Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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23. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will taper the restriction of working hours of 15 hours a week in the case of carer’s allowance in order that a person in receipt of such a payment can, on occasion, work more than the 15 hours and not lose the full entitlement; or if the hours can be calculated on a monthly rather than a weekly basis. [1212/16]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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It is a condition for receipt of carer’s benefit and carer’s allowance that the carer must be providing full-time care and attention to a person who requires such full-time care and attention because of a specified illness or disability. This condition is moderated by legislation allowing the carer to work or engage in training outside the home for an aggregate total of 15 hours per week. During this period of employment or education or training, adequate provision must be made for the care of the relevant person.

I am satisfied that the 15 hour moderation of the full-time care requirement achieves a reasonable balance between meeting the requirement for providing full-time care for the care recipient and the needs of the carer to engage in employment or education – while also helping to address the issue of social alienation experienced by many carers. There are no current plans to change the 15 hour moderation.