Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. I begin by recognising, as she did, the very important role carers play in society. We all know it from our families and communities and there are widespread views across the House and society about the need to continue to do all we can to support our carers.

I note the likes of Family Carers Ireland, a representative group for family carers, spoke in acknowledging a number of the positive steps in this budget for carers. I accept there is always more to do, but I take seriously their positive comments towards budget 2025, which we just delivered last week, and towards the cost-of-living measures in that budget, many of which will have a real and meaningful impact for carers much more quickly than next year.

At the end of August, 97,407 people were in receipt of carer's allowance and the estimated cost of this scheme this year is expected to be more than €1.1 billion. Of course, the Deputy is right that it should not be seen as a cost as it is saving the State such a significant sum of money. We have seen very significant steps by the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, in terms of increasing the income disregard for carer's allowance, and I know the Deputy acknowledged that and, certainly, representative groups I have met along with the Minister have acknowledged that in my presence. It was €332.50 and has gone €625 for a single carer and from €665 to €1,250 for a carer who is part of a couple. It is also worth noting that, in the budget, we took a number of other steps at the request of carers and their representative organisations, including increasing the capital disregard. We increased this as part of the budget and a carer with a spouse or a partner can now have capital of up to €100,000. Again, this was something we directly heard from carers in out pre-budget meetings and engagements, some of which I also attended.

Notwithstanding those improvements, let me agree with the Deputy on this point. There is more work to do on this and on eligibility for carer's allowance and supports more broadly. That is why my colleague, the Minister for Social Protection, established a working group to look exactly at the whole area of means-tested payments to family carers. That group will report by the end of the year, and I know that will be an important moment and something, again, carers' representative organisations have looked for.

There are a variety of costs related to what it would cost to abolish the means test. I acknowledge the Deputy has had her work done on this issue, we have some work done, and we await the work of the working group. A conservative estimate is an additional cost of approximately €600 million per annum based on current claim numbers. However, looking at census 2022, the number of carers and the potential inflow to the system the cost could be €2 billion per annum. We are aware of that but I just want to put that out there for the record.

We have taken a number of measures in the here and now while we wait for that working group to conclude this year, including increasing the annual carer's support grant by €150 to €2,000. The rate of this grant has increased by €300 since 2021. The social insurance-based carer's benefit has been extended to the self-employed for the first time. We had a bizarre situation where the self-employed could not qualify for that benefit, so we have rectified that. There are a number of practical measures to help carers with the cost of living, including a €400 cost-of-living lump sum payment in November for carers who are eligible for the carer's support grant. In October, we will see the cost-of-living bonus being paid to all people who receive weekly long-term social welfare payments, including carers. The Christmas bonus will be paid to in excess of 1.3 million long-term recipients, including carers. We have increased weekly rate of carer's allowance and carer's benefit by €12 per week, the fourth successive rise in weekly rates under this Government. Rates have increased by €41 per week during the lifetime of this Government. There have also been a range of other measures.

The Deputy asked a specific question about July and the answer I have been given is we increased that in July last year so we will increase it each 12 months. We last increased it last July and the next level of increase will kick in next July. To carers, we are very clear on this. We have taken a number of measures to help in the here and now. We have received positive feedback from their representative organisations on that. There is a recognition of an important piece of work that is under way with the working group that is looking at the whole issue of the means testing for family carers. We look forward to acting on its recommendations later this year.

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