Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)

This should be compared to the new basic rate for one in receipt of the jobseeker's allowance, €188 per week.

I felt it was important to retain the architecture put in place. I refer to the universal respite grant paid to all carers. Many carers are not entitled to the carer's allowance but they do receive the respite grant in recognition of the work they do. I felt it was very important to protect this.

We have protected the right to the half-rate carer's allowance and the allowance received by those caring for more than one person. Therefore, we have protected the basic structure of the scheme, which the McCarthy report recommended should be subject to a cut. Cutting it would have been cruel and wrong.

We are still keeping the basic carer's allowance rates way ahead of the other basic rates. Consider the challenge I would have faced had I said we would not cut the carer's allowance. If the blind pension were a stand-alone payment, there would be no difficulty in exempting it from the cut. For very obvious reasons, I am very understanding of those who are partially sighted or blind.

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