Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 15:

In page 8, after line 32, to insert the following:

“Report on increase to personal social protection rates 16.The Minister shall, within three months of the passing of this Act, lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas on options to increase adult personal social protection rates by €20 instead of €12, in line with rates recommended by the Minimum Essential Standard of Living (MESL) methodology.”.

It makes no sense that the previous amendment would be ruled out of order and this amendment would not. The previous amendment related to the benchmarking of social protection rates in respect of the MESL and this amendment gives the figures that attach to that. I cannot see why one amendment would be ruled out of order. It is an unfortunate ruling of the Chair in that regard. Amendment No. 15 looks on the options to increase adult person social protection rates by €20 per week instead of €12. It recognises the €12 increase, which is one of the largest adjustments we have had, given the cost-of-living increases and what we know from the detailed analysis on the MESL, those 2,000 items used by households in a year have gone up by even more. That is the reason I am hoping there would be an increase to €20 per week in line with those increases in costs.