Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have a comment and a question. Regarding the importance of carers, we have a responsibility to assist in ensuring that carers are retained and recruited and that children are in a safe environment. In respect of the comparison between the medical cards for children and the back to school allowance, medical cards are, as I understand it, universal but the back to school allowance is not as it is means tested. Perhaps Ms Loughran might indicate what it would cost to make the back to school allowance universal and comparable to medical cards.