Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

sI thank the Deputy. I understand the point he is making. This is part of a wider debate that crosses into health policy. He will understand that the key role of my Department is income support. We are charged with identifying where a person has an income support need and providing that support in the form, for instance, of a jobseeker's payment, a disability allowance or a carer's allowance. I agree we need to look at the wider picture. There are opportunities for people who could remain at home but the question is whether a carer's job is a full-time job. If so, it has to be rewarded as such. What I am providing is an income support. This is a bigger issue that needs to be addressed by the Department of Health.

See this speech in context