Dara Calleary
Mayo · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“Agriculture is the backbone. We have all been in the Mansion House today, or everyone has said they were anyway. Energy security is key and crucial. Everybody wants energy security but nobody wants wind energy. We have to strike a balance and get a real discussion, but food security is most important.”
“While we have gaps there, we are addressing them. The Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, has announced the minor injury units, which will take the pressure off major hospitals and ensure services are available.”
“Recent figures from the CSO show that there is a 5.8% increase in the number of people living in rural areas between 2016 and 2022. In areas classified as highly rural and remote, the increase was 6.4%.”
“Enterprise Ireland is investing in Irish-owned, Irish-founded companies. Similarly, 59% of IDA investments were located outside the Dublin region. We will continue to work, looking at the progress we can make through the IDA, Enterprise Ireland and, as Senator O'Loughlin said, through supporting our local enterprise offices.”
“That is something we do daily and they are used where is necessary. The plan will be supported by ambitious, clear, practical and measurable actions. I have spoken to some of the funding programmes available within my Department.”
“Táim tar éis cuairt a thabhairt ar gach ceantar Gaeltachta chun plé fairsing a dhéanamh leis na pobail sin chun a fháil amach uathu féin cén cineál tacaíochta ar féidir a chur ar fáil dóibh chun cabhrú leo. Táim chun leanúint ar aghaidh leis an obair sin sa bhuiséad le teacht agus na buiséid eile.”
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“Tá an t-airgead sin curtha ar thaobh le haghaidh 2026 chun iad a leanúint. Tá mé den tuairim mhaith go mbeidh an liúntas caipitil atá faighte ag mo Roinn leordhóthanach le freastal ar riachtanais chlár na Gaeltachta agus na Gaeilge.”
“Is léir do chách an dearfacht atá mórthimpeall na teanga anois agus bainfidh muid lántairbhe as seo trí infheistíocht i réimse maoinithe reatha agus caipitil araon. Maidir le maoiniú caipitil don earnáil, beidh sé ag méadú ó €30 milliún in 2025 go beagnach €55 milliún in 2026. Leis an maoiniú seo, beidh muid in ann oibriú ar thrí phríomhthionscadal infheistíochta a sheachadadh, is iad sin, Céibh Inis Oírr, an tIonad Gaeilge agus Cultúir ar Shráid Fhearchair i mBaile Átha Cliath, agus athfhorbairt suímh Choláiste Lurgan in Indreabhán mar mhol oideachais agus óige do Ghaeltacht Conamara. Rinneadh gealltanais i leith na dtionscadal seo sa phlean forbartha náisiúnta agus is cúis áthais dom an maoiniú a fháil chun iad a thabhairt chun críche anois. Gan airgead, ní bheadh muid in ann iad a dhéanamh.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as an gceist. Tá leithdháileadh iomlán de €611 milliún faighte ag an Roinn ar fad i gcáinaisnéis 2026. Leis seo, cuirfear €192 milliún ar fáil don chlár fhorbartha tuaithe; €260 milliún don chlár forbartha pobail; agus €159 milliún do réimse clár na Gaeltachta, na Gaeilge agus na n-oileán. Fuair mé méadú an-suntasach sa mhaoiniú do chlár na Gaeltachta, na Gaeilge agus na n-oileán. Tá méadú 29% ar an leithdháileadh, ó €123 milliún go €159 milliún in 2026. Is é seo an méadú is mó sa réimse seo le blianta fada anuas. Tá pleananna fíoruaillmhianacha againn chun tacú le pobail Ghaeltachta agus leis an nGaeilge araon. Leis an maoiniú, cinnteofar gur féidir linn dul chun cinn suntasach a dhéanamh chun na pleananna sin a chur i bhfeidhm in 2026.”
“I am absolutely committed to introducing a permanent cost-of-disability payment that is not designed by the Government but that is designed by, and has the input of, those with disabilities and their advocates. There are many with a genuine interest in this area whose views we can capture.”
