The debate will follow the normal pattern. The Minister has ten minutes in which to make her opening remarks, group spokespersons have 15 minutes and all other Senators have five minutes. The Minister will be called on to reply no later than 5.50 p.m. Before I call the Minister, I do not know whether to congratulate or commiserate with her. She is about to-----
Social Welfare Bill 2024: Second Stage
I said exactly the same to her outside.
-----retire from public office, but hopefully not public life. She has been a great advocate for her county and community throughout her public career and was also a great advocate during her time at community level. I am sure this will continue. We had many long meetings when she was the Minister in charge of the decade of commemorations, which has been a huge success, in the run-up to 2016. This presented many challenges but, as Minister, she rose to them and explained how we could remember and reflect in an inclusive way and ensure this would be done respectfully. I wish her a long and happy retirement from public life.
Hear, hear.
That will allow her to come to Kerry more often. We hope to see her down in the kingdom.
The Leas-Chathaoirleach will always have a place for her to stay, no doubt.
No doubt. Absolutely.
I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach for his kind words. It is great to be back in Seanad Éireann to introduce this Bill, my fifth and final budget measure, for approval.
The purpose of the Bill is to give legislative effect to many of the very substantial improvements in social protection announced on budget day. I am pleased to say that this year's budget represents the largest social welfare package in the history of the State, with over €2.6 billion being invested to support families across the State. This should have a real impact in alleviating the ongoing cost-of-living pressures that many households continue to face.
There are 19 sections in the Bill, which I will outline to the House now. Section 1 provides for definitions of the relevant Acts. Section 2 provides that employers with employees on the national minimum wage will continue to attract the lower rate of employer PRSI following the increase in the national minimum wage in January of 2025. This section will come into operation on the same day as the national minimum wage increase on 1 January 2025 and will result in savings of €616 in employer PRSI for each full-time employee on the minimum wage. Section 3 along with section 10 provides access to carer's benefit for the self-employed. Section 4 provides for a €15 increase in the weekly rate of maternity benefit to €289 from this coming January. Sections 5 to 7, inclusive, provide for the equivalent increases with regard to adoptive benefit, paternity benefit and parent's benefit, respectively. Section 8 gives effect to the increases in the graduated rate of jobseeker's benefit and jobseeker's benefit for the self-employed. Section 9 is a minor amendment to correct a layout error in the existing legislation. Section 11 provides for a once-off payment of €282 for newborn or adopted children born after 1 December 2024. I am particularly glad, as I am sure Senators are too, that Christmas babies this year will be included, as the date was brought back from the original date of 1 January. This payment will be given in addition to child benefit and will generally be paid in the first month after the child's birth or adoption. Section 12 increases the carer's support grant from €1,850 to €2,000. This is the highest it has ever been and is €300 more than the rate when I became Minister.
Section 13 provides for a €60 increase in the weekly income thresholds of the working family payment for all family sizes. This will mean that existing recipients whose employment earnings do not increase will see their payments rise by €36 per week. The working family payment is a key tool in helping to address child poverty. Section 14 provides the regulatory power to vary rates of payment of child benefit and the working family payment. This will enable the implementation of the following cost-of-living measures: the payment of a double rate of child benefit in November and December 2024 and the payment of a €400 lump-sum to recipients of the working family payment early next month. Following the enactment of this legislation, the necessary regulations will be signed by me in conjunction with my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, Deputy Donohoe. In line with my request of Deputies in the Lower House, I would appreciate the co-operation of Members of this House to expedite the passage of this Bill. It is necessary that this Bill is passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas before the Hallowe'en recess to enable those important measures to be implemented.
Section 15 increases the reduction from €44 per week to €90 per week to the maximum rate of jobseeker's allowance or jobseeker's benefit in cases of non-compliance with my Department's programmes to help jobseekers to secure employment. Reductions in jobseeker's rates are intended to encourage compliance with the requirements that jobseekers are available for, and genuinely seeking, employment; actively engaging with the Department's Intreo public employment service; and where appropriate, participating in supported employment, education or training programmes. Reduced rates are only applied of jobseekers do not engage with the State's employment services. In addition, prior to the application of the reduced rate, jobseekers will receive at least two notifications inviting them to engage or to offer a reasonable explanation for their inability to engage. The consequences of not engaging are clearly communicated to them and where they have valid reasons for any failure to engage, like illness or childcare considerations, for example, these will be considered. There will be a pro rata reduction for supplementary welfare allowance. In circumstances where a jobseeker's payment has been reduced for non-compliance, full payment rates are immediately restored once jobseekers re-engage with the support programmes on offer from my Department. The current reduced rates are in place since 2011 and weekly social welfare rates have increased significantly in the interim. In a time of full employment and a tight labour market, with many employers seeking additional staff, this is an appropriate change to make.
Section 16 and Schedule 1 make provisions for increases in the rate of social insurance payments. I am very pleased that the Bill will facilitate a €12 per week increase in the maximum personal rate of PRSI-based benefits.
Similarly, section 17 and Schedule 2 provide for a €12 per week increase in social assistance payments, which are subject to a means test. It also provides for increases to qualified adults and other increases where relevant, for example, the living alone allowance.
Section 18 provides for an increase in the rate of domiciliary care allowance from €340 to €360 per month. The domiciliary care allowance is a payment in recognition of the additional burden involved in caring for children with a severe disability, it is not means-tested and it is paid monthly. This is the third year in a row that I have increased the rate of domiciliary care allowance. I am also proud of all the various improvements that I have delivered to support carers over my term in office. Supporting carers was a particular priority of mine on taking up office. I am sure Senators will agree that we have made significant strides in this regard. There is more work to do here but we have made a good start.
Finally, section 19 is the Short Title of the legislation.
As I said in my opening remarks, this is my fifth and final budget as Minister for Social Protection. At the outset of this Government, we were presented enormous challenge of responding to a global pandemic, and respond we did with a very significant set of supports for businesses, employees and those in receipt of social welfare. Following that, we were faced with the pressures of rising prices arising from Brexit and the war in Ukraine. We have responded with successive budgets to cushion vulnerable people in our society through increases in core social welfare rates, and also by way of some generous lump sums. I know that these payments were very much welcomed by those most in need.
I am very proud of what has been achieved in social protection, for example, long-term carer's pension contributions, pay-related benefit and auto-enrolment. All of this could not be done without the resilient staff of the Department of Social Protection. As I bow out of my role, I would like to thank the staff in the Department. I know that I speak for everybody here when I pay tribute to the wonderful service they provide, not just at departmental level but in every single office right across the country. In fairness to the staff, when a person rings up looking for benefits or to apply for something they will always give every possible option and they are very good at informing people that they can apply for other benefits. They do a wonderful job.
