Mr. John Dunne:

I will mention the wider picture. We all know there are staff shortages in many professions within the health service that are making it problematic to access services. One of the responses to that from the HSE - we are negotiating with it at the minute but you can understand where it is coming from - is a suggestion to train family carers to do a certain amount of this at home. That is a constructive approach involving social solidarity but the income support framework and the attitude to how we value caring sits very oddly with carers playing a key part in helping to resolve a crisis.

Many carers are nervous and unhappy about the idea that they will get a three-hour training session after which they no longer need an occupational therapist. Clearly, we are not buying into that scenario, just in case it sounds as if we are. The idea that people might be able to do more at home is certainly one that should always be looked at but only in the context of a system that values and appreciates them and does not leave them out of pocket for doing it.