Carol Nolan (Offaly, Independent)
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150. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection for an update any proposals that are being considered with respect to abolishing the means test for carers who save the State billions of euro every year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36275/25]

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 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 does not unduly limit our scope to support other vulnerable groups in society. In line with the Programme for Government commitment and as part of Budget 2026 deliberations I will consider any further changes or improvements within this context.

This week, the weekly income disregard for Carer's Allowance will increase 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 €585.00 respectively, or 88%, since June 2022. All of these improvements have meant that more carers can avail of the Carer's Allowance payment.

The latest increases 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.

These will also mean that some 5,280 carers will receive an increase in their weekly payment. In fact some 99% of current Carer’s Allowance recipients are now entitled to the full payment rate.

Finally, it is also important to note that my department provides non-means-tested supports to carers including Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the annual Carer’s Support Grant of €2,000 which was recently paid to over 138,000 carers on 5 June.

I trust that this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.