Vol. 415 No. 2
2 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will outline (a) the number of applications made for the carer's allowance in 1991, (b) the number of successful applicants, (c) the number of unsuccessful applicants and (d) the average payment to each individual in 1991.
13 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number now in receipt of carer's allowance at the full rate and reduced rate; if his attention has been drawn to the continuing protests over the operation of the carer's allowance scheme and the fact that only a small proportion of carers in the community are benefiting from the scheme; if, in view of the inadequacy of the scheme, he will consider removing the means testing element of the scheme and target the carer's allowance payments by subjecting them to taxation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
16 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will outline (a) the total number of persons in receipt of the carer's allowance at the latest date for which figures are available, (b) the number of male and female recipients, (c) the average weekly payment made to recipients, (d) whether he considered altering the requirement that full-time care and attention be provided in order to allow greater flexibility in the forms of care provided; if he will consider allowing carers to receive credited PRSI contributions in order to maintain their own health and social insurance cover; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
26 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of applications received for carer's allowance up to 10 January 1992; the number of applications approved at that date and the number refused at that date; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
33 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether he accepts that the carer's allowance is not available to most of those who are caring for elderly and sick relatives; and if he has any proposals to change this situation.
53 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he has received submissions requesting improvements in the carer's allowance scheme; if so, if he intends to respond to such submissions; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 2, 13, 16, 26, 33 and 53 together.
At week-ending 20 December 1991, a total of 9,164 applications for the carer's allowance had been received in my Department. Of these, a total of 4,137 were awarded while a further 3,542 applications were refused. Of the awards, 2,108 were made at the full rate and 2,029 at a reduced rate. Some 30 per cent of awards were male and 70 per cent female.
Total expenditure in respect of the scheme for 1991 is estimated at £6.2 million which is equivalent to an individual average payment in 1991 of £40.45 per week.
The carer's allowance, which was introduced in November 1990, provided, for the first time, for a direct payment to be made to the carer on a means-tested basis. It is specifically directed at persons who are providing elderly or incapacitated social welfare pensioners with full-time care and attention and whose income falls below certain limits. From July last year, the scheme was extended to include carers of recipients of disabled person's maintenance allowance. A further extension of the scheme to include carers providing occasional or partial care only or the abolition of the means test would have considerable cost implications. These issues would have to be examined in the light of available resources:
The allowance as it stands is taxable when taken in conjunction with other income. No statistics are available as to the numbers in receipt of the allowance who would also be liable for tax but it is considered that the numbers affected would not be significant.
I am aware that the numbers currently in receipt of the allowance are less than provided for in the original estimate and that persons with relatively moderate incomes sometimes do not qualify or receive only a reduced allowance. I will be reviewing the scheme during the coming year and will be consulting with my colleague, the Minister for Health, in regard to provision for carers generally.
Improvements to the position of carers generally have been sought in a number of pre-budget submissions received by me. These will be considered in the context of the review of the scheme which I have already referred to.
I am favourably disposed to the award of credited social insurance contributions to those getting the carer's allowance and I will be making the necessary regulation shortly to ensure that is done.
I thank the Minister for his reply. Is the Minister happy with the carer's allowance scheme when, by his own admission, only 2,029 people were awarded the full allowance out of 9,164 applications, while others received the allowance at a reduced rate. Obviously, the scheme has not worked. Is the Minister aware that 90 per cent of carers of the elderly and the sick were ignored in the budget yesterday? The eligibility level and the whole mechanism for awarding the carer's allowance is much too restrictive. I ask the Minister to ensure that the role of the many thousands of Irish women who care for the sick is appreciated by the State.
The Deputy has raised a number of questions. The financial cost of the scheme in 1991 was about £6 million. In the 1992 Estimates we have proposed a sum of £10.5 million. The Deputy will be aware that we gave a 6 per cent increase in the carer's allowance yesterday, thus increasing the allowance from £50 to £53 which will add approximately £1 million to the cost of the scheme this year. We will spend roughly £11 million on the scheme this year. Any expansion of the scheme or making further——
Create another category.
——payments would cost money. It is as simple as that. We are endeavouring to use the scarce financial resources at our disposal to the best possible advantage. I understand that some people, for some reason, may not have applied under the scheme. We anticipated that more applicants would have been eligible for payment. We have a new advanced information system in place which I will be talking about later. We should bring it home to some people, who may not have applied for the scheme that they may well qualify.
