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

It will be part of the wider review but I have changed it. The carer's allowance is one of the most generous means tests in the system and I have increased it to more than €750 for the singles. It has gone up to €350 per week for single carers and from €665 to €750 for carers with a spouse or partner. The capital disregard was increased from €20,000 to €50,000. Those were the first changes in 14 years but we will look at it as part of the review of all the means-tested systems. Deputy Kerrane mentioned the straw man proposal we are looking at in terms of disability. We hope to publish it late in quarter 1 and it will then go out for consultation. We want the different stakeholders and groups to look at this and give feedback on it. I do not want to rush it but the straw man will be published late in quarter 1 and we are going through it ourselves at the minute to cover off as many things as we can and we will then put it out for consultation.