Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will commence a review of income supports for family carers as recommended by the Carer's Association. [49833/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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In the recently published National Carers’ Strategy my Department committed to recognising the needs of carers by the provision of income supports. My Department currently provides a range of supports for family carers including carer’s allowance, carer’s benefit and the annual respite care grant, as well as secondary benefits such as free travel and household benefits. There are almost 52,000 people in receipt of carer’s allowance from my Department at an annual cost of over €500 million. Of these, over 22,000 are getting half-rate carer’s allowance in addition to another social welfare payment at an annual cost of some €90 million. There are over 1,600 people in receipt of carer’s benefit with an allocation of €23 million in 2012.

In Budget 2012, the basic rate of all income supports for carers was maintained. The means test for carer’s allowance is one of the most generous means tests in the social welfare system. The income disregard is €332.50 per week for a single person and €665 per week for a couple. A couple with two children can earn up to €35,400 and qualify for the maximum rate of carer’s allowance, as well as the household benefits package and free travel while a couple earning €59,300 can still qualify for the minimum rate of carer’s allowance and additional benefits. Carer supports were reviewed as part of the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure and all of my Department’s schemes are kept under review as part of the budgetary process. I have no plans to initiate a separate review of carer income supports.