I also thank the House. Debates have always been constructive. I commend the Bill to the House and look forward to hearing the contributions of the Senators.
If it is agreeable, I wish to share my time with Senator Dolan.
Is that agreed? Agreed.
The Minister is very welcome to the House. I was in Skerries this morning canvassing with our fantastic candidate, Grace Boland, and we met numerous people. I met a woman and we had a chat. I just asked her how she was getting on and she said, "Sure amn't I flying it. I am going getting a load of money in the pension in the next couple of weeks because of Heather Humphreys." Mention was made about meeting people on the ground and how people appreciate the increases, I have just given an example from this morning of someone who is really looking forward to their payments. What I said to the woman is "If you want that to continue, make sure you support the Government at the next election", and her very quick response was, "But Heather won't be there so what'll we do?" To which I responded, "We have all learned within government to be more like Heather so that will continue into the future."
As the Minister said, this is the largest social welfare budget that has ever been put forward. Approximately ten payments will be made between now and the end of the year. Some people have tried to make fun of the fact that so many payments are going out and so much money is being delivered but they are going to people who are vulnerable and need support and whom we recognise need money now and quickly at a difficult time of year.
As she also said, she has done an awful lot for carers. Such work would be recognised by carers and Family Carers Ireland.
There is always more to do - that is the nature of politics - but the Minister has made a huge contribution to carers in her role as Minister for Social Protection. The carer's support grant is an obvious one, which is now up to €2,000.
The Minister has also increased the jobseeker's benefit which is very important because the cost of living is very difficult and when people are between jobs, they need support. Under the new changes the Minister has made for people who are out of work for a short period, the rate of payment will be up to €450. That is a big step because the drop in income for families can be dramatic.
The one-off payments are significant. The child benefit one is huge for many families with young children. The Minister is introducing a payment for newborns. She welcomed the fact that Christmas babies will be included in that. A constituent told me that the Minister could have given people a heads-up that this payment was going to come nine months ago. We would probably have more babies at Christmas time if that had been the case.
On a serious note, I listened to the Minister's interview on Sunday in which she spoke about her contribution and the many roles she has played, a number of which have been mentioned. The one she is most proud of is the hot school meals initiative.
Hear, hear.
I have two examples to show her why she should be proud of it. Last week, I was in Geneva for an Inter-Parliamentary Union conference with Senator Craughwell and Deputy Denis Naughten. There was a side debate, which was led by the Irish Parliament and the Tanzanian Parliament, about the importance of hot school meals and why they should be introduced in other countries. It was well attended but what was very interesting was that other countries could not get over that we are doing this for every single child in the country. They asked why it was not means-tested and why it was not only a certain number of people who benefited. We said that that could be done but it would discriminate against different kids from different backgrounds. We have developed a scheme where every kid is treated the same and gets a hot school meal, regardless of background, where they grew up and family and other circumstances. Every child in a school sees it in the exact same way. It was very interesting because there was an Australian MP present. Sometimes people say Australia is a great country and talk about the things it does. The Australian MPs could not get over that we have this scheme and how we are able to deliver it. They are going back to Australia saying they need to do what is being delivered by the Minister in this country.
On a lighter note on the hot school meals subject, I left Clonmel early this morning because I was coming up to Skerries and I could not drop Jamie to school or Daniel to the crèche. I was only gone about a half an hour when I got a phone call from my wife saying that Jamie wanted to know what he was having for dinner today. I had to go on to the system to find out what he was having and it was chicken curry. He got excited but he wanted to see a picture, so I had to screenshot the picture and send it back to Laura. He then had to look at the dinner he was getting and when he saw it was chicken curry, and there was chicken and rice and stuff in it, he was all excited.
It is the simple things that make a big difference. That initiative was only brought into the school this year and when talking to the principal and teachers I hear of the impact it has had on kids of all social backgrounds with regard to learning. It makes a big difference. We have done so many things in early years childcare by reducing costs but in education and schools, the hot school meals scheme is a huge change for kids and a real development. As the Minister said on RTÉ on Sunday, she can be very proud that children in every school in this country, regardless of where they are from, who their parents are and where they live, can get a hot school meal. It is something to be very proud of.
I will end on that note and make way for Senator Dolan. I welcome the many payments that have been given out. It would take an hour and a half to go through all of them individually. Once again, this is a budget where the Government has been in a position, because of a well-managed economy, to make decisions to help people who need that help at a critical time. That is to be commended.
The Minister has visited Roscommon and Galway multiple times because so many projects have received funding from the Department of Rural and Community Development, CLÁR, the town and village renewal scheme, the community centres fund and project development measures.
Innovative policies and measures that have made a difference have been introduced. If people say they want to live and work in rural areas, we want to ensure that there are supports and amenities in place. That is what it is all about.
Councillors had not seen the level of funding the Minister has provided during her term of office for many years. I am sure she hears this in places she visits. I pay tribute to her dedication in meeting various groups across the country. She always has a smile for people and is full of enthusiasm and energy. On the occasions when she visited my area, we would have six or seven different events in one day. I would probably have tried to pack more in. Every time she visited, the Minister greeted people and was interested in speaking to them and hearing their stories in order to learn what was happening in the community centres.
Last week, Virgin Media send a camera crew to Moore Community Centre. The centre received funding of more than €100,000. It has a programme called "Fit Farmer" that involves a movement mentor. Virgin Media was there to film people taking part in an exercise class in their brand-new community centre. Communities and people benefit from the fact that they are able to have these services provided nearby. We say that there is €1 million being allocated here and another €1 million being allocated there, but what this actually means is that there is potential for an early childcare service to be provided in a community centre. Someone could be contracted to provide after-school care in a community centre. There could be training courses or exercise classes provided. The connected hubs funding could be rolled out. This would provide places for people to work close to home. Those are things the Minister has achieved. As a member of Fine Gael, I am so proud each time I have been able to show the Minister what she has achieved since entering the Department. She has represented her community. I am sure that in Cavan-Monaghan and Cootehill there are many sad faces today. I can well understand why that would be the case.
The Minister has transformed these communities as a result of what she has done. On the CLÁR programme, coming out of the pandemic, the Minister looked at how we could support meals on wheels services. That benefited Ballinasloe social services, which provided meals to CLÁR areas in Roscommon and Galway within a radius of 10 to 20 km. The Minister has provided emergency buses to bring people for treatment. This is very important for those who live in areas where there are no bus services. The availability of these buses is important when people need to go for chemotherapy or radiation treatment. People are living long, active and healthy lives but they sometimes need help along the way. Help along the way means being able to get the bus to travel for treatment in a timely way or as a matter of urgency, when necessary.
