Máire Hoctor (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the opportunity to respond to the very healthy debate we have had this afternoon on the Social Welfare Bill. I listened attentively to the contributions that were made and I will address them as best I can.

One of the areas that was raised was the carer's strategy, which is of particular interest to me as Minister of State with responsibility for older people. The strategy was promised earlier this year and its introduction is planned for the summer of 2008. It involves a cross-departmental interaction and engagement with the Department of Social and Family Affairs and the Department of Health and Children. Officials from these Departments have met and I was present at a meeting to draw up the plan. The meeting was chaired by an official from the Department of the Taoiseach. The terms of reference are currently being drawn up and the strategy will be in place by the summer of 2008.

One of the key commitments in the national partnership agreement, Towards 2016, is the development of a national carer's strategy. This commitment is reiterated in the programme for Government. It will focus on supporting carers in the community, both formally and informally. We are currently working on this strategy. Carers are an important part of the strategy on older people. Work will continue in the new year on the introduction of the strategy in 2008.

The issue of young carers was also raised. Senators are no doubt familiar with the report, Caring Before Their Time, which was researched and published by Barnardos and the Children's Research Centre in September 2004. It was found that approximately 3,000 young carers are currently providing some care and more than 300 carers aged between 15 and 17 years of age provide full-time care.

The report also considered that further research should be undertaken to ascertain the number of young carers. One recommendation was that the Department of Health and Children should be the lead Department to examine this area and to support young carers to ensure they receive an education, namely, school if they are of an age and college if they choose this option. I understand my colleague, the Minister of State with responsibility for children, Deputy Smith, intends to commission a study in 2008 following consultation with the relevant Departments and agencies. Although the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Deputy Cullen, will not take the lead role in this initiative, he and his officials will no doubt be involved in the report and in examining the issue of young carers. This issue will also be addressed in the carer's strategy.

Senator McFadden and others referred to habitual residence. The purpose of the habitual residence condition, HRC, which was introduced in May 2004 was to allow access to our social welfare schemes to persons who are legally resident in Ireland, while preventing unwarranted access by persons who have little or no connection with the State. Persons without a right to residency in Ireland, such as asylum seekers and those awaiting a residency decision, are not considered to be habitually resident in the State. Among the factors considered in deciding whether a person is habitually resident is a person's future intentions to live here. If a person has not yet received permission to reside in Ireland, he or she is not considered able to establish his or her future intentions to live in the country.

Those who do not satisfy the habitual residency condition because they are in the asylum process have direct provision available to them. In certain cases they may also avail of exceptional needs payments from the local health board for the period that their asylum application is being processed and in this manner the rights and welfare of the child is protected. As soon as refugee status or right to remain is granted to such persons, they are accepted as habitually resident and they therefore are entitled to child benefit in respect of their qualifying children. That may clarify the position in that regard.

Reference was made to the expected price and wage increases and inflation, and the Government being accused of not addressing inflation in the budget. The budget provides social welfare dependent families with increases of at least 6% in overall child income support through the combination of child benefit, qualified child allowance increases, back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance and early child care supplement. These are well above the anticipated increases in prices and earnings for 2008.

The increase in pensions over many years has been one of the major achievements of the Government. Since 2002 the level of the State contributory pension has increased by over50%, from €147.30 to €223.30 following last week's budget. During this five-year period the prices in the shops increased by but 15%. This clearly shows that inflation is not an issue of concern in the context of the announced budget increases proposed in the Bill.

On the review of the level of statutory entitlements, Senator Prendergast mentioned paternity leave. Under Towards 2016 the Government and social partners are committed to a review of the level of statutory entitlements to maternity and paternity leave before the end of 2008. A working group will shortly be established, led by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, to progress this commitment. The work of the group will be informed by the commitment in the programme for Government to over the next five years increase paid maternity leave by five weeks, make all leave after the first 26 weeks available to either parent and examine the possibility of introducing a statutory entitlement to paternity leave and shared parental leave.

Another issue raised was the living alone allowance. Senators mentioned it was not increased in this instance. The living alone allowance is an additional allowance of €7.70 per week made to people obviously living alone. As people grow older, thankfully, most of them are able to remain at home but need the support of the family, which means that they lose the living alone allowance. If the allowance was to continue to be increased and then taken from them when they enter into the family setting it would create difficulties, therefore, it was a much more prudent and wise decision to continue to increase the pension over the years so that all pensioners benefit rather than those just getting the living alone allowance. The allowance was intended as a contribution towards the additional costs that pensioners face when they live alone but so many of them move into the family setting as time goes on. It was a more prudent move in that context.

I have addressed most of the issues raised and I am grateful for the opportunity to do so.