Mr. Niall Egan:

I thank the Deputy. I acknowledge the two points he raised in terms of the carer's allowance and child maintenance.

The means test is a policy lever that is available to the Department. The rent-a-room scheme is an obvious example, as we have articulated. Consistently and for a considerable period of time, most of our schemes have had earnings disregard for employment. That has a specific purpose.

The purpose of these is to encourage people to find some form of part-time employment and help them financially and socially. The Department recognises the benefit of people taking up part-time employment because it is typically a gateway to full-time employment and progression out of the social welfare system. For some people, moving into more sustainable employment can be done on a gradual basis. It depends on each person's circumstances. A person's means is a policy lever for the Department. It can be effective. It is available to us but it is not an exclusive one. For the means review we are focusing on the principles and trying to bring a more consistent approach across the schemes. We are also trying to articulate where we envisage these tests will go over a period of time, subject to Government making final decisions.

Regarding the qualified payments, I am not 100% sure. A person would need to have a fairly low income not to qualify. If the person is on an income that is equivalent to that on a community employment scheme, I am surprised that they are not eligible for the back to school clothing and footwear allowance. I can talk to the Deputy later about the specific details of the matter.