“In budget 2026, the Government allocated €3.8 billion to the Department of Children, Disability and Equality for disability services in 2026. This includes funding for community-based specialist disability services to ensure that those with disabilities receive the right support at the right time in the right place. This represents a 20% increase, year on year, and an overall increase since 2020 of €1.8 billion. We have established a dedicated unit in the Department of Children, Disability and Equality to drive reform and to lead a full review of Ireland's disability service model. This unit will work hand in hand with disabled people, their families and representative organisations to shape a long-term vision for services to 2030. We are not opposing this motion. I look forward to hearing the ideas that are shared.”
“These improvements build on other recent enhancements to the scheme. We have reduced the minimum requirement from 21 hours to 15 hours per week. We have modernised the language. We have increased the pool of potential employers by extending the scheme to the community and voluntary sector and to the non-commercial semi-State sector. We also made significant changes to the carer's allowance means test. The weekly income disregard will be increased by 60% from €625 to €1,000 for a single person and from €1,250 to €2,000 for carers with a spouse, partner or cohabitant. Since June 2022, this will amount to cumulative increases to the disregards of €667.50 for a single carer and €1,335 for a carer who is part of couple, or an increase of just over 200%.”
“It aims to encourage employers to offer substantial and sustainable employment. Budget 2026 provides for reducing the number of bands in the wage subsidy scheme from five to three and increasing all the rates so that from April 2026, the base rate will be €7.50 per hour, up from €6.30. Where an employer employs between seven and 16 employees under the scheme, they will receive a new rate of €8.50 per hour. In the case of an employer who has more than 17 employees under the scheme, the new rate will be €10 per hour for each employee. I will revert to the Deputy on his specific query. The budget also provides for the extension of the wage subsidy scheme to certain people already at work who acquire a disability or whose ability to work has reduced such that their job tasks or role has to be significantly adapted by their employer.”
“Those moving from disability allowance or the blind pension to take up work will be able to retain their fuel allowance payment for up to five years as a result of the budget. That is important because I am aware that the fear of losing secondary benefits is a significant barrier to people taking up employment. We are making the back-to-work family dividend available to people with children who move off disability allowance or blind pension and into employment. Under this scheme, a person can retain the value of their child support payment for a year and half of its value in the second year in respect of up to four children. That is another important support to help people make the transition into employment. The wage subsidy scheme referred to Deputy Ó Murchú is a key disability employment support provided by my Department.”
“Recipients of disability allowance who have children will see their weekly rates of child support payment increased by €16 to €78 for children aged 12 or over and by €8 to €58 for children under 12 from 1 January 2026. These are the largest ever increases in these payments, which have increased by €48.20 and €28.20, respectively, since 2017. The monthly rate of domiciliary care allowance will increase by €20 to €380 per month from January 2026. This represents an increase of over €700, or 23%, since 2022. The fuel allowance will increase by €5 to €38 per week from January 2026, providing recipients with an additional €140 during the annual fuel allowance season. I am focused on encouraging people to take up work, and Deputy Kenny's suggestion is one on which I am working.”
“I am conscious of our commitments and my desire, and that of the Government, to support people with disabilities with the cost of disability. The Department of Social Protection package builds on the comprehensive level of support by targeting measures to support carers and recipients of domiciliary care allowance, and making it easier for people with disabilities to progress into and, importantly, stay in employment. We have provided for a €10 increase in the weekly rates of payments such as the disability allowance. That will bring the personal rate of payment to €254 per week from January. There will also be a bonus of a double week's payment in December.”
“There are almost 230,500 recipients of disability income support payments, with an estimated investment of €3.24 billion this year. Spending on disability payments has increased by €650 million in the past five years. The number of beneficiaries has increased by 4.7% in that time. This is permanent expenditure. It is not one-off expenditure that is judged on a year-to-year basis. There has been a €51 per week increase in the weekly disability income support payment since 2021. Budget 2026 is the first of this Government's five budgets. We are at the start of a five-year programme for Government. Not everything can be done in year one, but the Government has put in place a significant investment in disability services in the budget.”
“In addition to considering the appropriate level and eligibility conditions for a cost-of-disability payment, it is intended that the network will consider what other measures might be taken to reduce or mitigate these costs permanently. This consultation with disabled people will ensure that their voices are central as we work on this issue together in a targeted and, most importantly, sustainable way. Our work will be informed by the relevant research, including the Indecon and ESRI reports referred to in the motion. I intend to ensure that we have this work completed and bring forward proposals to Government in the first half of next year. A broad range of income supports are already available. They include the disability allowance, invalidity pension, blind pension and partial capacity benefit.”
