Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

Yes I can. We are dealing with those of the group of 300 between 15 and 17 who are under 16. A third to a half would be a good guess.

There is a senior group of officials looking at long-term care. I raised the issue of young carers with that group and they have taken it into consideration. The bottom line is that young carers should be at school. We need to think long and hard before we have a financial provision in place. A full range of services is needed from several Departments to make sure that they look after their studies and their social life. While it might be good for the person needing the care, it is not in the short-term good for the young carer. Young carers should not have to do this work and should be able to continue with education.

See this speech in context