Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

Obviously it is my intention and that of my officials to have as inclusive a process as possible. When one comes to the end of a process, it is clear one is not able to accommodate every single wish of every submission and decisions will need to be made, but they will be made on the basis of what people have said, how the system is working and what is needed for the future development of a national carers strategy.

I was asked about young carers. My colleague, the Minister of State with responsibilty for children, will specifically examine a strategy in the context of young carers, surrounding whom I accept there are also specific issues. We also look forward to its completion.

See this speech in context