“The remit of the network and the timeline for its work will be discussed at the December meeting of the disability consultative forum, which I attend. The members of the forum have already been asked to think about how they would like to see the process operating and their ideas and suggestions will be central to this. The work will also be discussed with a number of key disability advocacy groups bilaterally. The first of these bilateral meetings will be held at the end of this month. I will be asking my officials to reach out to the spokespeople of all the parties for their input into this process as well. It is intended that the network will comprise a range of stakeholders, including disabled people and their advocates. It will consider and develop proposals on how best to help people with a disability to meet the additional costs.”
“A dedicated disability unit has been established in the Department of An Taoiseach to drive progress on enhancing supports for people with disabilities across every sector of government. Progress will also be led and monitored by the Cabinet committee on children, disability and education. It is because of the need for a cross-government approach that the strategic focus network on the cost of disability is being established. This is an important commitment under the national human rights strategy for disabled people. This strategic focus network will be led by the Department of Social Protection, but it is a cross-government exercise. It will also include people with disabilities and their advocates. Work is already under way to establish and define the remit of the strategic focus network.”
“Delivering on this commitment is a core objective of the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030, which we published in mid-September. We know that addressing the cost of disability is not just a question of income support. The delivery of services is also key. The motion and a number of speakers have referred to the Indecon report on the cost of disability, which was commissioned by the Department of Social Protection. That report sets out how addressing the additional cost of disability requires a much broader approach than simply increasing existing payments or introducing new ones. We need all of the Departments and agencies of government to work together to address the issue in a comprehensive and permanent way.”
“Gabhaim buíochas le Sinn Féin as ucht an seans cúrsaí míchumais a phlé anocht. I am not opposing the motion put forward by Sinn Féin this evening, but we will take the opportunity to discuss these important issues and lay out much of the work we are doing. We recognise, and it is not exclusive to the Opposition, the additional cost that disabled people face in their daily lives. We are committed to addressing the cost of disability in a comprehensive, but also permanent and sustainable, way. Our determination to address this issue is reflected in the programme for Government commitment to introduce a permanent annual cost-of-disability support payment, with a view to incrementally increasing it.”
“I will give the Senator a sense of some of the allocations in Meath that we have been able to do. Under the community centre investment fund, we allocated €20,000 to the Trim Family Resource Centre to fund the replacement of windows, bathrooms, flooring and insulation. We have also allocated €300,000 in Athboy and €90,000 for halls in Moynalty and Longwood. As the Senator will be aware, under the rural regeneration and development fund, we have invested almost €4.5 million in Trim to redevelop the existing library and the adjacent chapel. I encourage the Senator to look at existing buildings and spaces within her community that we might consider partnering in. As I said, Senator Duffy has led on the redevelopment of an existing old school which has now become a centre for seven or eight different community organisations.”
“I thank Senator Nelson Murray. I endorse everything she has said. Fundraising is important. It is very hard work, but it makes an important contribution, financially and otherwise. If a community buys into a project through fundraising, it will succeed. Speaking of fundraising, it would be wrong of me not to wish our colleague, Senator Costello, every success as she takes to the stage next weekend in her lip-sync fundraiser. I wish the Senator good luck with that. We are working on the structure for the national women's sheds alongside the Minister of State, Deputy Murnane O'Connor, in the Department of Health. Our officials have been in touch with them. They are certainly making progress. I do not want to put a deadline on it so that we can get it working well together.”
“Once this is done, we are more than happy to discuss centralised funding. I commend the work of all the groups the Senator referred. I thank all of the extraordinary volunteers who lead them. Without the volunteers in the groups the Senator has referred to, our country and the Senator's county would be a much poorer place.”
