People who lose their jobs could receive social welfare payments of up to €450 a month under plans to be considered by the Government.

The proposal will be part of a suite of measures brought to Cabinet this Tuesday morning by Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys.

Under the plans, those who lose their jobs will receive social welfare payments of up to €450 per week or up to 60 per cent of their previous weekly income for the first three months.

There will be a €375 cap for the next 3 months or a rate set at 55% of prior gross income.

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This will then fall €300 for the next 3 months or a rate set at 50% of prior gross income.

The initial plan proposed by Minister Humphreys earlier this year suggested higher weekly rates would be limited to six months rather than nine.

Currently, those who lose their jobs receive a flat payment of €220 per week regardless of their previous incomes.

Sources told the Irish Mirror that the new system will “ensure people with a long work history, who have contributed to the system via their PRSI, will receive enhanced benefits if they lose their job in the future”.

It is expected it will be implemented in the second half of next year.

Minister Humphreys will also bring the Social Welfare Bill to Cabinet which gives effect to the changes announced as part of October’s budget.

Included in this will be changes that will ensure long-term carers can access a state pension for the first time.

Minister Humphreys told reporters in Cavan yesterday [mon] that she will also bring a report tomorrow to introduce “small increases to PRSI”. It was announced in the budget that rates would rise by 0.1 per cent as part of the plans to keep the pension age at 66.

Elsewhere, Justice Minister Helen McEntee will propose the repeal of archaic censorship laws.

The legislation to be repealed originally arose directly from a recommendation made by "the Committee on Evil Literature" in 1926.

The law at its stands allows for the censorship and prohibition of books and periodicals that are considered indecent or obscene or have an unduly large proportion of space devoted to crime. It does not apply to online material. Over the nearly 100-year lifespan of the laws, over 12,000 publications have been prohibited.

The repeal is being proposed on the basis that there are other sufficiently robust statutory provisions in place to deal with the circulation, possession and publication of threatening and abusive material.

Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien will bring a memo seeking to replace the existing NUI and University of Dublin Seanad constituencies and extend the voting rights of graduates who hold a degree from other institutions.

This will see a new six-seat “Higher Education” constituency established, with Senators elected by eligible graduates.

Tánaiste and Defence Minister Micheál Martin will ask the Cabinet to approve the Implementation Plan for the Future of the Defence Forces Commission.

This sets out the timetable of the report’s recommendations over the short, medium and long term, required to achieve Level of Ambition 2 by 2028.

Transport Minister Eamon Ryan will seek approval to advance the development of the Adare Bypass.

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