Department apologise as key service 'not available' to thousands in June
With the summer holiday weekend set to see plenty of movement and travel countrywide, certain individuals will need to note a change affecting the social welfare system during the June bank holiday weekend.
MyWelfare.ie – a key website allowing thousands to access services relating to social welfare payments – has been ruled out of order. Access to MyWelfare.ie and its resources relating to social welfare payments will be cut in June. Pic:The Department of Social Protection have confirmed a three-day cessation of online services on-site as 'essential maintenance' is carried out.
Services relating to social welfare payments and other resources normally available on MyWelfare.ie will not be usable in just nine days' time, on Saturday, May 31
Essential maintenance will be carried out on the site, rendering it out of action throughout the June bank holiday weekend.
In a statement, the Department issued the significant dates and times for users to note.
It read: 'Essential maintenance will be carried out on MyWelfare.ie over the June bank holiday weekend. The MyWelfare.ie website will not be available from 8am on Saturday, 31 May, until 8am on Tuesday, 3 June.
'You will also be unable to verify your basic MyGovID account during this timeframe. If your account is already verified, you will still be able to access it.
'Should the maintenance be completed ahead of schedule, these systems may become available before 8am on Tuesday, 3 June 2025. We would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
Watch moment men have competitive pillow fight on Dublin city street as fans ‘very excited' over new arena experience
COMPETITIVE pillow fighting has come to the streets of Dublin in a new arena experience. Located on 2 Competitive pillow fighting has come to Dublin city Credit: Journalist Collect 2 Players can fight their friends in an enclosed setting Credit: Journalist Collect One Irish rapper, who goes by @l.k2798 on He said: 'Pillow fighting on Dame Street. '#duckanddive' The first of its kind on the streets of Dublin, pillow fighting competitions like this have gained popularity - with similar ones found in London and READ MORE IN TRAVEL Participants can challenge friends, siblings or coworkers in an enclosed setting where the fun and banter flow just as much as the pillow swings. What's more, the arena includes a referee to oversee In the clip, the ref said: 'They are brothers! That makes perfect sense. 'It's an incredibly even contest! oh my goodness folks, you couldn't call this. Most read in News Travel 'It might have to go to vote at the end.' People have taken to the comment section to share their thoughts. 'Omg Dublin it's finally happening' screams fashion fan as Arket gets ready to open One person wrote: "Need to have most people in Dublin there to let their anger out." Another said: 'Lethal head movements.' NEW STORE COMING TO DUBLIN Meanwhile, a new Dublin store is set to open in just weeks as bosses have revealed the exact date - as fans say they're "very excited." The Founded in 2017 by the H&M Group, Arket is a curated, design-led brand that brings together clothing, interiors, accessories and Known for minimalist fashion and homeware, the company said their focus is on clean lines, timeless staples and sustainability - offering pieces that are made to last. Until now, Irish shoppers could only access the brand through its website or while And they are set to open a brand-new of flagship store at 60 Dawson Street, right on the corner of Nassau Street in Co Dublin. Set to open on July 31, it will be part of the new Grafton Place development - a new retail project in the heart of Dublin's city centre. The full Arket collection will be available in-store, including menswear, womenswear, This will also be the first Arket location in Ireland to include an on-site cafe that's led by Swedish chef Martin Berg.
Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Donegal and Kerry showcase football's Wild Atlantic Way
Eleven years ago, the same year both Donegal and Kerry previously contested an All-Ireland final, the Wild Atlantic Way route was launched. On a comparatively shoestring budget, Fáilte Ireland had to come up with an initiative to rebrand the splendour of the west coast in the hope of boosting a tourism industry still reeling from the economic crisis. Then chief executive Shaun Quinn went back to his homeplace in Raphoe in Donegal and conjured up the phrase. The wave-shaped acronym that became the logo followed and after that it was a case of agreeing on the route. Launched in April 2014, it was initially deemed gimmicky. The rusty stop signs were maligned as eyesores and the new road signs dismissed as the proverbial lick of paint. By the time Donegal and Kerry faced off that September, the sneering and cynicism was on the wane. Hotels in counties like Donegal were reporting bookings up by as much as 40%. Last year, it was revealed the Wild Atlantic Way has led to a 58% increase in revenue, which now totals €3 billion per annum. Not bad for giving a new name to something that was already there. Finn MacDonnell, owner of the famous Dick Mack's pub in Dingle, told this newspaper last year its creator should 'be given a trophy'. Aisling Arnold-Kelly, owner of Arnolds Hotel in Dunfanaghy reported the promotion was transformational for her business. 'We were opening on St Patrick's Day and closing after Halloween,' she told the Irish Times. 'As a result of the Wild Atlantic Way, we are now open six months full-time and five days a week in the off-season, from November to February…' A lot of what the Football Review Committee (FRC) started 10 years on from Fáilte Ireland's great marketing campaign can be likened to the Wild Atlantic Way. The product is still the product, football remains football as FRC chairman Jim Gavin had intended, but the packaging is a damn sight better. In almost every GAA field in the country, the FRC's lick of paint has amounted to two partly-elliptical arcs and a dotted halfway line. The skill of a long-range point has been flagged literally and figuratively. The quick free is quicker in the form of the solo-and-go. If the 2,500km route from Kinsale to Malin Head fuels nostalgia for ex-pats and second and third generation Irish about the old sod, the four back, three up restrictions is a nod to how the game used to be played. Like the paintings of Paul Henry and postcards of John Hinde that sold the idea of Ireland as a destination in the early half of the 20th century, there is romance to the rules. The allure of empty space as portrayed by those artists is what the FRC have advertised to footballers. Gavin may be a self-proclaimed fan of 'east coast football' but within the parameters he and his group have set, the west are this year's winners. The tropes about Donegal being too wedded to their running game because of their geography and their management's allegiance to it has been disproven by their progress under these new game conditions because they have excellent kickers. To a lesser extent, Kerry's presence in this final is notable when they seemed for a large part of the season to be slower than most to catch the hang of two-pointers, a point Jim McGuinness referenced after Donegal's All-Ireland semi-final. Both have moved with the times. The aggregate 27 points, the 2-21, the pair accumulated between themselves in the 2014 All-Ireland final could be matched or surpassed by half-time on Sunday. It's inflation but, unlike what those holidaying in Ireland are experiencing, it's the good kind. Just as the ruggedness of the west has been re-imagined, the GAA have realised that when you rebrand it, they will come. Novelty or not, attendances were up 21% for this year's group stages compared to last. Crowds for the 13 knock-out matches will exceed 430,000 and could be as much as 23% higher than 2024. That's not to say the fare from the preliminary quarter-finals has been great. It's been pretty underwhelming, in fact, after some electric group matches. The average winning margin has been 7.8 points compared to the group stages where the average gap was 5.6. Consequently, there is some pressure on Sunday's final to showcase all the good that the FRC has brought to the game before the permanency of the rules are voted on in early October, but finals are often fraught affairs and it's been six years since a stone-cold classic was delivered on this stage. But it doesn't need to be wonderful to establish that the tweaks have been a success. As those living in the Donegal and Kerry beauty spots on the Wild Atlantic Way can testify, a shower is never too far away.
