Mark Wall (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State and his staff for attending and all the staff in both Departments for all the work they have done in the past year. It has been mentioned by all members of the committee but it is always important to say thanks because what they have gone through has been considerable.

I am glad that other members raised the issue of a living wage and that the Minister of State referenced it too. It is important that our conversations are about a living wage rather than about a minimum wage with a minimal increase. I welcome the fact he is talking about a living wage, which we all should be talking about.

The national childcare scheme was referenced. What is the status of that? Covid has probably taken over in importance, given that many people are working from home, but pre-Covid it was a big issue for many people, particularly in the commuting counties where people were paying almost a second mortgage in childcare costs. That cannot continue for these people when we emerge from Covid. They get up very early in the morning and take their children to crèches far away to avail of childcare services. Where does that fit into the report and will the Minister of State provide an update on it?

There have been a couple of conversations about providing a one-stop shop for bereavement supports. Has the Minister of State considered that? It has been raised in various conversations but particularly during Covid, it has been a big issue for many people trying to avail of different aspects of the bereavement process. What is the status of that?

I return to the issue of carer's allowance. The measures in the most recent budget were welcome but the carer's means test has not been updated since 2008. I continue to hear from people who cannot avail of the carer's allowance. To give a quick example, I was recently contacted by a woman who had to give up work to care for her husband. The couple still have a mortgage and are trying to live off a carer's allowance payment, which is simply not good enough to cover a mortgage. That is being replicated throughout the country, with estimates suggesting that about 30,000 people are outside the threshold for the carer's allowance but are giving care. We have to reconsider the means test because the issue is affecting so many people.

The Minister of State and some members mentioned food poverty. One issue I have come across during the pandemic relates to community groups who have sprung up and are providing food parcels to people throughout rural Ireland. Many such community groups have found people who were not known to them before and who are living by themselves in isolation. This has been a terrific response by the groups to help these people out. The Minister of State mentioned the meals on wheels campaign and indicated he has been talking to its representatives. I am aware the HSE has partially funded some of those meals but I ask him to re-examine the matter. These community groups have sprung up in response to the pandemic. Some of them provide 80 or 90 meals a day in various corners of County Kildare, where I am from, but it is happening in every county. Perhaps the Minister of State will examine that issue and include the groups in the meals on wheels campaign he mentioned.

Turning to the social inclusion and community activation programme, SICAP, I welcome the work it does in my county. The current SICAP will end in 2022 and there is €39 million for 2021. What plans are there for the new SICAP? What is the status of it?

I raise the issue of what were formerly referred to as RAPID areas. These are socially deprived areas, which I have worked in for a long time. In my opinion and that of many others, we need to target those areas heavily. Can that issue be examined? We need to look at it.

I welcome the extension of the CE schemes. I have come across people in CE schemes whose medical cards had been cancelled because they could not provide an end date, and in fairness to the Minister of State, he resolved that issue by extending the scheme. It is a simple issue but it is very important for those in the scheme. Nevertheless, we continue to have problems for people who are 61 or 62 years old and are not yet near their pension age but are coming to the end of their CE time. Are there plans for those people? They may be three or four years away from drawing down their pension and do great work within their community. They may have been working in the scheme for six or seven years but may feel they cannot go anywhere else because they are so used to that way of life. The Minister of State might comment on that.

Like other members, I wish the Minister of State well. This is very important work and I look forward to further engagement.