The Tánaiste nicknamed the cuts introduced by Charlie McCreevy the "Dirty Dozen", but there have been at least 20 cuts to social welfare. I refer to the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill and carers. Applications for carer's allowance will no longer involve a family GP, but will instead be done by a civil servant.

To which legislation is the Deputy referring?

The Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill. It is another sneaky cut which was introduced in the budget. The Tánaiste will have to face up to the issue because carers are waiting long enough for assessments, which can take from 15 to 18 months. A family GP knows the most about the needs of families or people being cared for.

There are a lot of details we could get some other way.

The Deputy will know that the only discussion on carers in the context of the current legislation and its implications for lone parents is that lone parents who care for their child and receive the domiciliary care allowance and a carer's allowance will not be affected in any way by the legislation, nor is there any impact on lone parents who are caring for other people or family members.

What about family carers?

The amendment was introduced to clarify that point. I saw the e-mail to which the Deputy referred; it was a round robin to many Deputies. I did not understand it because the legislation already excluded carers who were acting as carers for their children and in receipt of domiciliary care allowance. The legislation clarified that lone parents in receipt of a carer's allowance and caring for anybody outside of their children would retain in full their half-rate carer's allowance for as long as their caring situation continues.