Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 86: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his views on changing the dual eligibility rule for people in receipt of the carer's allowance, for example a person who has been in receipt of the carer's allowance and then qualifies for the old age pension can only receive one social welfare payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23099/06]

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 97: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he intends to change the dual eligibility rule for people in receipt of the carer's allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23097/06]

Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 105: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he has re-examined the unanimous proposal put forward by the Joint Committee on Social and Family Affairs that widows and widowers and others on social welfare should get at least half the carers allowance if they are giving care to an elderly or disabled person; his views on whether such a person on a contributory pension would be entitled to retain full time employment outside the home and is therefor making a significant sacrifice that justifies recognition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23029/06]

Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 121: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his plans to reform the eligibility for the carers allowance and to ensure that all carers' work is recognised. [23024/06]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 123: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the changes recently announced to benefits designed for carers including the respite care grant; his views on whether these changes are sufficient to cater for the needs of the more than 100,000 carers here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22997/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 86, 97, 105, 121 and 123 together.

Support of carers has been a priority of Government since 1997. Payments to carers have been greatly improved over that period and qualifying conditions for carers allowance have been significantly eased, coverage of the scheme has been extended and new schemes such as carers benefit and the respite care grant have been introduced. The further development of support for carers continues to be a priority for me and for Government.

I have examined the Joint Oireachtas Committee's 'Report on the Position of Full-Time Carers', which was published in 2003. This valuable report 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 have made several improvements to the respite care grant.

In 2005 I extended the grant to all carers who are providing full time care to a person who needs such care regardless of their source of income or their means. Those persons in receipt of other social welfare payments, excluding unemployment assistance and benefit, are entitled to this payment subject to meeting the full time care condition. In addition the grant is now paid in respect of each person receiving care. In Budget 2006, I made provision for an increase in the amount of the respite care grant from EUR 1,000 to EUR 1,200, from this month.

The Joint Oireachtas Committee's Report also recommended that where a person who is caring for someone and is in receipt of a widow's or widower's pension he or she should receive a half rate carer's allowance. 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. Persons qualifying for two social welfare payments always receive the higher payment to which they are entitled.

In Budget 2006, I provided for a significant increase in the rate of carer's allowance. From January this year, the rate of carer's allowance increased to EUR200 per week for carers aged 66 years and over. This rate of payment may be higher in many instances than the rate of old age pension or widow(er)'s pension payable to a person. Such a person who is providing full time care and attention to a person who requires such care may be entitled to receive this higher rate of carer's allowance.

In addition, the means test for carer's allowance has been eased significantly over the years, most notably with the introduction of the disregards of spouses' earnings. Following Budget 2006, since April, a couple with two children can earn up to EUR32,925 per annum and still receive the maximum rate of carer's allowance. The same couple will be able to earn up to EUR54,400 and receive the minimum rate of carer's allowance as well as the free travel, the household benefits package and the respite care grant.

The full-time care and attention requirements for carer's allowance were relaxed from August 1999 to introduce greater flexibility into the carer's allowance scheme, while still safeguarding the needs and interests of care recipients. This allowed carers to work for up to 10 hours per week and it was introduced in recognition of the economic and therapeutic values of work. It also allows carers to maintain contact with the labour market. From 1 June this year I have increased the number of hours a person can engage in employment, self employment or training and education and still be deemed to be providing full time care and attention from 10 to 15 hours per week. This applies to carer's allowance, carer's benefit and respite care grant.

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. Those recommendations involving additional expenditure can only be considered in a budgetary context.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 87: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he has given further consideration to standardising the full entitlement to an occupational injury payment to all former miners diagnosed as suffering pneumoconiosis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23109/06]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 305: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the projected cost of making full occupational injury benefit payable to sufferers of pneumoconiosis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23249/06]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 306: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will authorise the full payment of occupational injury benefit to sufferers of pneumoconiosis who happen to suffer from other respiratory illnesses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23250/06]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 307: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of persons diagnosed as suffering from pneumoconiosis; the proportion of such persons who suffer from other respiratory illnesses; if he will issue a directive awarding full payment of occupational injury benefit to such persons solely on the basis of their diagnosis with pneumoconiosis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23251/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 87, 305, 306 and 307 together.

My Department does not create or hold records or statistics in relation to health matters per se. Information relating to occupational diseases regarding miners is only held by my Department in the context of claims made under its Occupational Injuries Benefit scheme. Pneumoconiosis is a prescribed disease for the purpose of this scheme. The legislation governing the Occupational Injuries Scheme provides entitlement to benefit for persons suffering from certain prescribed diseases which are listed in the legislation and where that person has contracted that disease in the course of their employment.

Where a person has contracted one of the diseases listed in the legislation, benefits are payable if they were employed in an occupation which is specifically prescribed in relation to that disease. In addition, benefits may be payable if the claimant can show that the disease was contracted through an employment not specifically prescribed in relation to that disease.

Employment under a contract of service as a miner is insurable for Occupational Injuries Benefit under the Social Welfare Acts. Miners who are unable to work due to an accident arising from their employment may be entitled to occupational injury benefit for the first 26 weeks of their claim. If their incapacity extends beyond that period they may receive Disability Benefit or Invalidity Pension, subject to meeting the qualifying conditions for these payments.

Miners may be entitled to Disablement Benefit if they suffer a loss of physical or mental faculty as a result of an accident at work or a disease prescribed in legislation that they contracted at work. Medical assessments are undertaken in all such cases to determine the degree of disablement, which is calculated by comparison of the state of health of the applicant with a person of the same age and gender.

Persons claiming Occupational Injuries Benefit in cases of Pneumoconiosis are referred to Consultant Respiratory Physicians in the first instance for an examination and report. This examination consists of a clinical assessment and pulmonary function testing (PFT). Disablement benefit is awarded on the basis of the consultant's report, including the pulmonary function test result. The degree of disablement is expressed as a percentage of loss of faculty and the compensation payable varies accordingly.

Loss of faculty may be determined within a range of less than 1% to 100%, depending on the severity of the condition. With regard to the 21 persons currently in receipt of disablement benefit as a result of contracting pneumoconiosis arising from their occupation, the percentage of disablement assessed ranges from 8% to 90%. Expenditure in 2006 for payment of disablement benefit to these recipients will be in excess of €86,000. If all current recipients were assessed at 100% disablement, the total expenditure for 2006 would be over €214,000.

A person must be assessed as having a minimum of 20% loss of faculty before they may be considered as being incapable of work due to their disablement. There would no justification for special arrangements in this regard in the case of Pneumoconiosis.