Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 1:

To delete all words after “Dáil Éireann” and substitute the following:

“notes that: — carers make a vital contribution to the economic and social life of the nation;

— the income supports which are available to carers from the State are among the highest rates of income support in Europe;

— the income disregard and means test for carer’s allowance is the most generous in the social welfare system;

— a person getting certain qualifying payments and also providing full-time care and attention to another person can keep their main social welfare payment and get a half rate carer’s allowance as well and that these rates were fully protected in budget 2013;

— carers also receive a free travel pass at an annual cost of €6 million and carers who reside with the care recipient are eligible for the household benefits package at an annual cost of approximately €30 million;

— carers are entitled to an extra half-rate carer’s allowance if they care for more than one person and a respite care grant for each care recipient;

— the respite care grant is available to all full-time carers regardless of their means;

— the Government had to make very difficult decisions in the course of budget 2013 in order to protect core weekly payments which people receive such as pensions,disability, jobseeker’s and carer’s allowances;

— the revised rate of the respite care grant of €1,375 will still be more than what it was in 2006 at the height of the economic boom when the rate was €1,200 and more than twice what it was in 2002 when it was set at €635; and

— the estimated expenditure on carers in 2012 is over €771 million: €509 million on carer’s allowance, €24 million on carer’s benefit, €135 million on the respite care grant and €103 million on domiciliary care allowance and that this represents an increase of almost €20 million on expenditure in 2011;welcomes: — the publication of the National Carers’ Strategy in 2012 which, for the first time at national level, recognises the value and contribution of carers to society;

— the roadmap for implementation in the strategy and the commitment to progress these elements of the strategy within the limits of existing resource constraints; and

— the Government’s plans to reform the current public health care system by introducing universal health Insurance with equal access to care for all and to introduce, on a phased basis, general practitioner, GP, care without fees for the entire population within its first term of office; andacknowledges that: — additional funding has been provided to meet the needs of the people receiving GP care and prescription drugs under the general medical services scheme, which now stands in excess of 1.8 million medical cards, representing an increase of 24% since the start of 2010;

— approximately 97% of persons over 70 years of age are provided with free GP and hospital services, as well as subsidised prescription drugs subject to a capped fee per item;

— stable public finances are an essential prerequisite to long-term economic growth and job creation;

— the State will only be able to access the markets successfully in the long-term if the markets believe we have a credible fiscal strategy and agree that our debt is sustainable;

— this Government continues to face a daunting challenge in repairing the economy and the public finances and that difficult decisions are still required; and

— the Government has shown in budget 2013 that it is committed to meeting that challenge, and is determined that through good governance it will lead Ireland back to independent funding and sustainable growth in living standards and in employment.”

I am speaking on the motion on behalf of the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Joan Burton, who has been in the Seanad all day and is unable to be present. I am sure she will take on board all the contributions that have been made and will be present for the conclusion of the debate tomorrow night.

I now turn to the motion before the House. The Minister for Social Protection has provided considerable and consistent support for carers. Although carers can sometimes feel that their work goes unnoticed by the State, their communities or even their families, the important and valuable role played by carers in society has been increasingly recognised both at EU level and in Ireland in recent years. The national carers' strategy was part of that acknowledgement. Caring for another person can have a huge impact on carers and their families and this is particularly true when that care is provided on a full-time basis. Becoming a carer can be a very rewarding experience but it often means that people make huge sacrifices particularly as regards employment opportunities, and sometimes these sacrifices are made at the expense of the carer's own health.

As Deputies will be aware, the development and publication of a national carers' strategy was a key social policy commitment in the programme for Government. The strategy, which was published in July, sets the strategic direction for future policies, services and supports provided by Government Departments and agencies for carers. The Government believes that a formal recognition and acknowledgement of the value and contribution of carers is deserved. In that context, both the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste launched the strategy with me. We know that there are positive and rewarding aspects of caring and many carers will say that this care is a normal part of being a family member and a responsibility that comes with being a parent, relative or friend. However, we also know that some carers are providing a significant level of care on an ongoing basis that is intensive and physically and emotionally draining. There are many reasons that carers do what they do, despite the personal sacrifices that have to be made to be able to continue providing this care. Whatever the reasons and motivations, which are often quite personal and emotional, we know that many carers feel invisible and that their contributions are unrecognised.

Our current budgetary challenges did not preclude the publication of a strategy, as a sign of the value that the Government places on carers and their contributions to loved ones on a daily basis.

It is worth considering who we mean when we talk about carers. There are a variety of definitions of "carer". Current definitions in Ireland stretch from that used in the census, which records people who "provide regular unpaid personal help for a friend or family member with a long-term illness, health problem or disability", of which there were 187,030 according to Census 2011, to that used for the purposes of qualifying for a social welfare payment, which states that the carer must be "providing full-time care and attention to a person in need of such care". There are approximately 53,000 full-time carers receiving carer's allowance.

