Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 September 2025
659. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of carer's benefit; the typical duration of their claim; and if she has considered greater flexibility under the scheme to cover intermittent caring periods. [51905/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Carer's Benefit payment is made to insured people who may be required to leave the workforce or reduce their working hours to care for a person in need of full-time care. A person may be eligible providing they meet the qualifying conditions, including whether they have sufficient PRSI contributions.
The payment is complemented by the Carers’ Leave Act 2001, which allows employees to leave their employment temporarily to provide full-time care up to a maximum of 104 weeks.
Carer’s Benefit is payable for a maximum period of 104 weeks for each person being cared for. The current scheme offers sufficient flexibility to address intermittent caring periods in that it can be taken in one block or in separate periods, as long as the combined total does not exceed 104 weeks. Where Carer’s Benefit is claimed for less than 6 weeks in a row in any period, there is a wait time of a further 6 weeks before Carer’s Benefit can be claimed to care for the same person again.
At the end of August 2025, there were 4,572 recipients of Carer's Benefit.
If more than one person is being cared for, payment may be made for 104 weeks for each person being cared for. This may result in the care periods overlapping or running concurrently.
An up to date estimate of the average duration of Carer's Benefit claims is not currently available.
Where care is provided beyond the period of entitlement to Carer’s Benefit, the means-tested Carer’s Allowance is available for those who need income support.
I am satisfied that this income support arrangement is appropriate and equitable.
It is worth noting that, there are forms of leave available to enable an employee to take intermittent or ad-hoc leave to provide care to a loved one. These include paid force majeure leave and unpaid leave for medical care - the latter was introduced in July 2023. Policy responsibility for all forms of family and flexible leave, is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality.