The Journal
2 hours ago
- The Journal
New legislation could allow people choose who inherits their estate, say tax group
'CHOSEN RELATIONSHIP' LEGISLATION could allow individuals select one or two heirs to their estate under the same grouping as parent and child, a specialist expert group has told government. The Tax Strategy Group, an expert advisory panel at the Department of Finance, has noted that the point has been made that people who are not related could have 'equally close and meaningful relationships similar to familial relationships'. The tax experts state that there are a number of ways to develop a policy to capture these 'chosen' relationships. 'For instance, legislation could provide for individuals to select one or two heirs to their estate for Group A Threshold,' it states. Currently, Group A deals with the inheritance to a child (including certain foster children) when a parent dies. This threshold was increased in 2024 to €400,000 from a previous value of €335,000. Penalising people with no children However, in the run up to the election, a debate arose around inheritance tax rules favouring parents and penalising someone who is child-free. The net result in this situation, where 'chosen relationships' could be included in this grouping, would be a tax-free threshold, state the experts, however the paper said that this was not possible to cost. 'Therefore, the costings have been calculated on the basis of three separate instances of a tax-free €400,000 threshold for each group. This would create an additional cost to the Exchequer of €390 million based on up-to-date Revenue data,' state the review papers. Advertisement The Programme for Government contains a commitment to maintain a broad tax base of which Capital Acquisitions Tax (CAT or inheritance tax) is one contributory element, state the papers. 'However, it is important to get some sense of the cost of various changes to a particular tax as these are factors which the Minister for Finance must consider when deciding upon his broader budget package. This is particularly relevant this year because of the case being made to expand the scope of Group A to include broader family arrangements,' said the tax experts. Both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael made a number of pledges in their election manifestos around the expansion on inheritance tax groupings. Fianna Fáil pledged to review the inheritance tax thresholds applicable when the deceased does not have children. The party also said it would increase and adjust the inheritance tax Category A, B and C thresholds in each budget 'to reflect the wider increase in property prices in the Irish economy in recent years'. Meanwhile, Fine Gael will said it would increase Capital Acquisitions Tax thresholds and raise Group A threshold (for children) to €500,000, Group B (for siblings) to €75,000, and Group C (for others) to €50,000, 'building on the progress made in Budget 2025″, it said. The tax review papers directly address whether there is discrimination at play when it comes to the differential tax treatment for direct familial relationships and more distant relationships, stating that this has existed in the Irish legal system since the foundation of the State. 'This is reflected explicitly in the Constitution, most clearly in Article 41. The current CAT legal framework, differentiating between Groups A, B and C takes account of this constitutional framework,' states the review papers, stating that it is the beneficiary of the inheritance or gift and not the person who passes away who has to pay the inheritance tax. 'In this context, it is not clear that there is a case that disponers are being discriminated against. Instead, legal concerns, if any should be viewed from the perspective of those who are liable for the tax i.e. the beneficiary. 'It should be noted that it is not clear that such concerns exist here either, as it is not uncommon for the tax system to tax people in different ways depending on the situation or their circumstances,' states the report. The Department is satisfied that the existing inheritance tax legislation and the taxation benefits are not unconstitutional or otherwise unlawful, states the review. Related Reads Financial advisor: Thinking of retiring? Here are the things to consider... Opinion: Inheritance tax changes in the budget have brought some relief, but not enough Breaking down further costings, the group looked at the cost of giving the same status to aunt, uncle and sibling relationships that currently apply to parental relationships – i.e. equalising Group A and B at a tax-free threshold of €400,000. This would cost the State €305 million based on the most up-to-date Revenue data. 'The likelihood is that in reality the costs of collating Groups A and B would be lower, but in the absence of appropriate data it is not possible to demonstrate this at this time,' it adds. Boosting €3,000 tax-free gift to your child per year The tax papers also looks at the gift threshold that parents are allowed give to their children on a yearly basis. Currently, a parent may give a gift up to the value of €3,000 to a child or anyone else each calendar year without any CAT arising. Two parents can make gifts of €3,000 each to a child, resulting in a gift to the value of €6,000 in any year free of CAT. There is no limit on the number of small gifts a person can receive in a year from different donors. The small gift exemption applies only to gifts and not to inheritances, but if government were to increase the small gift exemption, for example, in the case of giving their child help towards a deposit to buy a house by €1,000 (to €4,000) such a move would cost €0.7 million, states the paper. The cost of increasing it to €5,000 per parent is estimated to be €1.4 million, based on the number of CAT returns filed for 2023. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
