Cost of living lump sum to be paid from Wednesday

Gambling ads are also to be banned on television and radio until late at night under plans to be approved by Cabinet today

The €200 living alone lump sum payment to 234,000 people will also be paid over the next three days.

Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys will brief Cabinet on the payment dates for the four lump sum cost-of-living measures announced as part of the budget.

From Wednesday, €325m will be paid out to 865,000 older people, people with disabilities and low-income working families to assist with the cost of living. 

A €400 fuel allowance lump sum payment will begin to be paid to 370,000 households between today and Friday. 

The €200 living alone lump sum payment to 234,000 people will also be paid over the next three days.

A €500 disability support grant to 216,000 people receiving disability allowance, blind pension and invalidity pension will be paid this week and on Thursday, a €500 lump sum working family payment will be paid to 44,000 families.

Gambling ads to be banned

Gambling ads are to be banned on television and radio until late at night under plans to be approved by Cabinet today.

Junior Minister James Browne is to give ministers a presentation on the Gambling Regulation Bill which will now propose introducing a watershed on gambling

advertising between 5.30am and 9pm.

The gambling regulatory authority will oversee the ban. If a breach occurs during the watershed, the license holder will face a significant fine and could see the withdrawal of their license.

Gambling ads will effectively be prohibited online unless an individual opts in to receive them.

The gambling regulatory authority will have a number of enforcement options, including companies facing up to eight years in prison if there is a breach.

The raft of legislation changes will be clear objectives to protect gamblers’ rights, particularly children and vulnerable gamblers — and all punishable by penalties of up to €20m in fines, or 10% of overall revenues for the betting companies who fail to comply.

It will also be a matter for the gambling regulator to decide on how shopfronts should minimise their gambling advertising.

A levy will also be put on the gambling industry to pay for education awareness research and treatment.

The legislation is likely to come into effect next summer.

Bird flu

Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue will update Cabinet on efforts to contain bird flu after 3,000 turkeys in Co Monaghan had to be culled and two smaller cases on the east coast were identified among small flocks.

He will outline the impact of the disease on international trade and the potential compensation for farmers.

Mother and baby homes

Children's Minister Roderic O'Gorman will bring forward proposals for a new model of engagement for survivors of mother and baby homes. 

How the new system will work will be announced along with the publication of the report of the collaborative forum of former residents of mother and baby homes after Cabinet.

Higher education

Higher Education Minister Simon Harris will tell Cabinet about reviews into a number of apprenticeship programmes that are underway.

In the three largest programmes, 2,101 apprentices are registered on electrical, 664 on plumbing and 587 on carpentry and joinery programmes in 2022.

The review will modernise the programmes, in some cases make them shorter, and will all feature modules in the area of green skills.

Mr Harris will also today announce the investment of €500,000 into community outreach to ensure people from disadvantaged communities can access apprenticeship.

He will also confirm farming apprenticeships will be rolled out from September with an intake of 60 across the four apprenticeship programmes.