Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

Certainly. Last year, one group of officials was working on two major items, namely, the carers strategy and the Green Paper on Pensions. Work was also ongoing in respect of nursing homes, a matter in which the Department of Social and Family Affairs had an input. That the paper and the carers strategy were not published at the time did not take from the Government's commitment, as shown in last year's budget, which dealt with half-rate carers, substantial increases in respite care and the introduction of large income disregards.

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