Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)

I thank the Senator for his extremely emotive and clear advocacy in his contribution. The telephone support allowance is a weekly payment of €2.50 for people on certain social welfare payments who are getting both the living alone increase and the fuel allowance. The primary objective of the telephone support allowance is to support access to critical communications infrastructure for the most vulnerable people at risk of isolation, including older persons and those with disabilities. This critical communications infrastructure can, of course, include broadband access.

While the proposal by the Senator is to be welcomed, all proposals, including the proposal to increase the telephone support allowance by a minimum of €7.50 could only be considered while taking account of overall Government policy and budgetary considerations. This also applies in respect of any commitment to develop an appropriate benchmark for the payment. In respect of the expanding the payment to include its use for broadband charges, while another objective of the telephone support allowance is to help maintain access to personal alarms or phones for security, it can of course also be used towards the cost of broadband. It is worth noting that the payment is automatically paid with a person’s main weekly social welfare payment.

The Government is committed to supporting older persons. Given the many competing demands for the limited funding available to the Department of Social Protection, there was no increase to the telephone support payment announced in budget 2026. However, other supports were provided by the Department for older persons. These supports were increased, including an overall package of €1.15 billion. This significant package balances payment rate increases together with a targeted package of measures aimed at supporting the most vulnerable in society. A weekly €10 increase was secured in the maximum weekly rate of all primary social welfare payments from January 2026. There will be proportionate increases for qualified adults and people getting a reduced rate. Furthermore, a €5 increase in fuel allowance, from €33 to €38 per week, from January 2026 was also secured, and this will provide an additional €140 during the annual fuel allowance season. A Christmas bonus will also be paid to over 1.47 million long-term social welfare recipients in December 2025. In order to receive the telephone support allowance, a customer must be in receipt of a qualifying payment and also in receipt of both the living alone allowance and the fuel allowance. This means that those in receipt of the allowance already receive considerable support from the Department of Social Protection.

The living alone increase is paid at a rate of €22 a week - a yearly total of €1,144 - in recognition of the greater challenges facing those living alone in avoiding poverty. Since 2019, the living alone increase has more than doubled in value from €9 to €22. The rate of fuel allowance payable has also increased significantly in recent years and, from January 2026, will provide support of €1,064 to a household during the fuel season. Increasing the rate of household-based schemes such as the living alone increase and the fuel allowance provides targeted support to households that are at a higher risk of poverty, as evidenced by recent ESRI research. Those in receipt of the telephone support allowance also have access to the household benefits package, which comprises of an electricity or gas allowance and the free television licence. This provides a further €580 a year to this cohort. Furthermore, the Department of Social Protection provides for additional needs payments as part of a supplementary welfare allowance scheme to help people meet essential expenses that they cannot pay from their weekly income or other personal and household resources. These payments are available through community welfare officers.

While I fundamentally believe that the Senator's suggestion is merited, it is important to look at it in the context of the overall package that was delivered for people in receipt, notwithstanding the vital need to ensure that communication is at the heart of addressing isolation, particularly in rural areas such as Roscommon.