Dara Calleary

I thank Deputy McAuliffe for his question and his ongoing work on this. As a result of that work, there have been significant improvements in the fuel allowance scheme, particularly in relation to the income thresholds for those who are 66 and over. In January 2023, in order to allow more pensioner households qualify for the fuel allowance, a new fuel allowance payment was introduced for those ag…

I thank the Deputy for that example. Those are the anomalies I am looking at in the context of my previous discussion with Deputy Hayes. We are also looking at the living alone allowance. A person living on their own does not necessarily have half the costs. It is a rather arbitrary figure. In particular, it is especially challenging for somebody who goes through the trauma of losing a spouse or p…

I will work with the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, on that. The living alone allowance is also available for people in that situation and it is €1,144 a year. The weekly rate for the living alone allowance is higher than the 28 weeks of the fuel allowance payment. I will say it to everybody about the household benefits package. There are many people who qualify for the households benefits package who …

I thank Deputy McAuliffe. The annual carers’ forum was held on 7 May this year and I was delighted to attend and speak at the forum. The carers' forum is an important platform within the Department of Social Protection and allows family carers to engage directly with my Department and officials from other Departments to discuss important issues and carers' invaluable role in Irish society. I thank…

I thank the Deputy. As I reiterated to Deputy Healy, in the Family Carers Ireland State of Caring in Ireland report, it estimated that 68% of families can now access a carer's payment. We have made a very strong commitment in terms of abolishing the means test for the carer's payment during the lifetime of the Government which, as I remind people, is due to go until 2029. There are many other area…

There continues to be anomalies. I am due to receive a report into means testing generally across all of our Department's schemes in the coming weeks and we will be considering that. We obviously have to have means tests in many cases. We have made a commitment in relation to carers, but the kind of situation the Deputy has just described, where the caring spouse of somebody who works hard has to …

I commend the Minister of State, Deputy Ardagh, on her appointment and wish her every success in her new role. It is acknowledged, as we have done this morning, that those who live alone and are dependent on certain payments from my Department face a higher cost of living than a two-person household. It is for this reason that the living alone increase is available to those in receipt of qualifyi…

I was wondering there, Deputy. I want to focus this year on targeted interventions to address those particular cohorts of people who are most at risk of falling into poverty. I want a situation where we can iron out rules within the systems that may be doing that inadvertently and may be driving people in that direction. As I said earlier, there is the situation of somebody who loses their spouse…

The programme for Government contained a commitment to introduce the automatic enrolment, AE, retirement savings system. The aim of introducing AE is to address the pension coverage gap that exists in Ireland and to provide workers with greater comfort and security regarding their retirement income. MyFutureFund was commenced on 1 January 2026. All elements of the system are operating as planned. …

It has been very successful so far. A Revenue analysis shows that 835,000 workers have been automatically enrolled. Over 9,000 have joined the scheme voluntarily and 112,750 employers are involved. Contributions thus far total €323 million. As I have said, the National Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Authority is running a campaign outlining the benefits of MyFutureFund. That will continue …

As I have said, the benefits are very much there. Somebody at the age of 23 may feel they are a long way from the age of 66. Looking around the room, I do not see anybody in that space. I assure the Members I am talking about the age of 66. However, it does happen. You get there very quickly and you do not notice it. We genuinely do have a major gap in pension coverage in this country. It is fine …

I thank Deputy McGuinness for raising this matter. Supporting disabled people and reducing the disability employment gap are key priorities for me. The wage subsidy scheme is the key disability employment support provided by my Department. It aims to encourage employers to offer substantial and sustainable employment to disabled people through a subsidy. In 2024, the Department published a review…

I completely agree with the Deputy. Last year, we ran an overall information campaign about the wage subsidy scheme. This involved normal advertising. It led to a very small increase. We met on this issue this week. I intend to target chambers of commerce, which have a very direct connection to local businesses. Many national businesses support and use the programme. I want to see more local busin…

Again, I do not disagree. We have a designated employment personal adviser in the 62 Intreo offices nationwide for disabled people to meet and discuss employment options. I have changed the work and access scheme. The work and access scheme offers seven different supports to facilitate those with disabilities in the workforce. I changed it to include assistive technology, which is a new thing. In …

I thank the Deputy for his question. The programme for Government contains a commitment to continue to significantly increase the income disregard for carer's allowance across a series of budgets with a view of phasing out the means test over the lifetime of the Government. Budget 2026 has increased the earnings disregard for carer's allowance to €1,000 for a single person and €2,000 for a couple…

To be clear, the medical card means test is a matter for the Department of Health and the HSE. It is not a matter for the Department of Social Protection. Our commitment in relation to carers is increasing the income disregard with a view to phasing out the means test for carers between now and 2029 - the lifetime of the Government. There is the carer's support grant and increasing the weekly rate…

I reiterate to the Deputy that we will engage with the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. We are looking at all of our schemes to see what is stopping people from applying. At the start of the session this morning, Deputy O'Reilly raised other points in that space. I am open to feedback in relation to that. As we go to a situation where somebody on €108,000 can still access the full carer's paymen…

Matters relating to foster care are the responsibility of my colleague the Minister, Deputy Foley. However, the Government acknowledges the very important role of all carers, including foster carers. We remain fully committed to supporting them. Once the minimum requirement of ten years' paid contributions is met, the State contributory pension system provides a range of measures to recognise car…

I agree; an extraordinary service is provided. It gives stability and changes outcomes which would otherwise be very different. Tusla manages the foster parent-foster carer system. It pays the foster carer allowance which is €400 per week for per child under 12 and €425 per child 12 or over. That is to offset expenses. Accordingly, it does not affect tax. It is not assessed as a means for social a…

We made changes last year in relation to the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance. Where we can, we will continue to do that. From the perspective of the children fortunate enough to receive foster care, it is a changer for them. Many have gone through multiples of carers and generations so it is an area I am looking at. I am also looking at the area of kinship. Along with Deputy McGree…

The programme for Government contains a commitment to protect core welfare rates while ensuring that available resources are targeted at vulnerable groups. It also includes a commitment to examine key ancillary benefits, including the fuel allowance, household benefits package and living alone allowance to support vulnerable groups. This is an ongoing activity as part of the Department's budget pl…

Absolutely. We will be looking at those targeted supports. This year, we have increased the fuel allowance rate by €5 per week and extended the season by four weeks. Most importantly, we sponsored the working family payment in order that those on low incomes can access the fuel allowance payment. We ensured that we backdated this to 1 January. That is the kind of area I want to look at in the cont…

The incidences the Deputy cites relate to an area I am very focused on and concerned about, namely where a person loses their partner and then faces a massive and sudden drop in income while the bills remain the same. We will be looking at all of our schemes in that context. This year, we have taken action to increase the fuel allowance and expand the scheme. On foot of the war in Iran, we expande…

I am not in position to discuss in detail any measures that will be in budget 2027. Work is under way in relation to that, and the details have to be discussed within Government. However, we have made it clear that we recognise that there are significant additional costs which disabled people face in their daily lives. We are committed to addressing this as a priority over the term of this Governm…

I will absolutely be bringing it to Government. I still hope to do so if not by the end of June then very early in July. That is a consequence of 1,100 people who participated, including three of the four political parties represented in the House at the moment. I cannot recall receiving a submission from the Deputy's party in relation to how it might work or with regard to making the tough choice…