Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independent)
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52. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the cost of returning social protection payments to 2007 and to 2008 levels in tabular form. [11646/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I understand from my officials that this question refers to the position at the beginning of 2009. The current weekly rates of payment for pensioners are higher than the rates in 2009. Accordingly, this costing does not include any rate changes for pensioners. The cost of increasing all working age payments to their 2009 equivalent rates is €896 million. The cost of introducing higher rates of child benefit for multiple children at 2009 rates is €608 million. These costings are based on recipient data for 2016 and may be subject to change in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients for 2017. Up to date costings on the range of other measures introduced over the period from 2009 to 2014 are not available. Budgets 2015 and 2016 introduced improvements to welfare supports including increases for pensions, in the living alone allowance and child as well as new schemes such as back to work family dividend and paternity benefit. Looking ahead, the new Programme for a Partnership Government contains a number of significant commitments to enhance the welfare system in the years ahead. This includes increasing rent supplement limits by up to 15%, above-inflation increases for pensioners and in the living alone allowance. The Programme also supports rate increases for people with disabilities and carers.

I want to make progress on these commitments in the coming months and in the forthcoming Budget for 2017 having regard to the overall resources available to the Government. I look forward to engagement and input from my colleagues in the Oireachtas in the matter.