Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Ó Cuív for raising this issue. I apologise on behalf of the Minister for Social Protection. The Government is acutely aware of the effect that high energy prices and the cost of living are having on families, businesses and the most vulnerable. In recognition of these pressures, only last September, budget 2023 delivered the largest social protection budget in the history of the State. In addition to the substantial package of supports provided as part of the budget, earlier this year the Government announced a €470 million spring package of measures to help social protection recipients, including families, pensioners, carers and people with disabilities.

The spring cost-of-living bonus is one of the range of measures put in place. It is one lump sum payment of €200 for each eligible person who has an entitlement to a primary payment in their own right. The €200 lump sum payment was paid in the week commencing 24 April to 1.2 million people in receipt of long-term social welfare payments at a cost of approximately €250 million. Those receiving more than one qualifying social welfare payment receives only one €200 lump sum payment. Each eligible primary recipient of a social welfare payment receives €200, regardless of the number of qualified adult or child dependents, if any, or other social welfare payments. Qualified adults do not have an entitlement to cost-of-living bonuses, including the spring bonus, in their own right.

Further measures as part of the latest cost-of-living support package will include a €100 lump sum payment in respect of every child for whom child benefit is paid. An additional €100 payment will also be paid this year in respect of each child for whom the back to school clothing and footwear allowance is paid. There will be an extension of the hot school meals programme to all DEIS primary schools from September, benefiting 64,500 children. Together, these supports will provide more than €470 million in additional supports to households and families in need.

Since March last year, the Government has provided unprecedented supports to protect people and families as the cost of living has increased. These supports have included a mixture of lump sum payments, double payment weeks and weekly rate increases. The €2.2 billion social protection budget 2023 package included eight lump sum payments to a value of more than €1.3 billion. These comprised an autumn double payment, a double payment of child benefit, a €400 lump sum payment of fuel allowance, a €500 lump sum payment to families receiving working family payment, a €500 lump sum payment to people in receipt of disability allowance, blind pension or invalidity pension, a €200 lump sum payment to people in receipt of the living alone allowance, a €500 lump sum payment to carers, a Christmas bonus double payment of weekly social welfare and pension payments.

In addition, from January we have provided a €12 increase in weekly social welfare and pension rates, the largest increase to weekly payments since the mid-2000s. There has also been a significant expansion of the fuel allowance scheme with a particular focus on supporting older people over 70. There are also increased income thresholds for the working family payment so that more families can qualify. These measures are in addition to other measures introduced during 2022 to assist people and families with the cost of living. These include a major expansion of the hot school meals programme to 320 new DEIS schools, a €100 increase in the back to school clothing and footwear allowance, two fuel allowance lump sum payments of €125 in March 2022 and €100 in May 2022, a universal energy credit of €200 introduced in April 2022, followed by three further €200 energy credits, a reduction in student fees, a 25% reduction in childcare costs and a 20% reduction in public transport fees.

With regard to the qualification criteria for the State pension quoted by Deputy Ó Cuív for people on qualifying allowances, who may qualify anyway for part of the main payment, I will raise it with the Minister Deputy Humphreys and come back to him.

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