Vol. 456 No. 6
144 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Social Welfare the financial assistance or allowances which a carer can claim in circumstances where a single parent enters a full-time drug treatment centre, losing her allowance and leaving her children in the care of her mother. [14498/95]
In the circumstances outlined by the Deputy, the lone parent in question would normally continue to qualify for both the lone parent's allowance and child benefit payable in her case. Arrangements can be made to have both of those payments made directly to the person caring for the children while the recipient is undergoing treatment in a hospital or other medical institution.
If the Deputy provides me with precise details of any specific case(s) he may know of, I will arrange to have the matter examined and the person concerned informed of the procedures involved in nominating her mother as her agent to receive the payments in question.
145 Mr. J. Walsh asked the Minister for Social Welfare the plans, if any, he has to increase the level of carer's allowance where an applicant is caring for more than one elderly person. [14499/95]
There are no plans to do as the Deputy suggests. The carer's allowance is a social assistance scheme which provides an income maintenance payment to people who because they are providing elderly or incapacitated pensioners with full-time care and attention are not available to seek outside employment and do not therefore qualify for unemployment assistance or unemployment benefit. The future development of the allowance needs to be addressed in the context of health care provision in the home and I will shortly initiate discussions with the Department of Health on the scheme generally.
