Colm Keaveney
Question:18. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection if she will restore the respite care grant to its 2012 rate. [33088/15]
View answerWednesday, 30 September 2015
Questions (18)
Written answers
The Respite Care Grant (RCG) is an annual non means-tested payment of €1,375 made to carers by the Department. Full time carers who are not in receipt of a carers payment from the Department are also entitled to the grant. The estimated cost of the RCG, in 2015, is in excess of €124 million in respect of over 90,000 recipients of care.
Any increase in the rate of the RCG can only be considered by the Government in the context of deliberations on the overall budget for 2016.