Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Question 5: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his views on making the qualification criteria for the respite care grant more flexible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43284/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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Supporting and recognising carers in our society is and has been a priority of the Government since 1997. In that period, weekly payment rates to carers have been considerably increased, qualifying conditions for carer's allowance have been significantly eased, coverage of the scheme has been extended and new schemes, such as carer's benefit and the respite care grant, have been introduced and extended.

In budget 2005, I improved the grant in three ways by extending the grant to all full-time carers regardless of means or whether they are in receipt of social welfare payments other than carer's allowance or benefit, providing for the grant to be paid in respect of each care recipient and increasing the level of the grant from €835 to €1,000 in June 2005. In 2006, I increased the grant to €1,200 and, through budget 2006, I have increased it by a further €300. This represents an increase of 490% in the level of the grant since its introduction in 1999.

A fundamental qualification condition for carer's allowance, carer's benefit and the respite care grant is that the applicant must be providing full-time care and attention to a person who needs such care. Until June of this year, people could engage in employment outside the home for up to ten hours per week and still qualify for payment. Since then, I have increased the number of hours a person can engage in employment, self-employment, training or education outside the home and still satisfy the qualifying conditions for payment from ten hours to 15 hours per week. This improvement applies to carer's allowance, carer's benefit and the respite care grant.

Approximately 34,300 carers, including those in receipt of carer's allowance and benefit, have received a respite care grant this year and applications continue to be received. Of this number, approximately 8,300 carers are not in receipt of a weekly social welfare carer's payment. The respite care grant, which recipients can choose to spend as they see fit, is highly valued by carers.

Towards 2016 commits the Government to continuing further development of the carer's allowance, carer's benefit and the respite care grant. I am committed to working with carers to deliver additional benefits, supports and services for them and their families. Deputies will be aware of the improvements for carers that I announced in budget 2006.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for his response. I recall that the Minister told me last May that he would review the condition that a person must be caring for another person on the first Thursday of June to receive the payment. What are the barriers to abolishing the condition? Does the Minister agree it is unfair to disqualify people who face the high costs associated with care throughout the year on the basis of this condition?

Has the Minister examined the condition that a person must be caring for someone for a minimum of six months prior to the date in June? Does the Minister plan to change that condition? Has he examined the criterion of a limit of 15 hours per week or does he have plans to change it?

Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
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On behalf of many carers, I thank the Minister and I wish to articulate their views on employment, namely, that we are moving in the right direction. Will the Minister remove the insidious June stipulation? For many, the respite care grant is the most money they receive because they do not qualify for carer's allowance, which has been extended, but why is there a strict time stipulation when most recipients do not receive the payments for a long period? Often, we receive complaints to the effect that respite care grants are slow in reaching the recipients.

Does the Minister agree that these grants constitute one of the most important elements of the care package he has introduced? Given that the grants are not means tested, is making them available to those not in receipt of carer's allowance the foot in the door that will lead to the abolition of the means test? The Acting Chairman likes sport, so I should say that we are only one kick away from rooting the means test out of the caring system, which would be a significant advance.

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I know how committed Deputy Penrose is to this matter, as he has referred to removing the means test three times in the past four days.

Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
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Four times.

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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He knows where I stand in that regard.

Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
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The Minister is not too far away.

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I know where he is and his assessment is probably right. I am involved in developing a strategy with carers and we will examine some of these issues in that context because it is a good framework within which to deal with the remaining issues.

As Deputy Stanton knows, we increased the 15 hours per week limit last year, but we have not moved the limit this year because we want to determine how well it works. The figure is reasonable because one reaches a point of being unable to provide full-time care and attention beyond a certain number of hours. We will keep an open mind.

It is a fair distance to June. The deadline was set for reasons of ease of administration because the Department has so many schemes and projects. Another reason is that, as it is an annual allowance paid throughout the year, we do not want to provide it in situations where people will qualify for it in January, but will not qualify in February because they have gone back to work, are no longer caring for someone or only provide care for a short period. It was explained to me that we must work out a number of administrative issues, but the June deadline is not sacrosanct and I am determined that no one will suffer because he or she misses a deadline. Between now and June, we will examine the matter thoroughly.