1957. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection the efficiency and reform proposals that his Department has submitted to the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation in response to their request for such proposals with a deadline of the 17 July 2026; the impact that these spending cuts will have on public services within his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55543/26]

My Department received a request in April of this year from the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation in relation to efficiency and reform proposals, on foot of a Government decision on the application of an Expenditure Levy in 2027.  It should be noted that, as set out in the Government memo, the distribution of the levy has been designed to protect certain areas of expenditure.

Expenditure on my Department's schemes and services is demand-led, driven by demographic trends and economic conditions.  With increasing demand for our services and supports - over 3.5 million people were directly benefitting from these in some way at the end of December 2025 - meeting this demand has led to a strong culture of continuous improvement and reform in the Department.

Some of the efficiency and reform initiatives highlighted are being delivered through the expansion of the Department’s online capability via MyWelfare, which has supported over 3.4 million transactions in 2025, and Welfare Partners, which supported over 5.3 million transactions for partners such as employers, GPs and employment services providers.  Efficiencies in processes and improvements for customers in this area are being made; for example, through enhancements to online applications, claim processing and appointment scheduling are providing a more flexible and streamlined experience for those accessing our services, while also enabling quicker processing and decision making.

Also highlighted was the significant work done by my Department supporting the delivery of services across Government, and the major reforms underway to underpin the long-term sustainability of the Social Insurance Fund in response to the pressures of an aging population include the introduction of MyFutureFund - Ireland's Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System and PRSI rate changes from 2024 to 2028 as per the PRSI Roadmap.

In the coming weeks my officials will progress the work to agree on the 2027 Existing Level of Service.  Protecting those most in need, while continuing the reform and efficiency measures as outlined above, will form the context of this work.

The response from my Department to the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation in relation to efficiency and reform proposals is part of the ongoing discussions on my Department's Budget 2027 allocation.