Michael Cahill (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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329. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if there are plans to abolish the means test criteria for carers, who provide an invaluable service to their cared on behalf of the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26363/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government sets 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.

There have been a number of significant changes made to the Carer’s Allowance means test in recent years. Next month, there will be a further increase which will see the weekly income disregard rise from €450 to €625 for a single person, and from €900 to €1,250 for carers with a spouse/partner. This amounts to cumulative increases to the disregards of €292.50 and €585 respectively since June 2022. These increases make the scheme accessible to more people and may increase payment rates for those currently on a reduced rate.

The increases in July will mean that a carer in a two-adult household with an income of approximately €69,000 will still retain their full Carers payment and even with an income of €97,000 will retain a partial payment.

It should also be noted that 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 Carer's Support Grant of €2,000 was paid to over 138,000 carers on 5 June.

It is important that we make progress in a way that is sustainable, and which balances the allocation of the available budgetary resources each year across all priorities. This includes funding services to other vulnerable groups. That is why we have committed to a measured and phased approach over a number of budgets.

I trust that this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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330. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection his plans to provide for more flexibility around the TÚS scheme to allow those under 20 years and unemployed to participate, to reduce the qualifying period for those aged 20-25 to six months, to reduce the mandatory minimum period of time between TÚS placements to two years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26331/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Tús is a community work placement initiative which aims to provide short-term work opportunities for those unemployed customers. The focus of Tús is on jobseekers that are unemployed for twelve months or more, and the targeted activation of this cohort aims to provide additional assistance and a renewed impetus to these jobseekers who could otherwise be in danger of falling into persistent long-term unemployment. Any changes to the qualifying period could undermine the aim of Tús which is to support those who are long term unemployed.

My Department has made a number of changes to the Tús eligibility criteria which were implemented to increase overall participant numbers on the programme: -

• a pilot project has been introduced for 18-year-olds who are fully unemployed, in receipt of Jobseekers Allowance and who have been identified as having a low probability of securing employment. They are now provided with immediate access to the Tús programme.
• the eligibility criteria was also amended to include persons 18 years of age or over and in receipt of Disability Allowance. The extension of Tús to people in receipt of Disability Allowance on a self- referral basis, opens possibilities to people who have not been able to avail of the scheme to date.
• The Beneficiary of Temporary Protection (BoTP) payable to eligible persons who resides in Designated Accommodation Centres, is now a qualifying payment for Tús. Customers in receipt of a BoTP payment may self-refer to Tús once they satisfy the 12-month eligibility criteria.