Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 46: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the qualifying conditions for receipt of the respite care grant; if there are proposals to extend this grant scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17639/06]

Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 47: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason a person in receipt of unemployment assistance cannot qualify for the respite care grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17640/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 46 and 47 together.

All carers who are in receipt of carer's allowance, carer's benefit, prescribed relative allowance or constant attendance allowance on the first Thursday in June will automatically receive the respite care grant without having to apply for it. Similarly, carers who are in receipt of domiciliary care allowance from the Health Service Executive will automatically receive the respite care grant from the HSE.

The respite care grant was extended in 2005. Carers who do not qualify for the grant under one of the above schemes may now receive the grant if the following conditions are met: the carer must be providing full time care to a person who is in need of such care for at least 6 months. This period of care must include the first Thursday in June, and as is the case with recipients of carers allowance, a full time carer must not be engaged in employment for more than 10 hours per week (this will increase to 15 hours for the purposes of the 2006 grant).

Those who are in receipt of an unemployment payment are not eligible to receive the grant as they are required to be available for and actively seeking full time work. Provision was made in Budget 2006 to increase the amount of the grant from €1,000 to €1,200 in respect of each care recipient and, as already mentioned, to increase the number of hours that a recipient of the grant may work from 10 to 15 hours per week. All support schemes for carers, including the respite care grant will be kept under review and further possible improvements will be considered in a budgetary context.