Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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There is a lot of work in that. We just had a chat about accountability and responsibility and here is something being pushed back. If we go back to one of the responses, such as the one dated 9 March 2023, it states:

... this Department will continue to keep a range of income supports provided to family carers under review [...] However, any changes to these supports would have implications for the overall spending and can only be addressed in an overall budgetary and policy context.

Are we to go back to the Darmody family and tell them the Departments that are supposed to be responsible for this are saying they are not? It would be very unfair. Supporting carers is a benefit not a cost. I have seen it. I am aware of a case where an individual gets a carer for three quarters of an hour per week so they can be washed, and that is it. It must be highlighted. These are human beings. The petitioner is looking for a review. It should be a speedy one and look at the situation of carers up and down the country and the benefits they provide to the State. They save so much money for whichever Government is in power. What they are doing should be acknowledged and there should be a review so their voices can be heard. It should not always be about costs.