Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

No one has an exclusive concern for carers. The last Government did a great deal of work in increasing the income disregard and the carer’s support grant. I intend to engage with all the carers organisations around that. I am very focused on the work they do and the burden they face on a daily basis. There is a commitment in the programme for Government that we will phase out the means test over the lifetime of the Government. I do not know where we will be this time next year or this time two years in relation to budgetary allocations. It is my intention to deliver on the programme for Government commitment in relation to carers that we will, over the course of five years, phase out the income disregard.

On the Deputy’s other query about the report, I hope to receive that in the next few weeks and we will consider that. I would like to see it debated at the committee on social protection and, most importantly, would like to see a debate with the carers groups and the carers themselves around that report.

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