Vol. 491 No. 6
160 Mr. D. Carey asked the Minister for Finance the number of measures his Department has enacted referring to people with disabilities; the date of their passing; the benefits accruing to them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12842/98]
I assume the question refers to measures enacted during my term of office. Finance Act, 1998, enacted on 25 March this year, gives effect to a number of measures to assist people with disabilities announced in the budget last December. These were as follows: the blind person's allowance was increased by £300 single — £400 married to £1,000 single — £2,000 married; the incapaciated child allowance was increased from £700 to £800, and the allowance for a person employed to take care of an incapacitated taxpayer or spouse was increased from £7,500 to £8,500.
The Act also contained a technical amendment to reflect the fact that the Hepatitis C Compensation Tribunal has now been placed on a statutory basis.
