22. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on the progress his Department is making in relation to the phasing out of the means test for carer's allowance as committed to in the Programme for Government. [46036/26]

28. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will commit to fully abolishing the restrictive means test for carer’s allowance. [46328/26]

36. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will make progress on his commitment to abolish the means-test for carers in the next Budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46172/26]

73. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Social Protection when his Department will publish a concrete roadmap and timeline for the complete abolition of a means test, given the recent income increase in family carers allowance thousands of family carers are still facing complex financial issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46152/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 22, 28, 36 and 73 together.

The Carer’s Allowance is the main scheme by which the Department provides income support to carers. There are currently just under 108,000 carers receiving this payment at a cost of over €1.4 billion this year.

The Programme for Government has set out a timeframe, which commits to significantly increasing the income disregards for Carer’s Allowance in each Budget, with a view to phasing out the means test during the lifetime of this Government.

This process is already underway. Last July the amount of weekly earnings disregarded was increased to €625 for a single person and €1,250 for a couple. As part of Budget 2026, I announced further improvements to the Carer’s Allowance means test that will be introduced next month. From the 2nd of July 2026, the weekly income disregard will increase by 60% from €625 to €1,000 for a single person, and from €1,250 to €2,000 for carers who are part of couple.

The changes next month will be the largest ever increases in the income disregards. The impact of the increases will mean that those recipients on a reduced payment due to means will see their payment increase.

In addition, more carers will qualify for Carer’s Allowance, even those in households that are regarded as having relatively high incomes. For example, a carer in a two-adult household with an income of approximately €110,000 will retain their full Carer’s Allowance payment and with an income of €138,000 will retain a partial payment.

Removing the means test is a significant shift in policy direction and there may be further implications above the cost exposure. For this reason the income disregard is being abolished in a measured way over a number of Budgets, having regard to the prevailing budgetary conditions.