Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
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I thank Ms Johnstone and Family Carers Ireland for the presentation. The job of carers is a very demanding one. I have dealt with people seeking carers in my area and I am aware of the numbers involved in the context of the constant battle to get carers. An awful lot is left to the family members. Most of them do a marvellous job. The State should be doing more in that regard rather than an awful lot of emphasis being put on family members or other carers. There is a crisis with regard to carers, and certainly in delivering the amount of care that is needed across the system.

I invite the witnesses to discuss the growing number of elderly people who are caring for loved ones in the home and the additional supports that need to be put in place, especially for elderly carers. What further recommendations are needed? I refer to the issue of income and the limits that are put on carers when they are in receipt of social welfare payments and so on. How much of a hindrance is it? I know people have been refused a carer's payment because of income limits and all that. What are the witnesses' views in that regard?

I ask them to also discuss the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, UNCRPD, the rights to privacy and dignity under the convention and the balance that is needed in the context of individuals advocating for themselves without impacting their rights to privacy and dignity. The committee has recommended that the Department work with disabled persons' organisations, DPOs, and other disability organisations to raise awareness under a national strategy. What is their view in that regard? How do they see that working?