Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 July 2018
2505. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost of introducing a cost of disability payment of €20 per week to persons with disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33492/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra2510. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full year cost of increasing all basic social protection payments by €5, €7 and €10, respectively; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33501/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra2511. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full year cost of increasing the living alone allowance by €2, €3 and €5, respectively; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33502/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra2512. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full year cost of increasing the fuel allowance by €7 and €10, respectively, and extending it by a further four weeks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33503/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 2505 and 2510 to 2512, inclusive, together.
The accurate costing of introducing a “cost of disability” payment would require clear definitions of qualifying conditions and research into the prevalence of these conditions leading to estimates of the numbers of persons who would potentially qualify. It is likely that it would also require significant administrative spending in establishing the information technology and other systems that would be required to administer such a payment.
One indication of the scale of potential additional programme spending would be to estimate the additional annual cost of increasing the main social protection payments that are targeted at long-term illness and disability conditions. These include invalidity pension (for adults with sufficient social insurance contributions) and disability allowance (for persons aged 16-66) and those in receipt of domiciliary care allowance (paid in respect of children under 16 years). It is estimated that the annual cost of increasing these three payments by the equivalent of €20 per week would be approximately €220 million.
The estimated full year cost in 2019 of increasing all primary weekly social assistance and social insurance payments by €5, €7 and €10 is €347.6 million, €486.9 million and €695.6 million respectively. These costs include proportionate increases for qualified adults and for those on reduced rates of payment, where relevant.
The estimated full year cost in 2019 of increasing the living alone allowance by €2, €3, and €5 is €21.85 million, €32.8 million and €54.6 million respectively.
The estimated full year cost of increasing the weekly rate of fuel allowance by €7 and €10 for the duration of the fuel season is €72.1 million and €102.95 million respectively. The cost of extending the duration of the fuel season by four weeks, from 27 weeks to 31 weeks, is €34.3 million.
It should be noted that these costings are subject to change in the context of emerging trends and associated revision of the estimated numbers of recipients for 2019.
