Eoin Hayes (Dublin Bay South, Social Democrats)
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230. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason his Department is projecting less spending on jobseekers benefit by €175 million in Budget 2026 when compared with spending in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56023/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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As part of the annual budgetary process, my Department engages with the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to agree the level of expenditure required to carry out existing functions in the following year, prior to the introduction of any new Budget measures. This is referred to as the "Existing Level of Service" (ELS). ELS funding provides for the maintenance of services and schemes into the following year on a 'no policy change' basis.

The estimates published on Budget Day reflect both the agreed ELS estimates and any additional funding allocated as part of Budget 2026, where applicable. For example, additional funding has been allocated to most social protection schemes in 2026 to provide for the €10 increase for weekly paid schemes, as well as the increases to the Child Support Payment.

Since April 2025, a new scheme, Jobseeker's Pay-Related Benefit (PRJB), has replaced Jobseeker's Benefit (JB) for fully unemployed jobseekers who meet the PRSI contribution criteria. As such, expenditure on the Jobseeker's Benefit has been declining throughout the year as existing claimants close their claims and new claimants apply instead for PRJB.

While the allocation for 2026 JB represents a decline compared to 2025, the combined allocation for JB and PRB has increased by €230 million compared to 2025. This increase is as a result of the full-year cost of PRJB, rate increases announced as part of Budget 2026 for JB recipients, and an overall higher number of recipients between both schemes.