Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 398: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the measures which he will introduce in budget 2007 to assist low income families cope with rising prices. [33228/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I am currently developing proposals for inclusion in the forthcoming Budget which will benefit all social welfare recipients including low income families. In this regard, I am taking into account various factors including Government commitments relating to weekly rates of payment, such as bringing the lowest social welfare rate to €150 per week in 2002 terms and to have the combined value of child income supports at 33-35% of the adult rate; taking a decisive step forward towards the elimination of poverty, and especially child poverty; the development of a programme of supports and opportunities for those parenting alone who, with their children, are in danger of falling into a cycle of deprivation and marginalisation; ensuring that this Budget reflects, and underpins with financial supports, the evolving new social agenda that I am pursuing and that has at its core a social welfare support system that is active instead of passive and that assists people to live with dignity and enables them to make a valuable contribution towards society, and the views expressed at the recent Pre-Budget Forum at which 30 welfare organisations made submissions to me about the issues they wished to see pursued in the Budget. The levels of increases and other improvements announced in the last Budget were exceptional and well ahead of emerging inflation in 2006. I look forward to making further progress for low income families and all other social welfare claimants in the forthcoming Budget.