Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 1031: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will work with the Health Service Executive in supporting carers and their families and to investigate other options in relation to taxation and employment of carers. [29673/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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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.

Issues of taxation are a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Finance. However, I have introduced several improvements to payments from my Department in order to facilitate carers who wish to engage in employment. From 1 June this year, I increased the number of hours a person can engage in employment, self-employment, training or education outside the home and still satisfy the qualifying conditions for payment, from 10 to 15 hours per week.

In addition, in Budget 2006 I increased the length of time for which a person can claim carer's benefit from 65 to 104 weeks. The duration of the associated carer's leave scheme has also been extended to two years.

Following significant progress in Budget 2006, the earnings disregard for a couple is currently set at €580 per week which is just at the level of gross average industrial earnings. In accordance with the new social partnership agreement, Towards 2016, I am committed to expanding, subject to available resources, the income limits for carer's allowance aiming to keep the level of the disregard in line with average industrial earnings.

I am fully aware that co-operation between relevant Government Departments and Agencies is essential if the provision of services, supports and entitlements for carers is to be fully addressed. In January 2005 the Minister for Health and Children and I established a Working Group on Long Term Care which comprises senior officials from both our Departments as well as the Departments of An Taoiseach and Finance and the Health Services Executive. The report of this group is currently being considered by Government.

The Government's commitment to cross-departmental co-operation is further reinforced in the new social partnership agreement 'Towards 2016' which commits my Department to leading the development of a structured consultation process to inform future policy in relation to carers. This will involve an annual meeting of carer's representative groups as well as relevant Department and Agencies.

Another key Government commitment in Towards 2016 is the development of a National Carer's Strategy by the end of 2007. This strategy will focus on supporting informal and family carers in the community and will involve all relevant Departments and Agencies as well as the social partners.

I am committed to working for, and with, carers to deliver increased benefits, supports, and services for them and their families. In that regard, I will continue to review the scope for further developments of the carer's allowance, carer's benefit and respite care grant.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 1033: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if the review of the administration of the habitual residence condition has been completed; if so, the main findings of this review; the decisions that he has taken or plans to take as a result; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29805/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The requirement to be habitually resident in Ireland was introduced as a qualifying condition for certain social assistance schemes and child benefit with effect from 1 May 2004. The basis of the restriction contained in the rules is the applicant's habitual residence. The effect is that a person whose habitual residence is elsewhere is not paid social welfare payments on arrival in Ireland.

The operation of the habitual residence condition has been monitored closely by my Department since its introduction. A comprehensive review of the operation of the condition which was undertaken in late 2005 by my Department was recently completed. I intend to bring the Review to the attention of the Government with a view to publishing it in the near future.

It should be noted that between 1 May 2004 and end April 2006, over 34,000 claims, other than Supplementary Welfare Allowance, involving HRC issues from persons from over 150 countries have been examined by my Department. This number includes claims to Child Benefit and social assistance, representing less than 10% of the overall number of claims for these schemes.

The main schemes affected are Unemployment Assistance and Child Benefit, which account for nearly 85% of the total number decided. One Parent Family Payment and Disability Allowance claims account for nearly 10% of the total. Of these claims: 34% referred to persons from some 130 countries outside the EU 25; 27% related to Irish nationals; 16% related to nationals from the EU 10; 13% related to claims from UK nationals; and 10% referred to people from the EU13, that is, EU 15 Member States other than Ireland and the UK.

Over 26,000 (77%) of these claims were found to satisfy the condition and 8,000 (23%) were unsuccessful. There were some 800 appeals against HRC decisions determined by the independent Appeals Office of which over 300 cases were determined in favour of the claimant.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 1034: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if there are any circumstances where a person who does not have the required number of days on a relevant social welfare payment will qualify for the back to education allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29818/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The back to education allowance is a second chance education opportunities scheme designed to encourage and facilitate people on certain social welfare payments to improve their skills and qualifications and, therefore, their prospects of returning to the active work force.

To qualify for participation in the BTEA scheme an applicant must, inter alia, be in receipt of a relevant social welfare payment for 6 months for a second level course or 12 months for a third level course. This is reduced to 9 months if the applicant is participating in the National Employment Action Plan (NEAP) process and where the third level course is approved by a FÁS Services Officer as part of that process.

This requirement to be in receipt of a relevant social welfare payment for a minimum period of time has always been a feature of the BTEA scheme and is considered necessary in order to ensure that limited resources are targeted at those who are most in need. The BTEA is an administrative stand-alone scheme and is not subject to legislation. The primary reason for this is that it allows for a greater degree of flexibility in its administration. Such flexibility is generally used to the benefit of the applicant. With regard to the minimum qualifying period, officers may exercise a degree of discretion in circumstances where an applicant is short by a few days or a week at the most.

Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 1035: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when a decision will be made on the application for a respite care grant submitted by a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [29848/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The application for a Respite Care Grant from the person to whom the Deputy refers was received in my Department on 31 July 2006. It is currently being processed and my Department hopes to be in a position to make a decision on it and inform the applicant of the outcome shortly.