Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 November 2025
289. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation whether the €10 million allocated towards the relaxation of the carer’s means test comes under €1,152 million for key policy adjustments, or from the €390 million 'increase in pension and illness, disability, carers scheme recipients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65197/25]
View answer290. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation whether funding for new recipients of the carer’s allowance, who would not have qualified under the current income disregards but will qualify on foot of the Budget 2026 measure, is allocated from the €390 million' increase in pension and illness, disability, carers scheme recipients or elsewhere; the amount he plans to allocate to this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65198/25]
View answer291. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the breakdown of the estimated 30,000 additional recipients across the pension, illness, disability and carers schemes respectively, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65199/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 289, 290 and 291 together.
As set out in Table D on page 128 of the Budget 2026 Expenditure Report, an additional €2,036 million will be allocated to the Department of Social protection in 2026. This represents an increase of 7.6% on 2025 and will provide for both the continued funding of existing schemes as well as a series of new measures.
Table D sets out funding for existing schemes of €390 million for an “Increase in pension and IDC scheme recipients” to cover demographic-related changes including ageing and population growth, increased disability incidence as well as other recipient increases across these schemes. The estimates are based on a projected increase in recipients of c.30,000 across Pension and Illness, Disability and Carers schemes in 2026. This recipient growth is broken down as follows:
|
Programme Area |
Recipient change 2026 (Before Impact of New Developments) |
|
Pensions |
Approx. 21,500 |
|
Illness, Disability and Carers |
Approx. 8,500 |
Separately, €1,152 million was allocated to the Department of Social Protection in 2026 for Key Policy Adjustments. This expenditure category covers increases in social welfare payment rates, the expansion of eligibility for schemes and the introduction of new supports to deliver enhanced services for citizens.
This allocation will fund the planned increase in the Carer’s Allowance income disregard to €1,000 per week for a single person and €2,000 per week for a couple from July 2026. The Department of Social Protection costed this measure at €10 million in 2026.
