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353. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to outline in full detail the reason for the exclusion of those on carer’s allowance from availing of the tenant purchase scheme; if his Department has any plans to change this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66823/25]

395. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason the claim for carers allowance was refused for a person (details supplied); and the options available at this time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66825/25]

290. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation whether funding for new recipients of the carer’s allowance, who would not have qualified under the current income disregards but will qualify on foot of the Budget 2026 measure, is allocated from the €390 million' increase in pension and illness, disability, carers schem…

402. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Education and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 502 of 18 November 2025, the advice she would give to a teacher who has moved schools in the past 12-months but due to their child’s illness are forced to temporarily leave work and they cannot qualify for carer’s allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [65675/25]

605. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection to confirm whether payments from catastrophic injury claims from the HSE would be included on the means test for carer’s allowance; if so, how this is calculated as per the means test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65971/25]

610. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for carer’s allowance in Cork in 2025 refused because of income above the means test threshold. [66234/25]

500. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection the history of and current status of the carer's allowance claim for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65036/25]

79. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons who will gain from the changes in the means test for the carer’s allowance announced in budget 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62283/25]

96. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department will review the rule whereby older carers lose access to a full carer’s allowance payment when they reach pension age; if he will consider restoring the full payment given the evidence that reducing it to half-rate leads to financial strain and carer burnout in view of the fact that without family care, many of th…

101. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an update on the implementation of the Government’s commitment to establish a permanent annual cost of disability support payment; to outline the eligibility and payment level that will be established; the number of recipients expected to be impacted in the coming year; the means by which his Department will progress …

139. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of hours spent implementing the means-test for carer’s allowance; the cost of this work to implement the means test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62182/25]

153. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Social Protection his proposed timeframe for abolishing the means test for carers allowance applicants. [62133/25]

354. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection whether funding for new recipients of the carer’s allowance, who would not have qualified under the current income disregards but who will qualify on foot of the budget 2026 measure, is allocated from the €390 million 'increase in pension and illness, disability, carers scheme recipients' or elsewhere; and the amount he plans to …

646. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if carers allowance and fuel allowance will be approved for a person (details supplied) as a matter of urgency. [60931/25]

662. Deputy Brian Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection the current status of a carers allowance application for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61611/25]

666. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of hours spent implementing the means-test for carer's allowance; the cost of this work to implement the means test; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61694/25]

683. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department will explain the reason a parents carers allowance is under review for a person (details supplied); f his Department will provide an update on this review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61971/25]

688. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection the cost of increasing the carers allowance by two percent; in line with inflation; ten percent; 20 percent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62223/25]

881. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality whether foster carers allowance can be used to qualify persons for a State pension (contributory); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61520/25]

275. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if a full review of an application for carers allowance for a person (details supplied) will be undertaken. [60801/25]

133. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Social Protection if the approval for carers allowance for a person (details supplied) will be back-dated further; the rationale behind the decision; and if the applicant is entitled to the respite grant. [60317/25]

1106. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if carer’s allowance income is accessible when local authorities assess the income of a person in receipt of social housing supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59347/25]

1157. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review correspondence regarding a carer's allowance application for a person (details supplied); if the decision on the matter will be expedited given the circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57952/25]

1194. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection to review the decision and all correspondence relating to a carer's allowance application by a person (details supplied), who has initiated a complaint against his Department for the very poor treatment they have received; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58563/25]

1196. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of appeals submitted in County Kildare for carer’s allowance for each year from 2022 to 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58608/25]

In this budget, the Government has clearly prioritised big business interests and big developers over ordinary people, ordinary families and ordinary businesses. It is a "McBudget". It is hard to swallow what has been put forward, particularly when the Government had the chance to lift 40,000 children out of poverty, help families who are struggling by providing targeted energy credits, introduce …

I will start my contribution on a constructive note, difficult as it is in the context of what was announced yesterday. I recognise the work the Minister, Deputy Foley, has done in keeping and growing the equal start programme and DEIS model for early years. This is a scheme I was proud to have initiated as Minister. It is already benefiting over 30,000 of the most vulnerable children in our count…

Every year Government is faced with the challenge of balancing finite resources with infinite ambition to make things better for the people of Ireland. No single budget can deliver that in full but budget 2026 certainly rises to the challenge. I thank everyone involved in putting together this budget, in particular officials in my Department and the Department of Finance who worked around the cloc…

A budget is about choices. The Government could have helped the squeezed middle and the working poor, but what did it do? In the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, rents will go up from March, the local property tax has just gone up, and electricity prices are going up at the same time as groceries and other items are going up in price. Some of these increases could have been addressed but what di…

I am happy to welcome budget 2026. It takes meaningful steps to delivering many of the commitments contained in the programme for Government. It is important to say that a programme for Government is a five-year commitment, and we have made a reasonable start in many areas. Looking at my Department, we are providing an additional €79 million in funding for apprenticeships, bringing the total inves…

Introduction Táimid ag teacht i dtír le fada ar na buntáistí a bhaineann le geilleagar oscailte sofhreagrúil a bheith againn. Cé go bhfónann sé sin go maith dúinn mar thír, ní mór dúinn aghaidh a thabhairt ar an timpeallacht eacnamaíoch agus polaitiúil atá ag titim amach níos faide i gcéin. Tá uair na cinniúna buailte le hÉirinn. Beidh tionchar ag an mbealach a roghnaímid le hinfheistíocht a dhéa…

