Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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247. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will increase the rate of carer’s allowance to the full pandemic unemployment payment rate for the duration of the Covid-19 restrictions in recognition of the work of family carers especially during the Covid-19 restrictions; if she will instruct the HSE to redirect funding not spent on HSE respite services to the carers themselves to facilitate them getting respite care from private providers for those who have had reductions in HSE respite provision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41067/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Government acknowledges the crucial role that family carers play and is fully committed to supporting carers in that role. This commitment is recognised in both the Programme for Government and the National Carers’ Strategy.

The main income supports to carers provided by my Department are Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit and the Carer’s Support Grant. Combined spending on the above payments to carers in 2020 is expected to exceed €1.3 billion.

In responding to COVID-19, the Department has made special provisions for those who may be most vulnerable and negatively affected at this time, that is, those who have been diagnosed with COVID-19, have been medically certified to self-isolate and those who have lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic.

The Department has introduced the following short-term emergency payments - the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) and COVID-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit. Both of these temporary measures allow payments to be made with certain other social welfare payments including Carer’s Allowance or Carer’s Benefit. A carer whose work ceases as a result of COVID-19 and whose situation qualifies them for one of these payments will get them along with their current carer's income support whether Carer’s Allowance or Carer’s Benefit.

Despite the substantial extra financial demands due to the COVID-19 crisis, I announced that the Carer’s Support Grant would continue to be paid to carers this year at an estimated cost of over €237 million. This is a payment for carers throughout the State and is paid in June each year, not just to people in receipt of carers allowance but other carers who may not be dependent on State income supports. At the end of October 115,845 carers had received the grant in respect of 128,610 care recipients. In recognition of the vital role that carers provide in our society, the Carers Support Grant will increase by €150 next year. The new rate will be €1,850 – the highest ever rate at which it will have been paid since its introduction.

HSE respite services are not a matter for this Department and are proper to the Department of Health. The Deputy should raise this matter with my colleague, the Minister for Health.

Finally, any improvements or additions to the current carer's income supports provided by this Department can only be considered in a budgetary context and in the light of available financial resources.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.