Aengus Ó Snodaigh
Question:243. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost in 2015 of restoring maternity benefit to the payment level prior to budget 2014. [30226/14]
View answerWednesday, 9 July 2014
Questions (243, 251, 252, 257, 263, 264)
Aengus Ó Snodaigh
Question:251. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the cost of reversing the lower age-related rates of jobseeker's allowance and supplementary welfare allowance for young persons and restoring the maximum rate of €188 regardless of age. [30234/14]
View answerAengus Ó Snodaigh
Question:252. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the cost of increasing by €20 the payments received by every young person in receipt of an age-related jobseeker's allowance or supplementary welfare allowance payment. [30235/14]
View answerAengus Ó Snodaigh
Question:257. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the cost of increasing the respite care grant by €325. [30242/14]
View answerAengus Ó Snodaigh
Question:263. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the cost of increasing the rate of back to education allowance for young persons aged under 26 years to €188 per week. [30250/14]
View answerAengus Ó Snodaigh
Question:264. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the cost of extending child benefit to children aged 18 years and over in full-time second level education. [30251/14]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 243, 251, 252, 257, 263 and 264 together.
The estimated cost of restoring maternity benefit rates of payment to those which applied before Budget 2014 is €32 million in 2015 and a full year.
The estimated cost of paying the maximum weekly rate of €188 to all recipients of jobseeker's allowance and basic supplementary welfare allowance aged under 26 is €163 million in 2015.
The estimated cost of increasing weekly rate of jobseeker's allowance and basic supplementary welfare allowance by €20 per week for recipients aged under 26 (where the current rate is less than €188 or €186 per week) is €44.5 million in 2015.
The estimated cost of increasing the annual respite care grant by €325, from €1,375 to €1,700, is €29.3 million in a full year.
The estimated cost, based on recipient data at end April last, of increasing the maximum personal rate of back to education allowance for all under 26 year olds to €188 per week is estimated at €3 million in a full year.
The estimated cost, based on Department of Education and Skills data in relation to full time second level participation at the beginning of 2013, of paying child benefit to families in respect of their 18 year old children in full-time second-level education is €42.5 million in a full year.
The costs shown above are provisional and are subject to change based on emerging trends.