Recruitment Eire

SOCIAL PROTECTION IN IRELAND

Ireland has a Department of Social and Family Affairs which draws up and administers social protection policies. It is funded by the Social Insurance Scheme and the Exchequer and has responsibility for schemes covering unemployment, illness, maternity, carers, widowhood, retirement and old age.

Payments are made to nearly 950,000 people each week with over 1.5 million people directly benefiting from those payments. The benefits can be roughly divided into three groups:
- Contributory Social Insurance are made as PRSI Pay-Related Social Insurance) payments.
- Non contributory Social Assistance payments are made after a means test is carried out.
- Universal payments such as Child Benefit or Free Travel, are not dependent on PRSI contributions or a means test.

Departments which come under the banner of Social and Family Affairs include employment support services which consists of job facilitators to assist unemployed people and single parents to ensure they make full use of the education and training available when job seeking: Comhairle Citizen's Advice Centres: the Pensions Board with its own Ombudsman: the Combat Poverty Agency: and the Family Support Agency which aims to provide stability in family life and prevent marital breakdown by providing counselling and mediation services.