Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Kerrane's question is similar to the question Deputy Harkin asked earlier in terms of carers. It is appropriate in the run up to the budget process for us to look at whether such a carer's pension arrangement could be included. I would support it but I think it has to be part of a wider balancing of the income and receipts measures. We will have to work on a strong partnership approach as we go into next year's budget because it will be a challenging time. I encourage the Deputy and various Oireachtas committees, including the Committee on Budgetary Oversight, the Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach, the Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and others to make the case, and I hope it is heard.

I will follow up for Deputy Dillon in terms of the provisions that will allow us to accelerate and ease the cost for those people coming from Canada and the US to be able to swap their licences. It makes no sense for us to put blatant bureaucratic hurdles in the way of people we welcome into our country, be they displaced Ukrainian people, Irish citizens or others coming from the US and Canada. I will ask my Department to follow up and contact the Deputy to look at the details of that.

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