Mr. Shane Gough:

Finland has a four-page form. The difference between the Irish and Finnish forms is that in Finland, officials just ask for basic information such as the name, address and name of child or person being cared for. All the medical stuff is done by a medical professional or a social care professional and, therefore, the parents or the person providing the care does not have to deal with it.

On the adequacy versus eligibility question, it came across in all the interviews that when carers are refused the carer's allowance due to the means test, it is incredibly degrading for them. All the carers emphasised in the interviews that abolishing the means test provides recognition for the vital care work they are doing.