Family carers won't get pandemic bonus despite deserving 'recognition' – Tánaiste

Leo Varadkar added it was "very hard to know where to draw the line in these things". Picture: Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie

Family carers will not receive the €1,000 healthcare pandemic bonus, despite deserving "recognition", the Tánaiste has said.

The government was taken to task by Sinn Féin's Finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty during Thursday's Leader's Questions on the fact that many people across Ireland who care for a loved one will not be recognised for their work during the pandemic.

The government announced a once-off tax-free bonus for public healthcare workers yesterday, along with two new bank holidays, scheduled for March and next February.

"Carers who were predominantly caring for those at the highest risk during the pandemic and many were immunocompromised, will not be getting the day off, will not be getting double payments and indeed will increase the pressure on them because the day services and the schools will be closed, the other supports that they would rely on normally will be not there," Pearse Doherty said.

"I believe that carers are public health care workers."

Leo Varadkar said that the government was working to change the rules so family carers can avail of the state contributing pension, which would be more valuable.

"There are different types of carers, HSE carers, carers that work for an agency. 

"There are family carers who are in receipt of carers allowance and carers benefit, family carers who are not in receipt of those benefits, there are home carers employed by the HSE. They will go around to lots of different houses. They may be exposed to dozens or hundreds of people through the course of their work.

"Family carers would almost always provide that care in their own home.

"I do believe they deserve recognition," the Tánaiste said.

"The main thing that we want to do this year for family carers is to change the rules so that they can avail of the state contributing pension. Generally, someone in receipt of carers allowance is somebody who isn't able to get regular employment because of their caring responsibilities, and they miss out on the State Security pension as a result of that.

"We want to change that this year and Minister Humphreys has been tasked to do that. And I think that's our way that we can recognise many carers and something that that would be much more valuable."

Mr Varadkar added it was "very hard to know where to draw the line in these things".

The government hopes to have the payment made in February or March.

"There is an issue around legislation, this does require primary legislation both to amend Finance Act and the Social Welfare Consolidation Act. That legislation needs to be managed so that it can be exempt from income tax/ USC/ PSRI," Mr Varadkar added.

"This should be done quite quickly."