Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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13. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider ensuring those on carer's allowance are afforded the full benefits of a PRSI stamp in order that in the event of the person they care for no longer needing care, they would be eligible for jobseeker's benefit and the other benefits afforded to those working full-time who lose their jobs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28753/16]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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This is a straightforward, fair and reasonable request that carers, who do an enormous service to this State by caring for the disabled, sick, old and infirm, would be acknowledged and afforded the full benefit of a PRSI contribution. This would mean that when they finish caring, they would be entitled to non-means-tested benefits, which would be fair and would acknowledge the hugely important work they do for the State, work for which the State would have to pay a hell of a lot if carers did not do it.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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3 o’clock

The social insurance system recognises the contribution of the recipients of carer's allowance through the system of credited contributions and also through the homemaker's scheme.

Credited contributions or credits are awarded to recipients of carer's allowance who have an underlying entitlement to credits. Recipients of this payment qualify for credits if they have had at least one paid contribution in the previous two years or have had credited contributions in that period. Credits are also awarded to workers who take unpaid carer's leave from work.

Credits protect social insurance entitlements by bridging gaps in employees' social insurance records when they are not in a position to pay PRSI, for example, during periods spent caring. In combination with paid PRSI contributions, credits can help employees to qualify for short-term schemes such as jobseeker's benefit and enhance the level of benefit for long-term schemes. Carers who cease caring can apply for jobseeker’s benefit, but to qualify they need to satisfy the contribution and other conditions for that scheme.

Former carers can also access means-tested payments such as jobseeker's allowance, subject to satisfying qualifying criteria.

All carers, including those who do not qualify for a payment or for credits, may qualify for the homemaker's scheme, which is designed to help homemakers and carers qualify for the State contributory pension.

My priority is to make progress on the commitment in the programme for Government regarding the level of support for carers, subject to the resources available.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Although I am not doing so, it would be very reasonable to ask for carers to be paid the minimum wage, at least, for what they do, or alternatively to be paid an amount equivalent to how much it would cost the State to provide home care packages if carers were not doing this full-time caring job. The State is getting this service from carers for €204 a week, or approximately €5 an hour. Rather than asking for carers to be paid the minimum wage, we are calling for all carers to be afforded the full PRSI credit so that they can avail of benefits like jobseeker's benefit or the contributory pension. This is the least we should do for them in light of the very cheap service they perform for the State. Can the Minister respond to that reasonable proposal?

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I think the Deputy is asking whether it is possible for someone who has been a carer to receive a non-means-tested benefit for a period after he or she finishes caring, as if he or she had been paying PRSI.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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That is exactly it.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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He is referring to jobseeker's benefit or a similar benefit.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Yes.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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At present, when the person for whom a carer has been caring dies, the carer continues to receive carer's allowance for 12 weeks. It is a different way of doing the same thing. This does not happen if the person for whom the carer is caring goes into long-term care, however. In such circumstances, the allowance is stopped and the carer does not get the allowance for three months while he or she reorganises his or her affairs. Family Carers Ireland has made a strong case to me that the 12-week arrangements should apply when the person being cared for goes into long-term care. It is something I am considering in the context of the budget.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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We will move on to the next question.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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On the wider-----

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Does the Deputy want to ask a further question?

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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Yes. I take the Minister's point. I am glad to hear he is looking at the issue.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy has another question coming up.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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I know. Is the Minister saying he is considering giving carers a full entitlement to the credits that would allow them to get non-means-tested payments when they cease caring? Is he going to move towards that?

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I would like to explain a couple of aspects of this matter. When cash contributions come in through the PRSI system, the social insurance fund pays for non-means-tested benefits like the contributory pension and jobseeker's benefit. In order to have a benefit at one end, one has to be paying in at the other end. The only fair and just way to do what the Deputy is suggesting, while ensuring it is acceptable from an actuarial point of view, would be require carers to pay PRSI contributions. I am not sure that is the right way to do it. In my mind, the right way to do it would be to allow people to continue to draw down carer's allowance for a number of months after they have stopped caring. That is a much simpler way of doing the same thing.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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The State could pay the contributions for them in acknowledgement of their service.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Yes, but if that were done-----

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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We are running out of time.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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-----they would be the only workers who are not paying PRSI while their employers pay PRSI for them.

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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They are the only workers on €5 an hour.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Of course, the State is not the employer of carers. It would be a very expensive and complicated way of doing something that can be done much more simply by allowing people to continue to get carer's allowance for a few months after they finish caring.