Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for coming in this morning. It is a great shame that in 2022 in Ireland, one of the richest countries in the world, they have to come in and bare their souls and tell us stories that are so personal about their children, who they obviously love so much. It is a great shame that they have to come in here and do that this morning. However, I am very glad they are before us and very glad that we all got to hear their stories this morning.

For a long time, there have been massive issues regarding carer’s allowance, its inadequacy, accessing it in the first instance and accessing it at very reduced rates. In many instances, it comes down to the fact that, as is the case with many social welfare payments, it is household means tested, and that brings huge difficulty for carers where there is a family with a partner, a husband or a wife. Much has been brought forward here this morning in regard to abolishing the means test entirely and individualisation, which would take away the household means and would look at the carer as an individual. If a carer is not working and the means test is just looking at that carer, I imagine they would get the full rate and that would be it.

The foster carer’s allowance was mentioned. Could the carer’s allowance follow exactly the same terms and payment rate as foster carer’s allowance? From what Family Carers Ireland said, the foster care allowance is paid at a rate of €325 and that is increased where there are additional needs. I am not sure how people show what those additional foster care needs are but that payment would then be increased. Rather than looking at carer’s allowance and having a convoluted review that could go on and on, is there a simpler way? Should we move to what is there for foster care allowance? I imagine it would not take very long if that was to be done.

The recent report in respect of the cost of disability is very welcome but, of course, there is also the cost of care. If people are going into the supermarket as a carer or as a non-carer, we can guarantee their trolleys are very different. There is a cost of care and that needs to be acknowledged. The Minister of State has been clear in saying in regard to the cost of disability that the Government is looking at making a payment that is determined by the severity of the disability, and the payment will rise depending on that. Could something similar be brought in as an addition with regard to the cost of care?

In regard to carer’s allowance, it has been mentioned that outgoings are not counted, nor is the illness of the person being cared for, which, let us be honest, can vary an awful lot. No two carers are the same and the care needs of the person being cared for vary - that is absolute and we all know that. Is it a possibility that it could be looked at in a similar way to the medical card, where outgoings are looked at, considered and taken into account, but there is also a level of discretion for carers so, if a person has a lifelong condition, there would be flexibility whereby, like the medical card, they would put the financial to one side and grant the payment or support? Is that possible?

The 18.5-hour rule is something I could never get my head around. It is like saying to a carer that they will work full-time and they will be paid little or nothing, but they are not allowed to go out to educate themselves or work beyond those 18.5 hours. I know that has moved from 15 hours and that is fine but, to my mind, it is something that should be abolished immediately. If a carer is caring, we should take them at their word. They are caring for someone and they should not be told they cannot do this and they cannot do that.

A lady was in touch with me the other day. She is a home carer with the HSE, as well as caring for her own daughter. During Covid, many carers could not go into the homes to look after old people who are getting home care and other carers stepped up. She was one of those who stepped up. She did additional hours over the 18.5 hours and she has been punished since, yet she did what she felt was right.

The other thing I find odd in regard to the 18.5-hour ceiling is where someone is doing a bit of farming and they are asked how many cattle they have and how much land, and the person in the carer’s section behind the computer will determine the case based on the number of cattle they have or the amount of land they farm. It is bonkers and it should be abolished.

It is very important that the witnesses have come in today. The pensions solution was mentioned. The Minister of State said in regard to the Pensions Commission report that she will bring her proposals to Cabinet in the coming weeks. I love that term because “in the coming weeks” can mean anything. I raised it with her yesterday and she said the solution for pensions has been long promised. All of the time, carers are retiring and they are getting a State pension that is not the full State pension. That should never happen. They are entitled to no less than the full State pension. The longer this is delayed, the more carers going onto the State pension will suffer. I hope that, ahead of the budget, that will be done for this year because anything that can be done as quickly as possible should be done. Many things can be done without big reviews by the Minister of State simply engaging with those like the witnesses and Family Carers Ireland, and then doing what she can based on that, rather than having delays and reviews.