Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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1395. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if he will consider amending the rules on carer’s allowance in order that a person who is in receipt of a State pension would also be eligible to qualify for the full rate of carer’s allowance, as many older people are providing full-time care for a loved one in need, this care is crucial to the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46526/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Carer's Allowance is the main income support scheme for family carers in the community. There are currently 101,575 receiving this support with an estimated scheme expenditure of over €1.24 billion in 2025.

Normally, under the one payment per person rule, people eligible for multiple social welfare payments typically receive the higher of the available options. However, as an exception to this rule, and in recognition of the important role of caring, where a person is on a full-time social welfare payment, such as State Pension and also caring for 35 hours or more per week, in addition to their primary payment, they can also receive a payment equivalent to up to half the Carer’s Allowance rate.

This means that when someone moves to the State Pension their overall payment increases if they continue caring full-time.

In addition to this, carers receiving the Half-rate Carer’s Allowance and the State Pension also benefit from the annual Carer’s Support Grant, which reached its highest level to date at €2000 in June.

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 budget context and in light of available resources.

Any further changes or improvements will be considered in an overall budgetary and policy context.

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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1396. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of international protection applicants in receipt of the daily expenses allowance who are also in employment; the measures in place to prevent double payment or welfare dependency; and the policy rationale for continuing the allowance when applicants have income from work. [46533/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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1397. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the total cost to the Exchequer of the daily expenses allowance provided to international protection applicants in each of the past three years, broken down by those in employment and those not in employment. [46534/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1396 and 1397 together.

My department administers the Daily Expenses Allowance which is paid to International Protection Applicants who reside in, or are waiting for, accommodation provided by the International Protection Accommodation Services.

The current weekly rates of payment are €38.80 per adult and €29.80 per child. In December 2023 an increased rate of €113.80 per week for an adult was introduced where a person is unaccommodated and is on a waiting list for accommodation with the International Protection Accommodation Services.

An income assessment is in effect for Daily Expenses Allowance recipients over 18 years of age, where the recipient has income for a total of 12 weeks or more. The Daily Expenses Allowance payment for the person who has income may be reduced or withdrawn. This will not affect any payments other family members are getting, including children.

For the purpose of the income assessment, an income disregard of €60 per week applies, with 60% of the balance of income assessable. The Daily Expenses Allowance payment ceases where a person has income of more than €125 per week. Where a person’s income is less than €60 their Daily Expenses Allowance payment is not be affected.

Claim reviews have taken place since the introduction of the income assessment in June 2024, which has resulted in the cessation of 11,650 Daily Expenses Allowances payments.

There were 11,300 recipients of the Daily Expenses Allowance at the end of August 2025 in respect of approximately 11,600 adults and 6,900 children. A breakdown is not available of the number in receipt of the daily expenses allowance who are also in employment.

Table 1 shows the annual expenditure for the Daily Expenses Allowance for the years 2022-2024.

It should be noted that 2024 expenditure includes the higher rate of payment to support International Protection Applicants who were unaccommodated and on a waiting list for International Protection Accommodation Services which was introduced in December 2023. The 2024 figure of €50.4m relates to the Daily Expenses Allowance, however the published figure of €60.2m includes expenditure in respect of Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection residing in designated State services accommodation, totaling €9.8m.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Table 1- Annual expenditure for the Daily Expenses Allowance for 2022-2024