Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We very much value the essential work that family carers do. Of course we will give consideration in the budget as to how we can help them out. Everyone, particularly carers and some other groups, are feeling the bite of the cost of living much harder, especially people who have to be at home a lot and generate costs relating to heating. We will absolutely bear this in mind in the budget package. I point out that anything we do in the budget will be additional to what we have done for carers in recent years, which should not be forgotten. There has been an increase in the carer's allowance and the carer's support grant. More respite is being provided throughout the country. There has been a relaxation of the means test to qualify for the carer's allowance, which was pioneered by the Minister, Deputy Humphreys. There is also the extension of free GP care to recipients of the carer's allowance, which was introduced by the Minister, Deputy Harris.

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