Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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168. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if he will improve the respite care grant in the course of the forthcoming Budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29183/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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My Department continues to empower and support carers in their caring role through its payment of the Carer’s Support Grant (CSG) formerly known as the Respite Care Grant (RCG). The name was changed from the Respite Care Grant to the Carer’s Support Grant in Budget 2016 to ensure that carers are empowered to use the grant in a manner that suits their individual circumstances, which may include providing for a respite from their caring duties.

The grant is paid automatically to people in receipt of Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, and Domiciliary Care Allowance. Other people who are not in receipt of a social welfare payment but who are providing full time care and attention are also eligible and can apply for the grant to a stand-alone CSG section. The stand-alone grant is not subject to a means test. The grant is paid annually on the first Thursday in June. It is expected that in excess of 90,000 grants will be paid in 2016 at an estimated cost of €157.6 million.

Total expenditure to carers (Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and Carer’s Support Grant) increased from just under €752 million in 2010 to over €877 million in 2015. This represents an increase of €125 million or 16.6 %. The estimated expenditure on these schemes for 2016 is in excess of €911 million.

Any consideration to change the CSG would have to be considered in an overall budgetary context.

I hope that clarifies the matter for the Deputy