Latest news with #FosterCareAllowance
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- General
- The Irish Sun
Thousands more Irish qualify for €160 or €285 once-off payment open NOW under ‘flexible' new criteria rules after years
AN estimated 2,300 children across Ireland are now expected to qualify for a once-off payment worth either €160 or €285. The cash boost, expected to 2 Minister for Social Protection Dara Calleary confirmed thousands more are now eligible for the payment Credit:2 The BSCFA is paid out at two different rates Credit: Getty Images - Getty The Many families and don't need to apply. However, those who haven't been notified of the payment on their MyWelfare account or through post could miss out on the lump sum. And foster carers, who are the READ MORE IN MONEY The once-off, means tested payment aims to assist eligible families with the cost of school clothing and footwear. And commenting on the latest extension of the payment, Minister for Social Protection He said: "Foster carers play an essential role in our care system, and I am committed to supporting them. "That's why I am really pleased to announce that children for whom Foster Care Allowance is being paid will now be eligible for the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance. MOST READ ON THE IRISH SUN "In the Programme for Government, we said that we would examine the Back-to-School eligibility criteria to allow flexibility for foster carers and I am pleased to fulfil this commitment. I'm a mum-of-2 but will never fork out for naff school photos - they're tacky, a rip off and any parent who buys them is either rich or just stupid "We expect some 2,300 children in foster care will now be eligible for this important allowance and I encourage foster care families to apply online at MyWelfare." Minister for Children, Disability and Equality Norma Foley TD vowed to work alongside Calleary to continue providing further supports for foster carers. She said: "Foster carers look after around 87 per cent of children in State care and they do so much great work every day. "They have campaigned for years for the right to get the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance for the children they care for, and it is fantastic that this now has become a reality." The rates of payment for the 2025 Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme are €160 for children aged 4-11 years and €285 for children aged 12-22 years on or before 30th September 2025. The children must be of age on or before September 30. NO COVER OF EXTRA COSTS MINISTER for Social Protection Dara Calleary last year confirmed that the BSCFA will not cover extra costs parents face ahead of the school year. When asked by But the Calleary said: "Applications for financial support which fall outside the rules and timeframe of the scheme may be considered for an Additional Needs Payment under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme. Any person who considers they may have an entitlement to an Additional Needs Payment is encouraged to contact their local Community Welfare Service." And students aged between 18-22 years must be returning to full-time second-level education in a recognised school or college in the autumn of 2025 to retain an entitlement to the payment. Deputy Emer Currie, Fine Gael's spokesperson on childcare, said the new criteria is "an extremely welcome move" and urged all those eligible to apply for the cash. She said: "Fine Gael is committed to reducing the cost of education and ensuring that all children reach their full potential at all stages of life. BUDGET MEASURES "Further investment in childcare and education in last year's Budget was further proof of this commitment. "My party in Government has worked hard to ensure every child in both primary and special schools can avail of a hot lunch through the Hot School Meals programme. "Other measures include the Free Schoolbooks Scheme, which covers all students from primary school right through to the Leaving Certificate in the provision of schoolbooks and core classroom resources. "Foster carers currently look after around 87 per cent of children in State care and I know they have campaigned to be included in this scheme." She added: "I will continue to work with my Government colleagues on their behalf to ensure they have the supports they need for the children in their care."
