Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I did not have an opportunity to watch the programme last night as I had other commitments but I will make a point of doing so over the weekend. From what I have heard, and the briefing note that I have been given, I am familiar with two of the five families that were featured, one being a constituent who we have been trying to assist through my constituency clinic for a number of years without success to date and the other being a person I met when I opened a special school in County Louth only a few weeks ago.

The experience of the five families that were featured on "Prime Time" last night is not unique. It is an experience shared by hundreds, if not thousands, of families around the country. We are all familiar with carers and their families and the enormous challenges that they face. Everyone in this Government is full of concern and respect for the enormous and important work that family carers do and but for luck or the grace of God, we could find ourselves in the same position with a loved one, a brother, a sister, a child or maybe a parent who needs care. That is why we as a society need to support family carers much more than we currently do.

It is important to acknowledge some of the significant actions that have taken place since this Government, involving Fine Gael, Independents and the Independent Alliance, took office. We have fully restored the carer support grant, which is very important. It allows carers themselves to take a break or in some cases, purchase respite care. We have increased the Christmas bonus. As Minister for Health, I brought in the 12-week rule, which means that if the person the carer is caring for dies or if he or she goes into long-term care, the carer continues to receive the carer's allowance for 12 weeks so that the carer can get his or her own affairs in order. Deputy Micheál Martin will recall that when he was last in Government the carer's allowance and carer's benefit were cut by €16.50 a week. We have restored the first €5 of that, we will restore the next €5 of it in March and we will restore it fully in the term of this Government.

In terms of what is provide, there are 10.5 million home-help hours provided, 16,750 home-care packages and 190 intensive home-care packages. Roughly 161,000 respite nights are provided every year. Some 2,000 people receive holiday respite so that their family carer can take some time off. There are 42,000 respite days provided. Some 128 new residential placements will happen this year for those who do not have them currently and 75 people will receive in-home respite where somebody comes into their home and provides respite in the home thus allowing the carer to take a break or take a holiday.

The budget for disability services, as Deputy Micheál Martin will be aware, has increased dramatically in the past number of years, from €1.4 million in 2014 to €1.76 million now. That does not even include the budget for education, which is similar, and income supports through social welfare. For the first time, we have a Minister at the Cabinet table who reminds us about disability all the time.

I absolutely acknowledge that much more needs to be done, particularly in four areas, the areas on which the Government will focus in the months and years ahead. The first is respite care, an area in which there is a desperate shortage. I know of the needs of families and respite care provision keeps them going. It is the hope on the horizon. The fact that they might be able to take a week or an evening off and get a break is what keeps people going. Respite care provision is an area in which we need to do much more. The second area in which more needs to be done is the provision of residential places, of which there are not enough. We are trying to decongregate people from institutions, but at the same time we have people in their homes who need placements. We also need to do more in that space. Personalised budgeting is very important, a matter about which I will speak more later.

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