Budget 2027

6. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will increase support for carers as part of budget 2027. [66996/26]

I agree with Deputy Wall on the domiciliary care allowance. We agreed at the committee yesterday to block off a bit of time to discuss that and prepare a report for the Minister. I take this opportunity to recognise the extraordinary contribution made by family carers across the country. Every day, carers provide love, support and care to family members who depend on them. They allow people to remain at home and part of their communities to live life with dignity. I am asking whether the Minister will increase support for carers in budget 2027.

I thank the Deputy. The Government recognises the invaluable contribution made by carers and we have prioritised improvements in supports for carers in recent budgets. We have provided over €2.2 billion for caring income supports in 2026. That included a €10 increase in the maximum personal rate of carer's allowance and carer's benefit to €270 and €271, respectively, for carers under 66. For carers aged 66 and over the maximum weekly rate increased to €308. For carers with children the weekly rates of the child support payment increased by €16 to €78 for children aged 12 and over and by €8 to €58 for under-12s from January 2026. This was the largest child support payment increase in the history of the State. In budget 2026, the weekly income disregards for carer's allowance were increased significantly to €1,000 for a single person and €2,000 for a couple, which built on significant improvements introduced in recent budgets. As a result, a carer in a two-adult household with an income of €110,000 will retain their full carer’s allowance payment and receive a partial payment with a household income up to €138,000. This means virtually all those receiving carer's allowance are now receiving the maximum rate. The Government has also provided a range of other supports, including the payment of the carer's support grant, and the €20 increase to domiciliary care allowance. We are engaging with the Department of public expenditure on potential budget measures. Discussions are still going on and the Ministers for Finance and public expenditure will reveal the budget on 6 October. I assure the Deputy we are very committed to moving forward on our shared programme for Government commitments to carers and to supporting them and I am continuing to focus on that.

I thank the Minister. The contribution carers make cannot be measured simply in financial terms but we should recognise the work of family carers also represents an enormous contribution to the State and to our public services. I also acknowledge the progress the Government has made in supporting carers. In particular I welcome the very significant increase in the income disregards for carer's allowance introduced last year. That was an important step in recognising the people should not be forced to choose between caring for a loved one and having the opportunity to work and earn an income. I believe we should go further so my ask for budget 2027 is that we increase those income disregards again. We should continue on the path we have started. The ultimate objective should be to move towards removing the means test for the carer's allowance altogether. A person who is providing substantial care to a loved one should not feel that he or she is being penalised because he or she has some income of his or her own. We should be encouraging carers who can work to remain connected to the workforce rather than creating barriers for them.

I agree with the Deputy regarding the focus we need to put on carers. We also need to mind existing carers as well. We will see through our commitment regarding abolishing the means test over the lifetime of the Government but I am also focused on existing carers. That is why over the past number of years, we have continued to increase the weekly rate of carer's allowance, which is now at €270. In January 2022, it was €224. We have expanded eligibility for the carer's support grant and are consistently engaging with carers' organisations. We hold a carers forum in the Department every May where representatives of young carers, Care Alliance Ireland and Family Carers Ireland come together - not just officials but carers from across the country - and we engage with them and bring in other Departments. It is not just about the Department of Social Protection. We also bring in representatives from the Departments of Health and public expenditure in a cross-government initiative so we can assist them. I will be meeting Family Carers Ireland this weekend ahead of the budget to discuss its priorities.

I recently met Family Carers Ireland at its regional meeting in Cork. I know that Members right across this House have met many family carers and associations associated with caring in recent weeks. We should recognise that caring in itself is a hugely valuable contribution to society. I commend the Minister and the Government on the progress they made last year but I do not want us to stop here. Let us use budget 2027 to take another significant step forward by increasing the income disregards again and let us set ourselves the longer-term ambition of moving away from the means test model. Our family carers do an extraordinary job for their loved ones and for our country. They deserve our recognition but, more importantly, they deserve a system that supports them rather than one that puts unnecessary barriers in their way, so I hope, from his contribution this morning, the Minister will continue to support carers in budget 2027. Will he make that journey?

I assure the Deputy we have very strong and ambitious commitments relating to carers in the programme for Government and I will see them through. I also want to ensure that we focus on existing carers but also on young carers. The young carers who attended the carers forum made a huge impression on me in terms of their daily lives, what they are doing for their loved ones while continuing education and work and the pressures of it places on them. I will work with other colleagues in government in terms of specific supports for young carers. I will work with the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, and the Minister for Health on how we mind all carers but particularly that cohort of young carers. I will be engaging with Family Carers Ireland at this weekend. We have ongoing engagement with it. I thank it and Care Alliance Ireland. I also thank the Deputies who really focus on the work of carers. Collectively, we very much appreciate the work they are doing but appreciation will not put lights on in a house. We have to show real cause and this Government is showing real cause.