Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 June 2021
354. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will outline her key policy achievements in her Department since 27 June 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32724/21]
View answerThroughout the period referred to, the country continued to be severely affected by the effects of the pandemic and unprecedented numbers of people suffered job losses and temporary lay-offs as a result of public health restrictions. Throughout this time, thanks to the monumental efforts of the staff of my Department, we have continued to provide vital income supports, through the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) and the enhanced Illness Benefit scheme - alongside all of the existing suite of social protection schemes for our pensioners, people with disabilities, carers, one-parent families amongst others – to all of our citizens. Research undertaken by the ESRI on the impact on family incomes of Covid-19 related job losses found that 400,000 families would have seen their disposable income fall by more than 20 per cent in the absence of policy measures such as the PUP and the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS). The ESRI also found that the PUP and TWSS measures were particularly effective in cushioning families at the lower-end of income distribution from losses.
As a further step towards supporting those in greatest need, we provided for a the payment of a Christmas Bonus to over 1.6 million recipients in December with payments totalling €390 million. On an exceptional basis, the 2020 Christmas Bonus was also paid to some 311,000 recipients of the PUP who had also been in receipt of a PUP payment - continuously or otherwise - for at least 4 months (17 weeks) since March 2020, at an additional cost of over €93 million.
Notwithstanding the enormous strain on the national finances caused by the pandemic, I was pleased to be able to secure funding in Budget 2021 for a number of targeted increases aimed at particularly vulnerable cohorts of the population. These included increases to the living alone allowance, fuel allowance, qualified child increases, an increase in the offshore island allowance, an increase to the disability allowance earnings threshold, a €150 increase in the carers support grant and the removal of the one parent family payment earnings threshold.
I was also pleased to secure funding of an additional €5.5 million to provide for a major expansion of the Hot School Meals Pilot Programme. This will extend the provision of hot school meals to an additional 35,000 primary school children, currently receiving the cold lunch option.
As part of the wider Government Covid-19 emergency response, we introduced a simplified application for rent supplement. I was particularly pleased that we were able to establish a protocol with Tusla which ensures that victims of domestic violence are now able to access rent supplement as seamlessly and as quickly as possible.
I was equally glad to be in a position to provide additional supports to families by ensuring that the Department was in a position to pay for the additional three weeks of Parent’s Benefit when the necessary legislation was introduced earlier this year.
In fulfilment of a commitment under the Programme for Government, I was glad to be able to introduce a benefit payment for people aged between 65 and 66 years who are no longer engaged in employment or self-employment. A person in receipt of this payment is not required to be available for full-time work or to be genuinely seeking work and they are not be required to sign on the Live Register.
Again in fulfilment of a Programme for Government commitment, I established the Pensions Commission which is examining sustainability and eligibility issues in respect of State Pension arrangements and which will outline options for the Government to address issues such as qualifying age, contribution rates, total contributions and eligibility requirements.
Also in the pensions area, I was very pleased to be able to formally sign regulations to introduce the IORP II directive, a very substantial directive which supports positive reform of the Irish occupational pension sector.
As part of the July Jobs Stimulus Package, the Government announced 3,000 additional places on Employment Support Schemes, including Community Employment and Tús. These additional places will provide valuable opportunities for long term unemployed persons and will support CE and Tús schemes in providing services to local communities in rural and urban communities.
My Department is currently finalising a new Pathways to Work Strategy which I expect to publish in the coming weeks and which will focus on the next stage of our response to the pandemic and on supporting people to get back to work.
These are some of the key achievements which my Department, through the enormous efforts of all of its staff, was able to deliver over the past year.
