James Geoghegan (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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157. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if he will outline his plans for the Programme for Government commitment to introduce a new working age payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21724/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Programme for Government, we will introduce a new Working Age Payment which will ensure that individuals always see an increase in income when they work or take on additional hours. The Working Age Payment will remove inconsistencies and anomalies in the current Jobseekers Allowance Scheme which discourage people from taking up employment.

We will publish draft proposals for full consultation with stakeholders in advance of Government agreeing the final design of the Working Age Payment.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Aisling Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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158. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the means by which he will ensure that the social protection system is work-friendly; that welfare traps which inhibit people from taking up work are removed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21640/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provides a range of financial supports for people transitioning to employment and I will outline some of the key supports.

A person can work up to three days and continue to receive a partial jobseeker’s payment. Under Jobseeker's Allowance, the first €20 of earnings per day is disregarded up to a maximum of €60 for three days worked, with the balance assessed at 60%. The part-time job incentive scheme is an administrative scheme under Jobseeker's Allowance, which facilitates part-time employment for up to 24 hours per week.

In addition to jobseeker’s supports, my Department provides the Working Family Payment for employees with children on low incomes and the Back to Work Family Dividend for families who move from social welfare to employment. In the case of those parenting alone, the first €165 per week of gross earnings is disregarded in the means assessment under the One-Parent Family Payment and half the balance is assessed as means.

The current Jobseeker’s Allowance scheme is based on days of employment which can result in anomalies. The Programme for Government commits to introducing a new Working Age Payment to provide that individuals see an increase in income when they work or take on additional hours removing these anomalies. My Department is progressing this work, taking into account initial responses on the principle of the scheme received as part of the public consultations on Pay-Related Jobseeker’s Benefit and the Green Paper on Disability Reform. A proposed model would be based on a percentage of the difference between their income and a specified threshold for their family type. The model would utilise Revenue Commissioner real-time earnings data to adjust payment levels in line with a person’s weekly earnings.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.