Catherine Ardagh (Dublin South Central, Fianna Fail)

As the Minister stated, more than 100,000 people are in receipt of carer's allowance. There are 500,000 carers, however, which means that 400,000 people are not getting benefits under the scheme. Will the Minister increase the disregard in the forthcoming budget? The means test hits families who are doing their best, often one-parent families or where a parent is working part time and might have some savings. It is outdated and creates huge hardship, especially for women, This is because the majority of carers are women. The current system penalises those who are trying to save for their future or manage their finances responsibly. It penalises prudence. This is not only a financial issue; it is also a matter of fairness and equality.

The Minister mentioned cost concerns previously with estimates ranging from €600 million to €3 billion depending on eligibility. Has the Department done proper costings in the context of abolishing the means test? Will the Minister clarify the figures from which the Department is working? Have any equality or poverty impact assessments been conducted as part of this work to ensure that the most vulnerable are not disproportionately affected?

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