Ms Clare Duffy:

I will add that I have just finished up a series of seven regional forums with carers all around the country. About 50 to 100 carers came together. At every one of those forums, carers mentioned at least once 15 minute calls and half-hour calls. Yesterday in Donegal I had a girl whose mother who has dementia is getting a 20-minute call to get her out of bed and washed. I reiterate what Mr. McLoughlin said. Families are grateful to get anything. The issue is quality. Quality sometimes does not come into it because families are so grateful to get anything that they just take it. They do not complain. They are terrified to complain when the quality is questionable. It is worth repeating what Mr. McLoughlin said earlier. We have an expression in Family Carers Ireland that sometimes home support hours are inflicted on families. Families take whatever hours they get when they are given them. It might not suit the family at all because someone is there between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. for example. People will take them because that is all that is available. It is important to restate that. People will not complain, even about the shorter calls, because of the fear of the consequences and repercussions.