Máirín Quill
Question:20 Miss Quill asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of persons caring for more than one incapacitated person who qualify for the carer's allowance. [5827/97]
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
Peadar Clohessy
Question:30 Mr. Clohessy asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of carer's allowance recipients entitled to the 50 per cent increase given in the 1997 budget to people caring for two or more people; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5839/97]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 20 and 30 together.
The carer's allowance is a social assistance scheme which provides an income maintenance payment to people who are providing elderly or incapacitated pensioners or certain disabled persons with full-time care and attention and whose incomes fall below certain limits. At the end of last January the numbers availing of the scheme totalled 8,548.
In this year's budget I announced that provision is being made for the payment of an additional amount equivalent to 50 per cent of their existing entitlement to carers who are providing full-time care and attention to more than one person. This measure will come into effect from next June.
Statistics are not maintained by my Department as to the number of carers who are providing two or more people with full-time care but it has been estimated that it may be as many as one in four.