This week, I would like to use my time to speak about carer's allowance and, in particular, the commitment in the programme for Government to abolish the means test. In Carlow and Kilkenny, I know many families where one parent gives up work to care full time for a child and the other parent then needs to work extra hours to pay the mortgage and bills. This additional necessary income then prevents the family carer from receiving carer's allowance because the family's means are often deemed too high. I acknowledge and truly welcome the increase in the income disregard that is coming into effect on 1 July, where the families like the ones I have just described will now be able to earn €2,000 per week and still receive carer's allowance, but can the Tánaiste please offer me a timeline for when the means test will be completely abolished?

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