75. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to increase the top-up payment for participants on community employment schemes, TÚS, and rural social schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46246/26]

My Department provides a range of supports and programmes catering for the long term unemployed, those most distant from the labour market and low-income farmers and fishers. These supports include programmes such as Community Employment (CE), Tús and the Rural Social Scheme (RSS).

In addition to providing valuable occupational experience and training as a stepping-stone to employment for people who are unemployed and income support, the schemes also provide important and, in many cases essential, services to their local communities.

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 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 19,641 participants on CE, 4,407 participants on Tús and 2739 on the RSS. Government investment in these schemes will amount to over €565 million in 2026.

The weekly rate of pay on CE/Tús/RSS is determined by the underlying social welfare payment which would be payable to the participant based on their household composition and financial circumstances, plus a minimum weekly top up rate. Participants may also be entitled to increases in respect of a qualified adult, qualified children, or the Fuel Allowance.

Last year, I secured a package worth over €1.15 billion in ongoing Social Protection measures as part of Budget 2026. This package provided vital and much needed support our pensioners, carers, people with disabilities, lone parents and families.

As part of this package, I announced that weekly social welfare rates were to increase by €10 along with an increase of €5 to the top-up payment for Community Employment, the Rural Social Scheme and Tús schemes. The value of the top-up payment now stands at €32.50 weekly. In effect, these changes ensured that the minimum payment for participants increased from €271.50 to €286.50 per week effective from 1st January 2026. Additionally, there were proportional increases for qualified adult dependents and a substantial increase in child support payments.

Any further changes to the top-up payment would need to be considered in an overall budgetary context.

I am fully committed to the future of employment support programmes and will continue to support and improve the schemes for the benefit of all participants, given the valuable contribution being made to local communities through the provision of services.