“My Department has channelled funding through the Irish Men's Sheds Association to distribute directly to men's sheds. The Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and I were pleased to announce a financial package with the association for this year which will enable it to distribute up to €1 million in supports to men's sheds across the country. We are awaiting the finalisation of that package with it. We are committed to providing any support we can for the development of a national governing body for women's sheds to ensure that individual women’s sheds can benefit from having a strong national representative body to advocate on their behalf. My officials have been engaging with representatives from women’s sheds and the Department of Health with a view to delivering on this objective.”
“That sounds like something that might work for the combined work that the Senator is envisaging here and I recommend that the Senator have a look at that model. In relation to men's sheds and women's sheds, and I welcome my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, to the Chamber, we are supporting men's sheds and women's sheds through the Local Enhancement Programme, SICAP and the LEADER programme. The funding under these schemes is also available to cancer support groups. I encourage groups that need to invest in new or improved community spaces to engage with their local authority and local development company to identify what options may be available. I am more than happy to ask my officials to brief the Senator in relation to that.”
“Over €4.8 million has been provided to County Meath through the community centre investment fund in less than four years. In addition, my Department has allocated over €1.1 million to Meath under the CLÁR programme, which is also focused on community facilities and community transport services in the more rural parts of the county. I assure Senator Nelson Murray that I am fully committed to delivering further rounds of funding under the community centre investment fund and the CLÁR programme so that there will be many opportunities for groups such as those she has spoken about. I recommend that the Senator should speak to her colleague, Senator Mark Duffy, who has led on the creation of a community space in an old school in Ballina.”
“As part of budget 2026, I am delighted to announce increased funding for the programmes that are delivering on this priority. This includes an increase in the annual budget for the community centre investment fund, by €3 million to €20 million. This fund was introduced to provide high-quality accessible community spaces that are available to all groups in all communities, both in rural and in urban areas. The fund has provided €110 million since 2022 for the enhancement and refurbishment of existing community centres and the construction of new centres. This includes funding of up to €100,000 each that I announced for 369 community centres earlier this year. In the Senator's county, funding of €1.9 million has been provided for a new community centre in Kilcloon, one of 12 centres receiving funding under the fund.”
“I thank Senator Nelson Murray for raising this issue. Given that so many people in County Meath have roots in County Mayo, it is inevitable that there would be strong women there. It is important that the Senator has raised this matter today. The importance of high-quality accessible spaces for community groups is beyond doubt. As the Senator said, we have all witnessed the massive contribution of the men's shed movement, and now the women’s shed movement. Is there any family out there that has not needed or will not need the assistance at some stage of the cancer support groups that do such amazing work across the country? Since I became Minister for community development earlier this year, I have prioritised investment in community infrastructure and in services to support our communities.”
“Leis an maoiniú seo, cinntítear gur féidir linn dul chun cinn suntasach a dhéanamh chun na pleananna sin a chur i bhfeidhm in 2026. Is léir do chách an dearfacht atá mórthimpeall na teanga anois agus bainfidh muid lántairbhe as seo trí infheistíocht i réimsí maoinithe reatha agus caipitil araon. There are many others thing I could speak to, and we have sought to do so in recent days, but I will hand over to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien.”
“This will be funded from the community centre investment fund and is one of a number of measures my Department is taking in conjunction with other Departments to become more storm-resilient. The Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, will speak later about the community funding. I am delighted to announce that we are recommencing the RAPID programme that was previously in effect in the late noughties, with a €5 million capital investment for 2026. Fuair mé méadú an-suntasach sa mhaoiniú do chlár na Gaeltachta, na Gaeilge agus na n-oileán. Tiocfaidh méadú 29% ar an leithdháileadh ó €123 milliún go €159 milliún do 2026, arb é sin an méadú is mó sa réimse seo le blianta fada anuas. Tá pleananna fíoruaillmhianacha againn chun tacú le pobail Ghaeltachta agus leis an nGaeilge araon.”
“Our community development programme supports a wide range of schemes and projects that help promote social inclusion and address disadvantage. It also supports schemes that assist all communities, including annual funding for Tidy Towns groups, shows and funding for the community centre investment fund. On the community centre investment fund, I am reminded of the part that they play alongside and being the base of many community hubs during extreme weather events. This was particularly noticed during Storm Éowyn last January. We have instructed officials to work with colleagues across Departments to prepare a scheme that will see the roll-out of generators to local authorities for use during such extreme weather events.”
