Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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1086. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the measures he plans to take to ensure that necessary and appropriate care is being provided to family members in the context of the planned expansion of the carer’s allowance. [12953/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The Carer's Allowance is the main scheme by which my department provides income support to carers in the community. Carer's Allowance is a means tested social assistance payment awarded to those carers who are caring for certain people whose disability is such that they require full-time care and attention.

The two principal conditions for receipt of Carer's Allowance are that full time care and attention is required and being provided, and that the means test which applies is satisfied.

The time spent providing care must not be less than 35 hours per week. While carer support payments, including Carer's Allowance, are premised on the provision of full-time care and attention by the carer, they also provide flexibility in terms of allowing carers to engage in work, training or education up to 18.5 hours per week. During this time, adequate provision must be made for the care of the relevant person. Both the full-time care and attention requirement and the 18.5-hour limitation are contained in the respective legislative provisions of the Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit and Carer's Support Grant schemes.

The Programme for Government commits to significantly further increasing the income disregards for Carer's Allowance in each Budget with a view to gradually phasing out the means test during the lifetime of the Government. From July this year, the income disregard will increase to €625 for single applicants and €1,250 for couples, making the scheme accessible to more people. However, applicants must still meet the full-time care condition.