Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State and join with others in remembering Emily Stewart, mother of the Minister, Deputy Humphreys. May she rest in peace.

I welcome the Bill and the budget commitments that were announced in October. It is clear that a lot of the things we have been able to do as a Government is because of the strength of the economy and because these things are necessary. It is necessary to support families and individuals with the cost of living and with the inflationary pressures people have witnessed and lived with. We all see in the small shop one might do the price increases over the past numbers of years as a direct consequence of pressures on oil prices and transport costs. It is evident to everybody what is happening and the Government has been able to respond because it is the right thing to do and because we are in a position of being able to do so; that is important.

I welcome the cost-of-living measures that have been announced. The once-off payments are welcome, whether they be the lump sums for those on the fuel allowance; the living alone lump sums; the working family payment lump sum; the double payment of child benefit; the carer's support grant; the disability allowance, the blind pension, and invalidity cost-of-living lump sum; the increase to be paid per qualified child and the Christmas and January cost-of-living bonuses that will be paid.

When we look at the range of measures, as Senator Burke said we have a very large, inclusive social welfare system covering a whole range of different areas and payments. We have the back to education allowance; the back to work enterprise allowance; the back to work family dividend; the blind pension; carer's allowance and benefit; community employment; daily expenses allowance; the deserted wife's allowance and benefit; the disability allowance and benefit; domiciliary care; farm assist; guardian payment; illness benefit; invalidity pension; job initiative schemes such as the jobseeker's allowance and the jobseeker's transitional payment; the Magdalen Commission scheme; the death benefit scheme; the one parent family payment; the partial capacity; rural social schemes; the State pension - contributory and non-contributory; the supplementary welfare allowance; Tús; the widow's pension; the surviving civil partner's pension; and workplace experience programmes. There is a range of measures there. Of course people pay under social insurance for the range of these benefits. It is important to note that people are paying, and getting something back with the exception of a few notable individuals Senators Burke and Craughwell mentioned and put on record. I note Senator Craughwell's report on the issue that was commissioned by the committee a number of years ago.

I also welcome, as others have, section 30 in the Bill, which is the extension of child benefit to 18 year olds who are in full-time education from September of next year. Many children now do transition year and start school later because of the preschool system we now have in the country. Therefore more people are in education up to the age of 18 so it is right that it be extended.

I also welcome the changes related to carers and providing for contributions for long-term carers who have been caring for incapacitated persons for more than 20 years. This section provides for the contributions to be attributed to those who will reach the age of 66 in January but also those who are already past the age of 66. It is important people are aware of these changes. Advertisements are taking place through the Minister of State's Department and I ask people to register through mywelfare.ieas well in order to see those changes and benefit from them.

Overall, the pension change has allowed people who wish to continue working to be able to do so and to defer to a later age and receive a higher payment. It is important in terms of the sustainability of the pension pot that we have that some people would, if they so wish, work for longer.It is important that we keep an eye on the social contribution fund to ensure there are sufficient resources for pensions in the years ahead. A number of countries have concerns about their own capacities to pay pensions in the future so any responsible Government would keep an eye on the social insurance fund and see how trends are as regards people working and reaching retirement age. Thankfully, people are living for longer and therefore would be drawing their pensions, as they are entitled to, for longer. It is important we ensure we have the resources to pay for them into the future. Overall, I welcome the commitments in this Bill.