Family carers play a crucial and irreplaceable role in homes across our country. Without them there would be a catastrophic crisis in care for people of all ages. Family carers are ordinary men and women who are motivated by love. This love drives them to put a family member's needs before their own. They sacrifice their own plans and desires because a family member needs their care. This enables their loved one to be cared for while continuing to live in the home. When it comes to rewarding them for their vital role, however, family carers are subjected to means-testing. Their vital work is completely disregarded. The fact that they save the State substantial money on institutional care is conveniently ignored. This is wrong, unfair and unjust. Means-testing for carers must be abolished. Our Regional Group will bring forward a Private Members' Bill next week. I ask that the Government support the Bill and make arrangements to drop the necessity for means-testing and prove to family carers that their work is valued.

I thank Deputy Lowry for raising this important issue as regards carers. My colleague, the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, has increased the income thresholds for carer's allowance such that from June a couple earning up to €900 per week and having €50,000 in savings will still be able to qualify for the full carer's allowance payment.

The Minister has also established an interdepartmental group with the Department of Health tasked with looking at the area of means-tested payments to family carers, an area the Deputy suggested. The work of the interdepartmental group will be informed by a broader review of means-testing more generally which is under way in the Department of Social Protection. The work of the group will be considered in the context of the national carers' strategy. I expect to have that report to be able to make informed decisions before the budget. We will consider the motion the Deputy's grouping will table next week as well.