Professor Mary McCarron:

I thank the Deputy for her comments. I know families who have a small child with severe medical and healthcare needs and they have that issue. They cannot get the carer's allowance, yet one of the parents has to give up work to look after that person. We should not be dependent on organisations such as the Jack and Jill Foundation for essential care. The funding the Jack and Jill Foundation can give should be the icing on the cake. It should not be providing the package so the family can get away for a night to get a break. That must be State funded. We must understand the package that needs to be put together and the system. Often, the bureaucracy in getting critical resources overwhelms families when they are dealing with such complexity and providing loving and essential care, which they want to provide. It is not that they do not want to provide it. They have enduring love for the family member, but they need help and we need to understand how the system can give that help.