Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)

It really causes difficulty for the individual.

Like many others, I want to speak briefly about the carer's allowance. There is a large number of carers who do not receive carer's allowance because of the means test. My party has clearly and firmly stated the means test for carer's allowance should be removed. That is the only way to reach a position where the Department pays carers for their work, which is saving the State a fortune in terms of what it might cost if the person being cared for had to be institutionalised. We must keep improving the lot of carers and my position is we should remove that means test altogether.

I want to raise another issue in the time available. People who are laid off due to a shortage of available work or illness cannot claim for the first three days out of work. It is a particular problem for people who suddenly find themselves out of work with three days in which they are not entitled to any kind of social welfare payment. Resolving this would not involve much money but it would make a considerable difference for these families who suddenly find themselves with all the bills they have been used to paying out of their wages and without any money whatsoever for three days. I note the Minister has received a letter dated 15 November last from an individual in my constituency on the matter and I ask him to see if there is anything he can do about that anomaly which hurts families which suddenly no longer have an income.

I support Deputy Moynihan's point about mobile telephones. These telephones have become so common that the Department should be able to transfer to them a person's right to fixed charges for land-line telephones.

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