Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 12 September 2018

Committee on Budgetary Oversight

Gender Impact of Irish Budgetary Policy: ESRI

2:00 pm

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I have raised this previously with different representatives from the ESRI. It is a big difficulty for them. Dr. Keane went through some of the items that are included in the income of somebody on social welfare. Will she outline what is excluded under the SWITCH model? The model can only take into account certain kinds of income where there are outgoings.

The illustration on carers was probably provided for simplicity. However, depending on the household, a person in receipt of the weekly full-time carer's allowance payment of €214 will usually also receive a fuel allowance, part of a child dependant allowance and what most people still call the respite payment, which is paid biannually if carers want to receive it that way. Does the ESRI apply that to everything? Are all pre-tax earnings of somebody who is working, which would include overtime, bonuses, etc., included? In the model provided, that is the main payment. However, there are significant other payments. That may be a problem with the model. It should be stated that not everything is included.

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