The Journal
4 days ago
- Business
- The Journal
Emergency legislation to extend RPZs nationwide to be published
THE GOVERNMENT PLANS to publish emergency legislation today to extend Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) across the entire country. Last week, the Tánaiste confirmed that the legislation would be fast-tracked, indicating that legislation around the bigger reforms, which will be introduced after 1 March, will be advanced at a later stage. Housing Minister James Browne will seek to introduce and publish the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025 as emergency legislation today, with Cabinet agreeing last week it would be progressed as a priority. This will extend the RPZs to all areas of the country until Feb 2026, ahead of the new rent controls coming in from 1 March. Moving on extending RPZs as a matter of urgency is being done to prevent landlords from increasing rents in areas that are currently not protected in the interim period. Under the current system, over 80% of the country is already in an RPZ and subject to a 2% cap on rent increases or an increase in line with the rate of inflation, whichever is lower. Ireland's presidency of the European Union next year Separately, Tánaiste Simon Harris will outline the significant preparations underway for Ireland's presidency of the European Union next year. Advertisement This will be the eighth time Ireland has hosted the Presidency of the European Council and the first occasion to do so since 2013. During the presidency term there will be 23 informal ministerial meetings hosted in Ireland and a quarter of them will be held outside Dublin. There will also be a summit of the European Political Community and an informal meeting of the European Council, both of which will take place in Dublin. The EPC summit will be the largest meeting Ireland has ever hosted involving leaders of 47 States as well as several heads of EU institutions and international organisations. The Tánaiste will tell colleagues today that resourcing and delivering a successful presidency in the second half 2026 is essential for Ireland's position, influence and reputation in the EU. Aside from ministerial meetings, there will also be a range of conferences and other large-scale events which may be held in locations outside Dublin to help ensure an appropriate regional distribution of Presidency events. The Tánaiste will tell ministers it is essential to have strong relationships established with key figures in the European Parliament in advance of the Presidency and to be on first-name terms with their counterparts in other EU countries. Back-to-School Clothing expansion Two other memos will be brought by Social Protection Minister Dara Calleary and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe. Calleary will seek approval to extend access to the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance to children being cared for by foster families in receipt of the Foster Care Allowance. Related Reads New rental regulations will allow landlords increase rents if previous tenant leaves voluntarily Explainer: Why does the Government want to overhaul Rent Pressure Zones? The once-off payment helps eligible families with the cost of uniforms, clothes and footwear when children start school each autumn. This could help around 2,300 children in 2025. It is payable in respect of children between the ages of 4 and 17 and eligible children between the ages of 18 and 22 who are in full-time second level education. Donohoe will seek approval for committee stage amendments to the Local Property Tax Bill, including one that relates to a property adapted for use by disabled persons. This will provide for a reduction of €105,000 in the chargeable value of a property which has been adapted for use by a disabled person, subject to certain criteria being met. This is an increase from €50,000 in the 2012 Act and will allow owners of properties which have been adapted for use by disabled persons to self-assess the value of the properties at 1 November 2025 at one valuation band lower for the purposes of calculating their LPT charge. The Taoiseach, alongside Jack Chambers and Paschal Donohoe, will look to publish the Analysis of Well-Being in Ireland report for 2025 tomorrow, which will be used to help set out priorities for Budget 2026. Yesterday, at the National Economic Dialogue event in Dublin Castle , it was indicated by a number of government ministers that a VAT reduction for the hospitality sector is a key priority for the upcoming Budget. While the performance in the well-being report is being described ai]s positive overall, the analysis identifies areas where work is needed, such as unemployed people, younger workers, people in bad health, single-parent households, lower income households, and renters paying market rates faring less well than other groups in society. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Independent
4 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Foster families to be given back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance, under plans going to cabinet
Social Protection Minister Dara Calleary will seek approval to extend access to the scheme, which is expected to benefit around 2,300 more children in 2025. The allowance is a once off payment to those eligible families to help with the cost of clothes, uniforms and shoes when school starts in Autumn. The scheme will be extended to those in receipt of the Foster Care Allowance and is payable for children between four and 17 who are eligible, along with those aged between 18 and 22 who are still in full-time education. Meanwhile, the Taoiseach will look to publish the analysis of the Well-Being in Ireland report for 2025, which will be used to determine certain priorities for the upcoming budget. The fourth of its kind, the report looks at 35 indicators of well-being across 11 sections of society. While the report will show progress in areas including income and wealth, connections, community and participation, the report has identified areas where more work needs to be done. The report highlights that a number of groups in society, including single-parent households, lower income households, and renters paying market rates, are struggling compared to other groups. Areas where Ireland has performed positively over time included the level of the population who felt lonely, the proportion of domestic homes with A or B energy ratings and net Government worth. Tánaiste Simon Harris will also update cabinet on preparations for Ireland's presidency of the European Union next year. As part of the presidency, Ireland will host a summit of the European Political Community, the largest meeting Ireland has ever hosted. ADVERTISEMENT The summit will involve leaders of 47 States as well as several heads of EU institutions and international organisations. Plans for a programme of engagement to involve children and young people will be developed including initiatives with schools and community groups across the country to encourage awareness. Both the Taoiseach and Tánaiste are expected to brief cabinet colleagues on the upcoming North-South Ministerial Council which will take place in Armagh on Friday. Trade will be high on the agenda for the council including the recent EU-UK deal. Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon will bring a memo to cabinet on the first interim report on work by the Timber in Construction Steering Group. The report will recommend looking towards a 'Wood First' policy, which would advocate publicly procured buildings to be constructed using materials primarily of timber other bio-based products.
