Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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660. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection with reference to the answer given by An Taoiseach in Questions on promised legislation on 26 October, the progress of work being undertaken by her Department with respect to Commitment 43 in the pathways to work strategy to "prepare a paper on options to modify the longer-term jobseeker's assistance payment by utilising the Revenue Commissioners real time earnings data to adjust payment levels in line with a person’s weekly earnings, to guarantee a basic income floor and ensure that in all cases a person’s income increases when they work"; the expected date by which this work will be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54790/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Pathways to Work 2021-2025 includes a commitment to “Prepare a paper on options to modify the longer-term jobseeker's assistance payment by utilising the Revenue real time earnings data to adjust payment levels in line with a person’s weekly earnings, to guarantee a basic income floor and ensure that in all cases a person’s income increases when they work.”

It includes a further commitment to “Ensure that the particular circumstances of lone parents are considered in the assessment of a Working Age Payment/Basic Income Guarantee”.

Work is underway on progressing these commitments with consideration being given to the development of a new Working Age Payment. This is a significant project which requires detailed analysis.

The Report of the Commission on Taxation and Welfare, which was published in September, is a significant body of work which put forward 116 recommendations. One of these is that working-age payments should be reformed to move towards a working age assistance payment available to all households. It further states that such a payment should be designed so as to avoid subsidising a low-paid economy.

I trust this clarifies the position.