Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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486. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if foster carers that apply for the carer's allowance are means tested on the foster carer's allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40860/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Carer's allowance is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care.

Foster care allowance is administered by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, which falls under the remit of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. Social welfare legislation provides that foster care allowances paid by Tusla are not taken into account in assessing the means in respect of any weekly social assistance payments; therefore it is not assessable as means for carer’s allowance.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.