Written answers

Thursday, 27 October 2005

Department of Social and Family Affairs

Anti-Poverty Strategy

5:00 pm

Photo of Seán CroweSeán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 57: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the steps he has taken to reduce family income poverty. [30998/05]

Photo of Séamus BrennanSéamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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In budget 2005, I introduced the following improvements to assist low income families: a €14, 10.4%, increase in the personal rate of payment for the lowest rates of social welfare payments. This level of increase is over four times the projected level of inflation for 2005; an increase of €9.30, 10.4%, per week in the rate of qualified adult allowance, QAA, payable to those in receipt of the lowest rates of payment; an increase in the child benefit lower rate by €10 per month and an increase of €12 per month on the higher rate; an increase in the rate of maternity benefit from 70% to 75% of reckonable weekly earnings; a record increase of €39 per week in all FIS earnings thresholds; a €10 per week increase on the upper ceiling for entitlement to tapered QAA from €210 to €220 per week; a €50 increase in the income threshold for entitlement to half-rate child dependent allowance, CDA, with certain social insurance benefits, such as unemployment and disability benefit, from €300 to €350 per week; and additional funding of €4.8 million for family resource centres, marriage-family counselling, the family mediation service, the families research programme and the family support agency. I look forward to making further progress for low-income families in the forthcoming budget.

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