Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 December 2011
220 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide details of the poverty impact assessment carried out by her prior to her decision to cut payments to young persons with disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39563/11]
View answerThe Budget 2012 proposals relating to the conditions and rates of payment for Disability Allowance and Domiciliary Care Allowance are not being introduced as planned pending a review which will be undertaken by Ms. Ita Mangan, Chair of the Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare.
221 Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide details of the estimated savings made as a result of the cuts to disability allowance for young persons with disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39564/11]
View answer250 Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of 16 to 25 year olds in receipt of disability allowance, broken down by age, in 2011; and the total amount spent per annum on this age group in 2011. [39838/11]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 221 and 250 together.
The estimated savings arising from the measures relating to disability allowance announced in Budget 2012 is €7 million in 2012. Those measures would have affected people aged up to and including 24 years of age — they would not have affected recipients aged 25 years or older.
I have provided a table which sets out the number of 16 to 25 year olds in receipt of disability allowance, broken down by age and gender as of the end of November 2011. There were 13,802 recipients aged up to and including 25 years of age and a further 88,872 aged 26 years or more, bringing the overall total to 102,674. The estimated total spend on this scheme in 2011 is €1,066m.
The annual cost to the exchequer of a specific age group within a scheme is not collated by my Department.
|
Age |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
16 |
395 |
247 |
642 |
|
17 |
700 |
382 |
1,082 |
|
18 |
798 |
482 |
1,280 |
|
19 |
857 |
527 |
1,384 |
|
20 |
915 |
586 |
1,501 |
|
21 |
942 |
567 |
1,509 |
|
22 |
871 |
596 |
1,467 |
|
23 |
862 |
659 |
1,521 |
|
24 |
903 |
628 |
1,531 |
|
25 |
1020 |
865 |
1,885 |
|
Total |
8,263 |
5,539 |
13,802 |
