Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 November 2004
171 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the target rate in the national anti-poverty strategy for social welfare payments to adults, adult dependants, children and pensioners; and the value of these at 2005 prices using the consumer price index and the published forecast for that index in 2005. [30860/04]
View answerThe revised national anti-poverty strategy, Building an Inclusive Society, contains two targets in the area of income adequacy. These are to achieve a rate of €150 per week in 2002 terms for the lowest rates of social welfare to be met by 2007 and the appropriate equivalence level of basic child income support, that is, child benefit and child dependent allowances combined, to be set at 33% to 35% of the minimum adult social welfare payment rate.
The value of the lowest rate of payment target at 2005 prices is €162.63. This estimate is based on a projected CPI increase of 2.2% in 2004 and 2.5% in 2005. The corresponding child income support target would be in the range of €53.67 to €56.92.
