Ms Laura Dunleavy:

The Deputy has reminded me about an issue that emerges for a kinship carer specific to the guardian's payment where that kinship carer is also in a caring role for his or her vulnerable adult son or daughter. In that situation, due to the technicality of that son or daughter living under the same roof, even if the parent is in a caring role, he or she will not be approved for a guardian's payment. That is something that crops up as well.

I will put on the record the voice of a young person at yesterday's conference who stated that kinship is more than blood; it is the people who stay when life breaks. That is a young person who has travelled up through the process of being cared for by kin. She highlighted that her aunt had paid up to €20,000 in counselling services for her, from the age of eight to 18, to get her to a space where she was able to speak fluidly and well. I just wanted to put that on the record.