Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I wish to highlight one section of people who are suffering, the carers. Perhaps the most mean-spirited cut in the last budget was the €300, 19%, cut in the respite care grant. At the time of the budget the Government could not defend on any level that nasty cut and to this day nobody with a bone of decency in them could stand over it. The cut, which will save the Sate only €26 million in total, has caused real hardship for the 70,000 families in receipt of it. Why does the Government not use the breathing space it has advised us we have to reverse the cut to the respite care grant? It is only €26 million and the Government claims we will have €1 billion in advance of targets. Can the Government give the carers some comfort and respite by reversing that cut?

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