While I appreciate the Minister's resources are limited, I am disappointed no significant improvement has been made to these schemes in recent years. The change to the means testing limits has not resulted in a significant increase in the number of carers in receipt of the allowance or benefit. I understand approximately 25,000 are in receipt of a carer's allowance, while the number of carers is close to 100,000. Every elderly person forced to move to a private nursing home or district hospital because of the lack of local or domestic care costs the Department of Health and Children far more than the cost of providing a carer's allowance for a family member or neighbour.