Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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315. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which respite care and respite care grants can be restored in the current year, with particular reference to the needs of parents and children throughout north Kildare and the rest of the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30328/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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While the primary responsibility for providing respite care lies with the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive, 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). This grant has not ceased or been curtailed in any way.

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 and it is expected that in excess of 90,000 grants will be paid in 2016 at an estimated cost of €157.6 million.

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. During the economic crisis this payment had been reduced by €325, in Budget 2013, in order to protect the core weekly welfare payments which people receive, including disability payments, pensions and Carer’s Allowance. The amount of the CSG was increased by €325 to €1,700 in Budget 2016.

Total Expenditure on grants 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.

Just to make it clear to the Deputy the CSG grant has not ceased or been curtailed in any way.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy