Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Good morning to our witnesses. I thank them for their communications before the meeting. It is interesting that IBEC is here today because there was a debate again in the House last night regarding carers. One of the figures that was thrown out in terms of the cost of informal care to the economy every year, if the State was to pay for it, was a figure of €20 billion, which would be unsustainable. We can all agree on that from the outset. As was highlighted, there is still no statutory entitlement to receive formal home care. That is an issue of funding throughout the State and the State is looking at that. However, an issue that arose last night was the number of people, which in IBEC's submission was almost 300,000 people, providing informal or unpaid care, and the greater impact on women who generally tend to end up holding the bag in terms of care hours. There is an impact on jobs. We heard in previous debates about the difficulties in families where one partner cannot work, one partner is earning and one is not and the pressure that brings. What we are really seeing is the demographic challenges of an older and ageing population and people living longer. We have problems and the question is how to deal with them.

In terms of the outline presented, has IBEC looked at any research on how the Government fiscal and taxation policy could incentivise greater care participation? In other words, if a person is not working there is not much point in a greater tax-free allowance because he or she is not earning. However, the question relates to benefits that would try to help people who are staying at home. My sense is that people who are caring are double jobbing in a way, so that creates greater stress. They are also saving the State money if that care burden had to be moved on to the State. What can the State do in terms of taxation or greater tax rebates or funding to soften that blow and to recognise that there is a significant cost of care burden that the State is not being charged with?