I am glad to get the opportunity to talk on this budget, which has been awaited by many people around the country to see if they will benefit from it. All of us here might do it differently but we have to go by the amount of money the Government has to spend, and the choices it makes about how to spend it is what we have to go through. There are many things that are welcome and a good few things t…

I thank my colleague Deputy Quaide for bringing forward this motion. I want to respond first to some of the comments from the Minister. The Government has not opposed our motion, is not tabling its own amendment and will not vote against the motion. What the Government is not doing is acting on our motion, which clearly sets out that the means test should be abolished this year. It is okay not to …

I thank the Minister for being here and for his contribution. We are starting to see a trend across the House in the words we are using about carer's allowance. It comes down to choices. The Minister has spoken about the idea that he cannot abolish the means test now. I take issue with that. The Government can do it but it chooses not do. As he will agree, family carers make an invaluable contribu…

I thank the Deputies for bringing forward the motion. The Government knows well the difference between not opposing something and supporting something. The Minister is around long enough to know the nod in the direction of saying something is a good idea and actively and proactively working for it are two very separate things. I urge the Government to not just not oppose this motion, but also acce…

When we speak about carers, we are speaking about people who take on a huge responsibility for no other reason than that they deeply care for the person they are providing the care for. Over 500,000 people across this State are quietly caring for their loved ones. They do not do it for reward. They do it out of love. Carers can be anybody at any stage of their lives. We have parents caring for a …

First, I commend the Social Democrats on bringing forward this motion. Family carers are a vital part of the health service in this country and they are not recognised or respected for the work they do. We all know from experience that the healthcare service provided by the HSE is in crisis. The home care service across the country cannot get staff and we are in a situation where thousands of peop…

In the programme for Government, it states that the Government is committed to the abolition of the carer's means test. We in Sinn Féin have been calling for this for a very long time. The Government declares itself to recognise the enormous contribution that family carers make to Irish society, yet applying the means test to careers is an unfair and regressive policy. Over 70% of carers are curre…

Over 10,000 unpaid carers in Donegal are awaiting next week’s budget in the hope they will finally receive long overdue recognition for the difficult and important work they do every single day. The lack of respect for people who provide an essential service and save the State over €20 billion a year is staggering. Most of us, in our lifetime, will either become carers or be cared for. This is a r…

On 21 May this year, Independent Ireland put forward a motion, part of which called for the abolish the means test for carers. The Government said it would not oppose the motion. Budget 2026 is here next week so let us see if the Government puts its money where its mouth is. Family carers save the Irish State over €20 billion every year by providing 19 million hours of unpaid care each week. That …

I welcome the opportunity to speak in this debate. I thank all the family and young carers who carry out their tasks on a daily basis and save the State an absolute fortune. I thank the Oireachtas Library and Research Service, the Parliamentary Budget Office and my predecessors in the regional group, particularly Denis Naughten, who did substantial work on this issue and contributed to the positio…

I am glad to have an opportunity to debate this issue. I thank the Social Democrats for putting the motion before the House. It certainly is very timely with the budget happening next week. I have been and am appealing to the Government to get rid of the means test for people who are caring for loved ones. We are talking about human beings. When people become carers, they must, in many instances, …

I thank Deputy Quaide for all his hard work on this motion. There should be no need for this debate. We are all in agreement that the means test for carers needs to be abolished, so the question is: why do we not just do it now? It is extremely insulting to reduce the work of carers down to numbers on a spreadsheet. It is the only type of work that is means tested like this. Carers who are slightl…

I move: Tuesday's business shall be: - Motion re Ministerial Rota for Parliamentary Questions (without debate and any division claimed to be taken immediately) - Motion re Sittings and Business of the Dáil (without debate) - Joint Motion re the Global Sumud Flotilla (to conclude within 60 mins) - Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025 (Second Stage) (if not previously concluded, to …

87. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans for phasing out the means test entirely for the carer’s allowance during the lifetime of this Government, as per the programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51028/25]

This question relates to an issue that goes to the very heart of compassion, dignity and fairness in our society, namely the support we provide for family carers. Across Cork North-West and, indeed, every parish in Ireland there are countless people who quietly dedicate their lives to caring for a loved one, whether that is a child with additional needs, an elderly parent or a partner who requires…

I think all of us would have specific cases. Obviously, it would not be an avalanche by any manner of means, but we have people come to our constituency offices with those circumstances where they would be engaged full time in caring and their farm would be more of a financial burden than financially rewarding. They are doing the State a great service by providing care for their loved one. The ca…

Sorry, I am rusty after the summer recess. It is good to be back in the Chamber and we have serious work to do here over the course of this Dáil term. For the Government, its long to-do list has lengthened over the summer months. There is so much for the Government to do. It must build homes. It must address the suffering of all of those locked out of secure housing. It must provide basic and effe…

Through our social protection frameworks, we have mechanisms that will enable us to do that in terms of the various payments and so on that we can increase, but we will prioritise in respect of the child poverty question. We will prioritise in terms of disability and in terms of the additional costs that families with people who are disabled have to incur, and we will seek to alleviate that. We ar…

Cuirim fáilte roimh an rún seo agus roimh an iarracht rochtain a fháil ar oideachas le haghaidh gach uile pháiste sa tír. Is é an t-oideachas ceann de na cearta is tábhachtaí sa tír seo. One of the key objectives of the Proclamation of the Republic is to cherish all the children of the nation equally. An education is one of the most important rights that exist in society. Education facilitates the…