John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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1297. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if changes will be made as part of budget discussions to social welfare payments that take place from 1 January 2019 in line with the date changes to taxation that are made, thereby treating all persons fairly; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36525/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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On Budget Day last year, I was pleased to announce a €5 increase in the maximum rates of all weekly social welfare payments at a cost of €264 million in 2018. This built on a similar increase provided in Budget 2017, which was the first across the board rate increase since 2009.

Budget 2018 increases commenced in March. In the context of budgetary parameters, payment from January would have necessitated either a smaller rate of increase, or excluding certain groups benefitting from the increase. Neither of these options were considered acceptable to Government.

The appropriate rates of social welfare payments will be considered by Government in the context of budgetary deliberations, in light of available resources and other priorities.