Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

One of the benefits of the Vincentian MESL Research Centre is that it provides an analysis of the different levels of income needed for a wide range of household types, including the different costs. For example, the latest MESL annual update shows the differences in the cost of meeting household needs in urban and rural areas. For a start, differentiating social welfare payment rates based on location would be problematic. For these reasons, while not used for benchmarking, the work of the Vincentian MESL Research Centre at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and previously the Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice, has been and will continue to be a valuable input into the policy-making process. We have taken on board a good number of its recommendations.

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