I must now deal with a deferred division relating to the motion on a spring bonus and cost-of-living supports. On Tuesday, 14 February 2023, on the question, "That the amendment be made", a division was claimed and in accordance with Standing Order 80(2), that division must be taken now.
Cost-of-Living Supports: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members]
The following motion was moved by Deputy Pearse Doherty on Tuesday, 14 February 2022:
That Dáil Éireann:
acknowledges that:
— the cost-of-living crisis continues to put workers and families under significant financial pressure and there is a growing urgency to ensure supports are adequate, available, and accessible; and
— emergency action must be taken to give workers and families a much-needed break from the cost-of-living crisis;
notes with concern that:
— almost 595,000 people (11.6 per cent) in the State live on an income below the poverty line, with difficulties in making ends meet now a feature of the daytoday life for many households across different income distributions;
— a report launched by Barnados Ireland this month shows that food poverty is worsening, with 10 per cent of parents surveyed forced to use food banks in 2022 and 29 per cent reported skipping meals to ensure their children could eat;
— average gas bills have gone up by around 140 per cent over the past two years, while the average electricity bill has increased by around 115 per cent; and
— recent figures from the Economic and Social Research Institute estimate that the estimated share of households in energy poverty has increased to 29 per cent, a record high;
notes that:
— the most recent Budget, designed by then Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe TD, and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Michael McGrath TD, knowingly chose to not fully protect people on lower and fixed incomes from rising inflation and the growing cost-of-living pressures;
— Fine Gael Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphries TD, and Cabinet colleagues cut social welfare rates in real terms given the current rates of inflation; and
— this is further evidence that the Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party Government is out of touch with the struggles facing ordinary workers and families alike;
condemns their collective decisions which have forced large numbers of parents to skip meals so their children have enough to eat, and led to record numbers of families requiring support from voluntary organisations to provide food parcels and vouchers; and
calls on the Government to introduce the following measures as part of a broader suite of actions to support workers and families throughout 2023:
— commit to the payment of a "Spring Bonus" for those relying on working age social welfare payments, including pensioners, people with disabilities, carers and lone parents;
— extend the Fuel Allowance eligibility to Working Family Payment recipients, to reach families who are in work on low incomes;
— establish a discretionary fund to provide financial support to households experiencing severe utility debt; and
— ensure Community Welfare Officers are available in the community to provide urgent supports and in-person appointments.
Debate resumed on amendment No. 1:
To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann:" and substitute the following:
"acknowledges that this Government has, since its formation in 2020, provided unprecedented supports to protect people and families, first through the Covid-19 pandemic and now through the increase in the cost-of-living, including:
— a €9.2 billion Pandemic Unemployment Payment support scheme and a further €9.2 billion on Employment Wage Subsidy Schemes to protect workers and families during the Covid-19 pandemic;
— a €2.2 billion Social Protection package in Budget 2023 – the largest in the history of the State, including eight lump sum payments to a value of over €1.3 billion comprising:
— an Autumn double payment of weekly social welfare and Pension payments;
— a double payment of Child Benefit;
— a €400 lump sum payment of Fuel Allowance;
— a €500 lump sum payment to families receiving Working Family Payment (WFP);
— a €500 lump sum payment to people in receipt of Disability Allowance, Blind Pension or Invalidity Pension;
— a €200 lump sum payment to people in receipt of the Living Alone Allowance;
— a €500 lump sum payment to carers; and
— a Christmas Bonus double payment of weekly social welfare and Pension payments;
— a €12 increase in weekly social welfare and Pension rates from January 2023 – the largest increase to weekly payments since the mid-2000s;
— the largest ever expansion of the Fuel Allowance scheme with a particular focus on supporting older people over 70; and
— increased income thresholds for the WFP, so that more families can qualify;
notes that these Budget measures are in addition to previous measures introduced to assist people and families throughout 2022 with the cost-of-living, including:
— a major expansion of the hot School Meals Programme to 320 recently designated Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools facilities;
— a €100 increase in the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance;
— two Fuel Allowance lump sum payments of €125 in March 2022 and €100 in May 2022;
— a universal energy credit of €200 introduced in April 2022, followed by three further €200 energy credits, with the next credit due in people's bills in March and April this year;
— a reduction in student fees;
— a 20 per cent reduction in public transport fees;
— a reduction in costs of the Drug Payment Scheme; and
— reduced Value Added Tax and excise duties rates; and
further notes:
— the wide array of measures it introduced clearly demonstrate the huge focus the Government has placed on assisting ordinary people and families with the cost-of-living;
— the unprecedented lump sum supports provided immediate and timely support to pensioners, carers, people with disabilities, lone parents, jobseekers, working families on low-income and those living alone;
— analysis by the Economic and Social Research Institute shows that, combined with the increase in core social welfare payment rates, these lump sums effectively compensated lower income households for price increases and, in fact, were more effective than a price-index linked increase in core rates;
— that the money needed to fund these measures was available due to sound economic management by this Government which has contributed to historically low levels of unemployment; and
— that the Government has already clearly stated that it is keeping the cost-of-living situation under review and is currently considering what further measures may be required."
