Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The estimated expenditure in 2012 on carers is more than €771 million, with €509 million being spent on carer's allowance, €24 million on carer's benefit, €135 million on the respite care grant and €103 million on the domiciliary care allowance. That represents an increase of more than €20 million on expenditure in the carer area compared to 2011. More than 51,000 people receive the carer's allowance - which was not touched - of whom almost 22,000 get the half-rate carer's allowance in addition to other social welfare payments at an annual cost of €90 million. More than 1,600 people receive the carer's benefit and the numbers in receipt of carer's allowance have increased by more than 150% over the last decade, from 20,000 in 2001 to 52,000 in 2011. Expenditure on the carer's allowance scheme has increased by more than 220% over that period.

See this speech in context