Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ministers for their presentations. I had an opportunity to listen to part of the contributions and read them.

I would like to ask the Ministers about two areas. The first relates to people who do not qualify for social welfare because they are just over the threshold, such as working people in receipt of ordinary incomes. I understand the Ministers recognise that cohort as being the middle four deciles. They are under increasing pressure every day in terms of household finances. What kind of measures, or range of measures, have the Ministers considered to support this group of people? They are under increasing pressure. Reference has been made to childcare.

I refer in particular to social welfare. Has consideration been given to the qualifying thresholds for those in employment, such as the working family payment, lone parent allowance, income disregards for means tested pensions and so on to determine whether those areas can support people who are in employment?