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357. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection to urgently examine and allow for payment of carers allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33705/26]

439. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage when setting the weekly rent for social housing, the incomes sources (wages, gross or net, private pension, maintenance payments, social welfare payments, children’s allowance, carer’s support grants, fuel allowance, living alone allowance, and so on) that the AHBs and the councils are permitted to take int…

626. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of households in receipt of fuel allowance, by qualifying primary payment (for example State pension, disability allowance, jobseeker's long-term schemes, carer's allowance, etc.), by age band of primary claimant (under 66, 66-69, 70-79, 80+), for each of the past fuel allowance seasons 2021/2022 to 2025/2026, in tabular…

658. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for 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]

481. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection the total cost of increasing the income disregards for the carers allowance means test for single and married carers in Budget 2027; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47001/26]

576. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of extending the fuel allowance to all those in receipt of the carer's allowance payment, where this is the only qualifying criteria to receive the fuel allowance. [32968/26]

704. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider increasing the means test threshold for the disability allowance in line with the changes made to carer's allowance in Budget 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62992/25]

1885. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the projected cost of providing carer’s allowance to all those in receipt of the carer’s support grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44047/25]

768. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Social Protection his views on the merits of allowing for a savings disregard in relation to the means test for carers allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10407/26]

546. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has considered implementing a ‘saver clause’ similar to that used when someone transitions from disability allowance to the State pension (non-contributory) for those in receipt of carer’s allowance when they transition to the State pension (non-contributory); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [73441/25]

735. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason his Department is putting resources into reviewing existing carers allowance applications given the move towards abolishing the means test for this payment; if his attention has been drawn to the stress that carers experience when they receive letters which indicate that their means are being review and that they may h…

597. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Social Protection when the promised increases to the disregard for carer's allowance to €625 for a single person and to €1,250 for a couple, will come into force; what the disregard for a carer's savings will be; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25376/25]

1867. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the dates the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowances will be paid; the additional cost in a full year to increase each rate by €100; the estimated amount it would cost to extend it to foster carers allowance; the additional cost to provide the current payment to all school going children; and if he will make a statement on th…

73. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection for an estimate of the number of new people who will be eligible to receive carer’s allowance following budget 2026; if he will explain to carers who are currently excluded by the means test exactly when they will be made aware of when they will become eligible; the amount his Department is prepared to spend on the relaxation of t…

386. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of staff involved in the issuing or refusal of carer's allowance and disability allowance that have medical qualifications; the level of qualifications required for the positions; the ratio of medically qualified staff to non-medically qualified staff; if there are none, the way in which medically based decisions whic…

281. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection to carry out an urgent review in respect of means in relation to a carer's allowance application (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53751/26]

285. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the additional yearly cost of increasing weekly rates for carer’s allowance for all up to €350 per week per person in care; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53972/26]

443. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps he recommends for a carer's allowance applicant who meets all eligibility criteria but currently works over the 18.5-hour weekly limit, where the applicant intends to reduce their employment hours immediately upon approval but faces financial hardship preventing them from doing so before a formal decision is made; if a pro…

458. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Social Protection the exact number of recipients of carer's allowance who are currently in receipt of a reduced rate of payment rather than the maximum rate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53113/26]

468. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department will give consideration to excluding the carer's allowance from the back to school clothing and footwear allowance means test, similar to the domiciliary care allowance, for parents caring for their children. [53571/26]

472. Deputy Seamus Healy asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will introduce a disregard for income derived from carer's allowance when assessing other social welfare payments including the working family payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53661/26]

133. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on a review of carer's allowance for an individual (details supplied). [52233/26]

532. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department is currently considering increasing the income disregard limit for Carer’s Allowance for couples; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51843/26]

353. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of people in receipt of the carer’s allowance, by county, in tabular format. [50713/26]

205. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Social Protection if following admission of a care recipient to long-term residential care, his Department is considering the introduction of a 12 week continuation period for recipients of carer's benefit, similar to the transition period that is currently afforded to carer's allowance recipients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [499…

I welcome the Minister's response and thank him for outlining the plans to phase out the means test for carer’s allowance over the lifetime of the Government. Furthermore, I acknowledge the implementation of increased disregards for the carer’s allowance in recent months. This has assisted many carers to get an increased allowance or, indeed, to qualify for one for the very first time. The phasing…

I have asked repeatedly for the most perfect system - I credit the Government for it because it got to it eventually - for family carers in terms of the State pension. It is excellent, and family carers have got the State pension they deserve, especially those who were short the 520 credits. The Government should do the same thing for foster carers where they are short and not allow them to get to…

This is a budget of broken promises. In the run-up to the general election, all parties promised the abolition of the means test for the carer's allowance. The public believed this would be done in the first 100 days of the new Government or, at the very least, in its first budget. That was a promise reneged on in this budget. This means that thousands of carers are locked out of getting the allow…

In light of the commitment made in the programme for Government to continue to significantly increase the income disregard for carer's allowance in each budget and, ultimately, phase out the means test, will the Government reconsider cases of people whose carer's allowance has been removed because they had to increase their income to provide private therapies for their children? I have a case of a…

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta. Is tuairim shuimiúil é sin agus b’fhéidir go mbeimis in ann é a phlé. That is certainly an interesting idea. I commend the Ceann Comhairle's predecessor, Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl, who did a huge amount of work to introduce people with disabilities into employment roles within the Oireachtas. On the question the Deputy asked, the Government recognises the challenge…

Across Ireland, 624,000 people provide regular unpaid care to children and adults with additional needs. A recent 2026 report on care shows that 75% of carers never received respite, 49% cut back on essentials such as food and heating, and 48% experienced severe loneliness. Of course, these carers saved the State millions of euro annually. I have a specific question arising from a family in my con…

I know the ground on carer’s allowance has been covered a lot, but the programme for Government contains a commitment on the abolition of the means test for carer's allowance during the Government's term. Will the Minister provide an update on where this now stands, on the work has been done on the costings or preparations and on whether we can expect progress or a first step in budget 2026?

10. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of additional people that will benefit from increases in the carers allowance means test threshold due in July 2026; whether he has engaged with the Minister for Health and her Department to ensure that carers allowance income will not be included under the medical card means test so that those who benefit from the expanded …

This Government constantly tells us that it values the work of carers. It has a chance to prove that in the budget next week. So far, carers have never been prioritised by this Government or previous governments. The Taoiseach does not have to take my word for that. A report from Family Carers Ireland last year was damning. It found that an overwhelming majority of carers - 70% - find it difficult…

I thank Deputy Callaghan for raising this issue and bringing people into this debate because this is a real issue and we want to support carers right across this country. Carers are doing incredible work. They are also saving this State an absolute fortune and I acknowledge that as well. I am pleased to say that the programme for Government commitment we have given to abolish the means test over …

Caring for the elderly in our communities is both a duty and a privilege. Providing an older person with the support he or she needs for both physical and emotional well-being gives that person a sense of worth. During the Covid period, we got a sharp wake-up call on the importance of how we care for our older generation. As the number of deaths of elderly men and women increased on a daily basis,…

I very much welcome that a large number of additional people will benefit from increases in the carer's allowance means test threshold, which comes into place on 1 July. Has the Minister engaged with the Minister for Health and her Department to ensure that carer's allowance income will not be included under the medical cards means test, so that those who benefit from the expanded threshold will n…

I thank Deputy McAuliffe. The annual carers’ forum was held on 7 May this year and I was delighted to attend and speak at the forum. The carers' forum is an important platform within the Department of Social Protection and allows family carers to engage directly with my Department and officials from other Departments to discuss important issues and carers' invaluable role in Irish society. I thank…

To follow on from what the Minister of State said, this is a significant budget that involves expenditure of almost €117 billion and an additional package of €9.4 billion. Those are significant figures. It is about securing our future. Investment in key infrastructure is central to the budget, particularly infrastructure that will enable a continued supply of housing to be activated and progressed…

I acknowledge and welcome the 9% VAT rate for hospitality, hairdressers and all the others concerned. However, when other budgets are put in place, measures apply straight away. If the price of diesel is going up, that can be done tonight, but when it is a cut in the VAT rate, people have to wait to July. A lot of businesses will not be in business by July because they were banking on the VAT rate…

This is a significant budget. It represents a critical investment for the future, with a total expenditure of almost €117 billion, alongside an additional package of €9.4 billion. These are substantial figures that reflect the Government's commitment to enhancing services and supporting those in need. I particularly welcome the emphasis on increasing the number of residential care places and home …

I have read through the Bill entirely. When we look at the opening sections of this Bill, it is about people entering the home and the quality and standard of the type of person who comes in as a home carer. I find it amazing that we are now in 2026, and we are discussing that. This Bill should have been before this House 20 years. It is totally outdated. This Bill does not push for oversight. It …

I welcome members of Family Carers Ireland to the Gallery. I am sure there are carers here as well. We really appreciate their attendance here today. I note the Labour Party motion, which sheds light on a very important matter we absolutely must tackle and deal with. I thank the House for the opportunity to speak on this motion and on the important role young carers play in Ireland today. I thank …

I thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward this motion on the cost of disability. It is something that has been raised on a consistent basis since I entered this Dáil Chamber over 18 months ago and it has been brought to my attention on a number of occasions in that time by many people, including parents, those living with disabilities themselves, schools and grandparents who have come into the consti…

My concern in regard to carer's allowance is the fact that the population is aging. Thankfully, people are living longer. The last census showed 832,000 people aged over 65 living in the country. Within the next four years, that figure will reach 1 million. The cost of nursing home care is at least €1,100 per person per week. Regarding long-term planning for the carer's allowance, it is important …

The Social Democrats have brought forward this motion to abolish the means test for carers, which was promised by this Government, and I am very happy to see there is no amendment to the motion. Carers and people with disabilities cannot wait any longer for the Government to fulfill this election promise. One area that is often overlooked when we speak about carers is education. Family carers are …

Recent media reports suggest the cost of abolishing the means test for carer's allowance is in the region of €3 billion per annum. I understand that is the Department's own estimate. In the Minister's opinion, how definitive is this estimate? In March 2023, the Parliamentary Budget Office estimated the cost of fully abolishing the means test at €397 million. It also costed raising the income thre…

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate. I also welcome the fact that it gives us a chance to talk about not just the social welfare element but also auto-enrolment, which some of my colleagues will focus on. As we near the start date, the issues that are arising are coming to the fore for people and there is less and less time to deal with the questions that are arising as time is …

We absolutely agree with the Deputy on the role of carers and the role of family carers. That is why we have made changes and made such commitments in terms of the means test. It is also why the exception in relation to the half-rate of carer's allowance is made. Those in receipt of the half-rate are the only cohort for whom that exception is made. We have a programme for Government commitment to …

I thank the Labour Party for bringing forward this motion. The work of young carers in particular has not been recognised. That needs to change. They need to be supported in order that they can pursue their education and live their lives as young people. I am going to share the experiences of some carers in my constituency with whom I have spoken in recent days. While this is just a small sample,…