Ms Aileen O'Donovan:

That is why they give you money. One needs guilt.

Like what Ms Steinmetz said initially in her opening statement about giving up one's job, many of our parents had carer's allowance taken away from them because the money thresholds have changed. My husband is self-employed. I lost my carer's allowance because of his income but that does not take away from what I do and why I would have been entitled to get the carer's allowance. My son's needs are changing on an everyday basis but if one had to pay for what we do, one could not put a figure on it.