“Leis seo, cuirfear €192 milliún ar fáil don gclár forbartha tuaithe, €260 milliún don chlár forbartha pobail agus €159 milliún do réimse cláir na Gaeltachta, na Gaeilge agus na n-oileán. We have secured a positive outcome in the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht. We have a total allocation of €611 million for 2026. This will provide €192 million for the rural development programme, €260 million for the community development programme and €159 million for the Gaeltacht, Irish language and islands programme area. This builds on the strong investment of recent years. The €192 million allocation for the rural development programme will ensure a combination of sustained investment by the Government in the social and economic development of rural areas.”
“We are increasing the rate of fuel allowance by €5 per week. This is the first rate increase for this key support since budget 2022. In supporting communities throughout the country, I have made improvements to community employment, CE, Tús and the rural social scheme, RSS, including broadening access, increasing the top-ups by €5 per week, and bringing in €1,000 in material grants for all CE schemes. We have relied on evidence-based studies to make targeted increases in those payments that are shown to have the greatest impact in reducing poverty. This budget package is targeted and progressive. The lowest income quantiles are benefiting the most. As Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, tá toradh an-dearfach faighte againn agus, ar ardleibhéal, tá leithdháileadh iomlán de €611 milliún faighte againn do 2026.”
“I am also making changes to the wage subsidy scheme, increasing its rate by €1.20 per hour, adjusting its rate bands and expanding it to new cohorts of people. We are committed to carers and removing the means tests on carers as a Government. Today, I announce the largest ever increases in income disregards for carer's allowance, by €375 for a single person, to €1,000 disregard a week, and by €750 for a couple, to €2,000 disregard a week. These changes will mean that even people with relatively high incomes will qualify for a carer's payment for the first time. This is evidence of our determination to deliver on our commitment to eliminate the means test over the lifetime of this Government. In association with the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, we are addressing and focusing on issues of fuel poverty.”
“These are complex issues, but I have already started the process of establishing a strategic focus network to explore and develop solutions to address the cost of disability issue. This is a task agreed under the new national human fights strategy for disabled people. I intend to complete it quickly in consultation as part of a codesign approach with disabled people and their advocates to bring forward proposals to the Government in the first half of next year. We are extending access to the back-to-work family dividend scheme to recipients of the blind pension and disability allowance. I am ensuring that people who move into employment from disability allowance and blind pension will retain access to fuel allowance for five years, which has been a key concern for people trying to move to employment from these schemes.”
“I am raising the income threshold for the working family payment by €60, supporting 50,000 low-income working families and 100,000 children. I am extending for the first time the fuel allowance scheme to families in receipt of the working family payment. I am increasing the rate of the domiciliary care allowance scheme by an additional €20, to €380 per month, to support those families who rely on this very important payment. In association with the Minister, Deputy Foley, I am pleased to announce that we will be extending eligibility for the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance, subject to the standard means test, to families of preschool children aged two and three. We are keen to progress the issues of extra living costs that are incurred by people with disabilities and also the barriers they face in getting employment.”
“The principal aim for the Government and myself in this budget is addressing child poverty. We all know that children in low-income families are especially vulnerable to that poverty. That is why the Government has in this budget prioritised over €320 million in measures to alleviate child poverty. Every child should have the opportunity to live a decent life. We are determined to give them that opportunity. Today, we are announcing the largest ever increases in the child support payments. These are increases of €8, or 16%, for children under 12 and €16, or 26%, for children aged 12 and over. This will directly benefit about 330,000 children whose parents are in receipt of a social welfare payment. The increases will bring the payments up to €58 per week for a child under 12 and to €78 per week for a child over 12.”
“For many, our payments are the lifeblood of such businesses. As a key part of the measures for next year, I am pleased to announce that we are providing across-the-board social welfare increases to our pensioners and people of working age. Core rates will increase by €10, a level which more than matches inflation. The increase of €10 in the standard rate is equivalent this year to about 4.1%, compared with inflation of about 2.7%. For pensions, the increase is 3.5%. However, we know the pressure that people are under, and we have provided targeted payments in other areas. The above-inflation increases for two years in a row again demonstrate the Government's commitment to protect as best as it can the real value of the incomes of the people who depend on us.”
