Written answers

Tuesday, 29 July 2025

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection

Social Welfare Schemes

Photo of Conor McGuinnessConor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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1774. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the plans his Department has to make those carers in receipt of a State pension eligible for the full rate of carer’s allowance, rather than the present half rate, if he will acknowledge that many pensioners who are providing care to a family member 24/7 are struggling financially; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41409/25]

Photo of Mark WallMark Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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1887. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the projected cost of allowing those in receipt of the State pension to retain a full-rate carer’s allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44049/25]

Photo of Dara CallearyDara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1774 and 1887 together.

At end of December 2024, there were 18,316 people aged 66 and over in receipt of a Half-rate Carer’s Allowance payment, these include Qualified Adults. The estimated additional annual cost of providing a full rate Carer’s Allowance to those pensioners currently in receipt of the half-rate payment would be €142,509,068.

It is important to note that this costing takes no account of whether this cohort care for two or more care recipients, in which case the payment would be higher. It is an estimated costing based on administrative data. It takes no account of year-on-year increases in terms of recipients or increases in rates of payment.

The Programme for Government includes a commitment to ‘Ensure Parents who are aged 66+ and caring for children with lifelong disabilities retain the rate at which they are paid their Carer’s Allowance and concurrently receive the State Pension’. This commitment will be advanced over the lifetime of the Government in the annual budgetary context and in light of available resources.

Any further improvements to the carer income support payments will be considered in an overall budgetary and policy context.

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