Pension and social welfare rises planned for Budget 2022, Varadkar says

Leo Varadkar, Simon Coveney and Paschal Donohoe also apologised this morning to Fine Gael members over the Zappone controversy

Leo Varadkar said this week's gathering provides an opportunity to "regroup". Picture: Colin Keegan

Increases to the State pension and other social welfare payments are on the cards as part of next month's budget, the Tánaiste has confirmed.

Leo Varadkar has said he wants to return to the norm of yearly increases to pensions and other payments but said the level of increase for next year is still being hammered out.