Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

Deputy Stanton asked about the policy on young carers. The Minister of State with responsibility for children and youth affairs is working on this issue. As we did not have empirical evidence on the number of carers, the issue is the subject of a study.

Deputy Morgan asked about reductions in jobseeker's allowance and welfare dependency. Family income supplement, which bridges the gap between welfare and work, was introduced to minimise welfare dependency. This was also the reason we compensated recipients of family income supplement and social welfare for the reduction in child benefit.

Deputy Michael D'Arcy indicated that the Estimate does not refer to family resource centres. The centres are not a specific heading in the Estimate because they are included under the Family Support Agency. Funding for services provided by family resource centres has not been reduced. Funding for the support agencies, of which there are four, has been cut by €2 million and plans to expand them and increase their number will not proceed in the next couple of years. While we will cut back at that end, the services provided on the ground by 107 family resource centres will not be affected by the measures.

It was obvious from Deputy Lee's contribution in the House and on national media last night that he had not read the proposals on young people in the budget or the legislation.

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