Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister. I acknowledge the work that has been done by the Department of Social Protection over the past 12 months.

The budget focuses on and supports people who are struggling with the cost of living. It is a budget for people who are struggling and those who are vulnerable. I acknowledge the supports for people over 70 and the changes to the living alone allowance.

It is important that the fuel allowance is in place. The allowance gives people an additional €33 per week, or they can take two lump-sum payments, between October and April. It is crucial to acknowledge that the expansion of the fuel allowance scheme from January will bring so many more people into the net. Those people will receive support. It is also crucial to acknowledge that, for example, a single person over the age of 70 and living alone could have €500 coming in.They may have a pension if they worked in the UK or a pension here. It may be a couple who have €1,000 coming in. The first €20,000 is an income disregard. Every little bit helps, as goes the famous ad, because people are trying to make every euro go further. The people we are trying to help the most are the ones who have given so much during their lives and now may be afraid to turn the heating on. The Minister has stood up and, through this budget, made sure those people are very aware they will have support from this Government in the time ahead.

I also acknowledge the supports she has put in place and that the lump sum payments are the way the Government has looked to make sure the payments will benefit people immediately. Those immediate payments came right into their accounts. People are seeing the benefit through electricity credits; lump sum payments of the living alone allowance; disability payment and double payments of child benefit. Families have been grateful to see this coming to them over the past number of months. The challenge we face, as we always face when we do these initiatives, is in administrative supports to manage these additional allocations. I understand the fuel allowance will be an online application form. The Department and officials may provide information for community groups and active retirement groups around how to access this funding and the ways they will be able to apply for it.

I know from some of the information with which the Minister has provided us that she is extending the JobsPlus scheme. This is very important. In the area I am in, the schemes we have already such as the community employment, CE, scheme are ways for people to re-engage in community work. There are so many volunteers. In my own area in Ballinasloe and throughout Roscommon, many people get involved in local community groups and give of their time. We talk about the essence of volunteering being part of what makes small towns great but we face a challenge in that we need CE schemes, payments and JobsPlus to encourage and bring more people back into the workforce, back to contributing to their communities and give many people, of who I am aware, the interest in going into further education. This is a way to do that. It is a way to really connect people with all of the supports we have in our towns.

The year ahead will be difficult and there will still be considerable challenges in the coming months. The challenge before the Department and officials will be in supporting the most vulnerable people. What we have seen is very welcome. Hand on heart, the feedback I have been receiving from talking with people in my own region is that these initiatives are very welcome. I thank the Minister and her officials for bringing them forward. They are new and innovative and have answered a real need.