Ms Catherine Cox:

I will answer on the costs. During the Covid pandemic, Family Carers Ireland set up a crisis fund because so many carers were struggling financially. Over the two-year period, we have given out more than €350,000. That is used to put food on tables and oil in tanks. We bought bite-proof clothing for one mum because her daughter was biting her. Her behaviour had regressed because she had lost all of her services and supports. We cannot imagine how challenging the Covid pandemic has been for family carers. I refer particularly to carers of children and adults with intellectual disability and behaviours that might be challenging, but it has been challenging for all family carers right across the board. They have struggled significantly and then, as the Deputy has said, the cost of living has increased. Those on carer's allowance are not included among those eligible for fuel allowance. Those pressures have been immense. We have never seen so many carers struggling financially as we have over the past two and a half years and we continue to see that as we come out of Covid.