Government talks will consider both targeted and universal cost-of-living supports next week, Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys has said.
Speaking after the publication of a survey earlier this week that showed one-in-ten people had relied on the likes of food banks, Ms Humphreys said she was “fully aware” of the pressures that people are under in terms of cost of living and energy costs.
“This is something that Government is looking at. I will be sitting down with my colleagues Minister Donohoe and Minister McGrath and we will look and see how we can best target support for people who need it most,” she said.
However, she pointed out that many people who are not in receipt of social welfare payments are also under pressure.
“There’s a lot of people out there that aren’t on social welfare benefits that also need help and we have been able to do that to some extent through the energy credit.
“We’ll have a discussion and obviously look at where we can help people. That’s what we’re about. We did it before Christmas. We’re going to look at where those most in need, how we can help,” she said, adding: “What we managed to do the last time (in the budget) as a mix of universal and targeted and that’s so we can help people with the cost of living which is across all sections of society.”
She pointed out there was another electricity credit still to come, with €200 set to come off bills in March, and that she had expanded the fuel allowance eligibility to another 80,000 people last year – with 20,000 applications processed so far.
“These are all measures that I have helped as a result of Budget 2023.”
“We look at it in its entirety. I think the targeted measures and the lump sum payments have been very beneficial for people because they need the money now. It has helped them,” she added.
Meanwhile, she signalled support for the current system of welfare payments for Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection – the status afforded to people who are fleeing the war in Ukraine.
There have been discussions in Government in recent weeks about changing entitlements for these people, with a comparative paper examining benefits and entitlements in Ireland and other EU countries produced for a Cabinet subcommittee last week.
The document stated that “research suggests reducing or limiting the scope of Ireland’s offering would more greatly align our position with the overall approach being taken in other member states”.
However, on Friday Ms Humphreys said: “I think what we’re doing at the minute is fair and it’s the right thing to do”
She said a lot of Ukrainians were moving off social welfare supports and the Government was aiding them access the labour market with job activation supports, and English language training.
“We want to work with them as they get settled into this country to help them find work because as we know, we’re in a very tight labour market at the minute, many of them bring important skills,” she said.
Asked about whether it was appropriate for the government to be sending signals about hardening aspects of immigraiotn policy, following comments by the Taoiseach this week, Ms Humphreys said the coalition would “shorten the timeframe” for decision on applications for international protection.
“We’re going to try and turn that time around much much quicker because there are many that are entitled to be here under international protection.”
“But there are some that are coming from safe countries and they may be coming here for other reasons such as economic migrants, so we do need to turn that process around more quickly and the minister for justice has committed to doing that,” she said.
