Around 1.3m people to receive €200 cost-of-living payment this week
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Around 1.3m people, including pensioners and lone parents, are set to receive cost-of-living supports from this week.
Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys is set to inform Cabinet of a number of €200 payments that will be given to welfare recipients to help households with rising costs.
On Friday, almost 611,000 pensioners in receipt of the State pension will receive their €200 lump sum on top of their weekly payment.
On Thursday, those in receipt of carer’s allowance and carer’s benefit will receive €200, and almost 50,000 households in receipt of the working family payment will receive their €200 top-up on the same day.
And tomorrow, around 158,000 people in receipt of the disability allowance will receive their additional support.
Those on jobseekers allowance will receive their lump sum between Monday and Friday this week, as will the 41,000 people in receipt of the one-parent family payment.
The payments, announced last February, will be made to pensioners, carers, people with disabilities, and other groups such as those receiving the back-to-education allowance.
Ms Humphreys will also tell Cabinet colleagues that a further €100 child benefit payment will be paid at the end of June.
Separately, Housing Minister Darragh will inform Cabinet of his three new measures to escalate the supply of housing.
It is understood the existing development levy, which is due to be temporarily waived, will cost the State up to €300m a year.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said the move will cut the cost for developers and those buying homes.
Mr O’Brien will also seek Cabinet approval to offer a cost rental subvention scheme to developers for between €120,000 and €150,000 to “unlock” stalled developments for cost-rental homes.
The Government is hoping to see between 4,000 and 6,000 apartments and homes come on stream.
This is estimated to cost between €500m and €700m.
Sources said last night that the cost of changes to the Croí Cónaithe fund, with grants of up to €50,000 for vacant properties and €70,000 for derelict homes, is not yet quantifiable, as it will depend on demand.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly will bring a review of the State’s abortion law before Cabinet, which recommends a change to the three-day wait period to access termination medication.
Other recommendations include the decriminalisation of doctors and changes to the granting of abortions in the case of fatal foetal abnormalities.
Mr Donnelly is to seek Cabinet approval to agree to the establishment of an implementation group within the HSE, and to refer the proposed legislative changes in the report for consideration of the Oireachtas health committee.
Green Party leader Eamon Ryan will bring two climate-related memos to Cabinet tomorrow including a Clean Air strategy that identifies and advances measures needed across Government to reduce air pollution and promote cleaner air.
Mr Ryan will also bring a memo on Ireland’s long-term strategy on greenhouse gas emissions reductions for submission to the European Commissions.
It will be subject to public consultation, and an updated version will be sent to the commission later this year.