Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)

I move amendment No. 5:

In page 5, between lines 12 and 13, to insert the following:

1.—The Minister shall, as soon as may be after the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas, a report on—

(a) the need to improve pre-application information to provide carers with a clearer picture of their chances of qualifying,

(b) the need to relax the qualifying criteria for Carer's Allowance in relation to the onus to provide "full-time care and attention" so that carers satisfy this condition if, in the judgement of a deciding officer, their work saves the person being cared for and/or the State nursing home care or significant professional assistance,

(c) the need to allow carers who take up Carer's Allowance from a position where they were neither paying or receiving credits to receive credits from the date they are awarded the Carer's Allowance so that they improve their pension qualification upon retirement and the need to have this provision backdated, and

(d) the need to ensure, with the introduction of the half-rate Carer's Allowance, that carers in equal circumstances receive equal payments.".

The amendment proposes to simplify the application form for carer's allowance to give carers better information about entitlements for which they may qualify. While I am aware the Minister has relaxed the condition that carers must provide "full-time care and attention" and offered some degree of clarity, neither step is sufficient. Frequently, the independent appeals officer who must examine all the circumstances pertaining to a case finds in favour of the carer.

The most important issue raised in the amendment is the carer's credit. While I do not wish to pre-empt the Minister at this stage, perhaps because we have been rowing for so long, I know what will be his response to the amendment. Persons who are at home and not employed or self-employed do not benefit from the carer's credit, although they receive carer's allowance. Surely they should qualify for carer's credit as this would enable them to build up a contributory record and qualify for various payments in their own right at some point in the future.

This question should be included in the Minister's famous review. The review pot is so full one could not get another ounce into it. The Minister will be glad to leave the Department. He will accuse me of being a greedy sod for demanding that, having addressed three quarters of the problem, he deal with the final quarter. However, this final part may be the critical element. I ask him to note my remarks.

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