Ms Rosaleen Doonan:

Research is extremely important. Until very good bodies of research are compiled, it is not possible to establish benchmarks in the context of from where we should work. That is very important. The way I see it is that there is a circle and inside that is everything to do with the health service. Outside the circle are the carers. However, they are central to the success of everything in the health service going forward. Anything that gets us into the circle as equal partners and which brings about a recognition that we are going to be obliged to deliver on all the new policies the Government is introducing would be welcome. One cannot do anything without funding, be it from CAWT or INTERREG. I recognise that we are all trying to do the best we can with what we have but there are external bodies which are providing a great deal of funding for various different things in the area of health. However, carers are not part of that.

I am not sufficiently qualified to understand how these very large European Union funding mechanisms work. However, I do know INTERREG and CAWT are the mechanisms by means of which funds are disbursed to communities. I am hung up on the word "community". We should say it as it is, namely, that those involved are family carers and that we are sending people home to be looked after. I am not a medical person - I would make a very bad nurse and probably an even worse carer - but I am aware of the extent of the work - such as changing catheters and so on - those involved in care at home must do. Earlier this week I spoke to a woman whose little boy was born with a stem cell tumour. He screams all the time and she is expected to look after him 24-7 outside school hours and without any extra help.