Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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442. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if he will review the adequacy of financial supports available to parents caring for children with life-limiting conditions, particularly in light of survey findings (details supplied) that 83% of families have had to give up work and that means-testing discourages caregivers from reducing their employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28559/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The Government acknowledges the valuable role that family carers play and is fully committed to supporting carers in that role.

The main income supports for 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 2025 is expected to exceed €1.9 billion.

Carer's Allowance is the main income support scheme for carers in the community, with 101,426 recipients at the end of April 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. The Programme for Government 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.

There have been a number of significant improvements made in the last number of years to the means test for Carer’s Allowance. From 3 July, the weekly income disregards will increase further. For single carers this will increase from €450 to €625. For carers with a spouse or partner, this will increase from €900 to €1,250. This will make the scheme more accessible to people who previously did not qualify. As a result, a carer in a two-adult household with an income of approximately €69,000 will retain the maximum payment. The same carer with an income of €97,000 will retain a partial payment.

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.

Domiciliary Care Allowance is a monthly allowance payable to a parent or guardian in respect of a child aged under 16 who has a severe disability that requires continual or continuous care and attention substantially over and above the level of care and attention normally required by a child of the same age and where the level of that disability is such that the child is likely to require this level of care and attention for a least 12 consecutive months. This level of care and attention must be required to allow the child deal with the activities of daily living.

The non means tested annual Carer's Support Grant is available for all full-time carers whether or not they are in receipt of a carers payment from my Department. A grant is paid for each person being cared for. The grant has increased by €150 this year to €2,000 - its highest level ever. It will be paid next week, on Thursday 5 June.

Carer's Benefit is a non-means tested payment made to insured people, aged 16 and over, who may be required to leave the workforce, or reduce their working hours, to care for someone in need of full-time care and attention. A person may be eligible for Carer's Benefit if they have sufficient PRSI contributions. The payment is payable for a period of 104 weeks for each care recipient and may be claimed over separate periods up to a total of 104 weeks.

Carer’s Benefit is subject to an earnings limit. The earnings limit is in line with the income disregard for a single person on Carer's Allowance. The current earnings limit is €450 per week, after tax. As part of Budget 2025, Carer’s Benefit was extended to the self-employed for the first time and the earnings limit will be increased from €450 to €625, after tax.

I can assure the Deputy that I will continue to keep the range of income supports provided to family carers by my department under review. However, any further changes improvements would have to be considered in an overall budgetary and policy context.

I trust that this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.