Vol. 430 No. 2
23 Mr. Clohessy asked the Minister for Health if he has any plans to liaise with the Minister for Social Welfare with a view to introducing a change in the means test which applies to the carer's allowance in order to increase eligibility in view of the fact that there are only 4,500 carers eligible for the scheme because of the restrictive nature of the means test; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The Deputy will appreciate that the carer's allowance was introduced and is administered by the Department of Social Welfare. Liaison between my Department and the Department of Social Welfare in relation to supporting informal carers of the dependent elderly and people with disabilities and the carer's allowance in particular, is ongoing. Any adjustment in the conditions for eligibility for the carer's allowance is entirely a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Social Welfare, Dr. Michael Woods.
