Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Question 431: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of people who received the respite grant in June 2006; the number of those who were in receipt of the carers allowance; the number in receipt of the carers benefit; if he is satisfied that all others, such as widows, widowers, pensioners and so on, who are providing such care have received this allowance; if not, the steps he intends to take to encourage or accept late applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26485/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The Respite Care Grant in respect of 2006 is payable on Thursday 1 June 2006, the date on which the conditions pertaining to the Grant must be satisfied. Payment to eligible people is effected as soon as practicable after that date. To date a total of 27,631 Grants have been paid in respect of the 2006 scheme.

The Grant is payable from my Department, automatically, without the need for applications, to people in receipt of Carers Allowance, Carers Benefit, or Prescribed Relatives Allowance or where a Constant Attendance Allowance is in payment to the person being cared for. The Grant has been paid to date in 2006 to 25,271 people in receipt of Carers Allowance, to 1,086 people in receipt of Carers Benefit, to 75 people in receipt of Constant Attendance Allowance and to 13 people in receipt of Prescribed Relative Allowance.

Budget 2005 extended entitlement to the Respite Care Grant to all full-time carers irrespective of means or contribution record but subject to certain conditions relating to the provision of full time care and attention.

Applications for the Grant from those not entitled to receive it automatically are being solicited in two phases. Firstly, those who applied for and received the Grant in 2005 have been written to enclosing a brief questionnaire to establish whether they continue to satisfy the conditions for receipt of the Grant in 2006. On foot of this initiative, to date, approximately 6,000 applications have been received, and the Grant has been paid to 1,186 of those. Replies continue to be processed.

The second phase of the campaign to identify those people who may be eligible for the Grant for the first time in 2006 will take the form of a press and publicity campaign. This will take place after the summer.

The closing date for the 2006 scheme is 31 December 2007, allowing the maximum opportunity for applications to be made.