Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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504. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the total amount spent in social protection benefits and allowances, by programme and by year in County Cork from 2011 to 2021, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11058/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Detailed information on recipients and expenditure are published annually by my Department at gov.ie/dsp/statistics, including an archive of reports from 1998. The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table below. Work is currently ongoing in respect of the 2021 report, which is due to be published in Q2 this year.

Expenditure is incurred and recorded at the scheme level, and so it is important to note that the expenditure figures detailed in respect of Cork are estimates, based on the proportion of recipients of the various social welfare programmes in county Cork as published in the 2020 Annual Statistical Report. The programmes follow the classifications set out in the Appropriation Accounts.

Pensions - Social Insurance

Working Age Income Supports - Social Insurance 

Working Age Income Supports - Social Assistance

Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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505. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if consideration will be given to increasing the threshold for means for persons applying for the carer’s allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11064/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Government recognises the important role that family carers play in Irish society and is fully committed to their support through a range of supports and services. 

The main income supports to carers provided by my Department include Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance, and the Carer's Support Grant. Spending on these payments in 2022 is expected to exceed €1.5 billion. 

The current income disregard and means test for Carer’s Allowance is the most generous within the social welfare system.  The amount of weekly earnings disregarded is €332.50 for a single person and €665 for a couple. 

In acknowledgement of the crucial role that family carers play in our society I introduced a number of measures as part of Budget 2022 in relation to supports provided by my Department. These include the following changes to the carer means test which will take effect in June:  

- An increase in the weekly income disregard for Carer’s Allowance to €350 a week for single carers and to €750 for carers with a spouse/partner,

- An increase in the Capital/Savings disregard for Carer’s Allowance from €20,000 to €50,000.

A more generous means assessment for Carer’s Allowance has been called for over successive Budgets by organisations representing carers.  An increase in the general weekly income disregard will enable more carers with modest incomes to become eligible for Carer’s Allowance, and therefore provide an income support to carers, whose earning capacity is significantly constrained as a consequence of their caring responsibilities.

Increasing the capital disregard will allow carers who have accumulated relatively modest savings, often to provide sufficient moneys to care for a loved one, to retain these savings without it impacting upon their carer’s payment.  It also brings the capital formula applied to savings in the means assessment for Carer’s Allowance in line with Disability Allowance.

Notwithstanding the increased level of support already in place for carers, my Department will keep these measures under review as part of the annual budgetary process.  

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.