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The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty, is hosting her Department’s annual Pre-Budget Forum in Dublin Castle. The Minister of State for Disability Issues, Finian McGrath, will also attend.

Approximately 50 community groups will be attending and participating in the Forum, which is to be moderated by Ms Sinead Ryan, Consumer Journalist.

The Forum is an important annual event for the Department and is an excellent opportunity for community, voluntary and business organisations to discuss and debate policy issues and present their thoughts and views on the upcoming Budget with each other, Minister Doherty, Minister of State McGrath and senior Departmental officials who work to develop and administer policy for the Department’s schemes. The Department’s Pre-Budget Forum is a unique event across the Civil Service and provides valuable feedback which will be used to inform next year’s Budget.

Minister Regina Doherty said:

The Pre-Budget Forum is an opportunity for all of us to share views on the future direction of the social protection system, particularly in the context of Budget 2019. The groups here today represent a wide cross-section of society, have a wide range of expertise, and have a crucial role to play in supporting people in need throughout the country.

Social welfare payments work to alleviate poverty, reduce income inequality and contribute to the wider economy. Every euro spent by people in receipt of most social protection payments finds its way to shops and business, in turn helping to fuel our economy and sustain local communities.

My focus is on building a Budget package that delivers the best impact in terms of reducing the risk of poverty, particularly for children, while also improving employment outcomes so that people who are currently dependent on welfare, but who have an ability to work, can become financially independent.

Minister of State Finian McGrath said:

I am very pleased to be attending the Department's Pre-Budget Forum and hearing at first-hand how best people want us to advance developments in the lives of people with disabilities. It is crucial that we as members of Government listen to those who are at the coalface of dealing with a disability in their lives in order that we may continue to progress things in Budget 2019.

In order to stimulate debate on key issues, 6 themes have been selected for the breakout sessions as part of the Forum. These include ‘Supporting Children and Families’, ‘Supporting Retired and Older People’, ‘Supporting Sustainable Employment and Pathways to Work’, ‘Supporting People with Disabilities and Carers’, ‘Promoting income adequacy and social inclusion’ and ‘Supporting the most vulnerable through additional supports’.

There will be a workshop for each of these themes, chaired by senior Department officials and attended by representatives from organisations with an interest in these areas. Minister Doherty and Minister of State McGrath will attend these workshops over the course of the morning and will hear first-hand from the organisations some of their main priorities, concerns and thoughts for Budget 2019.