The Minister has visited some really lovely locations. Now she has time with her family, I hope she gets to go back and relax and enjoy them more. We visited Strokestown when the new investment for the National Famine Museum was announced. Of course, that was excellent. The Minister visited rugby clubs in Ballinasloe and elsewhere to announce money for walking tracks. Hopefully, she will get to walk around some of them now. She has done so much that is going to have a major impact. I hope she will get to visit these places again and really enjoy them.
One of the most important matters for people in rural areas who contact my office is the fuel allowance. That is the issue I hear about the most. We have signs up and I keep telling people that a few years ago we expanded the scheme for those over 70 years of age. Some people think they may not be eligible. I have people of 75 or 80 who come in and tell me that they face challenges with costs because their pension does not cover this, that or the other. A couple can now get up to €1,000. I know there were probably changes again in the budget but the fact that this was expanded to those over 70 has made a huge impact. During the debate on a Commencement matter I raised earlier, I was informed that, based on census data, there was a 40% increase in the number people over 65 years of age in the period 2013 to 2022. We are seeing that this trend is continuing. The number of people over 65 stands at 800,000. By 2050, there will be 1.5 million people over the age of 65 in this country. That is a massive increase.
In the context of the recent budget, one of the changes I really like is that carers can now apply for the fuel allowance. This is an extremely important measure for carers because it is recognition of the work they do. Once they are eligible for fuel allowance, all of these people can apply for the retrofit grants. I remind those in receipt of the fuel allowance who may be listening to these proceedings to apply for the retrofit grants offered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland.
As a Fine Gael spokesperson in the Seanad, I acknowledge the work done in respect of hot school meals. Senator Garret Ahearn has spoken about this as well. I know principals who are overjoyed by this initiative. Many schools wanted to be involved with the pilot scheme that was run last year.
It is incredible to think we only had 30 schools five years ago and that it went up to 2,000 schools. The Minister's intent through the budget this year is that all schools will have hot school meals by the end of 2025. She also put a hunger pilot in place for particularly vulnerable areas. Kids are delighted. Putting ovens and storage areas in schools has made it practical and accessible. It is one of the proud achievements of Government over the past number of years.
I acknowledge the community recognition fund. Many communities have welcomed new families into Ireland. There has been a recognition of what they have done. These can be local supports or playgrounds but particularly around childcare. There was more than €500,000 for The Growing Tree childcare facility in Ballaghaderreen. It was an amazing investment. I see three-year waiting lists for childcare at the moment. We need to see how we use those funds and how local authorities apply and use those community recognition funds in a way that benefits areas like childcare and family resources centres, which is what we struggle with and do not have. In the time the Minister has left, I hope she will call for those types of funding for family resource centres and childcare and how to best use community recognition fund. I know there is no end to the Minister's energy and enthusiasm. I am sure that will not change. No one will tell me otherwise because I have seen it. I hope I have the benefit of getting to show her again, in a more relaxed way perhaps, when she comes to visit Roscommon and Galway. I appreciate everything she has done for our counties. I know I speak for many councillors who have enjoyed having the Minister come to visit over the past few years.
The Minister is welcome to the House. My first encounter with the Minister was watching her on the "Six One News" being hammered in this House over the by-election that saw me elected to the House. She behaved herself with dignity on that occasion. She took everything that was thrown at her in style. I have always admired her way of handling these things.
And you are the result of it all.
I am disappointed we are running all Stages of the Bill through the House. I would like to see amendments. There are things in the Bill about which I would like to talk. The Minister has delivered a great deal for a lot of people not just in this budget but in the five budgets she delivered in my time here. It is not good enough to start throwing things at the Minister just for the hell of it. She has done a good job. She has been a tough Minister, clearly, to have gotten the funds she has over the years. She has delivered well in her time. I am here to say I think she will be missed. A neighbour of mine said to me on hearing of her impending retirement, "Sure why is that one going, she is still young?" It is sad to see somebody who has such energy move on. I will not hammer her Bill. I wish her well with it and I thank her for what she has done. I have nothing more to say to her but to thank her for that.
I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach and the Minister. I also thank Senator Craughwell for being so brief. I will try to be as brief; I am not sure if I will be that brief. We should have renamed this "Tributes to Heather Humphreys Day" - why not? Maybe we should do that tomorrow or the next day. I congratulate her, as I did in the anteroom on the way in. I said I did not know if it should be congratulations or commiserations but I wish her very well in her, I hope, long and happy future. I do not think she will necessarily be sitting at home watching television all day. I would say she will be very active in whatever she does. I only realised at the weekend that we both entered public life around the same and we were both co-opted in the big co-option at the end of 2003 into various different seats for TDs and Senators. Here we both are. She is bowing out after a successful career in various ministries. The first time I really encountered her was in what became known as the birds and bees legislation, which was hedge cutting. There was an awful lot of controversy about hedge cutting and what it would do inside and outside fields and on roads. I learned a lot and I am sure she probably learned a little bit as well, not just about politics but about nature. She has been through a lot of Departments and she has done great work in all of them.
We are here to discuss the Social Welfare Bill, so I will be relatively brief. I acknowledge in the Minister's opening remarks the very comprehensive detail she has given not just about all the benefits but on the sections. I am not going to repeat any of those.
It is important to point out that there are ten different cost-of-living payments that will be made before Christmas and will support parents, pensioners, carers and people with disabilities. They include a €300 once-off payment to householders receiving the fuel allowance payment; two double payments of child benefit; a €200 once-off payment for pensioners and people with disabilities receiving the living alone allowance; a payment of €400 to all carers receiving the carer's support grant; a €400 disability support grant for people receiving invalidity pension, disability or blind pension; a €400 payment to families receiving the working family payment; an October cost-of-living double payment followed by the Christmas bonus double payment in December; and a €100 child support payment, formerly called the increase for a qualified child. There are loads more. It is the volume, as the Minister outlined. It is the largest social welfare package ever, which, of course, is understandable. The money is getting larger and our population is getting larger and thankfully, our population is living longer. It is wonderful that they are but it is not free. There is a cost to it.
I congratulate the Minister on all of what she has done and how she has been able to deliver in this Department and others. The Covid payment and all that went with that, in comparison to so many other countries, was phenomenal. It was genuinely significant in how much people got and for how long they got it. It really gave a safety net to an awful lot of people. Again, this is in addition to the energy credit Bill that we passed last week. I am very conscious that we need to pass and deliver this today, so I am certainly not going to use my 15 minutes.