(Minister for Social Protection)
Amendment put:
The Dáil divided: Tá, 74; Níl, 57; Staon, 0.
Tá
- Brophy, Colm.
- Browne, James.
- Bruton, Richard.
- Burke, Colm.
- Butler, Mary.
- Byrne, Thomas.
- Cahill, Jackie.
- Calleary, Dara.
- Cannon, Ciarán.
- Carey, Joe.
- Carroll MacNeill, Jennifer.
- Chambers, Jack.
- Collins, Niall.
- Costello, Patrick.
- Coveney, Simon.
- Creed, Michael.
- Crowe, Cathal.
- Devlin, Cormac.
- Dillon, Alan.
- Donnelly, Stephen.
- Donohoe, Paschal.
- Duffy, Francis Noel.
- English, Damien.
- Farrell, Alan.
- Feighan, Frankie.
- Flaherty, Joe.
- Flanagan, Charles.
- Fleming, Sean.
- Foley, Norma.
- Griffin, Brendan.
- Harris, Simon.
- Haughey, Seán.
- Heydon, Martin.
- Higgins, Emer.
- Hourigan, Neasa.
- Humphreys, Heather.
- Kehoe, Paul.
- Lahart, John.
- Lawless, James.
- Leddin, Brian.
- Madigan, Josepha.
- Martin, Catherine.
- Martin, Micheál.
- McAuliffe, Paul.
- McConalogue, Charlie.
- McGrath, Michael.
- McGuinness, John.
- McHugh, Joe.
- Moynihan, Aindrias.
- Moynihan, Michael.
- Murnane O'Connor, Jennifer.
- Naughton, Hildegarde.
- Noonan, Malcolm.
- O'Brien, Darragh.
- O'Brien, Joe.
- O'Callaghan, Jim.
- O'Connor, James.
- O'Dea, Willie.
- O'Donnell, Kieran.
- O'Dowd, Fergus.
- O'Gorman, Roderic.
- O'Sullivan, Christopher.
- O'Sullivan, Pádraig.
- Ó Cathasaigh, Marc.
- Ó Cuív, Éamon.
- Phelan, John Paul.
- Rabbitte, Anne.
- Richmond, Neale.
- Ring, Michael.
- Ryan, Eamon.
- Smith, Brendan.
- Smyth, Niamh.
- Smyth, Ossian.
- Troy, Robert.
Níl
- Andrews, Chris.
- Bacik, Ivana.
- Barry, Mick.
- Berry, Cathal.
- Boyd Barrett, Richard.
- Brady, John.
- Browne, Martin.
- Buckley, Pat.
- Cairns, Holly.
- Canney, Seán.
- Carthy, Matt.
- Clarke, Sorca.
- Collins, Michael.
- Conway-Walsh, Rose.
- Cronin, Réada.
- Crowe, Seán.
- Cullinane, David.
- Daly, Pa.
- Doherty, Pearse.
- Donnelly, Paul.
- Ellis, Dessie.
- Farrell, Mairéad.
- Fitzpatrick, Peter.
- Funchion, Kathleen.
- Gannon, Gary.
- Gould, Thomas.
- Guirke, Johnny.
- Healy-Rae, Danny.
- Healy-Rae, Michael.
- Howlin, Brendan.
- Kenny, Martin.
- Mac Lochlainn, Pádraig.
- McDonald, Mary Lou.
- McGrath, Mattie.
- McNamara, Michael.
- Mitchell, Denise.
- Munster, Imelda.
- Murphy, Catherine.
- Murphy, Verona.
- Nash, Ged.
- Nolan, Carol.
- O'Callaghan, Cian.
- O'Donoghue, Richard.
- O'Reilly, Louise.
- O'Rourke, Darren.
- Ó Broin, Eoin.
- Ó Murchú, Ruairí.
- Ó Ríordáin, Aodhán.
- Ryan, Patricia.
- Sherlock, Sean.
- Shortall, Róisín.
- Smith, Duncan.
- Stanley, Brian.
- Tóibín, Peadar.
- Tully, Pauline.
- Ward, Mark.
- Whitmore, Jennifer.
Staon
Tellers: Tá, Deputies Hildegarde Naughton and Cormac Devlin; Níl, Deputies Pádraig Mac Lochlainn and Denise Mitchell.