“It is obvious that the budget is getting the interest of all the parties of the House. I am proud to be able to serve in Cabinet and to present my first budget as Minister for Social Protection and for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht. I will deal with each Department separately within my speaking allocation. In the Department of Social Protection, we have secured almost €29 billion in funding for the Department for 2026. Over €1.15 billion of that is for new measures. Before I go through the new measures, I wish to announce that we will be providing in early December this year a full 100% Christmas bonus to over 1.4 million people at a cost of €370 million. This measure will help people at a critical time of the year. It also supports businesses and shops locally around the country.”
“We are now looking at targeted increases in supports, such as the child support payment and the working family payment, to go directly to families on low incomes, thus supporting children. We continue to expand the hot school meals programme. By the end of this year every primary school in the country will have access to the programme. There is expansion of the national childcare scheme and the free schoolbooks scheme. It is absolutely not enough. The Taoiseach keeps all of our feet to the fire in respect of child poverty. We want to reach the target of 3% by the end of our term of office but, more importantly, 3% or less.”
“Ultimately, it is a matter for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. It is also important to reflect on the fact that the Government, since we came to office, established the child poverty and well-being programme office in the Department of the Taoiseach and is at the heart of the Government, with cross-departmental responsibilities. The office is currently working on a dashboard which will enable us all to measure progress. Rather than the siloed way of doing things, the dashboard will be able to show us where we are making progress but, most importantly, where we are not achieving things, and then we will definitely be able to get a focus. I have spoken about the new child poverty target.”
“We fully recognise that supporting families on low incomes with housing costs, but, more importantly, preventing and reducing family homelessness, is a key issue and a cornerstone of tackling child poverty. That is why measures to accelerate the delivery of social, affordable and cost rental homes as well as targeted measures to support families in long-term homelessness are key considerations for budget 2026.”
“However, we are determined to continue to try and reduce child poverty, and we know that much remains to be done. In relation to budget 2026 we are very aware of, and are making clear, the importance of directing support to families with children where it is most needed. We know from research that effective means of achieving this are through targeted measures, in particular the child support and working family payments. In line with our programme for Government commitments, we are continuing to explore a targeted second-tier child benefit payment. This work is under way. It will not be part of budget 2026. However, the investment in child support and the working family payment is still quite significant. The Senator’s concerns about homelessness are shared by the Government.”
“The last two budgets each contained the largest social welfare packages in the history of the State and included increases in core rates, including child benefit, as well as, in the context of this discussion, the targeted payments of child support payment and the working family payment. The Government has also invested heavily in services for families and children, including, for example, the expansion of hot school meals and free school books. The hot school meals programme is an investment of €300 million every year and makes the difference for many children as to whether they get a hot meal on that day or not. These measures have yet to be reflected in the latest poverty statistics. It takes time for progress to be reflected in the official data.”
“While ensuring every child has the best start in life will be a core focus of budget 2026 and this Government, it is also important to recognise that tackling this issue requires sustained and continued action. These cross-government actions will be outlined in the successor to the national poverty strategy, the Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2026- 2030. The follow-up document is currently being developed by my Department. This will be launched in the first half of 2026 and will have a very specific focus on child poverty. Our commitment to reducing child poverty is also reflected in our investment in concrete supports.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir as ucht an t-ábhar seo a chur liom. As she will know, the Taoiseach has made it clear that tackling child poverty and homelessness are key priorities for this Government. It is a focus for budget 2026. Our negotiations are ongoing and all will be made available next Tuesday at 1 p.m. Our programme for Government commitments in relation to child poverty reflect this overall determination and we recently published a new child poverty target to guide this work. The target of 3% or less child consistent poverty, to be achieved by 2030, is ambitious. It reflects a reduction of 5.5% from the current rate of 8.5% and will require targeted investment across many areas of government, including income supports, housing, employment, childcare, health and education.”
“In the programme for Government, we are committed to phasing out the carer’s allowance means test and we will do this in a progressive manner over the lifetime of the Government. All of us recognise the valuable contribution that family carers are making every single day. We are doing a lot to improve the payments to carers and will continue to do so because we recognise that much more needs to be done. We will not be found wanting in terms of delivering on this. We have to ensure that it is sustainable.”
