Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The average age of carers is also a problem, because it falls on the further end. These are people that are generally past their 40s, most are in their 60s and therefore are people who probably want to give up work themselves and not be taking it on. IBEC is trying to keep people connected to the workforce while many of them are already looking for the exit door to their own retirement. This may have relevance to the research and employer participation. There is a bigger social piece here in respect of how we are going to pay for this ageing demographic into the future. Unfortunately, when we look at countries like the United States, for example, there is a terrible two-tier system whereby those who have money pay exorbitantly for care and for those that do not, it falls back on whomsoever with a poor standard of care.

I thank the witnesses for their participation today. If the witnesses come back - and it could be in the IBEC submission - they could include more quantified costs for the initiatives they are proposing because ultimately, there is a cost to everything. There also could be a good cost-benefit analysis in respect of what is being saved in the residential care setting and what is delivered in increased productivity and labour participation.