Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am also pleased to announce that we are increasing the fuel allowance by €2.50 per week to €22.50. This increase will benefit people dependant on long-term social welfare payments and those unable to provide for their own heating needs.

A shared prosperity is one where every person, regardless of income, feels the benefit of our new recovery. To complement the changes in the universal social charge that help the low paid, as announced by the Minister for Finance, we are increasing the threshold for the family income supplement by €5 per week for families with one child, and by €10 per week for families with two or more children. Together with the rise in the minimum wage, this budget confirms our commitment to helping the low paid. We want to make work pay.

Finally, our strong record of reducing unemployment and restoring the public finances means that this year we can increase the Christmas bonus for all those in receipt of social welfare to 75%, a threefold increase on last year's payment.The Tánaiste will announce further details of the social welfare package later today.

Jobs/enterprise

The best form of social protection is a job. The reduction in unemployment from a peak of 15.2% to 9.4% has been this Government's single biggest achievement but this is still too high. Budget 2016 will support greater and accelerated job creation. Total funding for the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation will be €792 million. Some 385,000 Irish jobs, around one in five, are in businesses supported by our enterprise agencies. Under the capital plan, a further €500 million will be provided next year to support these agencies. Many of the businesses they support are at the forefront of research and innovation. They create well-paid jobs and enhance opportunities for young graduates and the unemployed. A key focus of activity next year is to ensure that the benefits of economic recovery, particularly in terms of employment, reach all parts of the country. In this regard, a specific IDA regional property programme will support the regional action plans launched by my colleague, the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, in recent months.

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