I would like to follow on from Deputy Bruton's question on carers and go a step further by making a plea that we use budget 2025 as an opportunity to once and for all take away the income limit on the means test for carer's allowance. Time and again, every TD has carers coming into his or her office who are €100, €50 or €20 over the means test. There is no flexibility or discretion from the Department in awarding carer's allowance. These people dedicate every minute of their lives to looking after loved ones and they need our help the most. I ask that consideration be given and that, at the very least, we do a cost analysis of getting rid of the means test for carer's allowance in budget 2025.

Wherever you draw the line when it comes to means tests, people will be either on this side of it or that side of it. There will always be winners and losers. No matter how high the bar goes, there will be losers. From June onwards, a carer can earn €900 per week, for a married couple, and it will not impact on their payment. That has been increased and kicks in in June. Coming up to the budget, I look at all these things but in looking at the means test for carer's allowance we also have to look at the level of care provided. We all know of carers who provide 24-7 care, while other carers getting the same payment provide considerably less care. I am not saying any of it is not important but it is a hugely reduced level of care. In tandem with the lifting of any means test, we have to look at the level of care provided. The Deputy is probably thinking of parents who are 24-7 with a severely disabled child and those are situations we are all aware of.