Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Question 88: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he is considering changing the dual eligibility rule for people in receipt of the carer's allowance, for example, a person who has been in receipt of the carer's allowance and then qualifies for the old age pension and can only receive one social welfare payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11891/05]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 109: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when he expects to extend the carer's allowance to that wider group of carers who, for various reasons, do not currently qualify, in view of the fact that the caring service that they provide in many cases relieves the pressure on hospital beds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11878/05]

Joe Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 113: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the recent call from the Equality Authority for the Government to better support the thousands of carers across the State by investment in welfare benefits and providing better community care services; if he intends to act on the call from the Equality Authority; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11853/05]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 116: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the steps which have been taken to date to implement the 15 recommendations contained in the Position of Full-Time Carers report of November 2003 from the Joint Committee on Social and Family Affairs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11852/05]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 124: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the recent call from the Carers Association for the introduction of a level of payment that would be equivalent to salaries paid to health workers; his views on the call; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11851/05]

Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 318: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the likely cost of abolishing the means test for carers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11970/05]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 339: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his proposals to improve and extend the carer's allowance to cater for a wider group of persons who care for relatives and friends and as a consequence free up hospital beds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12246/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 88, 109, 113, 116, 124, 318 and 339 together.

The carer's allowance is a social assistance payment which provides income support to people who are providing certain elderly or incapacitated persons with full-time care and attention and whose incomes fall below a certain limit.

The primary objective of the social welfare system is to provide income support and, as a general rule, only one weekly social welfare payment is payable to an individual. This ensures that resources are not used to make two income support payments to any one person. Of course, persons qualifying for two social welfare payments always receive the higher payment to which they are entitled. Any changes, would involve additional expenditure which could only be considered in a budgetary context.

I did, however, announce a number of improvements for carers in the most recent budget which will benefit existing recipients of carer's payments and will also serve to extend supports to carers who have not previously been eligible for carer's payments. As regards to the means test for carer's allowance, I have increased the weekly income disregards to €270 for a single person and to €540 for a couple from this month. This means that a couple with two children can earn up to €30,700 and receive the maximum rate of carer's allowance while the same couple can earn up to €49,200 and receive the minimum rate of carer's allowance, free travel, the household benefits package and the respite care grant.

It is estimated that these changes will result in an additional 1,000 new carers qualifying for a carer's allowance, free travel, the household benefits package and the respite care grant. In addition, 2,400 existing carers, who are currently in receipt of reduced carer's allowance, will receive an increase in their weekly payment over and above the general rate increase they would receive in the normal way. The complete abolition of the means test would have substantial cost implications, estimated at €160 million in a full year.

Budget 2005 also made provision for major improvements to the respite care grant. This includes the extension of the respite care grant of €1,000 to all persons providing full-time care and attention, regardless of their means. Those persons in receipt of other social welfare payments, excluding unemployment assistance and benefit, will be entitled to this payment, subject to meeting the full-time care condition. This arrangement is being introduced to acknowledge the needs of carers, especially in respect of to respite care, and it is estimated that overall almost 33,000 carers will receive a respite care grant in June.

The report of the Oireachtas joint committee made a range of recommendations, many of which relate to my Department and a number of which concern the Department of Health and Children. The committee stated in its report that the greatest need identified by family carers is the need for a break from caring. The improvements to the respite care grant I have outlined are in line with this recommendation.

Another recommendation in the report relates to improvements in the information available to carers. In this regard, funding of €18,000 has been provided to the Carers Association towards the publication and distribution of a new information pack to provide information about services and supports for carers and their families. I understand that the association is in the process of developing this pack. In addition, my Department embarked on a nationwide campaign to increase awareness of carer's benefit and carer's leave arrangements towards the end of last year.

The Equality Authority has convened an advisory committee to prepare a report on implementing equality for carers. My Department is represented on this committee which is exploring a range of issues and key directions for change. One of these relates to a work-life balance for carers which would enable carers to combine caring and employment.

My officials are currently examining proposals to accommodate certain patterns of care-sharing which would allow carers to combine the provision of care to a person who requires full-time care and attention and participation in the labour force. I will keep the House informed of any developments in this area.

With regard to the Carers Association's call for an increase in carers payments from my Department to the equivalent of salaries paid to health workers, the carer's allowance and carer's benefit paid by my Department are income support payments rather than payments for caring and are related to other payments within the social welfare system.

I am always prepared to consider changes to existing arrangements where these would be for the benefit of recipients and financially sustainable within the resources available to me. In this context, I will continue to review the issues raised by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Social and Family Affairs, the Equality Authority and by carers' representative groups.