Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I also congratulate the Minister of State on her appointment and I look forward to working with her. The Government is the carer of the country, but it is not reflected down along when we look at the legislation in place on carers. Carers go above and beyond to care for people in their homes. In regard to the value for money they give, there is no Government agency or employee that can give that same care for the cost of payments to carers for the care that they provide. They travel to a person's home and give care in the home but they are not being looked after by the Government. In many cases they look after two people. Often they work outside of their hours to care for people to make sure they have the right amount of care. We are looking at people from the point of view of means testing. People have worked all their lives and, if they have any small bit of savings, they are penalised in a means test. That is wrong. There is no reward for people in this country who care or who work all their lives. I ask the Minister of State to please look after the carers of this country because they are the carers who will look after us.

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