Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 June 2026
476. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he plans to allow for the reinterpretation of the 18.5-hour work cap for carers who wish to avail of further education (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46815/26]
View answerThe main income supports for family carers provided by my Department are Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant. Spending on these payments is expected to amount to over €2.2 billion in 2026.
To qualify for Carer's Allowance, Carer's Benefit or the Carer's Support Grant, the carer must provide full-time care and attention to a person who is so incapacitated that they require this level of full-time care for at least 12 months.
A carer is considered to be providing full-time care and attention to a relevant person, where the number of hours providing such care is not less than 35 hours in a period of seven consecutive days, and care is provided on any five days, whether consecutive or not, within a period of seven consecutive days.
While these schemes are based on the provision of full-time care, they do allow carers to engage in training, education or employment for up to 18.5 hours per week, as set out in legislation. This threshold was increased from 15 hours as part of Budget 2020 following feedback from carers and carer's organisations who found the 15 hours too restrictive. During this time, adequate provision must be made for the care of the relevant person.
In setting the relevant thresholds, it is essential to balance the needs of the carer and the needs of the person receiving care. The 18.5-hour rule represents a reasonable balance between meeting the requirement for providing full-time care for the care recipient and the needs of the carer while continuing to support broader social inclusion.