I would raise one point with the Minister, and it will not be for her to do at this stage. I raised it with a predecessor of the Minister's, Deputy Leo Varadkar, a very long time ago. It is the class K issue. First, we call it pay-related social insurance, PRSI. Insurance means you pay something in, and if you need it, you get a benefit. Unfortunately, when I lost my seat in 2020 for a brief period, there was nothing. It was at the time of Covid. We did not qualify for Covid payments or we did not qualify for carer's benefit or anything at all - optical benefit, dental benefit or all those things. If we pay something in, we should be entitled to the benefits. If we pay in nothing, that is different. Class K was at 0% for a long time. That is fine, and if people pay nothing, they do not expect anything but if they are paying the same PRSI as everybody else, on the grounds of fairness, we should all be entitled to the same benefits. I would like one of the Minister's successors to appreciate that fact sooner rather than later because in a time when many politicians had other jobs, it may not have been an issue. They were paying other classes of PRSI and in other ways but many politicians now are full time, and it means they are losing out on pension credits and all the other benefits - optical, dental and everything. I went to the dentist recently and I got a letter back. I did not even look for the dentist. I was asked for my PRSI number, off I went, and it came back that I was not entitled to anything. I know the Minister is familiar with the issue but I would like to see it rectified for the benefit of everybody in these Houses. I have no problem paying in. I am happy to pay in but if we are paying in like everyone else, we should be entitled like everyone else.
I will conclude on that. I am not being negative but it is just something I know the Minister will bring to the attention of her successors and leave as a note on file for them. This is a fantastic social welfare Bill. I am not going to delay its passage through these Houses and I wish the Minister well with the rest of it, and in her retirement.
I have two points. I could not but come in when I saw the Minister was in the Chamber. I have really enjoyed her from day one since I became a Senator. We do not have enough strong, female rural voices in Dublin and in Leinster House. The Minister is as good as two of them. It has been really refreshing-----
The Senator is another two.
Men are always interrupting us.
In a good and positive way.
No thanks. The Senator can stop talking now. It is my turn. I did not interrupt him.
Senator Garvey, without interruption.
I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach. There you go; a case in point. What I was trying to say is it is difficult being a woman in politics. It is difficult being a politician now anyway, and it is harder than it has ever been before because of social media and all that stuff, and the free-for-all relating to keyboard warriors. My experience is that sometimes it can be difficult for the men to hear us or actually listen to what we are saying but the Minister has managed to do that in spades. That is a great skill and one that I would flag with other women to look at and learn and see how she did it. I will be watching her carefully and I have been because I find that challenging sometimes.
When a woman makes a suggestion, it is brushed over, but when a man makes it, people say it is a great idea. I have been surprised by that happening here. Even the best men in the world sometimes do not realise that is what they do quite regularly, unfortunately.
Aside from that rant, there are plenty of good men here. Having rural representation and working on rural and community development shows us how the Minister understood that role and the challenges facing communities in rural areas, in particular, as well as communities in general. I have seen her work first-hand and it has brought huge benefits to communities around me. In in fairness, the Minister of State, Deputy Joe O'Brien, has done a good bit on SICAP and is looking at providing hunger meals during the summer and so on. It is great to have somebody who has the lived experience of living in a rural area and wants to try to empower local communities. I want to acknowledge that.
I do not know if the Minister will be in here again in the lifetime of this Government the way things are going. I do not want to miss the opportunity to thank her. I want to mention a few of the great things she brought in under this Bill. I cannot but mention the baby boost, which was the brainchild of my colleague, the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman. The Minister took it on and did not have to pretend it was her idea. She was happy that it was a good idea and went with it. It will see €420 paid to every newborn child. That is really good. The two double child benefit payments before Christmas are very good as well, because that is a very hard time for parents.
The free travel companion pass for all over 70s is really good. I started an older retirement group four years ago. My favourite thing to do is sit down for a couple of hours and listen to older people. When we listen to them, we find out what their needs are. The Minister has been a good listener. Hence she is putting money where it is needed. Having a free companion pass for all of those aged over 70 is a brilliant idea because they can bring a grandchild, cousin, son or daughter with them. Giorraíonn beirt bóthar. Two always shorten the road.
The extension of the carer's benefit to self-employed people is really important. A lot of people where I live are self-employed. I could go on, but others have listed all of the things Minister has done. It is probably too late for her to do anything about this now, but I keep meeting self-employed people who have injured themselves or are sick. They do not get any sick, maternity or paternity leave. We have done a lot for employees over the past couple of years as a Government in improving sick pay and maternity and paternity leave, but we have not done the same for the self-employed.
It is very scary for a self-employed person to become physically unable to work due to an accident or illness. I meet people on the doors who have raised this issue with me. It is something we have to take seriously. A lot of jobs in rural areas are provided by smaller companies and businesses. People who are self-employed struggle, but if they have employees, they have to make sure they get maternity, paternity and sick leave. As a House and Government, we need to do more to help the self-employed.
I welcome the extension of the carer's benefit to the self-employed. It is also good that we have extended what people can earn in respect of means-testing to, I understand, €624, which is brilliant because they can earn up to that amount and still get the carer's allowance. That is important because we have to do more for carers.
Go n-éirí an bóthar leat. Níl tú críochnaithe go fóill. The Minister was always pleasant and positive with a can-do attitude. I take that with me.
I welcome Deputy Richard Bruton to the Gallery. He is most welcome. He is another man who will find out the art of how to spend time without spending money.
I want to join with colleagues in wishing the Minister the very best into the future. I have dealt with her since I came into this House four and half years ago and I have served on the social protection committee and dealt with various Bills. I have always found her to be most co-operative in everything she does and very fair in listening to the points that have been raised by Members on the Opposition and on any committee I have been on. I have no doubt that she is only starting another chapter in her life and I look forward to seeing where it takes. I wish her the very best.
I also wish, having listened to the vox pop from her voters last night, that the voters in south Kildare will do something for me. It was unbelievable listening to those interviewed yesterday and the esteem in which they hold the Minister.
That is a credit to the Minister and what she has done in politics.
This is a very positive Bill and the Labour Party will be supporting it and its passage through the House in the quickest possible time. There are many positives in this Bill, which the Minister worked on for a long time, which is a credit to her. Over the period of time she has brought much through. With every Bill there are inconsistencies and through my work in clinics I see them. There are a number of points I want to bring up with the Minister today.
I want to start with a subject I have been dealing with over the past four to five weeks. I know of up to ten people who are losing their fuel allowance. We are in the middle of a housing crisis as has been mentioned by many of my colleagues. What is happening in a lot of cases is that people have moved out but unfortunately, where they moved to has not worked out and they therefore have moved back to their parental home. As a result of that, unfortunately their parents lose their fuel allowance. In the housing crisis, this is not right. It is something I have raised with the Minister previously and I have encountered five examples in recent weeks. There seems to be a review of this going on at the moment. As I say, I have encountered up to ten examples this year alone where a parent has lost their fuel allowance after giving a room back to their son or daughter. This is wrong because while fuel allowance is €33 plus, were that person to be paid for HAP by the State, he or she would be at entitled to at least €700 per month, were he or she to qualify for housing. It is an anomaly that needs to be looked at. I have raised this issue before. The fuel allowance means a lot to the five people who in the last number of weeks have been under review and have lost it. The Minister has done a lot of work on fuel allowance but this is an area that the next Minister, whosoever that might be, needs to look at and change.
