Social affairs spending to hit record

RECORD spending by the Department of Social Affairs next year is expected to be boosted by around €1 billion in the December Budget.

Social Affairs Minister, Seamus Brennan, pointed out that spending on social welfare would increase to €12.49bn next year, an increase of over €200 million even before announcements in the Budget were taken into account.

The 2005 Estimate was €11.4bn, a figure that was boosted by €874m in the Budget to give a historically high combined spend last year of €12.2bn.

Mr Brennan stressed that there would no social welfare cuts in the Budget.

He said his aim was to protect disadvantaged people while helping them move from welfare assistance to a better standard of living and income.

Mr Brennan pointed out that 2006 pre-Budget spend represented a virtual doubling of the total social welfare budget of €6.2bn in 1999.

He also explained that the estimates for his department were different from other departments in that they did not reflect the real amount actually spent on social welfare benefits and supports in 2006.

“Our estimates are a framework to which the budget allocations will be added to significantly boost overall spending on social welfare,” said Mr Brennan.

“In the case of most departments the Estimates are the near final word final work but in Social and Family Affairs they are really only the beginning.”

And, he said, between the Estimates and the Budget the department was on target to meet its commitment to increase the State pension to €200 a week over the next two years.

The department was also on course to have the lowest social welfare payment increased to €150 a week by 2007.

While he planned to increase the children’s allowance in accordance with commitments made to the social partners, Mr Brennan said it would be separate from the overall childcare package yet to be signed off on between himself, the Minister for Finance and the Cabinet.

Mr Brennan said the department was currently spending around €2.2bn on the children’s allowance and there would be a “good solid” increase in the allowance in the Budget.

The minister also promised extra support for carers in the Budget.

Last year, the Government introduced a €1,000 respite care grant and he would be looking to improve that.