Putting people first: Crosscare’s advocacy at the 2026 Pre-Budget Forum.
Crosscare Irish Diaspora Support Project was pleased to take part in the Department of Social Protection’s 2026 Pre-Budget Forum, held at Chartered Accountants House, Dublin, on Thursday 17 July. Our Policy and Networks Officer, Zeina Alazzeh, represented Crosscare and participated in the Income Adequacy workshop, one of several breakout sessions designed to explore key areas of social protection.
This forum offers a unique opportunity for NGOs, trade unions, and business and community representatives to engage directly with senior officials and the Minister, and to present their priorities ahead of the national Budget. This year’s event brought together over 60 organisations from across Ireland.
Our contribution to this year’s Pre-Budget process was grounded in the daily realities observed across the organisation, with cases drawn from Crosscare’s Information and Advocacy Service, In-Reach Service, and Community Food Services. These services work with thousands of individuals and families each year and are uniquely positioned to identify gaps in social protection systems.
Key priorities in Crosscare’s submission included:
- Ensuring adequate income support: We urged the Department to increase core social welfare payments, such as Jobseeker’s Allowance, Disability Allowance, and the One-Parent Family Payment, in line with inflation. These payments must reflect the real cost of living, particularly for those experiencing food poverty.
- Expanding eligibility for rent supplement: We highlighted how the current 30-hour rule disincentivises people from accepting additional hours or full-time work and proposed a more flexible approach that supports employment progression while maintaining housing stability.
- Protecting support for individuals with deportation orders: Crosscare’s In-Reach Team has witnessed the serious impact of the immediate cessation of the Daily Expense Allowance (DEA) for failed international protection applicants with deportation orders. These individuals and families, often still in IPAS accommodation, are left at high risk of destitution and exploitation. As part of Budget 2026, Crosscare asked the Department to introduce an enhanced Additional Needs Payment to provide equivalent support until individuals are voluntarily removed or deported from Ireland.
- Improving access to entitlements: We also recommended measures to ensure people are better informed about their eligibility for social protection supports, and that in-person, language-accessible, and non-digital routes remain available to those with specific barriers such as limited English, literacy, or digital literacy.
- Sustaining funding for Community Food Services: We reinforced the importance of funding to Crosscare’s Food Community Services, which not only provide emergency relief but also help people address the root causes of their food insecurity through casework and wraparound supports.
We also welcomed the keynote address by Dr. Nora Strecker (UCD) on inclusive approaches to social protection and the closing dialogue between the Minister and moderator Ingrid Miley, which reflected many of the shared concerns raised during the day.
On behalf of Crosscare, we are grateful to the Department of Social Protection for organising this important annual dialogue and for providing space to reflect the voices of those most at risk of exclusion. We remain committed to working collaboratively with the Department to ensure that Budget 2026 delivers equity for all.
Learn more about our advocacy and policy work at: https://diasporasupport.ie/knowledge-hub/policy-and-research/