Amendment declared carried.
Question put: "That the motion, as amended, be agreed to."
The Dáil divided: Tá, 74; Níl, 57; Staon, 0.
Tá
- Brophy, Colm.
- Browne, James.
- Bruton, Richard.
- Burke, Colm.
- Butler, Mary.
- Byrne, Thomas.
- Cahill, Jackie.
- Calleary, Dara.
- Cannon, Ciarán.
- Carey, Joe.
- Carroll MacNeill, Jennifer.
- Chambers, Jack.
- Collins, Niall.
- Costello, Patrick.
- Coveney, Simon.
- Creed, Michael.
- Crowe, Cathal.
- Devlin, Cormac.
- Dillon, Alan.
- Donnelly, Stephen.
- Donohoe, Paschal.
- Duffy, Francis Noel.
- English, Damien.
- Farrell, Alan.
- Feighan, Frankie.
- Flaherty, Joe.
- Flanagan, Charles.
- Fleming, Sean.
- Foley, Norma.
- Griffin, Brendan.
- Harris, Simon.
- Haughey, Seán.
- Heydon, Martin.
- Higgins, Emer.
- Hourigan, Neasa.
- Humphreys, Heather.
- Kehoe, Paul.
- Lahart, John.
- Lawless, James.
- Leddin, Brian.
- Madigan, Josepha.
- Martin, Catherine.
- Martin, Micheál.
- McAuliffe, Paul.
- McConalogue, Charlie.
- McGrath, Michael.
- McGuinness, John.
- McHugh, Joe.
- Moynihan, Aindrias.
- Moynihan, Michael.
- Murnane O'Connor, Jennifer.
- Naughton, Hildegarde.
- Noonan, Malcolm.
- O'Brien, Darragh.
- O'Brien, Joe.
- O'Callaghan, Jim.
- O'Connor, James.
- O'Dea, Willie.
- O'Donnell, Kieran.
- O'Dowd, Fergus.
- O'Gorman, Roderic.
- O'Sullivan, Christopher.
- O'Sullivan, Pádraig.
- Ó Cathasaigh, Marc.
- Ó Cuív, Éamon.
- Phelan, John Paul.
- Rabbitte, Anne.
- Richmond, Neale.
- Ring, Michael.
- Ryan, Eamon.
- Smith, Brendan.
- Smyth, Niamh.
- Smyth, Ossian.
- Troy, Robert.
Níl
- Andrews, Chris.
- Bacik, Ivana.
- Barry, Mick.
- Berry, Cathal.
- Boyd Barrett, Richard.
- Brady, John.
- Browne, Martin.
- Buckley, Pat.
- Cairns, Holly.
- Canney, Seán.
- Carthy, Matt.
- Clarke, Sorca.
- Collins, Michael.
- Conway-Walsh, Rose.
- Cronin, Réada.
- Crowe, Seán.
- Cullinane, David.
- Daly, Pa.
- Doherty, Pearse.
- Donnelly, Paul.
- Ellis, Dessie.
- Farrell, Mairéad.
- Fitzpatrick, Peter.
- Funchion, Kathleen.
- Gannon, Gary.
- Gould, Thomas.
- Guirke, Johnny.
- Healy-Rae, Danny.
- Healy-Rae, Michael.
- Howlin, Brendan.
- Kenny, Martin.
- Mac Lochlainn, Pádraig.
- McDonald, Mary Lou.
- McGrath, Mattie.
- McNamara, Michael.
- Mitchell, Denise.
- Munster, Imelda.
- Murphy, Catherine.
- Murphy, Verona.
- Nash, Ged.
- Nolan, Carol.
- O'Callaghan, Cian.
- O'Donoghue, Richard.
- O'Reilly, Louise.
- O'Rourke, Darren.
- Ó Broin, Eoin.
- Ó Murchú, Ruairí.
- Ó Ríordáin, Aodhán.
- Ryan, Patricia.
- Sherlock, Sean.
- Shortall, Róisín.
- Smith, Duncan.
- Stanley, Brian.
- Tóibín, Peadar.
- Tully, Pauline.
- Ward, Mark.
- Whitmore, Jennifer.
Staon
Tellers: Tá, Deputies Hildegarde Naughton and Cormac Devlin; Níl, Deputies Pádraig Mac Lochlainn and Denise Mitchell.
Question declared carried.
Cuireadh an Dáil ar athló ar 8.19 p.m. go dtí 9 a.m., Déardaoin, an 16 Feabhra 2023.
The Dáil adjourned at 8.19 p.m. until 9 a.m. on Thursday, 16 February 2023.