Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 125: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs her views on increasing the payments given to persons who are caring for the sick and disabled due to the increase in cost associated with their care. [8681/10]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Carer's allowance is a social assistance payment which provides income support to people who are providing certain older people or people with a disability with full time care and attention and whose incomes fall below a certain limit. Persons who are in receipt of carer's allowance also receive the annual respite care grant, the household benefits package and the free travel pass.

Carer's allowance or carer's benefit, as an income support for carers, is not designed to cover the medical or other care costs of the person for whom care is provided.

In the majority of cases, persons who are being cared for will be in receipt of a payment in their own right (for example a state pension or disability allowance, or domiciliary care allowance for a child under sixteen).