Oireachtas committee tells Hanafin 'hands off' half-rate carer's allowance

THE OIREACHTAS Committee on Social and Family Affairs is to write to Minister Mary Hanafin to tell her “hands off the half-rate carer’s allowance”.

The Minister said last week the half-rate allowance was an “obvious target” for An Bord Snip Nua, the group currently looking at all areas of Government expenditure.

Almost 16,000 carers receive the €110-a-week payment which allows those in receipt of a widow’s or State pension to claim half a carer’s allowance payment. The scheme costs between €60 million and €90 million a year.

At the cross-party meeting yesterday, deputies and senators unanimously agreed to write to the Minister to express their concern about her suggestion that the allowance might be cut.

They also called on Ms Hanafin to publish the National Carers Strategy as soon as possible.

The resolution followed a presentation from the chief executive of the Carers Association, Enda Egan, who said his organisation had a huge number of calls after Ms Hanafin made her remarks.

He said it was very clear family carers had built the allowance into their weekly spend, and bills such as heating, transport and electricity “went through the roof” when there was someone in need of care at home.

Labour TD Róisín Shortall said the committee needed to send a clear message to Ms Hanafin.

Fine Gael TD Seymour Crawford said the previous committee had fought very hard to introduce the allowance. “It is unreal that a Minister for Social and Family Affairs should be questioning that allowance.”

The Minister’s comments were “shocking”, said Fine Gael deputy Joe Carey. The committee should tell Ms Hanafin that “it’s hands off the half-rate carer’s allowance and its hands off carers”.

On the National Carers Strategy, Frank Goodwin, chairman of the association, said the Government had committed to having the strategy prepared by December 2007 as part of social partnership. The association was then told it would be ready in mid-2008. Most recently it heard the draft was almost complete and would need ministerial approval before being published.

“The Civil Service is dampening our expectations every time we meet,” said Mr Goodwin. “It is not going to be worth the paper it is written on if the unofficial feedback we’re getting is accurate.”