Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)

Carer's benefit is, as the Deputy knows, a payment available to insured people who may need to leave work or reduce their hours to care for a person or people in need of full-time care and attention. It is financed from the Social Insurance Fund. Since January, the scheme has been extended to the self-employed. Recipients of carer's benefit were among the 138,000 carers who received a carer's support grant of €2,000 on 5 June. The Government fully acknowledges the incredible role that family carers play and we are fully committed to supporting carers. This is recognised in the programme for Government, which includes a number of commitments regarding carers, including the commitment to examine the introduction of pay-related carer's benefit for individuals who have to give up work suddenly in order to provide full-time care to a loved one.

The new jobseeker's pay-related benefit started in March. Developed from the experience during Covid, the scheme ensures that workers who are made unemployed receive enhanced benefits linked to their previous earnings. It is a relatively new payment but, as I said in response to the previous question, we intend to learn from our experience operating it. That experience and learning will help to inform future decisions regarding pay-related schemes, including, potentially, carer's benefit. In addition, we will be moving towards the implementation of the programme for Government commitment to abolish the carer's allowance means test. In this context, further consideration will be given to the potential knock-on effects for the carer's benefit scheme generally. We are fully committed to supporting family carers and I will always keep the range of supports provided by my Department under review. I expect to launch a consultation later this year on the further extension of pay-related schemes, including parent's benefit, and will also seek the views of Deputies and stakeholders about pay-related carer's benefit.

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