Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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39. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will consider increasing the rural social scheme/Tús top-up to at least €12, to keep pace with other social welfare payments. [36468/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Last year, I secured a package of almost €2.3 billion for Social Protection measures as part of Budget 2024. This represented the largest Budget package for the Department of Social Protection in the history of the State. This package provided vital and much needed support our pensioners, carers, people with disabilities, lone parents and families.

As part of this package, I announced that weekly social welfare rates were to increase by €12 from January 2024, which included participants on the Rural Social Scheme and Tús schemes.

As part of Budget 2023, I announced a similar rate increase of €12 from January 2023 along with an increase of €5 to the top-up payment for Community Employment, the Rural Social Scheme and Tús schemes.

I am happy to clarify, that participants on the Rural Social Scheme and Tús benefited from these three measures - a combined €29 in their weekly payment rate over the last two budgets. The value of the top-up payment now stands at €27.50 weekly.

Any further changes to the top-up payment would need to be considered in an overall budgetary context.