Éamon Ó Cuív: Social Welfare Bill Shortchanges Recipients
Éamon Ó Cuív spoke on the social welfare bill, urging it be examined by a select committee and warning recipients are being left behind as increases lag inflation. He welcomed measures such as changes to the fuel allowance but criticised reliance on one-off payments and called for structural reform.
Select committee scrutiny
He noted the bill was initially not due to go to a select committee and contrasted that with how the finance bill is treated. He said he will lobby within his own party next year for the social welfare bill to receive detailed select committee analysis.
Inflation and one-off payments
He stated that social welfare increases are below the rate of inflation and stressed many supports are one-off payments. While acknowledging limits on available Exchequer funds and transient receipts, he warned that in real terms welfare recipients cannot be allowed to go backwards.
Welcoming changes and means test announcement
He welcomed the announced changes to the fuel allowance and described them as particularly positive after long campaign efforts by the committee. He also praised a means-test announcement made at the Select Committee that morning and thanked the minister for that development.
Structural reform proposals
He urged consideration of a universal working-age payment to replace multiple separate schemes and suggested looking seriously at the basic income idea as family structures become more complex. He reiterated long-standing calls for changes to means tests and for individualisation of supports.
Child benefit proposal and procedural correction
He proposed keeping the double child benefit as a one-off payment but paid every year in August or September to help families with back-to-school costs. He concluded by correcting an earlier statement after being informed that, if second stage is approved, the bill is intended to be referred to the Select Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development, and the Islands.
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I have to say on the first go-off that I note that this bill is not going to select committee. I don't know whose decision that was, I presume it was the business committee, but would we dream of doing that to the finance bill? Is it because one deals with the big people and the other with the small people? Because this is the most bill in this every year that deals with the small people on the ground that is for better or for worse. And I have to say that I'll certainly be lobbying within my own party next year that the social welfare bill will go to select committee for detailed analysis. Because select committee, as all the committees are, very little changes on the day, but it often can lead to changes in the future. Now the second thing I'd say is that I do note that the social welfare increases are below the amount of inflation. And there's no denying that, and that there's a lot of one-off payments. And I know why that is so, because you have a limit to the amount of money available, and there's a consideration that some of the money that's coming into the Exchequer at the moment might be transient. But on the other hand, we cannot have, in real terms, welfare recipients going backwards. There are good things in this, and particularly good things, and I particularly welcome the changes in the fuel allowance. As you know, the committee have been arguing for a long time in relation to that issue. I would have to say that I think we need structural changes in welfare. There was talk about bringing in a universal working age payment, rather than having all these different payments, that there would be a universal working age payment. I don't know if that has been dropped, but I often wonder why, to get effectively, if you can't work, the same payment, you have to go through all sorts of different hoops, into different schemes. And I would like to see us eventually looking very seriously at the basic income idea. Individualisation is not going to go away, and as family make-ups become more complex, I think it's something, again, that sooner or later we're going to have to look at. As you know, I've been arguing for a long time about changes to means tests, and I welcome the announcement you made in at the Select Committee this morning, and that is very, very welcome, Minister. The final point I'd make is, I believe, of all the one-off payments, there's one I would like to keep as a one-off payment, but paid every year, and that is the double child benefit. I think it would be a huge assistance to parents if that was paid in September every year, or August every year, because there are enormous costs on all families at the back-to-school time, paying for all the clubs, music lessons, and all these up front. And I think, Minister, that should be seriously considered by the government. I'll go into more details and a lot more technical issues another day. Just for your information, Deputy O'Cleave, if a second stage is approved today, it is intended to refer this bill to the Select Committee on Social Protection, Community, and Rural Development, and the Islands, pursuant to Standing Orders 95 and 181. I stand corrected, because I was told it wouldn't be coming in. Okay. Okay.
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