Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 426: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason women who are out of work due to sickness were not allowed to claim for their children on social welfare when their spouses earns more than €300 per week. [18969/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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Child dependant allowance, CDA, is an additional weekly payment made to male and female social welfare recipients in respect of each qualified child dependant. A full CDA rate of €16.80 for each child dependant is payable to recipients of disability benefit together with a qualified adult allowance where the spouse's gross weekly earnings do not exceed €220 gross per week. Where earnings exceed €220, the qualified adult allowance is no longer payable. In terms of the child dependant allowance, a half-rate CDA increase is payable if a spouse or partner has a gross income of between €220 and €350 per week. This threshold was increased from €300 to €350 in budget 2005 and will ensure that persons may retain entitlement to half rate CDA when family income is almost €26,000, that is, when earnings of €350 per week and social welfare personal rate of €148.80 are combined. Any further increase would require additional resources and would be a budgetary matter.

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 427: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will estimate the cost of providing half-rate carer's allowance for carers who are in receipt of another social welfare pension; the reason his Department feels that such persons should not be entitled to additional supplement towards their cost of caring; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19112/05]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 431: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his plans to increase the number of hours that persons who are in receipt of the carer's allowance can work; and his proposals he has to increase the hours that such persons can work while also drawing the carer's allowance. [19202/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 427 and 431 together.

The carer's allowance is a social assistance payment which provides income support for 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.

I made provision in budget 2005 for major improvements to the respite care grant. This includes the extension of the 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 with regard to respite and it is estimated that almost 33,000 carers will receive a respite care grant in 2005. The first of these payments issued last week.

According to census 2002, more than 48,000 people providing personal care for over four hours per day. Just over 24,000 of these are in receipt of either carer's allowance or carer's benefit. It is likely that a proportion of the remainder are in receipt of a different social welfare payment, for example an old age pension. Unfortunately it is not possible to estimate the number of people in this situation and it is, therefore, not possible to estimate the cost of the Deputy's proposal.

From August 1999, the full-time care and attention requirements were relaxed to introduce an element of flexibility for carers, while safeguarding the needs and interests of care recipients. Under these arrangements which were introduced in recognition of the economic and therapeutic value of work, carers may work up to ten hours per week. However, the carer's allowance scheme is designed for full-time carers and in allowing for flexibility to work a balance needs to be struck between the needs of the care recipient and needs of the carer to maintain contact with the labour market.

Government policy is strongly in favour of supporting care in the community and enabling people to remain in their own homes for as long as possible. The types of services which recognise the value of the caring ethos and which provide real support and practical assistance for the people involved will continue to be developed and all allowances and systems of support will be kept under regular review.