I welcome the fact of the increases in domiciliary care. It is a great grant and the Minister has been to forefront in raising it. We have discussed that at the committee on social protection. There is one issue with domiciliary care, which is that it stops at 16 years of age. We have spoken before about raising that to 18 years and whosoever is in government next time needs to ensure that happens. The number of times over the past couple of weeks and since the budget that I have been asked by parents about their 16-year-olds and how they go about ensuring that they keep domiciliary care or – and this is a bit strange to me - how they go about applying for disability allowance for a 16-year-old is not right. I know the Minister has commented on this before, but domiciliary care, which is a great payment as I have said, needs to be extended to 18 years of age from its current limit of 16 years of age.
Another issue that we have spoken about before at the committee on social protection is the area of funeral expenses at the most difficult time for families. This is an issue I have brought up with the Minister before and which I get more and more of as I work through my own clinics. At present, from dealing with local community welfare officers, this seems to be centralised in Sligo. I honestly believe that the compassion has gone out of it and I am saying that to the Minister today with the greatest of respect. I dealt yesterday with two cases in Athy where people have now to explain how much they are spending each week at their most difficult hour. This is totally wrong. They have to send back a profit and loss account, for want of a better description, as to how much they are spending each week to qualify for assistance through the community welfare services. That is wrong on so many levels. Those people at their most difficult hour need compassion and the Minister has shown compassion throughout her tenure as Minister. However, at this stage this is wrong and we need to look at funeral expenses again.
Carer's allowance is something the Minister and I have debated over for four long years and in fairness, she has increased the means test on every occasion. Obviously in my opinion there should be no means test for carer's allowance. The Minister is working on that and has laid out a plan to work through it and I also welcome, as has been said before, that carers now qualify for fuel allowance. That is to the Minister’s credit. It had been an issue for many people on carer’s allowance that they were losing out on fuel allowance. Thankfully, however, that has been alleviated through this budget. We need to end means-testing on carer's allowance as quickly as possible.
I come from County Kildare and the Minister will be well aware that we have a huge bog there called the Bog of Allen. Many people have made a business over a long time of selling a few bags of turf or whatever it is. That is coming to an end and these people realise it is coming to an end. One of the greatest difficulties a lot of people in that area are having is qualifying for a State pension, which in most cases will be non-contributary.
I have a case where a person has gone to an accountant who has done up a profit and loss account for them for the past couple of years but it is not being accepted by the Department. I find it very difficult that this is the case because this person has engaged and paid for a qualified certified accountant to show exactly what they have earned. They were selling a plot of turf or a couple of bags of turf but they are being told they are not providing the documentation even though they have provided documentation from a qualified accountant.
This is something we need to look at because we are encouraging people to stop using turf and all the restrictions that go with that but at the same time we are saying these people are not qualifying in this case. This is one of a number of cases I have. I might send this on to the Minister as I would appreciate some help with it. I believe this person has done the right thing in engaging a qualified accountant.
As I said earlier, I suffer from Crohn's disease. I am one of 50,000 people in this country who suffer from this disease. However, over the past couple of days I have had a number of cases. One case was of a person on invalidity pension who was told their Crohn's disease did not qualify as a condition for invalidity pension. I know this has to come through the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, and I intend to raise it with him as well. I have done some work with the Irish Society for Colitis and Crohn's Disease on this but there is an issue here. Crohn's disease is a lifelong condition. There is no cure for it. Many people suffer severe conditions on a daily basis with Crohn's disease and we need to look at it as a qualifying condition. As it was said to me this morning, some people can work. I can work because I am getting treatment. However, a percentage of those 50,000 people are confined to their houses on a daily basis and, in some cases, they are confined to their beds. It is simply not good enough to target everybody, saying Crohn's disease or colitis do not qualify. It is something we need to look at again. I mentioned it is not the Minister's area but local authorities are also denying Crohn's disease as a qualifying criteria. This is also something we need to look at.
I welcome the companion passes for over 70s. The Minister set out her stall in regard to those of an older age and I welcome the fact she has done this. It is something I have campaigned for before and it will make a difference. Rather than people going to their doctor to say they need a companion, the over 70s are now allowed to have that companion pass.
I mention the short-term payments. They are great; there is absolutely no doubt about that. However, I have mentioned previously the advertisement saying, "When they're gone, they're gone". The Labour Party welcomes them but I hope that whatever Government comes next will look at those payments from a long-term perspective because there is no doubt those people who qualify for the most are the ones who need the most. We need to look at longer-term payments rather than a short-term bonus. However, as I previously said, everyone welcomes them and the fact that money will circulate through the economy, local and rural economies in particular, is very welcome.
I know this is a social protection Bill but in the context of the rural economy, I want to thank the Minister for her work. It is very important that we encourage this. Coming from rural Athy in south Kildare, I have seen the work the Minister has done through various grants and I acknowledge that.
I join the Minister in thanking her Department of Social Protection staff. I have many dealings with them on a daily basis and I have never found them wanting in any way, shape or form. They have been very co-operative in anything I have asked for and have been there for me as a public representative over many years. It is important to acknowledge that fact, as the Minister did, and to send out a message of thanks to those who help us as public representatives on a daily basis.
I thank the Minister for being there anytime I have called on her and I wish her the very best in her future.
I welcome the Minister. It is nice to see her. I begin by wishing her well on her planned retirement. I congratulate her on her career in politics. At least she gets to plan her retirement. Some of us may have unplanned retirements in a few weeks' time. We wish the Minister well.
I will touch on a couple points and I will not take up too much time. As Senator Craughwell said, it is not ideal to be dealing with a Bill like this in one afternoon. There are many points I am sure many of us want to make, so I will leave most of my points for the amendments we put down on Committee Stage.
We will support the Bill.
There are many welcome points in it but we do have suggestions that we think would make the Bill better and we ask the Minister to consider them, even at this late stage. I will only touch on a couple. The first is something Senator Wall referred to which I have also come across, namely fuel allowance where adult children move back in with their parents and their parents lose out. The statistics are quite frightening. The Minister is probably aware that some seven out of ten adult children between the ages of 18 and 33 years are now living at home with their parents. That is something that never happened before and it is a reflection of the housing crisis for sure where people are trying to save money at home in order to get a home. I do not think parents should be penalised in that respect. It is something that is coming up fairly regularly when I meet people in Limerick. I ask that the Minister take a further look at that as it looks very unfair.
