Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The carer's allowance is part of the supports that provide payments on the basis of income need. The means test plays a critical role in determining whether an income need arises as a consequence of a particular contingency, be that illness, disability, employment or caring. The disregards relating to the means test for carer's allowance are among the highest in the social protection system. I will look at the means test for carers in the context of all the other reviews. If there is an income from land, the income is taken into account in the means test. If there is no income from the land and it is just sort of there - but there would have to be a rate on the land, I would say - and if it is not being put to use, then it is assessed as capital. If it is not being used and was even rented for a small amount of money, that is the income coming from it. That is the way matters stand.

I can never pay carers for the work they do; that is the truth of it. What we do in the Department of Social Protection is provide carer's allowance payments on the basis of income need. Therein lies the problem. We have tried to improve what we have done for carers over the years, and we improved it last year. We increased the income limit up to €750 for a couple and we increased the capital and savings disregard. It is probably a bigger conversation. I have said here before that we should look at how carers are playing a major in terms of taking pressure off the health service. Let us be straight about it. Perhaps that is a conversation that needs to be had down the road. Carers are providing a vital service. There is no doubt about that.

Deputy Kerrane asked about the child maintenance review that I published last week. I forgot to answer her question. There are changes to the social protection system. I am committed to doing those. A change in legislation will be required. I am committed to bringing that through as soon as I can. The officials are looking at where it is in many different places in the social welfare legislation. We have to go through it in detail to make sure that when I make the changes, I have covered off everything and do not leave any loopholes. I will be bringing that legislation through as quickly as possible. I want to make sure that this matter is dealt with quickly. The Deputy raised it with me last night. I will do that as quickly as I can.