Louise O'Reilly

To influence the social protection committees budget report. I::To call for a cost of disability payment in Budget 2027::To seek an increases in the rate of the Wage Subsidy Scheme ::To seek an increase in the income disregard for disability allowance

Raise ICCL's concerns re Head 7 of the bill containing the potential to turn the Public Services into a national ID, and that it does not resolve underlying issues re the collection of biometric data and instead risks compounding them.

Increasing the capital disregard for Blind Pension so that it aligns with limits for Disability Allowance.

Encourage the committee to prioritise the eradication of poverty in the Budget through a number of macro measures

Funding for an Emergency Winter Payment for people with disabilities

To secure support for the recommendations of the Rehab Group's submission to Department of Social Protection on the cost of disability payment::To request the Committee to invite Rehab advocates to address a future meeting of the Committee on the Cost of Disability

Targeted supports for low income families

More kinship carers should be able to avail of the social welfare support payments, either by removing the 'total abandonment of the child' criteria from the Guardian's payment or introducing a kinship care specific payment.

Recipients of the Working Family Payment should be eligible for the Fuel Allowance

Increasing the fuel allowance to reflect the rising cost of fuel and the increase in low income households experiencing fuel poverty

Increase the payment to align with the primary welfare payment 45% for under 12, and 55% for over 12.

Increase the income disregard for One-Parent Family Payment & Jobseekers Transitional Payment in recognition that one-parent families face additional childcare costs and that employment can be a way out of poverty for families. The rate of income disregard should be index linked…

Engage Oireachtas members on the need to remove means testing for some social welfare schemes for people with an end-of-life cancer diagnosis::Build awareness among Oireachtas members of the issues those with an end-of-life cancer diagnosis face in accessing state supports

Improve collaboration to help and support older people within their constituencies. Also to ensure that the lived experiece of the older people ALONE supports are considered when shaping national supports and services that come from the JOC on Social Protection.

Promote the work of CIS and it's strategic plan.