There is another issue on which my party has been very clear. The means test for carers needs to be abolished. It is as simple as that. It is entirely unfair. We think the Minister could have done that in this budget. There is another issue that I will raise in the amendments. The income disregards that the Minister has approved are being held off until July 2025. We cannot understand why they could not come in on 1 January. Family Carers Ireland understands from its engagement with the Department that its systems have been updated and the new disregards can easily be integrated so it is not clear why carers must wait 10 months for the new disregards to take effect. I would welcome a response on that.
My final point is one that is close to my heart. The Minister will be aware that we have proposed in last number of budgets the introduction of a parental bereavement and leave benefit of two weeks. The trauma of anyone losing a child is horrendous and, generally, people effectively have to go back to work after three days. We really need to look at that as an issue. We can certainly afford to do so. We propose leave of two weeks and we have proposed that for the past three years. I am told that the Minister has not generally commented on our proposal to date. She might do so this afternoon. I think it is a very worthwhile proposal and one which would have broad cross-party support.
Otherwise, I am quite content to raise the issues via the amendments I have tabled. I am conscious that we have less than a couple of hours left to deal with all of those. I wish the Minister well and thank her.
The Minister is very welcome. I concur with Senator Wall’s comments about her staff in the Department of Social Protection. I have always found them to be extremely courteous on any issue or query we may have had and in her own office, Pauric and everyone have always been extremely courteous. I also wish to compliment the Minister on an excellent Social Welfare Bill. I know how hard she fought at the earlier negotiations to get a significant financial package put in place and to put in place a scheme that would benefit the most vulnerable in our society. I know she was extremely passionate about extending the fuel allowance and schemes such as the hot school-meals programme which has been rolled out across the country. Ultimately, welfare is there to support those in need and they have been supported by the Minister to make sure those packages were put in place.
I strongly support the changes relating to jobseekers and those who do not engage. It is something for which I and other colleagues have strongly advocated and the Minister said prior to the budget that we need to create a gap between welfare and employment. Something we pick up from a lot of employers is that they are struggling to get people to fill roles. That is something the Minister wanted to address in the budget. We need to create that gap so I support the doubling of the penalty for those not engaging with the Department in relation to schemes or whatever.
On a personal level, it would be remiss of me not to speak about the significant amount of work the Minister has done over her years as a person in political life. I have known her for many years. She is someone who has been very supportive to me in my role as an elected representative in Longford and making sure the communities in my county have been supported.
I put on the record my personal thanks to her for that support. I thank her for the support she has given to every single community in the country. Since she took over as Minister for Rural and Community Development, she has made sure that every community in the country, be it a town, village or rural community, has had the opportunity to benefit from Government funding schemes to improve their community. Every public representative here, both Government and Opposition, will say that.
When proposals have been put to her with regard to different new schemes that we felt could be of benefit, she has taken them on board and put them in place. When we travel through every county, we see community centres, GAA clubs, walking tracks and playgrounds which have been funded by the funds that have been put in place through the Department of Rural and Community Development, and the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, has fought to ensure that the funding has been in place to make sure that happened.
I wish the Minister along with Eric and all the family well. I was going to say in retirement, but I do not think it will be retirement because I know she will be involved and keep working for the Fine Gael members in Monaghan and Cavan. I note that she put on her social media page a quote from, I think, Dr. Seuss, "Don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened". There was a beautiful picture of her on the top of St. Macartin's Cathedral in Monaghan on, as she says, her home soil. She made many things happen for many people. She made a huge difference to many people's individual lives and the lives of their families and in every single community in the country, in the work she has done and fought for to make her Department represent every community in the country. She has done that exceptionally well.
I am extremely proud to have served with her as a member of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party. I am disappointed that I will not be joining her as a Dáil Member. As I have said, she has left a legacy in every community in the country and that is something to be extremely proud of. Not many people who have retired from political life would have done that. I thank her for her service to all our communities throughout the country. On a personal level, I thank her for her support to me and also for her support to every single community in County Longford.
Before I call the next speaker, I welcome Deputy Griffin and his guests here today, all the way from Keel - William O'Shea and his granddaughters, Abbie and Chloe Hilliard. They are most welcome here to Seanad Éireann. I hope they enjoy their visit here and that when they come back, one of them will either be a Seanadóir here or a Teachta Dála in the other House - she might take over Brendan's job. We will leave the election to another day.
The Minister is very welcome here today. It is probably the last time before the big election and it will be our last chance to address her. Any day coming into a Chamber to announce €2.6 billion in State welfare is a good day. I will not be opposing the Bill which has certainly ticked many boxes.
I agree with many of the speakers on the Opposition benches that the means test for the carer's allowance should be abolished there because carers are the unsung heroes in our State. I also concur with Sinn Féin with regard to parental leave on the death of a child. I very much support its amendment on that.
I speak here today as a Cavan woman. The Minister has represented the people of the Cavan-Monaghan area since she was first elected to local government in 2004 and into the Dáil here in 2011. She has been a very formidable politician. The truth is that politics is not for weak men and weak women. She has been a very strong female in politics and someone that each and every one of us in political life would have looked up to.
We may not have always agreed on certain politics and policy but the Minister has stood out as one of the finest female politicians this country has seen in many decades. She has held many ministerial portfolios during those 13 years in Dáil Éireann. The Minister will be missed by the country and I am sure she will be missed by all the people in Cavan and Monaghan. It is a massive achievement for the Minister as a person. She is the first Presbyterian in Dáil Éireann. There are barriers that she has broken down, and particularly in Cavan-Monaghan which is a very republican constituency. That in itself is a massive achievement and it shows where our country is heading going forward.
The biggest shock for any individual the day the news came was probably for Councillor TP O'Reilly. I would say TP was thinking "Oh my gosh" as he was not expecting that, like the rest of us. I wish T. P. well. He has massive shoes to fill but I wish him well on his journey to try to retain that seat for Fine Gael.
I wish to raise one issue with the Minister because I might not get to raise it again. It has nothing to do with this Bill, so forgive me for digressing. Section 6 of the Civil Registration (Amendment) Act 2014 remains uncommenced. It is the section that relates to births and the naming of the child's parents on the documents in cases where the parents are not married. There are a lot of fathers out there waiting to find out when section 6 will be commenced. I raised this issue with the Minister previously and she said she would look into it.
What I liked about the Minister was that any time I put down a Commencement matter, if she could not make it in, she always sent a note to apologise to us that she would not be in the following morning to take it. That means a lot. The Minister, Deputy Humphreys, was the only Minister who did this. I thank her for the respect she showed to this House.
I really wish the Minister well. She has been a trailblazer and I am sure she will enjoy many years of fine retirement and good health with her family.
