Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We have had enough consultation. It is obvious - the Minister himself admits it - that carers need support for the valuable work they do. The provision of care by children, however, surely cannot be acceptable, and I am worried about the Minister's comments in this regard.

On a related matter, in December of last year, the Minister, Deputy Harris, in response to a prominent "Carers in Crisis" special on RTÉ's "Prime Time", for which I thank RTÉ, announced legislation to ensure that all carers in receipt of carer's allowance could access GP services without charge. While Family Carers Ireland reads this as a step in the right direction, it believes it should be applied more broadly in order that all full-time carers, not just those in receipt of carer's allowance, would be prioritised in the roll-out of GP visit cards. Therefore, will the Government consider using the non-means-tested carer's support grant, rather than the carer's allowance, to validate those providing full-time care for a loved one for the purpose of allocating a GP visit card? Will the Minister incorporate this into his forthcoming legislation?

Consultation time is over. The needs are obvious. We all appreciate the work carers do alongside the district nurses and home helps, but we need to have it recognised and we need the scheme proposed by the Minister to be expanded to include all carers.

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