Ms Jenny Connors:

Sure. I will make the point that the €12 was not the only measure that was provided to the Department of Social Protection. There was a really significant cost-of-living package and targeted measures on top of that of, amounting to approximately €1 billion in the 2023 package. It has to be taken in that entire context. It is not just about the rate that was provided.

The distributional analysis informed the process that Ms Callaghan spoke about and the discussions that were held before the budget. As we published in the expenditure report, it cushioned those in the lowest deciles and was progressive. I make the point that the €12 was not the only measure that was taken.