Minister, I have been here many years and I have never heard anyone get as much praise as you have, while you are still alive. It is always good to hear praise and it is very important that people who give great service like you have done hear it from the people from all sides. It is very genuine and heartfelt praise. When people on the other side of the political aisle are giving you praise, you know that you have done a great job because it is hard earned. I now call on Senator Seery Kearney.
I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach, and well said.
I messaged the Minister the minute I heard that she was retiring to say, "Congratulations". It is a very brave decision for her to make to choose to be with her family. I am empathetic towards her family, who have been without her and who have made sacrifices as a result of her being here and giving such incredible service to her country and to our party. I am very grateful for that. They deserve to have her and for her to enjoy being a grandmother as well, which she has become in recent years. I wish the Minister well with that.
I reflect the views of others. The Minister has been a very strong woman in politics and has been a fantastic role model to those of us who dare to follow in her shadow and in her footsteps. I am very grateful to her for that. She has been party to some incredible decisions. I had the honour of standing beside her the day she launched the hot meals programme in a school in my constituency of Dublin South-Central and in moving that programme from a pilot that had been such a great success under her predecessor and to taking the bold move to amplify it even further. I did a public meeting recently on the whole issue of child poverty and tackling it. In Dublin South-Central, my constituency, there is a higher level of child poverty than in other constituencies. A massive feature in the programme is that no child is discriminated against.
Every child will receive their dinner in the same way.
When I was a child in school, some girls in the class were given little cartons of milk. I always wondered what was wrong with me that I did not get the milk. There was nothing wrong with me; it was that I did not need it. In the class, I wondered about that differentiation between children. It is about treating every child the same, as equal and precious, and cherishing them. It also means that we do not assume that just because a child lives in a better-off area that they are without poverty behind those closed doors. Perhaps mothers are sharing their food with their children. We do not know if there is coercive control or other things like that which go on behind closed doors. It has been an incredible move forward in the interests of children, particularly children in poverty. Tackling summer food hunger is also a really important decision. Almost 40,000 children in this country will not go hungry during the holidays. That is really important. Many parents I have sat with know and have experienced hunger. They fear how they will feed their children when they are home on holidays. Many people do not even have to consider that. Families that do, however, now know they will have support.
I sincerely thank the Minister because she was one of the first people I talked to about what we would do and where we would bring legislation on surrogacy. While there was nothing she could do, she was nothing if not full of encouragement and advice. She told me that if I gave her the legislation under equality, she would pay me the money. I thank her for that. She provided great clarity and advice from the beginning.
I am familiar with the Children's Rights Alliance because Tanya Ward was involved in the public meeting with me. Those involved with that organisation congratulated the Minister on so much of this budget, as I did on the day it was introduced, and stated that she had done some excellent negotiation.
If the Minister were to leave a Post-it note on her desk for her successor regarding the things that should be prioritised, there is a situation with lone parents when it comes to the earnings disregard. We could maybe extend that further and do more for lone parents in the future. The Minister has wisely already raised the child support payment and differentiated between the various costs relating to children when they are under the age of 12 and over the age of 12. She increased it from €4 to €8. The next ask is that her successor go to €6 and €15 in order that we will take another step forward. If I were to ask the Minister to leave anything on a note for her successor, it would be that.
I again thank the Minister sincerely. It is incredible that we have had such a record budget. I know that she listened to us in the parliamentary party. She took on board anything we had to say, and I know I felt heard in that respect. I pay tribute to Pauric McPhillips, who has been my go-to person, and I am grateful. There were times when the answer was not in social protection, but he told me what to do and where to go when I was a complete rookie and did not know what I was doing. Pauric was a great source of advice and support. I thank him sincerely through the Minister. I thank all in the Department of Social Protection. It is one of the most responsive Departments when it comes to queries. They assist wherever possible and give direction on what we should be doing next. I am grateful for that. They carry out and live the spirit of service that they stand to do and protect the rights of the most vulnerable in particular. I am grateful and I thank the Minister.
Before I call the Minister to respond, I welcome Ann Griffin's Trinity College leadership group to the Seanad. They are most welcome, and I thank them for being here.
I thank the Senators for their contributions and their positive comments and engagement. This is an extensive package of supports announced on budget day and many of them do not require primary legislation, which are the lump sum payments I am delivering at a cost of €1.4 billion to assist people with the continuing cost-of-living pressures they are facing.
The lump-sum payments will provide much-needed assistance to pensioners, carers, people with disabilities, working families and others in need of financial support. They are designed to reach the people who need it most. They will have the money in their pockets.
Senator Gerry Horkan listed all the different payments. I will not go through them all again. What I will say is that the age criteria for the more generous fuel allowance means test will be reduced from 70 to 66 years of age. The free travel companion pass that many Senators mentioned will be made available to Irish residents aged over 70. People can bring someone with them when they are taking the bus. This will be good in combating isolation among older people. Previously, they could only bring their spouse or partner. It has now changed so that people can bring their niece, nephew or grandchild. It is nice to have that bit of company when going on a trip.
The disregard for means assessment purposes will be increased for the sale of a primary residence to allow recipients of the non-contributory State pension or disability allowance to move to more suitable accommodation. If a recipient has to sell his or her house to move in with a family member or go into a nursing home, he or she will be able to continue to receive the relevant social welfare payments. That is important.
The weekly rate to participants in the work placement experience programme will be increased by €24. This valuable scheme increases the employability of long-term jobseekers. We are telling long-term jobseekers to engage with us to let us help them find employment because that, as we all know, is the route out of poverty. I am keen to ensure there are a lot of supports they can avail of. The Department of Social Protection is here to help. People can go into an Intreo office to have a chat with officials who will give them good advice and help.
The earnings disregard for the carer’s allowance is to be increased by €175 for a single person and €350 for a couple, bringing the allowance up to €625 for a single person and €1,250 for a married couple. For a couple where one person is a carer, their annual income can be up to €65,000 without it affecting the carer's allowance. A reducing scale then applies to earnings of up to more than €90,000 before people are disqualified from receiving any payment. Receipt of the carer's allowance, as has been said, will longer disqualify people from receiving the fuel allowance payment. Recipients will be able to apply for the fuel allowance. The normal criteria of the fuel allowance apply, however.
A number of issues were raised and I will try to address them all. Every time I mention the hot school meals programme, I smile. I go into schools throughout the country and it is lovely to see the children all sitting down having their meals together. It is a great leveller. They are all on the same level. In my eyes, and in everyone’s eyes, all children are the same. They are equal and should be treated equally. This scheme benefits children. Their education attainment is much better when they get a hot dinner in the middle of the day. We started with 30 options. We received extra money in the budget and every primary school child will get a hot school meal by the end of 2025. We are engaging with a tranche of approximately 900 schools currently. There are 400 left with which we will continue to work. Some 900 schools have expressed an interest and we will deal with all of them. We are speaking to 400 schools to see if they are interested in getting involved. The schools have to express an interest but by the end of 2025, every child should have a hot school meal.
