Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 to 9 together.

Cabinet committee B last met on 26 March and while the date of its next meeting has not yet been scheduled, it is likely to meet next month. The committee covers the areas of social policy and public service reform, including education, children, social inclusion, Irish, arts and culture, and continued improvements to and reform of public services.

Through the work of Cabinet committee B, the Government is keen to ensure policies and services not only protect the most vulnerable in society but also provide opportunities equally for all citizens to learn, work and prosper, irrespective of gender, race or social status.

The Cabinet committee aims to ensure a co-ordinated approach to the delivery of commitments in A Programme for a Partnership Government and provide the opportunity to shape proposals on issues such as equality, disability and disadvantage, which require input from multiple Departments.

Recent measures advanced include ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with a Disability, which will come into effect on Thursday; gender equality measures; and implementation of structures and funding to support the North East Inner City Initiative, which seeks to bring a transformational change to an area that has struggled with deprivation for many generations.

Budget 2018 measures included an increase of €5 across all welfare and pension payments. Working family payment thresholds increased by €10 per week for low-income working families, and the national minimum wage was increased to €9.95 per hour.

A social impact assessment of budget 2018 conducted by the ESRI confirmed that these measures are effective in ensuring everyone is benefiting from the recovery. It also finds a similar progressive pattern in budget 2017 measures, with the biggest gains going to those on the lowest incomes.

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