Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 October 2013
15. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will ensure that child benefit is retained at its current level; that adult social welfare rates are retained at current levels; that family income supplement is maintained in its current form; if she will seek to raise the rates for the back to school clothing and footwear allowance and to maintain the budget for the school meals programme. [38874/13]
View answer30. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Social Protection the disruptive impact of the budget 2014. [43363/13]
View answer59. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which she expects to be in a position to protect the most vulnerable in society such as the elderly, those with special needs, families and children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43306/13]
View answer63. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Social Protection if she has equality proofed any budget cuts to her Department; if such an analysis will be made publicly available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43361/13]
View answerI propose to take Question Numbers 15, 30, 59 & 63 together.
The Expenditure Report 2013 published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform last December provided for additional new expenditure reduction measures of €440 million to be achieved in 2014 in the Department of Social Protection budget.
Again this year I sought to minimise the impact of the necessary adjustments to welfare expenditure and to protect as far as possible key income supports. This amount was lowered by Government to €226 million in new expenditure reductions announced yesterday. An additional €30 million in savings will be made through additional fraud and control measures in 2014, while €34 million will be saved through increased efficiencies and lower than expected demand on some schemes, bringing the Department’s cumulative adjustment on social protection expenditure to €290 million.
I am all too aware that reductions of €226 million will still impact on, and cause difficulties for, some social welfare recipients. However, the lower adjustment means I have protected the State Pension, Carer’s Allowance, Disability Allowance and all other weekly social welfare payments upon which people depend.
I have also protected crucial supplementary supports for pensioners, carers and people with disabilities, such as the Fuel Allowance, the Electricity/Gas Allowance, Free Travel, the Half-Rate Carer’s Allowance and the Respite Care Grant.
Child Benefit rates have also been protected in this Budget, and will remain a vital universal support for all families and all children.
As part of the Budgetary deliberative process, my Department has analysed, in so far as possible, the distributive and poverty impact of possible welfare changes to all welfare recipients including different family types, including those with children.
My Department is now preparing an analysis of the Budget 2014 tax and welfare packages. This Social Impact Assessment will include an analysis of the distributive and poverty impacts of these changes on different family types as well as the impact on at risk of poverty levels. Social impact assessment is an evidence-based methodology which uses a tax/welfare simulation model developed by the Economic and Social Research Institute to estimate the likely distributive effects of budgetary measures on income and social inequalities. I will be examining the analysis when it is finalised and I will publish it in due course.
