Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 183: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he will review the qualifying criteria for the carers allowance (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32719/07]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Supporting and recognising carers in our society is, and has been, a priority of the Government since 1997. Over that period, weekly payment rates to carers have greatly increased, qualifying conditions for carer's allowance have 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.

Carer's allowance, in line with other social assistance schemes, is means tested. This ensures scarce resources are directed at those in greatest need. The primary objective of the carer's allowance is to provide income support to low income carers.

The carer's allowance means test is one of the more flexible tests in terms of the assessment of household incomes. The means test has been significantly eased over the years, most notably with regard to spouse's earnings. Budget 2007 provided for an income disregard for a couple of €640 per week. This ensures a couple can earn in the region of €36,000 per annum and still receive the maximum rate of carer's allowance and the associated free travel and household benefits. This measure surpasses the Towards 2016 commitment to ensure those on average industrial earnings continue to qualify for a full carer's allowance.

As with other social assistance payments, in calculating a person's means account is taken of the weekly value of property belonging to the person, where such property is not being used or enjoyed by the person or is not a farm of land leased by him or her.

The value of such property is calculated as follows:

The first €20,000 of the capital value is excluded

The weekly value of capital of between €20,000 and €30,000 is assessed at €1 per €1,000

The weekly value of capital of between €30,000 and €40,000 is assessed at €3 per €1,000

The weekly value of capital of over €40,000 is assessed at €4 per €1,000

Carer's benefit, eligibility for which is based on social insurance contributions, is available as an alternative to carer's allowance for people who are providing someone with full time care and attention but who do not qualify for carer's allowance due to the level of their means.

In June 2005, the respite care grant was extended to all people providing full time care and attention regardless of their means or social insurance contributions. Since then, the grant has also been paid in respect of each care recipient. Budget 2007 increased the level of the grant by €300 from €1,200 to €1,500 per year in respect of each care recipient.

I will keep the supports for carers available from my Department under review in order to continue to improve the schemes and ensure commitments on income support are delivered.

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 184: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his proposals to extend the back to school education allowance to lone parents who are writing up their PhD theses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32730/07]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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The primary objective of the back to education scheme is to remove the barriers to participation in third level education faced by people in receipt of long term social welfare payments thereby, providing an incentive for them to improve their employment prospects.

On the basis that customers in possession of a primary degree have already achieved a high level of academic attainment which should impact positively on their employment prospects it was decided, following a review, from January 2003, the allowance would only be available to applicants in pursuit of undergraduate qualification to primary degree level. The only exceptions to this decision are a postgraduate course leading to a Higher Diploma (H.Dip) qualification in any discipline or a Post Graduate diploma in Education (Primary). Other types of postgraduate qualifications including a PhD are not recognised for participation in the scheme.

It is important to ensure that supports are directed at those with the most pressing needs and that limited resources continue to be aimed at those who are most marginalised and who are most distant from the labour market. I do not propose to make any further changes in the qualifying criteria of the scheme.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 186: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if an exceptional needs payment will be offered to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare. [32844/07]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Under the terms of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, which is administered on my behalf by the community welfare division of the Health Service Executive, an exceptional needs payment (ENP) may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which the applicant is unable to meet out of his/her own resources. There is no automatic entitlement to this payment. Eligible people would normally be in receipt of a social welfare or health service executive payment. Each application is determined by the Executive based on the particular circumstances of the case. An ENP was made in this instance to the person concerned to cover the total funeral expenses. In addition an ENP was given to the person concerned to cater for insufficient means.

Question No. 187 answered with QuestionNo. 79.