Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 February 2017
297. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Social Protection the first-year cost in 2017 and the full-year cost in 2018 of measures announced in budget 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5445/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 2017 and 2018 costs of the Department’s Budget 2017 measures are outlined in the table.
|
Budget 2017 Measures |
2017 Cost (€m) |
2018 cost (€m) |
|
€5 Weekly Rate increases |
||
|
Increase the weekly rates of payment €5 per week for pensioners and recipients aged under 66, with proportional increases for qualified adults and those on reduced rates [March 2017]. |
284.5 |
349 |
|
Social Insurance Improvements for the Self-Employed |
||
|
Social insurance cover for self-employed will be extended to dental and optical benefits [March 2017] and Invalidity Pension [December 2017]. |
5 |
27.5 |
|
Treatment Benefits |
||
|
The Dental Benefit scheme will be expanded to include an annual free scale and polish and the Optical Benefit scheme will include the option of either free spectacles or a contribution (€42) towards the cost of upgraded spectacles. These measures will apply to both insured employees and self-employed. [October 2017] |
9 |
47 |
|
Farmers |
||
|
Improvements in the means testing arrangements for lower-income farmers on Farm Assist including farm families with children [March 8, 2017] and expansion of the Rural Social scheme by 500 places [2017]. |
10.5 |
17 |
|
Lone Parents |
||
|
Increase of €20 per week in the income disregard for One Parent Family Payment and the Jobseeker’s Transition payment, from €90 to €110 per week [January 2017]. |
9 |
9 |
|
Children |
||
|
Increase funding for the School Meals scheme [2017]. |
3 |
8 |
|
People with Disabilities |
||
|
New funding for projects to provide pre-activation supports for people with disabilities [2017]. |
2 |
2 |
|
Miscellaneous Improvements |
||
|
Including the introduction of a cost of education allowance for Back to Education recipients with children (Sept., 2017), increasing the €166 Back to Education Allowance weekly rate for people under 26 to €188 [Sept., 2017], additional funding for the Community Services programme [2017], introducing payment of the Carer’s Allowance for 12 weeks where care recipients enters a nursing home [Jan 2017] etc. |
7 |
9 |
|
Total |
330 |
468.5 |
