Sarah O'Reilly (Aontú)

I thank the Cathaoirleach. I thank the Minister for coming to speak to the committee today. In his opening statement, he said on the carer's allowance "... with a view to phasing out the means test during the lifetime of the Government." While this is a positive step and the cost of caring and loss of income are a heavy burden for families, carers often provide 24-7 support and should not be judged on the income of their spouse or partner. Will the Department provide a detailed breakdown and timeline of when the means test will be abolished? The Minister said "with a view to". I find that slightly ambiguous. Does the Minister respond now or will I go on with another question?