Sinn Féin spokesperson on Social Protection, Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire TD, has said that Budget 2025 has failed to make the correct and necessary adjustments needed to improve the quality of life of the most vulnerable in our society, including carers, children and people with disabilities.

Teachta Ó Laoghaire said:

“Carers and people with disabilities deserved so much better from the Social Protection Budget.

“We know that carers are at a much higher risk of poverty, yet carers all across the state have been told to wait until July 2025 before they see any changes to the means test.

“This budget puts carers back of the line.

“It is scandalous for carers to be told by government to wait until next summer. Why should carers have to wait six months later than everyone else to get the benefit of the threshold increase?

“And it seems they will have to wait for a change of government in order to see an end to the means test.

“Sinn Féin committed to a significant increase in the Carers Allowance means test thresholds, going further than the government.

“Sinn Féin would have increased the income thresholds to €730 for a single person and €1,460 for a couple compared to the government proposal of only increasing the disregards to €625 and €1,250.

“Sinn Féin allocated €100m to this measure, which would see 3,754 additional carers becoming eligible for Carers Allowance and it would also have meant that 6,590 people who are currently on a reduced payment due to means testing would have become eligible for the full payment.

“The government’s allocation of €11.8m for this measure was far too little. Sinn Féin provided an allocation of €100m for this measure – 10 times higher than that of the government.

“We would also have introduced a pay-related Carers Benefit for those people who have to give up work to care for someone. This would ensure that a carer does not see their income fall off a cliff-edge and that they see their income protected when they have to give up work during what can be a very difficult time.

“We also know that people with disabilities are at a much higher risk of poverty, yet there was no recognition of the increased cost of disability – Sinn Féin proposed a €20 weekly increase in disability payments instead of the €12 decided on by government. People with disabilities deserve far more from this government.

“Today, we have seen no increase by government with the rate of Child Benefit – the rate is still below the payment rate that it was at in 2008.

“Sinn Féin would have increased Child Benefit by €10. This would have been the first increase since 2016, which was cut by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael governments.

“Sinn Féin would have delivered a double payment of Child Benefit in October and December as well as a €10 rate increase. Families are under savage pressure, and the core rate needed to be increased.

“One-off payments are all well and good but people need government to make a lasting difference for them and that is what Sinn Féin proposed to do.

“This social protection budget has focused on the short term and will fail to deliver in the long term.

“This budget should have been about delivering meaningful, real long-term change.

“Sinn Féin has repeatedly put forward costed and sector-backed proposals to government, which would tackle the cost-of-living crisis, and ease the pressures carers, people with disabilities and ordinary workers and families are facing.

“This government’s budget has failed to deliver for carers, for people with disabilities and for hard pressed ordinary workers and families.”