RTÉ News
4 days ago
- Business
- RTÉ News
Cabinet to discuss uniform allowance, housing crisis
Social Protection Minister Dara Calleary will seek Government approval to extend access to the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance to 2,300 children being cared for by foster families in receipt of the Foster Care Allowance. The once-off payment helps eligible families with the cost of uniforms, clothes and footwear when children start school each autumn. It is payable in respect of children between the ages of 4 and 17 and children between the ages of 18 and 22 who are in full-time second level education. The Taoiseach, alongside ministers Jack Chambers and Paschal Donohoe, will look to publish the Analysis of Well-Being in Ireland report for 2025, which will be used to help set out priorities for Budget 2026. While performance is positive overall, the analysis identifies areas where work is needed. It highlights that unemployed people, younger workers, people in bad health, single-parent households, lower income households, and renters paying market rates are faring less well than other groups in society. Tánaiste Simon Harris will outline the significant preparations underway for Ireland's presidency of the European Union next year. This will be the eighth time Ireland has hosted the Presidency of the European Council and the first occasion to do so since 2013. During the presidency term there will be 23 informal ministerial meetings hosted in Ireland and a quarter of them will be held outside Dublin. There will also be a summit of the European Political Community (EPC) and an informal meeting of the European Council, both of which will take place in Dublin. The EPC summit will be the largest meeting Ireland has ever hosted involving leaders of 47 states as well as several heads of EU institutions and international organisations. The Tánaiste will tell colleagues that resourcing and delivering a successful presidency in the second half of 2026 is essential for Ireland's position, influence and reputation in the EU. Work is underway across the Government to define Ireland's policy priorities for the presidency and will intensify in the autumn. In addition to these ministerial meetings, there will also be a range of conferences and other large-scale events which may be held in locations outside Dublin to help ensure an appropriate regional distribution of presidency events. The Tánaiste will tell ministers it is essential to have strong relationships established with key figures in the parliament in advance of the presidency and to be on first-name terms with their counterparts in other EU countries. There are also plans for a programme of community, youth and schools engagement around the presidency, which will have a particular focus on children and young people, and will be designed in a way which takes the views of young people on board. Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe will seek Cabinet approval for committee stage amendments to the Local Property Tax Bill, including one that relates to property adapted for use by disabled people. This will provide for a reduction of €105,000 in the chargeable value of a property which has been adapted for use by a disabled person, subject to certain criteria being met. Proposals to address housing crisis Housing Minister James Browne will bring three proposals to Cabinet in an effort to address the housing crisis. The proposals include legislation to quickly extend rent pressure zones across the country, to expand the remit of the Land Development Agency and to establish Coimisiún Pleanála to replace An Bord Pleanála. Later this evening the Dáil will debate an opposition motion calling for emergency action on housing while a Raise the Roof protest will take place outside Leinster House. Priority legislation that will bring the 17% of tenancies currently outside the Rent Pressure Zones within the 2% rent cap rule is now expected to quickly progress through the Oireachtas. Minister James Browne will tell Cabinet the move is a practical measure to protect any renters from rent hikes in advance of the new rent control system that will be introduced next March. Separately former HSE boss Paul Reid is expected to be named as the chairperson of An Coimisiún Pleanála, which will replace An Bord Pleanála. It is expected Minister Browne will bring a memo to Cabinet to establish the new body which is aiming to speed up planning decisions. The Cabinet will also hear that the Land Development Agency is to be tasked with delivering more homes across the country. The agency will get stronger powers to find and acquire land suitable for housing from both public and private sources.
