Relevant Matter
Public policy or programme
Public Policy Area
Social Protection
Period
1 May, 2025 to 31 Aug, 2025
Specific Details
Sent Pre-Budget Submission to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection. This Submission was invited by the Committee as part of the annual Pre-Budget process. We have registered this lobbying with each member of the Committee out of an abundance of caution.
Intended results
i) Publish a timeline for implementation of the Programme for Government Action
to abolish the means test for Carers Allowance within the lifetime of this
Government.
i) Increase the weekly limit for education, work and voluntary hours for those in
receipt of Carers Allowance, Carers Benefit, and Carer Support Grant. We
recommend a minimum of 20 hours per week.
ii) Examine the current methods for calculation of the permissible working hours
to take account of once-off, seasonal work available to family carers.
i) Raise the levels of payments for Carers Allowance
ii) Support the recent ask from the Oireachtas Disability Group, calling for a Cost
of Disability payment of €55 per week (€2, 860 per annum)
iii) Raise the level of the Carer Support Grant to €2,060, in line with the projected
average wage increase in 2026.
Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity
Zoe Hughes
Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?)
No
Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign?
No
Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client?
No
Lobbying activity
The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.
Designated public officials lobbied
The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them.
As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.
John Paul O'Shea
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
William Aird
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Catherine Ardagh
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Pat the Cope Gallagher
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Johnny Guirke
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Louise O'Reilly
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Liam Quaide
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Peter Roche
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)
Mark Wall
TD (Dáil Éireann, the Oireachtas)