Ms Zoe Hughes:

On the question about how we get the right numbers, there could be another three-hour session on that topic. Family Carers Ireland has written papers looking at the different definitions in different jurisdictions and how it all works. It is difficult. Looking at other jurisdictions and how we can do that here is a good starting point. I will move on rather than go into detail on that.

The Deputy asked if isolation is more prevalent in male carers. The research indicates that it is. Male carers are less likely to seek support or to accept help when it is offered. They are more likely to feel uncomfortable at carers' groups, because they might be the only man there. They are more likely to feel stigmatised and less likely to have understanding employers. This all comes back to the assumptions that are made about care. When I us the term "male carers", I also mean transmasculine and non-binary carers.

The way around that is to look at matching solutions to the individual. On the surface, caring is caring, but the experience is different for each individual. Certain issues come up repeatedly relating to access to services and so on. The challenges may be the same but the solutions might not be. One can look at individualised solutions to certain problems. That goes for any minority group which is accessing carer supports, whether a religious minority, cultural minority or gender minority.