Mark Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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402. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if he will outline for the past four years, the average time between reviews for recipients of a carer’s allowance; the number of times his Department has reviewed a carer’s allowance recipient more than once in a year; if multiple reviews of recipients is standard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49576/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Carer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that, as a result, they require that level of care.

My Department is committed to ensuring that only those people who are eligible receive welfare and other payments. The objective is to ensure that we pay the right people, the right amount, through the right scheme or programme, at the right time.

As part of Budget 2025, the weekly income disregards for CA increased from €450 to €625 for a single person, and from €900 to €1,250 for carers with a spouse/partner. This change did not affect customers already in receipt of the full weekly rate of CA. However, anyone in receipt of a reduced weekly rate of CA due to their means saw an increase in their payment on 3rd July. Customer payments were adjusted automatically to take account of the new income disregards.

Reviews form part of my Department's control mechanisms that ensure compliance with regulations. Therefore, once claims are in payment, my Department undertakes periodic reviews to ensure that there is continued entitlement to payment.

Control reviews arise from both targeted and random case selections and where specific information comes to the attention of the Department. In this context, it should be noted that people are under a legal obligation to report any change in their circumstances to the Department that may affect their eligibility, and such notifications may also trigger a review of a person's entitlement.

In some cases multiple reviews are conducted. However at all times, repeated requests for information are minimised, and every effort is made to conduct and complete reviews as quickly as possible to avoid any undue stress to the customer.

Unfortunately, the specific data requested by the Deputy regarding the average time between reviews for recipients of CA and the number of times this Department has reviewed a CA recipient more than once in a year is not available.

However, if the Deputy has a particular case in mind, you might provide the relevant details so that my officials can examine the specific case.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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403. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of people for whom an applicant can seek carer's support; and if a maximum carer's grant allowance applies. [49585/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The key role of the Department of Social Protection is that of income support for people experiencing specific contingencies that limit their ability to earn an income. These contingencies include unemployment, illness/disability and caring responsibilities.

The main income supports provided by my department to family carers include Carer's Benefit, Carer's Allowance, the Carer's Support Grant and Domiciliary Care Allowance. These income supports are available to all family carers where they meet the eligibility conditions.

Only one Carer's Allowance can be paid in respect of a carer. The payment is made up of a personal rate for the carer and extra amounts for child dependents. If, however, the carer is providing full-time care and attention to more than one person, the rate of Carer's Allowance payable is increased by 50% of the standard personal rate. Similarly, the weekly non-means tested, social insurance based Carer's Benefit payment has an increased personal rate where care is provided to more than one person.

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 weekly carers’ payment from my department. A grant is paid for each person being cared for. The grant increased by €150 this year to €2,000 - its highest ever level.

Domiciliary Care Allowance is payable to a parent/guardian in respect of a child aged under 16 who has a severe disability and requires continual or continuous care and attention substantially over and above the care and attention usually required by a child of the same age. The child must be likely to require this level of care and attention for at least 12 consecutive months.

Where a person is caring for more than one child who qualifies for Domiciliary Care Allowance, they may claim the monthly allowance of €360 for each child. There is no restriction on the number of children for whom a person may claim Domiciliary Care Allowance.

The Programme for Government contains a number of commitments to improve the supports available to family carers. These include a commitment to continue to increase the Carer’s Support Grant and to progressively increase weekly carer support payments. In addition, the Government has committed to examining how carers who are providing full-time care and attention to more than one person can be better supported. These commitments will be advanced over the lifetime of the Government and in light of available resources.

I trust that this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.