Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."

While the rate of inflation has eased, prices of everyday items remain high. It is still expensive to do the weekly shop, to fuel your car, pay your bills and make ends meet. That is why this Government put together a budget that supports families and our most vulnerable, and puts money back in people's pockets.

I will now turn to the Social Welfare Bill itself, section by section. Section 1 provides for definitions of the relevant Acts. The weekly earnings of an employee determine the PRSI rate an employer pays on behalf of that employee. Currently, employer PRSI is charged at the rate of 8.9% on weekly earnings between €38 and €496. Weekly earnings in excess of €496 attract employer PRSI at a higher rate of 11.15%.

The earnings threshold increase from €496 to €527 in section 2 takes account of the forthcoming increases in the minimum wage from €12.70 to €13.50 per hour. Employers with employees on the national minimum wage will, therefore, continue to attract the lower rate of employer PRSI. This section will come into operation on the same day as the national minimum wage increase, that is, New Year's Day 2025. This measure will save employers €616 annually on employer PRSI for each of their employees working full-time on the minimum wage.

Section 3 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 merely a minor amendment to correct a layout error in the earlier legislation. Carer's benefit is a PRSI-based payment provided to individuals who need to leave work or significantly reduce their working hours to look after someone requiring full-time care and attention.

Section 10 provides the regulation-making powers to provide access to the scheme for the self-employed.

Section 11 provides for a once-off payment of €282 for newborn or adopted children born after 1 December 2024. Deputies will be aware that I was anxious that Christmas babies will be included, so this date was brought back from the original date of 1 January. This will be given in addition to child benefit and will generally be paid in the first month after the child's birth or adoption.

The carer's support grant, formerly known as the respite care grant, is paid to recipients of carer's allowance, carer's benefit or domiciliary care allowance. Section 12 increases the grant from €1,850 to €2,000. This is the highest ever it has been. It is paid annually in June, and it is not means-tested. The working family payment provides extra financial support to working families on low pay who have children.

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 purpose of section 14 is to allow 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: paying a double rate of child benefit in November and December 2024, and making €400 lump-sum payment to recipients of the working family payment 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 Paschal Donohoe. 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-----

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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Or the election. Which?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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-----to enable these important measures to be implemented.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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Trick or treat. The Minister is going trick or treating now. She will be trick or treating around Monaghan.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I am a bit old for that. Deputy McGrath could try it.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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You are never too old.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Section 16 and Schedule 1 provide for increases in the rates of social insurance payments. I am very pleased to say that there will be a €12 increase per week in the maximum personal rate of PRSI-based benefits.

Section 17 and Schedule 2 provide for increases in social assistance or, in other words, means-tested payments. It also provides for increases to qualified adults and other increases where relevant such as, for example the living alone allowance. Domiciliary care allowance is a payment in recognition of the additional burden involved in caring for children with a severe disability and it is not means-tested.

Section 18 provides for an increase in the rate of payment from €340 to €360. In 2022, I was proud to be the first Minister to increase this payment since 2009. It was also increased in last year's budget. These increases are in recognition of the significant and difficult role that family carers perform in Irish society.

Finally, section 19 is the Short Title of the Act.

This is my fifth budget as Minister for Social Protection. Since 2020, I have navigated the social protection ship through turbulent waters - the aftermath of Brexit, the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, inflation and the cost-of-living increases, through it all, with the help of the can-do culture of the team in the Department of Social Protection. I want to acknowledge the staff of the Department of Social Protection, not just in the Department here in Dublin but right across the country. It is fair to say, and we will all acknowledge, that they did wonderful work in churning out all those payments during the pandemic, such as the PUP and all the different supports. It was nothing short of a credit to them.

Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent)
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Hear, hear.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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They were all working away to make sure that people had the money they needed. I just want to acknowledge that. As I said, through it all, and with the help of this can-do culture of the team, we have stayed the course.

I have learned at this stage, of course, that no matter what we do, it is not going to please everybody and there will always be calls to do more. I accept that but we cannot do everything. What we can do is give a helping hand to those who need it the most. When you look at this budget in its totality - the cost-of-living payments, the weekly increases and the targeted measures - I believe this is a package that delivers for our older people, carers, people with disabilities and young working families.

The budget measures will make life a bit easier for these groups. I commend the Bill to the House and look forward to hearing the contributions of Deputies.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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On a point of clarification, is there something happening other than Hallowe'en at Hallowe'en? We want the Bill finished by Hallowe'en.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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There will be a treat when you turn up at the door.

Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
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Is the Minister going trick or treating?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I do not know what tricks you have up your sleeve. There will be some treats.

Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)
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I prefer "Help the Hallowe'en party" rather than "Trick or treat". It is an old Dublin phrase.

Unfortunately, this budget has failed to make the correct and necessary adjustments needed to improve the quality of life of the most vulnerable in our society, including carers, children and people with disabilities. I have spoken to many people regarding the budget as, I am sure, has the Minister. There is a general sense that there was a clear attempt by the Government to buy the election. One-off measures are fine for Hallowe'en or Christmas, but they do not deal with the fundamental issue of consistent poverty or help the tens of thousands of children in consistent poverty.

