Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Question 144: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she has plans to increase the payment for each dependent child under the widow's and widower's contributory pension scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32736/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Improvements in the rate of the qualified child increase for the widow's and widower's contributory pension scheme and other schemes will be considered in a Budgetary context.

Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 145: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the cost of increasing all personal basic rates of social welfare at present set at €197.80 to €225. [32748/08]

Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 146: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the cost of increasing the qualified adult allowance to €157.50. [32749/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 145 and 146 together.

The cost of increasing the lowest rate of payment from €197.80 to €225 per week is €818 million in a full year. The cost of increasing the increase for a qualified adult (for all lowest rates of payment) from €131.30 to €157.50 per week is €97.5 million in a full year.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 147: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will extend the number of hours a carer can work; if she will remove the cap of 15 hours per week; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32928/08]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 148: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will extend the number of hours a carer can spend on training courses per week; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32929/08]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 149: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs her views on whether carers should be eligible to participate in community employment schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32930/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 147 to 149, inclusive, together.

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 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. One of the fundamental qualifying conditions for carer's allowance, carer's benefit and the respite care grant is that the person be providing full-time care and attention to a person who needs such care.

Since the introduction of the carer's allowance scheme this full time care and attention requirement has been eased in order to facilitate carers in engaging in employment, education or training. The number of hours a person may engage in employment, self employment, training or education outside the home and still be considered to be providing full-time care and attention was increased from 10 to 15 hours per week in June 2006.

Participation on a community employment scheme involves a placement of 39 hours per fortnight and so carer's payments are not payable to people engaged on community employment schemes. There are no plans to increase the number of hours for which people can engage in employment, education or training outside the home and still be eligible for carer's payments from the Department.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 150: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will change the means test for eligibility for carer's allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32931/08]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 151: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will increase the carer's allowance or benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32932/08]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 152: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if she will introduce a needs assessment for family carers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32933/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 150 to 152, inclusive, together.

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. It has been significantly eased over the years, most notably with regard to spouse's earnings.

Increases to the carer's allowance income disregard provided for in Budget 2008 mean that, since April, a single person can have an income of €332.50 per week and a couple can have an income of up to €665 per week and still qualify for the maximum rate of carer's allowance. The previous levels were €320 and €640 per week respectively. This ensures that a couple can have an income in the region of €37,200 per year and still qualify for the maximum rate of carer's allowance as well as the associated free travel, household benefits package and the respite care grant. This increase surpasses the "Towards 2016" commitment to ensuring that those on average earnings can qualify for carer's allowance.

Rates of carer's allowance for those caring for one person were increased to €214 per week for those aged under 66 and to €232 per week for those aged over 66 from January 2008. Where people are caring for more than one person they receive a higher rate of payment. People aged under 66 who are eligible for the maximum rate of carer's allowance and who are caring for more than one person receive €321 per week. People aged 66 or over in that situation receive €348 per week.

Budget 2007 provided for new arrangements whereby people can receive a maximum payment equivalent to a half rate carers allowance while receiving another social welfare payment, other than jobseekers benefit or allowance. To date over 13,000 carers have benefited from these arrangements. In June 2006 the number of hours for which a person could engage in employment, self-employment, education or training and still be considered to be providing full time care for the purposes of carer's allowance, carer's benefit and the respite care grant was increased from 10 to 15 hours per week.

From June 2005, the annual respite care grant was extended to all carers, providing full time care, regardless of their income. A carer who is caring for two or more people is entitled to a full grant for each of the care recipients. The rate of the grant increased to €1,700 per year from June 2008. A needs assessment for carers is one of the many issues being considered as part of the National Carers' Strategy which is currently being developed by an inter-departmental working group.