Vol. 501 No. 5
31 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the plans, if any, he has for the individualisation of all adult social welfare payments and ending the concept of adult dependency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6405/99]
Adult dependants are catered for in the social welfare system through the payment of qualified adult allowances where a spouse or partner is in receipt of a social welfare payment. Currently the qualified adult allowance is payable at approximately 60 per cent of the personal rate. The level of payment is in line with the recommendations of the Commission on Social Welfare, 1986, and reflects the economies of scale which are considered to exist where two people are living together. This is the traditional way in which couples have been provided for under the social welfare system, not just in Ireland but in many other countries.
In recent decades there have been many changes in the social and economic structure of our society and the social welfare system has sought to respond to these changes with the introduction of new benefits and allowances to cater for different needs and contingencies which have arisen.
Unfortunately, the changes which have been made have given rise to what many consider are anomalies and discrimination in the system. In addition, the validity of the traditional method of catering for adult dependants has been called into question. It is considered by some that entitlement should not be derived from spouses or partners and that there should be more recognition of the very valuable role in society played by those who, for example, withdraw from the paid workforce to provide full-time care for their children.
An interdepartmental group, chaired by my Department, is currently examining the treatment of different types of households under both the tax and social welfare systems. The group is, among other things, charged with identifying and costing ways of ensuring consistent and equitable treatment of different types of household including married, co-habiting and one-parent households under both systems. The establishment of this group also marked the first stage in meeting the commitment in the national anti-poverty strategy to examine individualisation of social welfare payments.
It is expected that the group will complete its work in the next few months and we must await the report to see what measures are proposed before deciding on further action.
