Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 September 2023
390. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of Bills prepared by her Department in the 33rd Dáil to date; the number and title of those Bills that included a regulatory impact assessment; the title of the RIAs published by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41597/23]
View answerI have published five Bills since taking office as Minister for Social Protection, all of which have been enacted. Details of these Bills are set out in the table below.
A Regulatory Impact Analysis is not ordinarily undertaken on the package of tax, welfare and other measures announced in the annual Budget Day Statements. Three of the Social Welfare Bills, which have been published since February 2020 have provided for the implementation of various budgetary measures. Earlier this year, a short technical Bill was enacted to allow a Child Benefit bonus to assist parents with children under 18 with coping with the increased cost of living.
The one remaining Social Welfare Bill related to Covid-19-Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) and a RIA was not undertaken due to the emergency nature of these measures.
Bills Initiated by Minister for Social Protection since February 2020
|
Title of Bill |
Status |
RIA Undertaken |
|
Social Welfare (COVID-19) (Amendment) Bill 2020 (Bill No. 14 of 2020) |
Enacted on 5th August 2020 as the Social Welfare (COVID-19) (Amendment) Act 2020 (Act No. 12 of 2020) |
Not undertaken due to the emergency nature of putting Pandemic Unemployment Payment on a discrete statutory basis. |
|
Social Welfare Bill 2020 (Bill No. 66 of 2020) |
Enacted on 22nd December 2020 as the Social Welfare Act 2020(Act No. 30 of 2020) |
Budget Bill - budget measure are not known until Budget Day and must be enacted by end of year to ensure increases to pensions and other social welfare payments can occur on time. |
|
Social Welfare Bill 2021(Bill No. 152 of 2021) |
Enacted on 18th December 2021Social Welfare Act 2021 (Act No. 44 of 2021) |
Budget Bill - budget measures are not known until Budget Day (October) and must be enacted by end of year to ensure increases to pensions and other social welfare payments can occur on time. |
|
Social Welfare Bill 2022(Bill No. 107 of 2022) |
Enacted on 15th December 2022Social Welfare Act 2022(Act No. 43 of 2022) |
Budget Bill - budget measures are not known until Budget Day and must be enacted by end of year to ensure increases to pensions and other social welfare payments can occur on time. |
|
Social Welfare (Child Benefit) Bill 2023 (Bill No. 41 of 2023) |
Enacted on 25th May 2023Social Welfare (Child Benefit) Act 2023 (Act No. 13 of 2023) |
This was a short Bill (two Sections) so a RIA was deemed unnecessary. |
