David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)

I wish to raise a related point on this important issue regarding the carer's allowance and the need to make a report on a particular matter, namely, older people who look after spouses, parents, sons or daughters and are in receipt of carer's allowance. However, when they reach pension age, they are told they can have one or the other but not both. In effect, they are told that their work as carers is no longer valued. They are entitled to pensions by virtue of their ages but, before reaching that age, were entitled to carer's allowance.

This is unfair and wrong. I do not know how much it would cost the State to rectify but do not believe it would be much. It is a great injustice. We are speaking about people of advanced years who are doing extra work. The carer often becomes the person cared for due to the burden placed on him or her. Can the Minister justify this situation and what are his thoughts on the matter? Having got to know the Minister better in recent times, he is one of the more caring Ministers in the Government. However, it is a glaring injustice that people of advanced years cannot get the carer's allowance. The respite grant helps but everyone involved in caring gets it, which I welcome. Will the Minister address this issue and inform the House of how much it would cost to allow people to retain all or part of the carer's allowance, as was once suggested?

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