Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. He and the Minister have done a body of work on this. They have increased the income eligibility threshold in the five local authorities by €5,000. If we look back to 2011, the average industrial wage was just short of €36,000. Now the average industrial wage is just above €43,000 or €44,000. That is a 20% increase. There is now a 20% increase of €5,000 for the five local authorities. I would ask that, as a transitional measure, at a minimum, they should now look to an increase in the threshold for all local authorities by €5,000 in terms of the standard in each of the three bands and increase the 20% for an adult dependant, from 5% to 6% and then for the child dependant from 2.5% to 3%. It is very logical. The Minister of State and the Minister have done it for the five other local authorities. I ask they would do it for all bands. They could take that as a transitional measure pending the outcome of the final report. I have looked at it, and certainly it needs to be addressed. It is coming up as an issue for me in Limerick city and in north Tipperary every day.

See this speech in context