Anthony Lawlor (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As is well known, I am so far up the backbenches that even the pigeons do not fly this high. I have no chance of getting a call, and I do not think the signal works in here. I thank the Ceann Comhairle's office for allowing me to raise the issue. It came to me from a constituent whose son, for whom she was the carer, had passed away. The carers are very important and the work they do is vital to ease the burden on our health services. Deputies on all sides appreciate the work they do. From this perspective, the respite care grant is payable to all those who receive carer's allowance, domiciliary care allowance or prescribed relative's allowance and is a very welcome payment. Approximately 57,000 people receive the respite care grants each year, a total of more than €800 million in 2014.

The payments were made recently, in early June. The cut-off date was 5 June, and there is a six week grace period during which one can receive the respite care grant. However, if a person passes away just before the six-week period, his or her carer receives nothing. It seems slightly unfair that a person who passes away on a Thursday would not receive the grant while a person who passes away on a Friday would. Could we consider a phased payment of the very helpful respite care grant? Why was the first Thursday in June chosen as the payment date when the legislation was enacted in 2006? Could we phase in a payment for those affected by the cut-off date? Notwithstanding the difficult economic times, given that the carers do significant work for society by looking after people in their homes could the grant be increased?

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