Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister is right, of course, when she states this was one of the requests made by the Carers' Association. It was to increase the number of hours carers could work without their carer's allowance being affected. Nevertheless, that proposal was not brought forward in isolation. There were a number of other proposals which we must consider in their totality. It is fair to say that when the Carers' Association requested an increase in the number of hours someone could work, it envisaged a proportionate increase in the earnings disregard as people would obviously earn more. Whatever about the figures produced by the Minister, there is little doubt that a number of people at the margins - perhaps it is a small number - will be adversely affected by what is supposed to be a proposal that should result in an improvement in their position. The Minister is also aware that of the hundreds of thousands providing care, fewer than one in four qualifies for carer's allowance. I do not see why a proposal that is supposed to improve their position should result in some of them being adversely affected.

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