Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. I very much welcome the changes because anyone who is providing care to his or her elderly parents is saving the State a huge amount of money in real terms.

This is about cases where caring stops after a parent has passed away and carers are coming back into the system. I ask the Minister to examine this so that people can come back into the system and not be penalised. They are penalised in respect of pensions, disability benefits and a range of other social welfare benefits. If one spouse is working, the other is disqualified from any allowance.

I am dealing with a couple where the wife's income is €320 per week and the husband is now not entitled to one cent in social welfare. He is no longer able to work because he has a genuine disability. He has had serious back operations, yet is not entitled to any allowances. That is why I am saying we should not penalise people because they have looked after their parents for eight or ten years.

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