Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for that update. When this was announced initially and the Minister spoke about it in September, she said she expected the pension for family carers to be in place from January 2024. I appreciate that much work has to go into this. However, could the Minister let us know whether she still intend for that to be the timeline and that she foresees this being in place and ready for next January? The register is a positive move. Even aside from the State pension for family carers, it will be good to have a register. I understand the Minister will work with Family Carers Ireland in that regard, which is welcome.

I have come across a number of cases where that rule of needing to have 520 contributions in the ten years before a person can access the credit has been a difficulty for some carers. As part of the ongoing work the Minister's Department is doing on checking people who are caring for the purposes of the register, can this be looked at in terms of the total contributions approach where evidence had to be provided for people to access credits? Some of that work might be already done.

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