Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)

As the Minister has indicated, I have a particularly strong view on this matter. I attended a carers' presentation by Ms Ann Egan and her colleagues. I left that event renewed in my determination and vigour to put this matter at the top of any political agenda. That is what the Labour Party will do. The Minister should stop pussyfooting around and abolish the means test, even though it would cost €145 million to do so. We currently have a 12 or 13-page application form for the means test, which Einstein could not complete. That is nonsense. The Minister has many people in his Department examining such forms while others travel to carry out means tests. Does the Minister realise that Ireland is the most means-tested country for social provision? In this respect, we topped the league of 15 EU countries and have not improved with the expansion to 25 member states.

The Minister is a bright accountant. Does he agree that in the 2002 census 150,000 people classified themselves as carers? The figure will probably be greater when the results of this year's census are published. If those people chose to leave their loved ones in State-run institutions, they would find there is no room, whereas private nursing homes could cost €600 per week. It would cost over €2 billion if all such people were cared for in institutions, while paying carers €180 represents a saving to the State. The Minister is now going to get away with paying €145 million or €150 million. On the basis of a cost-benefit analysis, there is no question which way the pendulum is swinging.

We owe it to carers to pay them because we have received caring on the cheap up to now. We have disgraced ourselves by not paying some and not acknowledging their contribution, while giving others 20 cent per hour for looking after people in their own homes. We call ourselves a caring society but what society would insult people in that way? What society would put people through a degrading means test to get something to which they should be automatically entitled? They should be thanked and recognised for the work they have done over the years. Their role should be acknowledged and we should pay money for such services. We wasted money on electronic voting and PPARS. We should be looking after people and not machines or other equipment.

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