Carers and people with disabilities deserve much more from this social protection budget. We know carers are at a much higher risk of poverty. Carers all across the State have been told to wait until July 2025 before they see any changes to the means test. Can the Minister explain to carers why the Government has told them that they must wait?

Sinn Féin has committed to a significant increase in the carer's allowance means threshold, going further than the Government. We would increase the income threshold to €730 for a single person and €1,460 for a couple, compared to the Government's proposal of only increasing the disregards to €625 and €1,250. We have allocated €100 million to this measure, which would see 3,754 additional carers becoming eligible for carer's allowance. In addition, 6,590 people who are currently on a reduced payment due to means testing would become eligible for the full payment. We all have stories of people who are outside of the thresholds or perhaps receive €10 per week for caring for their families. We know the billions of euros that is saved by carers who do incredible work. It will be clear to all carers that the only way to eliminate the means test is a change of government, as Sinn Féin has committed to this, whether the election is at Hallowe'en or next year.

We would also introduce a pay-related carers benefit for those who have to give up work to care for someone. This would ensure that carers do not see their income fall off a cliff edge. Their income would be protected when they have to give up work, which can be a very difficult time. People on the doors are constantly telling us stories about their income falling off a cliff edge at very short notice.

We also know that people with disabilities are at a much higher risk of poverty, yet there is no recognition of the increased cost of disability. Sinn Féin proposed a €20 weekly increase in disability payments instead of the €12 decided on by Government. I was struck when meeting someone recently by the significant costs of those with a disability who live alone. For example, most of us can cut the grass in our gardens ourselves. It is one of the simple, small jobs we do not even think about, but it is a significant cost for people with disabilities. Unfortunately, people with disabilities deserve far more than this Government.

The Government has not increased child benefit. The payment is still below the rate in 2008. In every budget we are told the economy is flying and billions of euro are available, yet the child benefit rate has stayed the same. We would have increased the rate by €10, the first increase since 2016. The payment was cut by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael-led Governments. Sinn Féin would have delivered a double payment of child benefit in October and December, as well as a €10 monthly increase. Families are under savage pressure and the core rate needs to be increased. One-off payments are all well and good, but people need the Government to make a lasting difference for them. That is what Sinn Féin has proposed.

Sinn Féin would establish an employer PRSI rebate scheme to provide support for businesses impacted by the rise in the minimum wage. The relief relates to full-time employees earning €650 per week or less. The scheme would support businesses in adjusting to the minimum wage increases and protect employment while ensuring low pay is not incentivised.

Sinn Féin would introduce a parental bereavement leave and benefit scheme. In each of our last three alternative budgets, we proposed a scheme that would make statutory provision for two weeks paid leave for parents following the loss of a child, to be paid at the rate of existing maternity, paternity and parents' leave. The benefit would be payable to parents who lose a child under the age of 18, including following a stillbirth or during pregnancy, irrespective of the length of the current employment. Unfortunately, to date no action has been taken by the Minister. I will resubmit this proposal as an amendment to the Bill.

Sinn Féin would extend fuel allowance eligibility to working family payment recipients, given the crippling energy costs families are experiencing. Sinn Féin would target increased accessibility for lower and working families with children by ensuring that families on low incomes would be eligible for the fuel allowance by extending the payment to working family payment recipients. It is incomprehensible that low income working families are still excluded from the payment.

One of the biggest issues of the past general election was the right to retire at 65 years of age. The 65 campaign garnered thousands of emails from workers who demanded that right. I discovered that those around the Cabinet table who make decisions have the right to retire at the age of 50 if elected to this House or if they worked in the public service prior to 2001. It is quite hypocritical to demand others retire at the age of 66. In fact, the proposal was to make the retirement age even higher prior to the campaign; I believe the proposed age was 70. We made a commitment to ensure that people aged 65 would have the right to retire on a State contributory pension and will make that commitment again when the election is called. I urge all of those who campaigned so brilliantly in 2020 - I remember being up until the early hours of the morning trying to answer all of the emails - to get their emails ready again.

The social protection budget is focused on the short term and will fail to deliver in the long term for those families who are in consistent poverty. Those children who are still experiencing poverty will continue to do so because of this budget. The budget should have been about delivering meaningful and real long-term change. Sinn Féin has consistently put forward costed and sector-backed proposals to Government that would tackle the cost-of-living crisis and ease the pressures carers, people with disabilities and ordinary workers and families face. The Government's budget has failed to deliver for carers, people with disabilities and hard-pressed ordinary workers and families.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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I note the Minister's pressing need to have this Bill promulgated prior to the recess. There was a time when social welfare Bills would be a source of great debate in this House. I have noticed in latter years the debate has become shorter and shorter.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Bigger budgets.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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I acknowledge the work of the Minister in providing protections for vulnerable people in society through the payments she has instigated in the past number of years, in particular.

