I want to appeal to the Taoiseach's better nature on the means test relating to family carers, carer's allowance and half-rate carer's allowance. Statistics from Family Carers Ireland show that carers save the State €20 billion per annum. We are about to put a referendum to the people that lauds carers, and yet we are means testing 95,000 of them. We do not know what the cost of that is in man hours to the Department. However, it does, according to the Secretary General of the Department, save the country €700 million. The HSE would not function without carers who save the country €20 billion per annum. That equates almost to the total budget of the HSE. It is time we took cognisance of what carers do for their families and the country. I appeal to the Taoiseach to abolish the need to means test carer's allowance and half-rate carer's allowance.

It is worth pointing out that the carer's support grant is in place as well. That is not means tested. The carer's allowance is means tested. We have relaxed the means test and are changing the pension rules in order that carers who are in receipt of the allowance can receive the full State pension. We are going in the right direction. The referendum, if passed, will protect all of that because there will be constitutional protection for carers for the first time. It will also put an onus on the Government to continue to climb the ladder and make improvements for carers. That is another very good reason why they are calling for a "Yes" vote.

It is important to put on the record of the House that carer's allowance is a social welfare payment for people who would otherwise not qualify for jobseeker's allowance because they cannot engage in full-time work. If it were to become an employment payment, that would become a very different thing. There would have to be qualifications, regulations and an application process for people to get payment. That would be a very different proposition.