Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Thursday, 18 January 2024
Public Accounts Committee
Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 37 - Social Protection
Social Insurance Fund 2022
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2022
Chapter 13 - Regularity of Social Welfare Payments
Chapter 14 - Ex gratia Payments of €1.4 million to Social Welfare Branch Managers
Chapter 15 - Raising Social Welfare Overpayments
Chapter 16 - Recovery of Welfare Overpayments
Chapter 17 - Actuarial Review of the Social Insurance Fund
9:30 am
Mr. John McKeon:
I know the answer would have to be in my review. It is, first and foremost, a policy decision, so I do not want to get into that policy domain. If we were to take away the means test and to make a universal payment for carers, you would be at looking at adding at least 40,000 to 50,000 to that. That is 40,000 to 50,000 multiplied by approximately €14,000 per year. It is a significant cost.