Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

There is a constant balance to be maintained in ensuring that social welfare programmes are developed in ways that are sufficiently responsive to various contingencies, while simultaneously providing opportunities to assist people to become less welfare dependent. In this context, a number of measures have been introduced in recent years to remove disincentives to taking up employment and to assist in the transition from welfare to work.

These include the easing of means tests through income disregards, a more gradual withdrawal of benefits as earnings increase and the introduction of employment support schemes such as the back to work programme. In addition, enhanced disregards of earnings were introduced in 2007 for the rent allowance scheme which complement the rental accommodation scheme that was introduced in 2004.

As recently as last September, I introduced reforms which improved the methods by which a person's earnings from employment, or the earnings of a partner, are assessed to facilitate persons in increasing their levels of employment and income. These changes are designed in particular to be progressive for women, who currently make up the majority of qualified adults in the social welfare system, rewarding increased labour market participation and encouraging qualified adults to move beyond long-term part-time employment. They also benefit many other part-time workers, but particularly those with children. In addition to jobseeker's allowance, the new arrangements also apply to the disability allowance, farm assist and pre-retirement allowance schemes.

A number of further measures are also in place to encourage increased participation in employment. For instance, the part-time job incentive scheme is available to those who were previously on a jobseeker's payment for 15 months or more and who are now working under 24 hours per week while seeking full-time employment. This payment is not means-tested. Farm assist is a weekly means-tested payment for low income farmers, including those who may have off-farm employment or self-employment. Recipients of various social welfare schemes may also qualify for a transitional payment under the back to work programme, which provides for a phased level of income support over a number of years when taking up employment or self-employment. This payment is not means-tested, with more relaxed qualification criteria for people aged 50 or older.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

Family income supplement provides support for people in low-income employment with children, even where they have not previously been in receipt of a social welfare payment, preserving the incentive to remain in employment.

It is important to ensure that work pays and a number of policy instruments crossing a range of Departments are used as a way of alleviating poverty among people in low wage employment. In addition to those already mentioned, these include changes to the taxation system, the introduction of the national minimum wage, provision of training and access to lifelong learning opportunities and assistance with job search.

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