alongside the changes to the wage subsidy scheme. This offe…

Just to come back to Deputy Murphy's point first, we will keep it under review. In 2024, the hours were reduced from 21 to 15, which is quite a substantial reduction. It is important that we also keep an eye on the main aim of the scheme which is to provide substantial and meaningful work and I think we need to keep that in mind as well. In relation to Deputy Hayes's point, we very focused on add…

We are close to the EU average, but it is nowhere near where I want them to be and I am determined to make a change there.

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 b…

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 …

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 cos…

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% …

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 assistan…

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 i…

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 …

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 regardi…