Looking at their wee faces would do your heart good. It is the little things that make the difference. Senator Ahearn gave us a good idea of the chicken curry that his wee man got today.
It has been great for me to visit so many communities, mainly with my rural hat on. I have been in many different places. The one thing I always felt about rural Ireland was every community knows what it needs. From the start, it was this bottom-up approach. I talk to communities, engage with them at a local level and they get their applications in. As a Government we want to support them to realise their ambition for their area, as I always said. I always know what they want in Aghabog, County Monaghan, or I think I do anyway. I have a fairly good idea. However, I do not know what they need in Longford - and many a visit I had to Longford - but as Senator Carrigy is aware, they do know over there. I have been around the county many times, to Ballymahon and many other places. I always loved going because I got a great welcome and a good cup of tea and plenty of sandwiches and sweet cake - and it shows, unfortunately. It is that bottom-up approach where people really come together. They know what they want in their area. It has been a game-changer for many communities, where they have been able to get those simple things. I learned a lesson once. A grant came out about six or 12 months after I was first elected to the Dáil. By making a call, I got a grant for about €7,000 or €8,000. They were delighted. It was for some community project. When I rang to tell him, the man told me I was a great woman as they would be a long time standing at the traffic lights in Monaghan with a bucket before they would get that kind of money. Never underestimate the benefit of investing money in rural areas and small communities. It certainly pays off.
Senator Horkan spoke about the hedge-cutting Bill. I remember that Bill. I nearly got the head cut off me over the hedge-cutting Bill. All I want to do is cut the hedges on the side of the roads so that the branches and briars do not cut the ears off people when they are cycling. We did not get there.
Self-employed people get maternity benefit. It is an important payment. Illness benefit was mentioned by Senator Garvey. If a person wants more benefits, he or she may have to pay more PRSI. That is the note I will leave for the next Minister, to look at whether to look for more benefits for the self-employed. There has to be an increase in the PRSI rate in order to increase the benefits.
In response to Senator Wall on the fuel allowance, it is means-tested on the household income. Many people rent rooms to students and if a room is being rented out, the fuel allowance is not affected. We brought that scheme in. It is somewhat different for family members. We also have expanded the income limits for the fuel allowance for those who are over 66. Some people will benefit from that as well.
The increase in the domiciliary care allowance from €16 to €18 was mentioned. For someone with a severe disability, the domiciliary care allowance ceased at age 16. Then the person goes on to the disability payment, which is higher. We need a discussion about this.
I agree with the Senator that a disability payment for a 16-year-old should probably continue until the age of 18. The domiciliary care allowance is not as generous as the disability payment. It is something that could be looked at.
Senator Gavan referred to the fuel allowance, and I covered that. We have done a lot for family carers. I recognise the important role they play and the contribution they make. I have worked very closely with Family Carers Ireland. We now have a pension for carers. We have supported them, but of course we are on a journey and there is always more to do. Carer's allowance was never intended to be a payment for caring; it is a social welfare income support payment. Since the Government was formed, we have nearly doubled the income disregard for carer's allowance from €332.50 to €625, and up to €1,250 for a carer who is part of a couple. The changes mean that a couple earning €67,000 will receive the full carer's allowance.
As well as that, I established an interdepartmental group, which was asked to examine the means-testing of payments to family carers. The group will report its findings to me by the end of the year. Removing the means test for carer's allowance would, in effect, create a new universal social protection scheme for those meeting the scheme's basic caring condition. A conservative estimate is that it would be at an additional cost of €600 million per annum based on current claims, but if we look at all the people who categorised themselves as carers in the most recent census, it would go to somewhere in the region of €2 billion. There is a big cost attached. These are all options that must be considered but the interdepartmental group between the Departments of Health and Social Protection will come forward with some recommendations in that regard. I have covered a good bit there.
Senator Keogan mentioned the Civil Registration (Amendment) Act 2014. I will come back to her on that. I am sure there is a reason it has not been changed.
Senator Seery Kearney referred to lone parents. As a result of this budget, one-parent families will benefit by a further €2,424 per annum. There are a lot of lump sum payments there. I passed legislation to ensure child maintenance does not have to be taken into account any more. I worked very closely with single parents on that. I met many single parents who are very happy they do not have to go into court to seek that maintenance. It is positive that it is not means-tested any more.
I have been to many places with my rural brief. Senator Dolan is aware that I have been to Roscommon and Galway. They had me up at 8 o'clock one morning.
No wonder the Minister is retiring.
I visited the marina talking to various groups. It was great to meet them.
I said on the radio that people should not listen to social media because the people who make comments on social media say things on it that they would never be brave enough to say to your face.
Senators
Hear, hear.
We should listen to community groups, the people we meet in the supermarket and the ones walking up the street in Cootehill. They will soon tell me what is happening and what we need to change. I would not worry too much about social media.
I thank Senators for all their kind comments. It has been an honour and privilege for me to serve as a Minister over ten years and, in particular, in the past four and a half years as Minister for Social Protection.
I have worked with fantastic staff. They have been very diligent in their work. Senator Mary Seery Kearney mentioned Pauric McPhillips. Pauric McPhillips just had a beautiful little daughter. Maybe he is even watching in with his wife Laura and Olivia. We wish him well. Of course, I have so many other fantastic staff. As I often say to the staff, right across the board, they make me look good. There you go. You have to have good staff.
This will probably be the last time I address the Seanad. I thank you all for the courtesy, support and collegiality over the past ten years. It has been a privilege. I believe that together we have made a difference to so many people’s lives.
Cootehill was mentioned. The people of Cavan and Monaghan gave me the chance to come here. They sent me here on three occasions. I thank my Fine Gael colleagues for the opportunity they gave me. It has been fantastic.
I have been asked about women in politics. Be confident, believe in yourself, be honest with yourself and just go on, go out there and go for it. That is all I say to women in politics.
I thank the Cathaoirleach for his indulgence.
As Cathaoirleach of the Seanad, and as a friend and a colleague of the Minister’s for a long time, I thank her for her dedicated public service. I thank her wonderful husband and family for being her rock solid harbour and support. I thank her for the friendship she has shown to many of us in this House. Míle buíochas.
To those who are watching at home and listening, the Minister’s contribution should be used as a podcast on how to live in the political world. She is right that there are many in both Houses of the Oireachtas who live by social media and urge people on in social media and that people should ignore them. All of us in this Chamber know it is about the real people. The Minister has demonstrated by her commitment as a Minister and a politician that people matter, and she has always lived by that. I hope she and Eric enjoy the next chapter of their life, whatever it may be.
When is it proposed to take Committee Stage?
Is that agreed? Agreed.