David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 171: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the various recommendations made in the October 1998 report, Review of the Carer's Allowance; the recommendations which have been accepted as valid by him or his predecessors; the status of the progress made or planned for each of the recommendations so accepted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12624/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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As part of the expenditure review initiative, a review of the carer's allowance scheme was completed by my Department and published in October 1998. Of the main recommendations of the review, an amendment to the PRSI system to preserve the carer's social insurance record while caring was implemented in April 1999. The payment of an additional annual flat rate payment to all recipients of the allowance as a contribution towards respite care was implemented in June 1999. A relaxation of the residency requirements was implemented in August 1999. A relaxation of the full-time care and attention requirements was implemented in August 1999. An extension of the scope of the scheme to allow carers of children in receipt of domiciliary care allowance to apply for the allowance was implemented in August 1999. An extension of the scope of the scheme to include care recipients between the age of 16 and 65 who are not in receipt of a qualifying payment was implemented in August 1999. An extension of the telephone allowance to all recipients of the allowance was implemented in August 1999. An amendment to the means test to give income disregards to all carers in their own right was implemented in August 1999. An extension of the household benefits package of schemes to all carer's allowance recipients was implemented in October 2000 and a carer's benefit scheme for carers was introduced in October 2000. Other issues discussed in the review include the introduction of a system of needs assessments, a new PRSI scheme for care recipients and a continual care payment.

As the Deputy is aware, the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children and I established the long-term care working group in January 2005 to identify the policy options for a financially sustainable system of long-term care. The issues of needs assessments and using a social insurance model to finance long-term care were considered by the group. The report of the working group is currently being considered by Government. The review group considered a proposal on the introduction of a cost of care allowance to be within the remit of the Department of Health and Children. It is similar to the requests for a cost of disability payment which the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities recommended that the Department of Health and Children should introduce.

Supports for carers have been continually improved and extended in successive budgets since the publication of the review of the carer's allowance. For example, in 2005, the respite care grant was extended to all carers who are providing full-time care to a person who needs such care regardless of their means. I also made provision for care sharing to be accommodated in the carer's allowance scheme.

In June, I will increase the number of hours that a carer may work while still receiving a carer's allowance, carer's benefit or respite care grant from ten to 15 hours per week. I have also extended the duration of the carer's benefit scheme from 15 months to two years. The duration of the associated carer's leave scheme is also being extended to two years. In addition, I have substantially increased the weekly rate of the carer's allowance and the level of the income disregards on the carer's allowance means test.

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 bring forward proposals that recognise the valued and valuable contribution of carers in a tangible way.

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 172: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of people currently in receipt of the living alone allowance; the weekly cost of same to his Department; and when this allowance was last increased. [12713/06]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 173: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his views on increasing the living alone allowance; the estimated cost of increasing the cost of this allowance to €10 per week; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12714/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 172 and 173 together.

The living alone allowance is an additional payment of €7.70 per week made to people aged 66 years or over who are in receipt of certain social welfare payments and who are living alone. It is also available to people under 66 years of age who are living alone and who receive payments under one of a number of invalidity type schemes. The allowance is intended as a contribution towards the additional costs people face when they live alone and was last increased in 1996.

The latest figures available show that 149,163 people were in receipt of the living alone allowance at the end of December 2005 at a cost of about €1.15 million per week. The cost of increasing the living alone allowance to €10 per week is estimated at €18 million per annum.

For many years, the policy on supports for pensioners has been to give priority to increasing the personal rates of pension rather than focusing on payments such as the living alone allowance. This approach ensures that resources are used to improve the position of all pensioners. The Government is committed to increasing the basic State pension to €200 per week by 2007. Significant progress towards achieving this target was made in budget 2006, which provided for increases in pensions of up to €14 and €16 per week. The maximum rate of the old age contributory pension is now €193.30 per week with the non-contributory pension paid at €182 per week, whereas two years ago, the corresponding rates were €167.30 and €154.