Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As part of the State pension reforms, I am committed to providing the pension for long-term carers and hope to have it in place by 2024. As the Deputy knows, we are doing much work to support carers, which is absolutely correct because they really do great work. There is no doubt about that.

My officials are looking at the legislation we need to change. That is being written as we speak. The Joint Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands, of which Deputy Kerrane is a member, is also looking on this issue along with auto-enrolment and will be bringing a report to me, which I look forward to reading when it comes to hand.

We have a list of those who received the carer's support grant and a list of those on carer's allowance. However, we need to find the cohort who are receiving neither of those supports. We will work with stakeholders and representative groups to see how we can come up with a register. That is part of the work and it will take a bit of time.

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