Whatever we call them, and however we define them, one thing we all share is that, at some stage in our lives, almost all of us will provide care for another person or receive care. Each Member will have some family member involved in caring. The issues surrounding carers and family care are relevant to every one of us and are socially and economically crucial to Ireland as a nation. When someone becomes a carer, their circumstances can change dramatically - often suddenly - and they can find it difficult to cope financially. Often, the person in need of care was the main wage earner in the family. The carer may be elderly and rely on a pension or other State benefit. Becoming a carer can have implications for all aspects of a person's life from taxation to transport, social welfare payments and accessing health services. Reflecting this, services and supports for carers are delivered by a variety of Departments and bodies.

The income supports carers receive from the Department of Social Protection are among the highest rates in Europe. Carer's allowance is the main social assistance payment which provides income support to people who are providing certain older people or people with a disability with full time care and attention and whose incomes fall below a certain limit. Persons in receipt of carer's allowance also receive the annual respite care grant, the household benefits package and the free travel pass. The carer's allowance weekly payment was not affected by the budget.

Carer's benefit is a payment for people who have made social insurance contributions and who have recently left the workforce and are looking after somebody in need of full-time care and attention. Recipients can get carer's benefit for up to two years for each person being cared for. There are approximately 1,500 in receipt of carer's benefit. The carer's benefit weekly payment was not affected by the budget. For a child under 16 years requiring full-time care, a domiciliary care allowance of €309.50 per month may be paid to the parent or guardian. The payment is not means tested and is to provide for the additional costs involved in providing care and supervision that is substantially more than that normally needed by a child of the same age. The parents may also be in receipt of the carer's allowance. The domiciliary care allowance has not been affected by the budget.

In the majority of cases, persons who are being cared for are in receipt of a payment in their own right, such as a State pension or disability allowance, and entitled to a free travel pass. This includes anyone aged over 16 years who qualifies for disability allowance. In the case of a disabled child, they may also be receiving the domiciliary care allowance. The disability allowance has not been affected by the budget. People in receipt of a social welfare payment, other than carer's allowance or benefit, who are also providing someone with full-time care and attention, can retain their main welfare payment and receive a half-rate carer's allowance. Similarly, people currently in receipt of a carer's allowance, who may have an underlying eligibility for another social welfare payment, can transfer to that other payment and continue to receive up to a half rate carer's allowance. The half rate carer's allowance has not been affected by the budget.

The income disregard and means test for carer's allowance is the most generous in the social welfare system. A couple under 66 with two children, earning a joint annual income of up to €35,400 can qualify for the maximum rate of carer's allowance and such a couple earning €59,300 will still qualify for the minimum rate. Carers are entitled to an extra half rate carer's allowance if they care for more than one person and a respite care grant for each care recipient. These provisions have not been affected by the budget.

Most of the focus of the discussion in recent days has been on the respite care grant. We must remember that carers receive considerable supports. Only 5,000 carers receive only the respite care grant, which is not a means tested payment. The Government had to make very difficult decisions in the course of budget 2013 to protect core weekly payments such as pensions, disability and carer's allowance. We had to look very carefully at other additional payments such as the respite care grant. Let us take, as an example, a single parent with a disabled child in receipt of a half rate carer's allowance. They receive €319.80 per week in income support payments, including the one parent family payment of €188.00 and an increase of €29.80 for the child and the half rate carer's allowance, €102. From October to April each year, they may also receive the fuel allowance of €20 per week, which was not affected by the budget. They may also receive a €309.50 per month domiciliary care allowance for the child and are entitled to the respite care grant, a free travel pass and a household benefits package. The total annual value of all income supports in this case in 2012 is €23,606. I do not like such examples and other Members could find other examples.

The revised rate of the respite care grant, €1,375, is more than twice what it was in 2002, €635, and higher than it was in 2006 at the height of the economic boom, €1,200. The estimated expenditure on carers in the Department of Social Protection in 2012 is over €771 million, with €509 million on carer's allowance, €24 million on carer's benefit, €135 million on the respite care grant and €103 million on domiciliary care allowance. This represents an increase of almost €20 million on expenditure in 2011.

Carers also receive a free travel pass at an annual cost of €6 million and carers who reside with the care recipient are eligible for the household benefits package at an annual cost of approximately €30 million. The Government is committed to ensuring that, in addition to the necessary income supports, carers receive a comprehensive range of services to assist in the caring role.

Caring for a relative who has a disability, who is frail or who is chronically or terminally ill not only requires a wide range of skills, it also requires patience and an ability to empathise at times when they may be feeling vulnerable, stressed and frustrated. The role of carer, while it may be very rewarding, can be a 24 hour a day, seven day a week role and caring can extract a great emotional, physical or financial cost from the person providing care.

