Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We had a very significant social welfare package in the previous budget, totalling well in excess of €500 million. As the Deputy will know, this involved increases in core weekly rates and improvements in the living alone allowance, the carer's allowance, parent's benefit, the working family payment, the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance, the qualified child increase, and a number of other programmes administered by the Department of Social Protection including, for example, a pilot programme of hot school meals. A range of measures were introduced by the Department.

It will always be the case there will be people across society who are not aware of their entitlements and the supports they can avail of. We do our best as a Government. The Department of Social Protection has a very easy to use website. The Citizens Information Board has offices throughout the country providing information to people. There is also the advocacy work that we, as public representatives, do on an ongoing basis. The voluntary sector and all of the bodies that support people who are at risk of poverty are also constantly highlighting different schemes. However, we have been somewhat surprised by the fact there has not really been an increase in the number of people applying for supplementary welfare in the form of the exceptional needs payment. We expected a greater uptake given fuel prices. Public representatives could perhaps highlight that service, which is there to support people who are in genuine need and who are facing very difficult choices at this time.

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