Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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217. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will restore the full respite care grant in the forthcoming budget as a recognition of the excellent delivery of care to dependent patients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20411/15]

Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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220. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an up-to-date progress report regarding the national carers strategy and its impact on family carers' lives since its launch in July 2012; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20426/15]

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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227. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if he will support national organisations representing the interests of carers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20561/15]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 217, 220 and 227 together.

I must first acknowledge the valuable role that carers play in providing caring supports to family members and friends.

The National Carers’ Strategy (NCS) demonstrates the Government’s commitment to supporting carers, to ensure that their contribution to society is recognised and, in the case of the Department, that they receive appropriate financial supports.

Acknowledgement of this key role is reflected in the range of significant income supports provided by the Department to support carers in their caring role and ameliorate the financial burden of caring – it is worth pointing out that the income supports that carers receive from the Department are among the highest rates in Europe.

Over the last three years, during a period of significant economic challenge, the Government has ensured that the core rates of payments to carers have been protected and maintained. The rates of carers allowance and carers benefit are among the higher rates of social welfare payments. The weekly payment rate for a person aged under 66, caring for 1 person is €204, while the rate for a person aged over 66 is €239. An increase of 50% is paid where a carer is caring for more than one person (€306 and €358.50 for carers under and over 66 respectively).

Total expenditure on carers (Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and Respite Care Grant) has increased from just under €752 million in 2010 to almost €806 million in 2014. This is an increase of €53.9 million or 7.2%.

In addition to the provision of income support, the Department made a commitment in the NCS to organise an annual meeting where organisations representing carers would be afforded an opportunity to meet officials from the relevant Departments with responsibilities in this area and the HSE to discuss issues of concern. The most recent of these meetings was in February last, and the feedback from the carers’ organisations to this development is very positive. In addition to that annual meeting, I am pleased to say that the Department also meets regularly with the carers’ representative groups to discuss both policy and operational issues. Carers’ groups are also represented at the Department’s annual pre-Budget forum.

In relation to the rate of respite care grant, I am aware that the reduction in the rate of the grant in 2013 was challenging for carers but in framing budgetary adjustments, the concern has been to protect primary social welfare rates, as indicated above, and any change to the rate of the grant can only be considered in the context of the overall economic and budgetary position.

However, I would point out that the rate of €1,375 is still more than twice what it was in 2002 (when it was €635), and higher than it was in 2006 at the height of the economic boom, (when it was €1,200).