Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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132. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the steps she is taking to support family carers. [14887/23]

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
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142. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will provide an update on the work of her Department to support carers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15186/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 132 and 142 together.

The Government acknowledges the important 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 for carers provided by my department are Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant. Spending in 2023 is expected to amount to almost €1.6 billion on these payments. The value of income transfers to family carers has increased by over 50% since 2015.

Since my appointment as Minister, I have made a number of significant improvements within the social welfare system to enhance the supports available for our carers. As part of Budget 2022, I was delighted to announce the first improvements to the means test for Carer's Allowance in 14 years.

- The capital and savings disregard for the means assessment for Carer’s Allowance was increased from €20,000 to €50,000, aligning it with the capital means test for Disability Allowance.

- For carers who are working, I increased the weekly income disregard to €350 for a single person, and to €750 for carers with a spouse/partner.

These are the highest income disregards in the social welfare system.

There are a range of other supports for carers provided by my Department which are not based on a means assessment. These include the Carer’s Support Grant which is a payment for all carers regardless of means or social insurance contributions. I increased this grant as part of Budget 2021 to €1,850, its highest ever rate.

As part of Budget 2023, I announced a range of measures directly benefitting family carers, particularly in light of the current cost of living crisis, these include:-

- A €12 increase in the maximum rate of Carer’s Allowance and Carer’s Benefit with proportionate increases for people receiving a reduced rate.

- A €2 increase for each Qualified Child bringing rates to €50 for Over 12s and €42 for Under 12s.

- The Half-rate Carer’s Allowance is now disregarded in the means assessment for Fuel Allowance.

- Domiciliary Care Allowance increased by €20.50 to €330 per month.

- Domiciliary Care Allowance is now available in respect of children with severe illness or disability who remain in hospital for up to six months after birth.

- A double payment for carers paid in October 2022.

- A €500 payment for people receiving Carer’s Support Grant paid in November 2022.

- Carers received the Christmas Bonus Double Payment.

More recently the Government announced a €200 payment for social welfare recipients including carers, which will be paid in April.

In acknowledging the role that family carers play in society and supporting carers in that role the Government has also committed to provide a pension solution for carers. In September I announced a series of landmark reforms to the State Pension system. One of the most important reforms is enhanced State Pension provision for people who have been caring for incapacitated dependents for over 20 years. We will do this by attributing social welfare contributions to long-term carers to cover gaps in their contribution record and by establishing a register of family carers for this purpose.

Department officials are currently working to implement the reforms, including drafting legislation and developing administrative and IT systems for implementation by January 2024.

Finally, I have committed to a carrying out a broad review of means testing this year, which will include the Carer's Allowance means test provisions. Changes to any of the schemes on foot of this review will only be done in the context of ensuring the most effective and targeted use of public funds that are required to provide income support on a broad societal level.

I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputies.

Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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133. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of organisations that have received the disability awareness support scheme to date in 2023; how this number compares with the same time in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14928/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Disability Awareness Support Scheme provides a contribution towards the cost of disability awareness training for private sector employers. Employers can claim 90% of the eligible training costs in the first year and 80% in subsequent years.

The training to be delivered must provide clear and accurate information about disability, address questions that employers or employees may have and cover anti-discrimination and equal opportunities legislation.

So far this year three organisations have received this grant and the value of the grants issued was €2,160. For the same period last year, January to March, one organisation received the grant. It is important to note that the grant is demand-led, and so the number and value of the grants provided is linked to the number of applications received.

My Department promotes the grants through its Intreo service and employer engagement activities. The funding available is also highlighted by private training companies and disability organisations who provide disability awareness training.

These actions are part of my Department's commitment to providing adequate supports for people with disabilities.

I would like to see an improved take-up of the grant and have asked my Department to review the scheme this year to see how it could be made more effective.

I trust that this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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134. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will clarify that people in district heating systems who have faced large increases in their energy bills can access additional needs’ payments; if any instruction has been issued from her Department to community welfare officers in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15162/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme, my Department may make additional needs payments to help meet expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income. This is an overarching term used to refer to exceptional and urgent needs payments and certain supplements to assist with ongoing or recurring costs that cannot be met from the customer’s own resources and which are deemed to be necessary.

The schemes are demand led and payments are made at the discretion of the officers administering the scheme considering the requirements of the legislation and all the relevant circumstances of the case to ensure that the payments target those most in need of assistance, including District Heating systems customers experiencing difficulty meeting energy costs.

Guidance has issued to the Community Welfare Service staff of my Department on the administration of additional needs payments to meet the income needs of vulnerable individuals and families who find themselves in difficulty meeting the higher costs of fuel and energy, including people who have their homes on District Heating systems.

Any person who considers they may have an entitlement to an additional needs payment is encouraged to contact their local community welfare service. There is a national community welfare contact centre in place - 0818-607080 - which will direct callers to the appropriate office.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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135. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection what plans there are to introduce unemployment benefit based upon one’s previous employment income. [15165/23]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Programme for Government and the Economic Recovery Plan include commitments to consider a pay-related jobseeker’s benefit scheme. Pathways to Work further commits to using the experience from the Pandemic Unemployment Payment to inform the design of such a scheme that may be developed. The introduction of a pay-related benefit for jobseekers would bring Ireland in line with the majority of EU Member States.

The core rationale for the introduction of a pay-related benefit which would align income support with a person’s prior recent employment income is twofold. First, to provide a tangible return to people who make social insurance contributions as a means of better reflecting the contributory principle and strengthening the solidarity principle, both of which are at the heart of the social insurance system. Second, to better cushion people against the ‘income shock’ that arises on loss of employment.

I published a Strawman document in December 2022 which sets out the broad parameters of a possible new approach to a pay-related jobseeker's benefit. The objective of the Strawman is to elicit feedback through a national public consultation process to develop a preferred policy design. The closing date for written submissions was 28th February and officials in my Department are currently in the process of analysing responses from that recently completed public consultation to inform the design of any proposal that may be brought to Government.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.