“As Minister for Social Protection, I am committed to continuing the work that has been done for carers and to growing it further, both for carers who are in receipt of the carer’s allowance and any carers who will benefit from further changes to income disregards. As Deputy Quaide's colleague said, however, I also have a responsibility to other vulnerable groups, including lone parents, children experiencing poverty, working families, and people with disabilities. I have no doubt that every Deputy will support me but I have to be realistic; my resources are not unlimited. We are not opposing this motion. I welcome this debate and the good ideas that are coming. I will engage further on those ideas.”
“This is based on our internal administrative data, which tells us that there are some 146,000 care recipients in our country. In the absence of a means test, it is reasonable to assume a carer’s allowance payment could be paid in respect of each of these care recipients. However, to facilitate further discussion, I will provide Deputy Quaide with our methodology and a breakdown of this costing after the debate on this motion. The Deputies speak of tripling the bank levy to pay for this measure. We have already demonstrated how the Government has supported carers over recent years. However, we have just heard calls for other groups to be catered for during some of their colleagues' speeches today.”
“In addition to significant improvements to the means test, over the last four budgets the weekly carers payments - the carer's allowance and carer's benefit - have been increased by €41 per week. As part of budget 2025, the rate of the carer's allowance increased by €12 to €260 per week for a carer aged under 66 years caring for one person. Before concluding, I wish to address the variation in the estimated cost of abolishing the means test for carers. The figure of €375 million that has been quoted is taken from a costing carried out by the Parliamentary Budget Office. It assumes that some 25,600 carers would become eligible for the scheme if the means test was removed. My Department has conservatively estimated that the cost of removing the means test for the carer’s allowance would be in the region of €600 million each year.”
“As a result, a carer in a two-adult household with an income of approximately €69,000 will retain the maximum payment. The same carer with an income of €97,000 will retain a partial payment. Before the disregards were increased in June 2022, that figure of €69,000 figures stood at €37,000 and the figure of €97,000 stood at €60,000. The number of carers on the carer’s allowance has increased by over 8,000 to almost 102,000. The increase in the disregards also means that many current recipients receive a higher payment than they would have otherwise. It is notable that from July last, when the latest increase occurred, 98.4% of existing carer’s allowance recipients have received the maximum possible rate, whether they are on a half-rate or full-rate payment.”
“In doing so we will build on the significant improvements which have already been made to the capital and income disregards, allowing many more carers to qualify for the carer’s allowance. The disregards for the carer’s allowance are now by far the highest income disregards in the social welfare system, higher than those for any other weekly payment. The capital and savings disregard was increased from €20,000 to €50,000. This equates to a disregard of €100,000 for carers who are part of a couple. Since 2021, the carer's allowance income disregards have been increased from €332.50 to €625 for a single person, and from €665 to €1,250 for carers with a spouse or partner. These disregards have practically doubled, amounting to cumulative increases of €292.50 for a single carer and €585 for a carer who is part of couple.”
“This change has wider cost and policy implications, including under EU rules that differentiate between social assistance or mean-tested payments, on the one hand, and social insurance and universal payments, on the other. The former can be subject to conditions relating to residence; the latter two types of payment are not. This is why, while we are committed - and I absolutely guarantee the Deputy and the House of my strong commitment - to eliminating the means test, we have to do so in a phased and measured approach that enables us to balance improving outcomes for carers with also improving outcomes for people with disabilities, pensioners and children and in a way that does not create unanticipated exposures.”
“There is nothing between us on that. However, it is not as simple as just abolishing the means test in one fell swoop, much as many of us might want to do. I have to be mindful of other demands on the State finances and other priorities including addressing child poverty, direct payments to people with disabilities and other areas within my Department. Means tests were developed as a way of targeting limited resources at those who have the lowest incomes. They are used not just for carer payments but for pensioners, disabled people, lone parents, jobseekers and others. It is a system that applies across the board, based on supporting households with the lowest means. However, removing the means test, in effect, creates a new scheme for those meeting the scheme’s basic caring condition.”