Lynn Boylan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 5:

In page 9, between lines 21 and 22, to insert the following:

“Report on rates based on Minimum Essential Standard of Living (MESL)

16.The Minister shall carry out a review on introducing social welfare rates which are benchmarked to the Minimum Essential Standard of Living (MESL) to study the effect that adequacy of social welfare rates could have on addressing poverty levels and that the report shall be presented to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Social Protection ahead of Budget 2023.”.

Again, the Minister has given a commitment to work with the Vincentian Partnership. The basis for us putting forward this amendment was to reform the social protection system by ensuring all social welfare rates are adequate and protect those who rely on them from poverty. Despite a growing cost of living, current social welfare rates are far behind where they need to be. Working age payments need to be set to the minimum essential standard of living, based on long-standing work by Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice. Given the Minister's commitment to work with the Vincentian Partnership, we are happy to withdraw the amendment.