Naoise Ó Muirí (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

658. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the additional supports or secondary benefits allowed to persons on a carer's allowance; and to persons on a carer's benefit. [51904/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

My Department provides a comprehensive package of carers’ income supports including Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant. Combined spending on these payments in 2025 is estimated at over €1.9 billion.

The annual Carer's Support Grant is paid automatically to those in receipt of Carer’s Allowance and Carer’s Benefit and a grant may be paid for each person being cared for. The grant has increased by €150 this year to €2,000, it's highest ever level.

Domiciliary Care Allowance, which is not means tested. It 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. This year, the payment rate increased by €20.00 to €360 per month. This payment has increased by €50.50 since January 2022.

Introduced in January 2024, the Long-Term Carers Contributions scheme allows individuals who have been full-time carers for at least 20 years (1,040 weeks) to receive Long-Term Carers Contributions. These contributions can help fill gaps in their social insurance record and help qualify for the State Pension (Contributory).

In addition to these payments which are specifically for carers, people in receipt of Carer's Allowance may also qualify for other supports from my Department.

The Household Benefits Package is available to help people with the cost of electricity or gas bills and the TV licence. It is available to everyone over 70. Carers under the age of 70 may also qualify for the Household Benefits Package, provided they meet the relevant scheme conditions. This includes being in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment such as Carer’s Allowance and satisfying a means test.

Fuel Allowance is a payment to help with the cost of heating during the winter months. Carer’s Allowance is now included as a qualifying payment for Fuel Allowance once the other qualifying conditions for Fuel Allowance are also satisfied.

The Free Travel Scheme allows eligible people to travel, free of charge, on all public transport owned by the State. This includes bus, rail, Local Link and the Luas, with some exceptions. Carers who receive Carer's Allowance may also qualify for the scheme.

Supplementary Welfare Allowance Supplements are paid weekly or monthly to help meet ongoing necessary costs which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income.

It is important to note too that carers who receive Carer's Allowance or Carer's Benefit are automatically eligible for a free GP Visit Card from the Health Services Executive.

I can assure the Deputy that I will continue to keep the range of supports available to carers under review. Any further improvements will be considered in an overall budgetary and policy context.

Naoise Ó Muirí (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

659. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of carer's benefit; the typical duration of their claim; and if she has considered greater flexibility under the scheme to cover intermittent caring periods. [51905/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Carer's Benefit payment is made to insured people who may be required to leave the workforce or reduce their working hours to care for a person in need of full-time care. A person may be eligible providing they meet the qualifying conditions, including whether they have sufficient PRSI contributions.

The payment is complemented by the Carers’ Leave Act 2001, which allows employees to leave their employment temporarily to provide full-time care up to a maximum of 104 weeks.

Carer’s Benefit is payable for a maximum period of 104 weeks for each person being cared for. The current scheme offers sufficient flexibility to address intermittent caring periods in that it can be taken in one block or in separate periods, as long as the combined total does not exceed 104 weeks. Where Carer’s Benefit is claimed for less than 6 weeks in a row in any period, there is a wait time of a further 6 weeks before Carer’s Benefit can be claimed to care for the same person again.

At the end of August 2025, there were 4,572 recipients of Carer's Benefit.

If more than one person is being cared for, payment may be made for 104 weeks for each person being cared for. This may result in the care periods overlapping or running concurrently.

An up to date estimate of the average duration of Carer's Benefit claims is not currently available.

Where care is provided beyond the period of entitlement to Carer’s Benefit, the means-tested Carer’s Allowance is available for those who need income support.

I am satisfied that this income support arrangement is appropriate and equitable.

It is worth noting that, there are forms of leave available to enable an employee to take intermittent or ad-hoc leave to provide care to a loved one. These include paid force majeure leave and unpaid leave for medical care - the latter was introduced in July 2023. Policy responsibility for all forms of family and flexible leave, is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality.