Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

A couple with an income of just under €60,000 can still qualify for a minimum payment in respect of carer's allowance while still getting the associated free travel and household benefits package. In anyone's language, that is a generous income disregard.

I have already said the comprehensive review of expenditure is under way and budgetary decisions will be made in the context of the budget in December. I am not in a position to indicate at this point what decisions will be made in the context of the comprehensive review of expenditure and in the context of the budget. I am simply not in a position to say anything; these are budgetary matters for the Minister for Finance and I am not in a position to give an undertaking on them at this point.

See this speech in context