Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

387. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons currently in receipt of carer's allowance and carer's benefit and the associated cost of this; the total savings to the Exchequer through the work of recipients of carer's allowance and carer's benefit as against the cost of similar full-time care in residential settings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20839/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

It is important to acknowledge that carers play a key role in our society. The importance of their contribution is reflected in the range of significant supports provided by my Department to support carers in their caring role and ameliorate the financial burden of caring – indeed it is worth pointing out that the income supports that carers receive from my Department are among the highest rates in Europe.

The primary objective of carer’s benefit and carer’s allowance is to recognise the needs of carers through the provision of appropriate income support. There are currently some 64,800 recipients of carer’s allowance and around 2,370 recipients of carer’s benefit. In 2015, expenditure on carer’s allowance amounted to just over €611 million while the figure for carer’s benefit was just over €30 million.

Policy issues relating to care in residential facilities are a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Health. My Department does not have estimates in relation to cost of care in other settings.

I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.