Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 12 Jun 2001

Vol. 537 No. 5

Written Answers. - Carer Support Groups.

Jack Wall

Ceist:

276 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will provide funding for the minimum break home support services as operated by the Carers Association of Ireland to ensure that carers can get a minimum break each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16832/01]

Jack Wall

Ceist:

324 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Health and Children the funding his Department has for the development of the Carers Association or for assistance in the development of such associations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16806/01]

Jack Wall

Ceist:

325 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Health and Children the plans his Department has to increase the support in the home for carers apart from the provision of the home help or home assistant schemes; if his Department will provide funding for the provision of extra home support for carers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16807/01]

Jack Wall

Ceist:

326 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Health and Children the plans his Department has to ensure that every carer is in receipt of a minimum break each year; the facilities that he intends to put in place to permit the respite care necessary for the carer to have such a break; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16808/01]

Jack Wall

Ceist:

334 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Health and Children the funding available for the development of carers' assistance within each county; the plans he has for such funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16820/01]

Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Dr. Moffatt)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 276, 324 to 326, inclusive, and 334 together.

My Department has been making considerable improvements in relation to the amount of funding being made available to the Carers Association. The ongoing revenue grant was increased to £270,000 per annum in the year 2000 and further increased to £450,000 per annum in the year 2001. It is a matter for the association to decide on the range of services to be provided with this funding.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Department of Social Community and Family Affairs has been paying a carer's allowance for some years to qualifying applicants. What my Department has tried to do is have the health boards give assistance to carers by the provision of a specific service and I have provided additional sums for the boards of £1 million, £1 million and £2 million in the years 1999, 2000 and 2001, respectively. I hope to continue this initiative over the next few years if funding is available.

The Deputy will be aware that the Department of Social Community and Family Affairs pays an annual respite grant of £300 to recipients of the carer's allowance. For those not in receipt of such allowance, a health board may provide assistance towards a respite break from the funding mentioned above, but it cannot be said that a respite break is provided for all carers. Additional funding in the future may resolve this problem and I will consider the options available in this regard in the light of funding available for next year.

Details are not available in my Department as to how health board funding for carers or the Carers Association is distributed on a county by county basis. On a health board basis, however, Departmental funding was distributed as follows:

Carers Support by Health Board-Authority

Board-Authority	1999 (£m)	2000 (£m)	2001 (£m)
Eastern Regional	.125	.225	.600
Midland	.125	.100	.140
Mid-Western	.125	.100	.180
North Eastern	.125	.100	.160
North Western	.125	.100	.140
South Eastern	.125	.100	.220
Southern	.125	.175	.320
Western	.125	.100	.240
Total	1.000	1.000	2.000

An allocation from lottery funding has been made available to the caring for carers organisation in each of the last few years to help defray the cost of its national respite break.