Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)

Public representatives on all sides of the House are familiar with the social welfare system and the impact social welfare provisions have on the less well-off in society. Certain anomalies will always crop up. In recent years the Government has addressed some of these anomalies in social welfare payments. I compliment the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Deputy Cullen, and his officials on the provisions in the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2008 and the welcome increases in payments.

I wish to raise several issues, both positive and negative, the first being the carer's allowance and the carers strategy. Many of those caring for elderly relatives or children with intellectual or physical disabilities have formed groups of carers' networks. These provide fantastic support for those providing care in their own homes. Some 15 years ago the whole notion of a social welfare payment called the carer's allowance would never have been considered. I am glad there has been an improvement in the understanding of this area.

I welcome the Government's commitment to the national carers strategy. I meet regularly with the representatives from the Duhallow Carers Network who outline the anomalies that crop up in the system from time to time. When thinking about carer's allowance, we often just consider those caring for elderly relatives. Many of the network groups are attempting to expand to include all those providing care and assistance in their own homes. I hope this will be linked to the national carers strategy.

During the term of the last Government the telephone allowance, which provided credit for mobile phones, was introduced. However, if a person with a disability lives in a house with a landline for which telephone allowance is claimed, he or she cannot obtain an allowance for mobile phone credit. The Minister should consider changing this provision. It would not be a great cost to the Exchequer but would be of advantage to those on invalidity pension and particularly those receiving disability benefit. I hope the Minister will take this into account.

The previous speaker mentioned the habitual residency clause but in a different context. I have mentioned several times the plight of Irish citizens who have dedicated their lives to foreign missions and religious orders around the world, some of whom have spent 40 years or more in places such as Brazil, the Philippines and Africa, who, when they come back to Ireland to retire in their twilight years and in fading health find they must be resident in Ireland for two years before they qualify for a pension due to the habitual residency clause. It is important that this is dealt with. These people have, in the words of President Mary McAleese, been ambassadors for Ireland across the world and have done excellent work. I speak of this in a personal capacity also as I have an uncle who has spent 45 years in Brazil working with the Redemptorists. Thus, I know first hand the difficulties faced by those who come back in failing health and must rely on their houses or their orders to survive. The Minister should consider changing the provision for those in this category.

I compliment the officials of the Department on the professional manner in which they conduct appeal hearings on social welfare and pensions, which we all attend on behalf of constituents. One might think appeal hearings are just another element of the work of the Department in making a judgment on a previous departmental decision, but the hearings are fair and independent and if there is a case to be made based on regulation or legislation it can be put to the Department. Some of my constituents worry about these appeals, but I compliment the officials on the way in which they deal with them.

I wish to address a few other issues in this Bill. The domiciliary care allowance, whose administration is being transferred to the Department of Social and Family Affairs, has always been paid by health boards or the HSE. Its transfer is welcome as it streamlines the system. For other allowances, such as the blind welfare allowance, the HSE is now working almost in parallel with the Department of Social and Family Affairs. This is to be welcomed. Many people have benefited from the domiciliary care allowance and the scope of the scheme is excellent. The only problem is that of children who reach the age of 16 and switch to the disability allowance and, because of their disabilities or medical conditions, will have to stay on it for life. The invalidity pension is based on contributions — although the word stamps is still universally used — but the Minister might consider instituting a permanent disability allowance similar to the invalidity pension to prevent anxiety among recipients that it may not be paid because of some particular circumstances.

The budget provision for the respite care grant is to be welcomed. This grant is provided in cases in which a person is providing full-time care and assistance for another person. Some people who do not qualify for carer's allowance may qualify for the respite care grant. This payment eases a huge financial burden for many people and is to be welcomed. It is a great initiative and I welcome the Minister's decision to increase the grant. Long may it continue to increase because it is of great benefit.

There is also an issue with entitlement to disability allowance due to the fact that the disregard is currently higher than the State contributory pension. I am glad the Minister has included a provision in section 7 that this will not affect the State pension because some people are concerned that it may affect them by the time they reach the age of entitlement to the State pension at 66.

There are numerous provisions in the Bill that are to be welcomed as they are helping to alleviate poverty throughout society. Deputies on all sides of the House know well that the smallest changes in the social welfare system can have a major positive effect on those who are less well-off or at the margins of society.

I wish to return to the decision of the Government to develop the national carers strategy. As public representatives, we should be taking the lead on this and encouraging the various carers' networks. Leader groups and partnership groups throughout the country have been working to set up these networks. We should work to disseminate information on this. While I welcome the existence of carers' networks, which are doing excellent work in getting people involved and providing emotional and financial support, there are many people who are not tied into a network or group but access information through their local politicians' clinics, which are of major benefit. The Government and public representatives must try to get more people involved. There are many positive things we can do and I know the Minister will be only too delighted to take these on board so we can facilitate this.

Responsibility for the carers strategy is shared with the Department of the Taoiseach. Officials of the Department of Finance, together with the Departments of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and Health and Children, as well as the HSE and FÁS, are also involved. As we develop the strategy, it is important that we take into consideration the issues affecting people. This is an opportunity to focus on carers in the community. The home care packages and other initiatives by the Minister for Health and Children have developed great impetus, but we need to build further on the improvements that have taken place since the carer's allowance was introduced 15 or 16 years ago. It is important that we drive this process. We must also make sure we obtain the best possible information for the people on the ground who are providing care. As has been stated in the House many times, these people are unsung heroes. In addition, we should ensure that those who provide and avail of services for people with intellectual and physical disabilities are included in the strategy.

There are many other issues of interest, including the State pension and the section of the budget dealing with homemakers. There are a number of issues that have developed over the years since the introduction of the provision concerning PRSI and the self-employed.

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