Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 43: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the steps he has taken or plans to take to implement the recommendations contained in the report of the Joint Committee on Social and Family Affairs, the Position of Full-Time Carers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37219/05]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 49: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he has received a copy of the carer's association national policy document Towards a Family Carers Strategy; his views on its main findings; if he will draw on this document when formulating a national strategy for carers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37220/05]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 87: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if in the context of budget 2006 or the forthcoming Social Welfare Bill, he will consider extending the carer's allowance to a wider group of carer's who currently do not qualify for payment for one reason or another; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37224/05]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 150: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when he expects to expand or extend the scope or scale of the carer's allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37515/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 10, 43, 49, 87 and 150 together.

According to census 2002, there are 48,500 people providing personal care for over four hours per day. Over 25,700 of these are in receipt of either carer's allowance or carer's benefit. This means that almost 53% of the 48,500 carers, estimated by the CSO to be caring for more than four hours per day, are in receipt of a specific carer's payment from my Department.

Supporting and recognising carers in our society has been a priority of the Government since 1997. Over that period, weekly payment rates to carers have been greatly increased, qualifying conditions for carer's allowance have been significantly eased, coverage of the scheme has been extended and new schemes such as carer's benefit and the respite care grant have been introduced and extended.

The report of the joint Oireachtas committee, which I examined when it was published last year, makes a range of recommendations, many of which relate to my Department and a number of which concern the Department of Health and Children.

In response to the committee, who stated that the greatest need identified by family carers is the need for a break from caring, I made provision in budget 2005 to improve and extend the respite care grant in the following ways: first, from June this year, in accordance with the Government's commitment in our programme for Government to introduce significant increases in the value of the respite care grant, I increased the amount of the grant from €835 to €1,000 annually; second, provision was made for the extension of the grant to all carers who are providing full time care to a person who needs such care regardless of their means. This means that the respite care grant is now paid to persons providing full time care but who are on another social welfare payment, excluding unemployment assistance and benefit. It is also paid to carers who do not currently receive a weekly social welfare payment from my Department. The grant continues to be paid automatically to those who are in receipt of carer's payments; third, the grant is now being paid in respect of each person receiving care. This means that a carer who is providing care for more than two people receives a grant in respect of each person for whom she or he is caring. Previously a maximum of two grants was paid. I have done this to recognise the particular challenges which are faced by carers who are caring for several people.

To date, almost 31,000 respite care grants have been paid by my Department and applications for the grant continue to be received.

With regard to the Carers Association's Towards a Family Carer's Strategy, I had the pleasure last May of launching that strategy. The strategy is a focused document with very clear objectives and actions. These objectives and actions cover a range of areas and Government Departments, including income support and health related issues. I was particularly interested in the views expressed in the strategy in relation to encouraging carers to participate in the labour force. As I have previously mentioned in the House, care-sharing situations can now be accommodated on the carer's allowance scheme.

This measure allows two carers who are providing full-time care in an established pattern, for example every second week, to share the carer's allowance income support payment and the annual respite care grant. Both carers will receive the household benefits package of free schemes.

My Department can also accommodate the carer who is providing care, say on alternate weeks, and where the care recipient attends a residential institution on the other week. All of the usual qualifying conditions for carer's allowance will apply to carers availing of these arrangements. This increased flexibility in the carer's allowance scheme will allow carers to combine the provision of care to a person who requires full-time care and attention and participation in the labour force if that is what they wish.

I have mentioned in the House before that a Long-Term Care Working Group, chaired by the Department of the Taoiseach and comprising senior officials from the Departments of Finance, Health and Children and my own Department is due to report to the Tánaiste and to me shortly. The objective of this group is to identify the policy options for a financially sustainable system of long-term care. The issues raised in the Carers Association's strategy are also included in the group's deliberations.

I am always prepared to consider changes to existing arrangements where these are for the benefit of recipients and financially sustainable within the resources available to me. I will continue to review the issues raised by the Carers Association, the joint Oireachtas committee and other bodies representing carers and I will continue to strive to bring forward proposals that recognise the valued and valuable contribution of carers in a tangible way.