Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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106. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if he will consider front-loading the promised removal of the means test for carers in order that the means test is entirely abolished in Budget 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8264/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government has clearly set out a timeline which commits to significantly increasing the income disregards for Carer’s Allowance in each Budget with a view to phasing out the means test during the lifetime of the Government.

This is a major change to the Carer's Allowance and to the Irish social welfare system generally. It is important that we make progress in a way that is sustainable and which doesn't unduly limit our scope to support other vulnerable groups in our society.

In this regard and given that the minimum cost of abolishing the means test is about €600m p.a. but that the cost could run to €3bn p.a. depending on inflow of new claimants it is important to manage the reduction in the means test in a way that takes account of budgetary resources and balances the achievement of the objective of eliminating the means test with other priorities.

It is also important to note that we will start the process in July, when the weekly income disregard for Carer's Allowance will increase from €450 to €625 for a single person, and from €900 to €1,250 (after tax) for carers with a spouse/partner. This amounts to cumulative increases to the disregards of €292.50 and €585.00 respectively, or 88%, since June 2022.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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107. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when the means test for the carer’s allowance will be removed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8605/25]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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113. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when the carer's allowance means-test will be scrapped. [6763/25]

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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127. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when the means test for carer's allowance will be abolished; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8014/25]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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152. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if he will progress as quickly as possible the proposal to abolish the means test in respect of an entitlement to carer’s allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8464/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 107, 113, 127 and 152 together.

The Government is very aware of the key role that family carers play in Irish society and the challenges they face and is fully committed to supporting carers in that role.

The Programme for Government - Securing Ireland's Future - has set out a timeline which commits to significantly increasing the income disregards for Carer’s Allowance in each Budget with a view to phasing out the means test during the lifetime of the Government.

I trust that this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.