Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 6:

In page 9, between lines 8 and 9, to insert the following: "Reports

18. (1) Within three months of the passing of this Act, the Minister shall produce a report to the Oireachtas on the levels of fuel poverty in the population, the impact of increased energy and heating costs and the advisability of increasing the income thresholds for access to fuel allowance supports.

(2) Within three months of the passing of this Act, the Minister shall produce a report to the Oireachtas on the impact of the operation of EWSS on employees’ income, including the levels and amounts of employer top ups, and the access of these employees to additional State support such as Jobseeker’s payments for short-time working.

(3) Within three months of the passing of this Act, the Minister shall produce a report to the Oireachtas on the implications for the Social Insurance Fund employer’s contributions in order to fund additional benefits including the possibility of reducing the State retirement age to 65, and the reversal of changes to the number of contributions needed to qualify for the contributory pension. The report shall also examine among other matters the levels of employer contributions in other EU states.

(4) Within three months of the passing of this Act, the Minister shall produce a report to the Oireachtas on the impact on the mental health, living standard and general welfare of lower rates of Jobseeker’s Allowance for those aged 18 to 24 who are not classified as living independently.".

This is just calling for a number of reports. Such reports were very useful in the past. When we did get them, they led to changes in budgets afterwards. An example concerns the restoration of the pension for those who spent years child-minding and the stay-at-home years taken away from women in the past. I would be very interested in hearing whether the Minister will agree to the production of the reports. I spoke about all of them this morning so there is no point in repeating myself and taking up time. The reports would cover fuel poverty; the employment wage subsidy scheme; the contribution to the Social Insurance Fund and changes to the retirement age; and the jobseeker's allowance for younger people.

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