274. Deputy Colm Brophy asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing the top-up payment for participants on CE, TÚS and the rural social scheme by €5. [45965/24]

The Department offers a range of employment schemes and other supports to encourage long-term unemployed people to return to work, while also assisting communities across the country in the provision of vital services.  They are targeted at people who have been on an unemployment payment or certain other social welfare payments for a specific period of time.

Community Employment (CE) and Tús are employment activation measures designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis.  The Rural Social Scheme (RSS) is an income support initiative that provides part-time employment opportunities in community and voluntary organisations for farmers or fishermen who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments and who are underemployed in their primary occupation.

There are currently 19,339 participants on CE, 4,503 participants on Tús and 2,693 participants on the RSS.  Government investment in the schemes will amount to over €500 million in 2024.

As part of the Budget 2025 measures, CE, Tús and RSS participants will receive an increase in their weekly payment arising from the increase in core social welfare payments of €12.00 per week with effect from 1st January 2025. Participants also receive the weekly top-up allowance of €27.50.  In effect, these changes ensure that the minimum payment for participants will increase from €259.50 per week to €271.50 per week from January 2025.

In addition, all participants have received the October 2024 Cost of Living double week payment and will also be eligible for the Christmas double payment in December 2024, and for those eligible the double payment of Child Benefit to be paid in both November and December 2024.

A number of once off Cost of Living bonus payments were also announced in Budget 2025, which will benefit eligible CE, Tús and RSS participants, including a once off payment of €300 for those in receipt of the Fuel Allowance, €200 for those in receipt of Living Alone Allowance and €100 for those in receipt of an Increase for a Child Support Payment (CSP) (previously known as Increase for a Qualified Child).

It is estimated that the annual additional cost of increasing the weekly top-up payment of €27.50 for CE, Tús and RSS participants by €5, based on the total number of places available on the schemes, would be approximately €8 million.

I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.