Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has promised one social welfare group a payment increase in the coming months.
The old age pension will be going up in the next budget, the Taoiseach told the Dail yesterday. However, the exact amount is yet to be decided.
Mr Varadkar confirmed the increase while replying to TD for Dublin South Central, Joan Collins, who called on the Taoiseach to support a “pension pledge” campaign organised by Age Action Ireland and the trade unions.
Read more: Social welfare Ireland: Next cost of living bonus payment due in two weeks
He said: "There is one thing I can absolutely assure you, there will be a further increase in the weekly pension and that will be in the Budget.
“The exact amount has not been decided yet. That will have to be discussed between now and October and will have to be seen in the round of other things we want to do as a government.
“But certainly there will be a further pension increase and the decision on that will be made at Budget time as it always is.”
State pensions were increased by €12 during Budget 2023.
Ms Collins welcomed the Taoiseach's commitment to increase pensions but urged Government to do more.
She said: “It is now 2023 and we are going into the next budget, for 2024. The policy states that the State pension should be indexed at 34% of average earnings and be tied to the consumer price index and average earnings.
“As I said, the commitment would put our State pension at €310 per week. The increase of €12 per week that was given in the last budget was below the cost-of-living rate.
“It was below the €20 figure that many of the organisations and NGOs which represent people such as Age Action and the National Disability Authority put forward clearly.
“They said the Government made a political choice to cut the living standards of older people.”
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