Fine Gael’s €25 increase in weekly payments for carers and people with disabilities a sharp contrast to Fianna Fail’s miserly approach – Doherty

Willie O’Dea reneges on previous promise to vulnerable groups

Fine Gael’s €25 increase in weekly payments for carers and people with disabilities is a sharp contrast to Fianna Fáil’s miserly approach, the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection has said.

Regina Doherty, a Fine Gael General Election candidate in Meath East, has outlined that her party will increase most social welfare payments by at least €25 a week over the next five years, while Fianna Fáil – playing lip service to the needs of carers and people with disabilities – are only committing to top up payments by just €2 a week each year over the same period.

Minister Doherty said: “Since 2016, Fine Gael has delivered a €15 weekly increase in social welfare payments for carers and people with disabilities, and we are determined to continue this support.

“Under our manifesto, carers will be €1,300 a year better off – in stark contrast to the €520 offered by Fianna Fáil who are happy to leave carers €780 worse off.”

Minister Doherty continued: “Given past remarks made by Willie O’Dea, carers and people with disabilities could be forgiven for expecting to receive a €25 increase in social welfare payments from Fianna Fáil – not the derisory €10 stretched over five years that is in their manifesto.

“Indeed, Fianna Fail has repeatedly said carers and people in receipt of disability payments needed an increase of at least €5 per week.

“Willie O’Dea himself declared in a newspaper column: ‘To tolerate giving people anything less is to say that they should be the ones to suffer’.

“Now we know that Fianna Fáil are happy to tolerate such suffering.

“These payments are crucial to alleviate poverty and reduce income inequality and should be a priority for all.

“Fine Gael believes that only a €25 increase will deliver the expectations of 87,137carers and 146,755 people in receipt of disability allowance here in Ireland.”