Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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194. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the financial savings made in each of the years 2015 to 2017 as a direct result of the introduction of reduced rates of social welfare payments to persons under 25 years of age. [47481/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The age related reduced rate of €100 per week for Jobseeker's Allowance recipients was introduced in Budget 2010 in respect of 18 and 19 year olds, and extended in subsequent Budgets to those under the age of 25. Based on the average number of Jobseeker's Allowance recipients in the relevant year, and an estimate of the proportion in receipt of this age-related reduced rate, the estimated cost of increasing :

- in 2015, the €100 weekly rate to the maximum personal rate of €188 would have been €131.3 million;

- in 2016, the €100 weekly rate to the maximum personal rate of €188 would have been €133.6 million; and

- in 2017, the €102.70 weekly rate to the maximum personal rate €193 would have been €101.9 million.

These costs do not include increasing the weekly rates for those aged 25 on age-related reduced rates.

It should be noted that age related reduced rates do not apply in certain circumstances, such as where the person has a qualified child, where the person was previously in state care, or where the young person participates in a recognised education/training course.