Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for her response. While I appreciate that the disregards and allowance bands are high, I have encountered a few tough examples of self-employed people not being able to apply for the same carer's benefit as someone who has been paying PRSI class A. The best thing I can do is provide an example. A self-employed male electrician has a wife who had been in full-time employment paying class A before she fell extremely ill. He may have to leave work to look after her, but he will only be entitled to apply for a means-tested carer's allowance and savings and other means will be taken into account. This impedes the amount for which they can qualify. There is a number of potential solutions. Although I understand that the wife in this instance may be able to apply for illness benefit based on her contributions, could her contributions be used to allow her spouse to apply for carer's benefit?

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