Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 130: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if the new respite grant for carers will be extended to include persons who work more than ten hours outside the home. [15888/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The conditions for receipt of the extended respite care grant are set out in the Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2005. The following conditions will apply: the carer must be providing full-time care to a person who is in need of such care; as is the case with recipients of carers allowance, a full-time carer must not be engaged in employment for more than ten hours per week; and those who are on unemployment payments will be excluded since they are required to be available for and actively seeking full-time work.

I am committed to continuing to expand and increase the benefits and supports available to carers. By increasing the respite care grant to €1,000 and significantly expanding it to include thousands more recipients, we are going some of the way towards giving carers a badly needed break and also recognition for their commitment and compassion.

I am keeping all support schemes for carers under review and further possible improvements will be considered in a budgetary context.