Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)

Time passes quickly.

Carers do a fantastic job and we must support them by bolstering the services available to them. The Minister said the respite grant was now payable to 40,000 carers, including approximately 30,000 in receipt of carer's allowances plus a further 8,000 to 10,000. There must, however, be more people who qualify for the respite grant and we must make more effort to help them.

The family income supplement, FIS, is a very good system. I am glad the Minister is topping it up but why do an estimated 50% of people entitled to it not claim? We must renew our efforts to make people aware of the supplement. I know a couple who worked in NEC in Ballivor until it closed down and they were made redundant. They considered what to do with their lives and the man, who was relatively young, wanted to do something to maintain the good lifestyle he had. Accordingly, he has become an apprentice electrician, working with a local contractor. He is earning a wage and has applied for FIS because the family is on a low income. I hope the Minister will tell me a mistake was made but the FIS section told him he would be paid the supplement while he was working but that, while he completed his module at college, although still being paid by the contractor, it would not be paid. That is unfair and wrong and I hope the Minister will clarify whether a mistake has been made. If an apprentice is trying to better himself or herself — from the Minister's time in the system he knows apprentices must do a period of training — he or she is under the auspices of the local contractor. It would be wrong to shut off the payments during the training period. I hope the Minister will give a positive clarification regarding this situation.

Is it not anomalous that the Department of Social and Family Affairs recognises two people living together as a unit for social welfare purposes, such as the provision of the dependent spouse allowance, whereas the tax code does not? Is it not strange that if one's wife or husband is not working, one can get a married person's allowance, but one cannot get it if one's partner is not one's spouse? How can this be justified when those people are treated as husbands and wives for social welfare purposes? Should this matter not be addressed?

I thank the Acting Chairman for bearing with me. Yesterday, the Minister gained much kudos. In general, the budget was good and it solved some of the anomalies, but there is more to do. Perhaps it is not in the Minister's jurisdiction, but I hope someone will take the opportunity to address the issues.

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