Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 October 2022
63. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Social Protection her views on the latest Central Statistics Office figures which state that one in ten households cannot afford to pay for school trips, while 12% of one-parent families cannot afford to pay for them; and the steps that her Department is taking, if any, to counter this. [50748/22]
View answerAs Minister with responsibility for social inclusion, I have a strong interest in addressing all forms of poverty and addressing child poverty. I welcome the recent publication of the CSO Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC) module on child specific deprivation. It is critical to have accurate and detailed data if we are to better understand and address such issues.
The 2021 SILC data has shown a reduction in the overall rate of child poverty in Ireland from 7.2% in 2020 to 5.2% in 2021. This is very welcome. However, the recent CSO analysis shows that child-specific deprivation rates are higher for lone parent households highlighting the need for targeted measures that will assist the most vulnerable.
I therefore welcome the recent ESRI post-budget analysis, which shows that Budget 2023 combined with one off measures to reduce the cost of living, will be effective in protecting most households from rising prices this winter. The ESRI analysis further shows that the income of lone parents' households will remain essentially stable as a consequence of Budget 2023 measures indicating that the Government measures are, in the main, effective at protecting lone parents' households from the impact of inflation. The Budget 2023 Expenditure Report, published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, further notes that lone parent households stand to benefit from a €1,872 annual increase in support.
Families with children, including lone parents, will benefit from a range of measures under Budget 2023, including:
- Autumn cost of living double payment;
- €500 cost of living lump sum payment to all lone parents getting Working Family Payment;
- €400 cost of living lump sum payment to one parent families in receipt of Fuel Allowance;
- double payment of Child Benefit (€280 per child);
- Christmas Bonus double payment;
- From January 2023 there will be an increase of €12 in maximum personal weekly rates of payment, with proportionate increase for qualified adults;
- qualified child payments will increase by €2 per week in January 2023 bringing them to €50 for over 12s and €42 for under 12s
This is in addition to a range of measures introduced over recent Social Protection budgets that have had a direct and positive impact on low-income families including:
- Increases in the Working Family Payment thresholds aimed at supporting working families and ensuring that work pays;
- Improvements to means-testing of payments for lone parents;
- Increases in the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance;
- Increases in the weekly rates of payment for all schemes;
- Introduction and expansion of hot school meals, in line with the Programme for Government commitment to ensure no child goes hungry.
Through the implementation of the Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020 - 2025, as committed in the Programme for Government, Government will continue to provide targeted supports to children and families across the country.
