Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am adhering to what you said about equality of time. HSE has made that point to parents: that someone else is going to suffer because their children are gaining, and not even gaining what other children have had before there has been a huge cut. I want more recognition of the fact that grandparents are currently providing a massive amount of care. It seems that this is nearly always due to affordability, especially if young and preschool children are involved sometimes with the involvement of very elderly grandparents. If one knocks at doors in any housing estate, particularly in south County Meath during the day, one will meet many grandparents who do a huge amount of work, mainly for cost reasons. I pay tribute to them. Some are very elderly and have said to me that they are finding it very difficult physically. Some do not find it difficult and love doing it. In my own case, with my wife working different days each week, it is a much more flexible arrangement and my mother seems to love it, or at least that is what she tells us. We need grandparents because of the flexibility to provide care at night time as well as during the day. This committee needs to recognise the contribution they make. Many are not paid and while the tax structure is there to help, it can actually catch them out if they do not completely comply with the strict rules when doing the child-minding in their own home. I am just flagging the issues that have come up in my experience. Thank you Chairman.