Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 6 July 2023
151. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will increase social welfare payments in the next Budget to ensure that everyone in the State has at least a minimum essential standard of living; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33171/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Minimum Essential Standard of Living (MESL) is an assessment of the minimum income needed to live and partake in the social and economic norms of everyday life for various household types.
One of the benefits of the work of the Vincentian MESL Research Centre is that it provides an analysis of the different levels of income needed for a wide range of household types, including the different costs that arise for households in rural and urban locations.
For instance, the latest MESL Annual Update shows the differences in the cost of meeting households needs in urban and rural areas. Differentiating social welfare payment rates based on location would be problematic.
The work of the MESL also highlights issues that may be better solved with greater access to services, rather than increases in income. In this regard, having access to secondary benefits such as medical cards and supports in the areas of housing and childcare can result in significant reductions in the minimum income standards needed by households, which presents another difficulty in using the MESL as a benchmark for the level of social welfare payments alone.
For these reasons, while not used as a benchmark in and of itself, the work of the Vincentian MESL Research Centre at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul is and will continue to be – a valuable input into our policy-making process.
Throughout 2022, and into this year Government has provided a range of unprecedented supports to protect people and families as the cost of living has increased. This includes a €2.2 Billion Social Protection Budget 2023 Package - the largest in the history of the state – which included eight lump sum payments in the last quarter of 2022, and a further package announced in February, providing over €410 million in additional Social Protection supports to households and families.
I will continue to prioritise evidence-based measures aimed at supporting the most vulnerable in our society.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
