Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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1394.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of a €1 increase in each of the social insurance schemes, social assistance schemes, other weekly schemes and other scheme payments, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33577/24]

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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1412.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of a €1 increase in each of the social insurance schemes, social assistance schemes, other weekly schemes and other scheme payments, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33597/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1394 and 1412 together.

The estimated full-year cost of a €1 increase in each of the social insurance schemes, social assistance schemes, other schemes is set out in the table below.

The costs are on a full year basis and are based on the estimated number of recipients in 2024. It should be noted that these costings are subject to change in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients.

It should also be noted that these costings include proportionate increases for qualified adults where relevant.

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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1395.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of introducing a child benefit double payment. [33579/24]

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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1414.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of introducing a child benefit double payment. [33599/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1395 and 1414 together.

The estimated cost of introducing a child benefit double month payment is €181.3 million.

This costing is based on the estimated average number of recipients in 2024 and is subject to change in light of emerging trends and subsequent revision of the estimated number of recipients.

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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1396.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing the annual carer's support grant by €1. [33581/24]

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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1417.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing the annual carer’s support grant by €1. [33602/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1396 and 1417 together.

The Carer’s Support Grant is a support for Carers paid once a year, in June, by the Department of Social Protection. The current rate of Carer's Support Grant is €1,850.

The estimated full year cost of increasing the annual Carer's Support Grant by €1 is €0.2 million.

This costing is based on the estimated average number of recipients in 2024, and is subject to change in light of emerging trends and subsequent revision of the estimated number of recipients.

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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1397.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing the qualified child increase by €1 for children under the age of 12 years and €1 for children over the age of 12 years, respectively. [33582/24]

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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1411.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of increasing the qualified child increase by €1 for children under the age of 12 years and €1 for children over the age of 12 years, respectively. [33596/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1397 and 1411 together.

The estimated full year cost of increasing the qualified child rate by €1 for under 12's is €11.8 million and by €1 for over 12's is €4.4 million, giving a total of €16.2m.

These costings are based on the estimated average number of recipients in 2024, and is subject to change in light of emerging trends and subsequent revision of the estimated number of recipients.

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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1398.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of extending carer’s benefit to the self employed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33583/24]

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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1418.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full-year cost of extending carer’s benefit to the self-employed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33603/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1398 and 1418 together.

Self-employed workers whose income is €5,000 or more in a contribution year are liable to pay social insurance contributions at the PRSI class S rate of 4%, subject to a minimum annual payment of €500. Such contributors are currently covered for a wide range of social insurance benefits including State pension (contributory), widow's, widower's or surviving civil partner's pension (contributory), guardian’s payment (contributory), maternity, adoptive and paternity benefits, treatment benefits, invalidity pension, partial capacity benefit if in receipt of invalidity pension), jobseeker’s benefit (self-employed) and parent’s benefit.

The issue of extending additional social insurance benefits to self-employed persons paying class S social insurance contributions was considered in the Actuarial Review of the Social Insurance Fund, conducted by independent consultants and published in March 2023.

The Review indicated that if access to carer's benefit was extended to self-employed contributors, the cost to the Social Insurance Fund in 2024 would be approximately €7.1 million, increasing annually thereafter.

It should be noted that there has been an extensive expansion of access to the range of social insurance benefits by self-employed social insurance contributors in recent years without any increase in the 4% rate of contribution made by them. In effect, self-employed contributors, in return for a contribution of 11 percentage points lower than the combined employer and employee contribution of 15.05% made in respect of employed contributors, have access to benefits which comprise over 90% of the value of all benefits available to employed contributors.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.