Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for his good wishes. I will once again emphasise that, from July, the income disregards for carers will increase from €450 to €625 and from €900 to €1,250. I am certainly committed to continuing to increase those income disregards in line with the budget.

The bereaved partner's legislation will come before the committee before the end of the month. I hope to get it passed. We will backdate it to the date of the Supreme Court judgment. I forget the exact date but I believe it was in January 2023. We had a good discussion on this issue on Second Stage. The entitlement was created on that date. That is where we stand.

On deadlines, there are always hard cases but my Department has fantastic supports available to anybody who is in a difficult situation. There are a range of options. As all of us in the room know from our daily engagements in our constituencies, the Department does its best to facilitate people but the deadlines are there for clarity and for fairness.

I believe those are the three things the Deputy raised. Tá sé tábhachtach go mbeidh cúraimí na Gaeltachta sa Roinn freisin agus táimid ag obair air sin. Tá sé tábhachtach go mbeidh seirbhísí i nGaeilge ar fáil dóibh atá á n-iarraidh. Tá sé sin tábhachtach ní hamháin i gcomhthéacs na Roinne ach i gcomhthéacs seirbhísí poiblí trí Ghaeilge.