We have to come to a stage where there is some maturity in these Houses around acknowledging where there is a strong social welfare package that gives people more resources and money to meet their everyday needs. I absolutely acknowledge the work of the Minister in that regard, but - there is always a "but" - I note that in latter years there has been a preponderance of one-off measures. While every family, especially those with children, will welcome the one-off measures as we come into the Hallowe'en-election period when the coffers will be a little heavier in the average household, I have to question the sustainability of using that mechanism. When the Minister returns after receiving a new mandate from the people, if she should find herself in the same role, a review may be done of the sustainability of one-off measures and whether such money should be embedded into payments as a better and more sustainable way of supporting people, especially those who find themselves not quite below the social floor but as near as makes no difference. That is one political point I make in my last debate on a social welfare Bill before the House. I am privileged to still be in the position of being able to speak about the Bill.

I will also speak for colleague Members of the Oireachtas. The Minister will be aware that the Maternity Protection Bill will be before us this week. Coincidentally, the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, is trying to ensure that Bill is also promulgated prior to the Hallowe'en recess. There seems to be anxiety among Ministers to have legislation done and dusted before the recess. The Maternity Protection Bill has in its content measures to provide certain protections for Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas relating to maternity provisions. Section 2 of the Maternity Protection Bill provides that "any absence by a member [of the Houses of the Oireachtas]...duly notified...[related to the birth of a child] during a period of up to 26 weeks...shall be called maternity leave for a member of the Houses of the Oireachtas". We are embedding into our structures supports for colleague Members of the Oireachtas who require protection during maternity.

I tabled an amendment to the Minister's Bill which was ruled out of order. I sought to insert a new section as follows:

“Maternity benefit – members of the Houses of the Oireachtas

5. A woman who—

(a) being a member of a House of the Oireachtas, pays contributions as a public office holder under Chapter 5A of the Principal Act, and

(b) ceases to be a member of the Houses within 24 weeks of the date on which she is [forgive me for the arcane language]

delivered of a child,

is entitled to maternity benefit, where she otherwise satisfies the conditions in accordance with which maternity benefit is paid to an employed contributor under that Act, for the unexpired portion of that period of 24 weeks.”.

That was ruled out of order because it was deemed to place a charge on the Exchequer. I understand that. However, there is a point. We have situations where, for example, if a Member were due to give birth this week and for the rest of the term of the Dáil would be on maternity leave, that person as it stands is not entitled to maternity leave. However, that person does get an additional staff member to cover the 26 weeks, is entitled to enter a formal pairing arrangement for votes during the period and will continue to be paid a salary. The issue arises when there is an election in the middle of the 26 weeks as women colleagues who either lose their seats or do not contest again will not be entitled to claim even State maternity benefit due to the class K PRSI stamp they have been paying for the period they have been serving as Members. That leaves the person with an uncertain few months where that person is not able to access even basic social welfare entitlements.

I am trying to speak for colleagues who find themselves in the invidious position where if they leave the Houses of the Oireachtas or are not re-elected, they will be in a precarious position for a period. If it could be looked at, people would welcome it. I am sure it has been brought to the Minister's attention. I have no doubt about that. Whether it can be usefully added to this Bill remains to be seen, but I ask the Minister to look at it.

I have also tabled an amendment which I have been told is in order that provides:

The Minister shall, within 3 weeks of the passing of this Act, lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas on the payment of maternity benefit to public office holders who are members of either such House and who cease to be such a member in the period during which maternity benefit is normally payable to employed contributors under the Principal Act.

If the Minister could look at that in the course of or in advance of Committee Stage deliberations, I would be grateful.

I absolutely acknowledge the work the Minister has done in respect of ensuring that, where moneys are made available, her Department has been a significant beneficiary of the increases in Exchequer funding.

If the Minister, instead of using one-off measures on a regular basis, were to embed more of those moneys into structured payments, it would make it more sustainable for people, especially during a cost-of-living crisis or where cost-of-living challenges arise in society periodically.

We welcome the Bill. I see no reason not to support it at this juncture on Second Stage. We will table amendments to the Bill on Committee Stage and we hope the Minister will look favourably, particularly on amendment No. 6 that will come before her on Committee Stage.

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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I have a short time. I welcome the budget and especially the work the Minister has done over the years. It is a fact that the Minister is hardworking, efficient and effective. I also pay tribute to her staff around the country. As a TD and public representative for 50 years, and I suppose I drive everyone mad by ringing up about clients, but I have to say on the record that the Minister's Department is the best there is. It gives instant responses and the Department comes back straight away. It looks after people exceptionally well. I am sure I speak for all Members of the House when I say how much we all respect her Department. I wish all other Departments were as efficient as hers. Having put that on the record I will say more good things.

The fact that the House is not full of people to talk about the Social Welfare Bill is important because it shows that it is effective. There is no significant adverse criticism of the welcome changes the Minister is making. It is important they continue and that we encourage the Minister in that regard.

I will bring two issues to the Minister's attention. The first was brought to my attention today. It is not specifically germane to her Department. The mother of a school secretary has passed away in England and due to not having full State employment that person cannot get paid compassionate leave to attend the parent's funeral. There should be way under the Minister's Department or the Department of another Minister at the Cabinet table, for everyone to have that right. Everyone has a right to compassionate leave, but not to be paid.