Irish Examiner
4 days ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Back-to-school payments to be extended to children in foster care
Back-to-school payments are set to be extended to benefit the 2,300 children currently in foster care. Minister for social protection Dara Calleary will seek Cabinet approval today, Tuesday, to extend the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance to those who are in receipt of Foster Care Allowance. The once-off payment for 2025 is €160 for children aged between four and 11 on or before September 30, while those aged 12-22 years will receive €285. Social protection minister Dara Calleary is seeking Cabinet approval to extend the clothing and footwear allowance to those in receipt of Foster Care Allowance. File picture: Brian Lawless/PA Occupied Territories Bill The Occupied Territories Bill had been expected to be brought to Cabinet today, Tuesday, but has been delayed by a week. Local Property Tax Bill Finance minister Paschal Donohoe will seek approval for amendments to the Local Property Tax (LPT) Bill including one that will change how the tax is calculated on homes adapted for use by people with disabilities. Cabinet will hear that it will provide a reduction of €105,000 in the chargeable value of a property that has been adapted. This is an increase of €50,000 on the previous act and would come into effect on November 1. As a result, people with disabilities and living in an adapted home will assess the value of their property at one valuation band lower when calculating their LPT charge. National Training Fund Higher education minister James Lawless will seek to unlock the National Training Fund package of almost €1.5bn when he brings the heads of the bill to Cabinet. The package would provide €650m in core funding for higher education; €150m to provide training facilities for veterinary, medicine, nursing, pharmacy and dentistry students; €150m capital funding for the further education and training sector; and more. The amendment will allow Mr Lawless to bring the legislation before the Dáil and commence spending from the fund in 2025, if approved. North-South Ministerial Council Ahead of a meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council in Armagh this Friday, Mr Martin and Mr Harris will brief Cabinet on the agenda which will include trade and AI. The meeting, which will be attended by most ministers, will also discuss infrastructure investments and tackling gender-based violence. Well-Being Framework Analysis Meanwhile, Taoiseach Micheál Martin will bring a memo on Ireland's Well-Being Framework Analysis for 2025, which is due to help outline Government's priorities for the upcoming budget. The report itself highlights a number of groups who are faring worse than others in society, including renters paying market rates, unemployed people, younger workers, people in poor health as well as lower-income households. However, the report does show progress in other areas, including on income, work and job quality and community participation. Presidency of EU Ahead of Ireland's presidency of the European Union next year, Mr Harris will outline the significant preparations already underway. Over the course of the presidency, 23 informal ministerial meetings will be held in Ireland with a quarter of them to take place outside of Dublin. The European Political Community summit will mark the largest meeting Ireland has ever hosted involving leaders of 47 states as well as heads of EU institutions and international organisations. Mr Harris will tell Cabinet that delivering a successful presidency is essential to Ireland's position, influence and reputation in the EU. Work to decide Ireland's policy priorities for the presidency will intensify in the autumn but there are plans for a programme of community, youth and schools engagement around the presidency, which will have a particular focus on children and young people. National Digital Research Centre Minister for enterprise Peter Burke will bring a memo to Cabinet indicating that the National Digital Research Centre (NDRC) is to extend its current contract with current provider DogPatch Labs until 2026. The decision to extend was taken to provide certainty to companies supported by the NDRC ensure there is no break in coverage while Mr Burke works with his department and Enterprise Ireland on the successor programme which will take over in 2027.
