Paul Connaughton (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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50. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason carer's allowance is not a qualifying payment for fuel allowance, in view of the fact that many carers do not reside with the person for whom they are caring, and incur huge additional cost in caring for a loved one; her plans to change this in order that a person in receipt of carer's allowance and no other social welfare payment, and who lives alone but provides full-time care for a person who lives in another dwelling, can receive the fuel allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14991/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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To ensure that social welfare payment rates are maintained and targeted it is not possible to have secondary benefits paid to all customer groups – and carer’s allowance is not a qualifying payment for receipt of the fuel allowance.

However, the Government acknowledges the valuable contribution that carers make to society - carers receive significant income supports from the Department (among the highest in Europe) while the means test applied to applicants for carer’s allowance is the most generous in the social welfare system.

I should also point out that under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, exceptional needs payments may be made to help meet an essential, once-off cost which a person is unable to meet out of his/her own resources – and this may include exceptional heating costs.