Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 July 2022
1315. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection if consideration will be given to increasing the tax credits available to family carers in budget 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41898/22]
View answerThe Government acknowledges the crucial role that family carers play and is fully committed to supporting carers in that role. This commitment is recognised in both the Programme for Government and the National Carers’ Strategy.
The key role of the Department of Social Protection is that of income support. My Department is charged with identifying where a person has an income support need and providing that income support in the form, for instance, of a jobseeker’s payment, disability allowance or carer's allowance.
My Department provides a range of income supports for full-time carers including Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant. Combined spending on all these payments to carers in 2022 is estimated to exceed €1.5 billion.
The provision of tax credits is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Finance, and the Revenue Commissioners.
I trust that this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.
