Donna McGettigan (Clare, Sinn Fein)
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597. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when the promised increases to the disregard for carer's allowance to €625 for a single person and to €1,250 for a couple, will come into force; what the disregard for a carer's savings will be; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25376/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Carer's Allowance is the main income support scheme for carers in the community, with 99,421 recipients and an estimated expenditure of over €1.24 billion in 2025.

Its primary aim is to support those whose earning ability is significantly reduced due to full-time caring responsibilities. Carer’s Allowance is means-tested to target the support to those most in need.

From 3 July 2025, the weekly income disregard will increase from €450 to €625 for single carers and from €900 to €1,250 for those with a spouse or partner, making the scheme accessible to more people.

My department also provides other supports for carers which are not based on a means assessment. These include the Carer’s Support Grant, Carer’s Benefit and Domiciliary Care Allowance.

The Programme for Government commits to continuing to significantly increase 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.

Brian Brennan (Wicklow-Wexford, Fine Gael)
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598. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection whether there have been any discussions between his Department and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to regularise or streamline access to social protection payments for childcare workers who are not paid outside of term time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25417/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Childcare workers who are not paid outside of term time and who apply for a social welfare payment are included as Educational Sector Workers (ESWs). ESWs who wish to avail of income support while temporarily laid-off during the school breaks can apply for a jobseeker’s payment. They must satisfy all the qualifying conditions to receive a payment. This includes completing the relevant claim application forms and supporting documentation a in a timely manner while also being available for full-time work and genuinely seeking work at each school break.

A jobseeker’s payment is only paid for days of unemployment where the person is not being remunerated for by their employer, including receipt of any holiday pay entitlement during the school break.

Educational Sector Workers who are employed on a temporary basis and who are making an application for jobseeker's the first time during a school break must contact my Department and complete the UP1 Jobseeker's Application form and are issued with a holiday entitlement form for completion by their employer.

Those who have previously been in contact with my Department, are issued with a repeat jobseeker’s application form and a holiday entitlement form in advance of the school holiday periods. This advance process facilitates an efficient service to these customers and allows for speedy processing of their claim when the period of unemployment actually arises.

It is important to note that Educational Sector Workers are still required to sign on for each period of unemployment and satisfy all the qualifying conditions for a jobseeker’s payment. As each claim is assessed individually, and each person's employment history, including previous claims is different, the payment due will also be different.

It should be noted, there is no specific scheme available for Educational Sector Workers when they are temporarily laid-off during all the school breaks. The appropriate scheme is jobseeker’s subject to the person meeting all the qualifying conditions, including being available for full-time work and genuinely seeking work.

As childcare workers who are not paid outside of term time are included as Educational Sector Workers (ESWs), there have been no discussions to date between my Department and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth on the streamlining of processes. Over the last number of years my Department has dedicated teams working solely on Education Sector Workers claims in order to streamline processes and minimise delays for people. However, the large volume of jobseeker's claims received at the school breaks means that some decisions on these claims may take a number of weeks to process. If any customer is in urgent financial need my Department’s Community Welfare Service can provide assistance while they wait for their claim to be processed.

I trust this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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599. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the further supports that are available to individuals in receipt of the State pension and a half rate carer's allowance payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25418/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The main income supports to carers provided by my department are Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant with spending expected to exceed €1.9 billion in 2025.

The half-rate Carer’s Allowance, introduced in 2007 allows full-time carers, getting certain payments such as the State Pension, to keep their main payment while also qualifying for Carer’s Allowance, subject to a means test. Carers aged 66 and over receive a higher rate, and those caring more than one person get a 50% increase in their payment.

My department provides a range of other additional supports to carers getting the State Pension and a half rate carer's allowance payment, these include:

• The annual Carer's Support Grant is paid for each person being cared for. The grant has increased by €150 this year to €2,000 and will be automatically paid in June to people in getting Carer's Allowance, at both full rate and half-rate.
• The Household Benefits Package is available to help people with the cost of electricity or gas bills and the TV licence. It is available to everyone over 70 and to carers under 70 who are getting Carer’s Allowance, at both full rate and half-rate.
• Fuel Allowance is a payment to help with the cost of heating during the winter months. Carers aged 66 and over do not need to be receiving a qualifying social welfare payment to get Fuel Allowance, however, they must satisfy a means test.
• Free Travel scheme is free to anyone over the age of 66 to travel on all public transport owned by the State. This includes bus, rail, Local Link and the Luas, with some exceptions.
• Supplementary Welfare Allowance Supplements are paid weekly or monthly to help meet ongoing necessary costs which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income.

Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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600. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection whether individuals with endometriosis may be eligible to qualify for disability supports; and if he will outline the process by which a person with endometriosis could apply for and access disability benefits, including how eligibility is assessed in such cases. [25466/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provides a suite of income supports for those unable to work due to illness or disability. These include insurance-based schemes, based on Pay Related Social Insurance contributions, for example Invalidity Pension and means-tested social assistance schemes, for example Disability Allowance.

Eligibility for the Department's income supports is not dependent on the type or category of illness or disability. Rather, entitlement to these supports is contingent on the extent to which a particular illness or disability impairs or restricts a person’s capacity to work.

Invalidity Pension is a weekly payment to people who cannot work because of a long-term illness or disability and who are covered by PRSI contributions. To qualify, the person must have been incapable of work for at least 12 months and be likely to be incapable of work for at least another 12 months; or must be permanently incapable of work. A person must satisfy both medical and social insurance conditions.

Disability Allowance is a payment for people who are aged between 16 and 66 with an injury, disease or disability that has continued, or may be expected to continue, for at least one year and, as a result of this disability, the person is substantially restricted in undertaking work that would otherwise be suitable. The payment is subject to a medical assessment, a means test and a habitual residency requirement.

All applications for the Department's income support schemes are individually assessed, in line with the provisions specified in the relevant social welfare legislation. The assessment is based on the medical information provided by healthcare providers and the claimant, and taking into account the opinion of the Department’s Medical Assessor.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.