I refer to the services provided by the Department of Health and the Health Services Executive. Protecting the vulnerable, including supporting people to remain at home and in their communities for as long as possible, is a priority for the Government. Maximising health service community-based supports remains to the fore of the Government's health service agenda. This must be balanced against addressing evolving service and resource pressures and the challenges facing the HSE in drawing up its service plan for 2013. The challenge should not be underestimated. The overall provision of home support services is regularly reviewed at national and local levels, in the context of client need and resource availability. Notwithstanding the recently announced reductions for HSE home support provision over the later part of 2012, investment in these services remains significant, with expenditure of about €320 million expected for home help and home care packages this year. Details on home care provision for 2013 are being considered at present in the context of finalising the HSE service plan, which is due be published in the near future. However, the Government has committed to restore the core community services of home help, home care packages and personal assistant hours to 2012 levels of service.

Persons with medical cards are entitled to a full range of services without charge, including general practitioner services, all inpatient public hospital services in public wards including consultant services, all outpatient public hospital services, including dental, ophthalmic and aural services and appliances, and a maternity and infant care service. They are also provided with prescribed drugs and medicines, subject to capped co-payment. Eligibility for medical cards is generally determined by reference to the means of the individual or family and a medical card is awarded where income is below a certain level.

The Government is committed to major reforms of the manner in which health services are delivered. The programme for Government commits to reforming the current public health system by introducing universal health insurance with equal access to care for all. As part of this, the Government is committed to introducing, on a phased basis, GP care without fees within its first term of office. In honouring this commitment, legislation to allow the Minister for Health to make regulations to extend this access to persons with prescribed illnesses is currently being drafted by the Department of Health and the Office of the Attorney General and will be published shortly. Implementation dates and application details will be announced in due course.

Carers were identified as a priority theme under the economic and social disadvantage category in the dormant accounts allocation for 2007. The focus of the carers' measure is to provide training to assist carers in undertaking their caring role. The Department of Social Protection has been the lead Department for this measure, as well as carer's payment and the respite grant, and the funding is being channelled through the Department's Vote. Pobal is administering the measure on behalf of the Department and is responsible for the ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the programme. Applications were assessed by Pobal and 12 groups were approved for funding in December 2008, totalling €1.48 million. The grants range in size, with more than €500,000 for the Carers Association and almost €250,000 for Caring for Carers, while smaller groups are receiving smaller amounts, such as €38,000 for the Rosses Community Development Project in Donegal and €10,000 for the Ballinrobe Family Resource Centre in Mayo.

I am very conscious of the needs of carers. I also fully understand that a wide range of other groups, such as unemployed people, parents, pensioners and people with disabilities, depend on the welfare budget for vital support. I want to assure the House that the Government, in the context of a very tough budgetary environment, will continue to do its utmost to protect the most vulnerable people in Irish society.

The requirements of the Department of Social Protection highlight how important stable finances are. Over the next five years, the Department of Social Protection will spend over €100 billion. All of this must be raised by taxation or, in the short term, by borrowing. Obviously, any borrowing will have to be repaid by the taxpayer at some time in the future. It is clear that if the Government did not ensure we had a sustainable financial situation, the Department of Social Protection and its clients, as the largest single Vote, would be the first to suffer. The Government will, of course, make sure we provide this money and this support. It is up to other parties to explain how their policies would maintain the same level of commitment to social welfare clients.

Our public finances are performing well. Based on the latest information, including the November tax receipts, the Department of Finance now projects that the general Government deficit for this year will be 8.2%, well inside the required target of 8.6% under the excessive deficit procedure. In addition, the projected deficits for 2013 to 2015 are 7.5%, 5.1% and 2.9%, respectively, all in line with the targets to be achieved.

Stable public finances are an essential prerequisite of long-term economic growth and job creation. We will only be able to successfully access the markets in the long term if the markets believe we have a credible fiscal strategy and that we can repay our debts. Confidence is returning to Ireland. Unemployment fell by 3,600 on an annual basis in quarter 3, the first year-on-year fall recorded since 2005. Solid economic indicators such as the manufacturing purchasing managers' index show that Ireland is the only country in the euro area to record an expansion, the ninth consecutive month of expansion. Retail sales have strengthened over recent months. There are many positive signs, including renewed private sector job creation, sustained and significant foreign investment, strong exports and, as I have indicated, restored access to international funding markets. The journey ahead is difficult but we must travel with a sense of purpose.

For many, particularly as we get older, our first choice is to remain living at home in the communities in which we are rooted and with which we are familiar. Government policy is to support people to live in dignity and independence in their own homes and communities for as long as possible. Where appropriate, the health service also supports access to high-quality long-term residential care. I understand that people requiring care face particular challenges in their daily lives and that family carers have to make sacrifices in order to look after their loved ones. I have set out in the foregoing the definite steps the Government has taken to make sure these vulnerable groups are protected to the greatest extent possible. The Government is well aware of and values the contribution of the many carers who do an extraordinary job in our community every day.

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