Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Does the Minister of State realise how much money carers save? The manner in which she portrayed it, it sounded as if they should be thankful for what they are getting but they are only getting what they are entitled to get. The carers in this country save us €4 billion per annum, five times what they cost the Department of Social Protection. The recipients of the carer's allowance are the only people who work for their social welfare payments. They often work 24 hours a day, seven days a week. More than 90% of those in receipt of carer's allowance are family carers, doing it not for the money or the benefits the Minister of State outlined but for the love of that family member.

Those carers feel very let down. They feel their contribution is not being acknowledged by the Government.

In my short time in this House, it is the first time that I witnessed one Minister taking the entire 30 minute Government speaking slot during Private Members' business.

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