Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Many people might remember last December, watching in horror the RTÉ "Prime Time" programme, "Carers in Crisis". We saw thousands of people all over the country dedicating their entire lives to looking after loved ones who were unable to care for themselves. In many cases, carers themselves were in ill health. Becoming a carer for a loved one is a life-changing experience. Each day brings new demands, new highs and new lows. On average, carers care for their loved ones for almost the equivalent of a full 40-hour working week and almost 9% provide full-time, 24-hour unpaid care with no break at all.

While there are many positive and rewarding aspects to caring it can also place huge physical and emotional demands on carers, who try to balance their own well-being with the needs of those for whom they care. I welcome the proposal in this Bill to provide general medical and surgical services free of charge to people who are in receipt of either carer's allowance, at the full rate or the half rate, or carer's benefit. This Bill will result in approximately 14,000 additional people being eligible for a GP visit card.

In December last year, my colleagues in the Rural Independent Group and I brought forward a home care package motion in which we highlighted the wonderful work of our carers and the fact that they are hugely restricted and unable to receive any respite care for themselves. Our motion called for the Government, and our Minister with responsibility for elderly people, to increase home help hours so that an efficient service could be provided to older people and that our carers can be given the support they need. A total of €10 million for respite care services was announced in last year's budget and I welcome the announcement.

This Bill is a step in the right direction but more can be done for our carers. The home help service is not getting any better and in my constituency people looking for home help are being told to advertise to see if people are available. The home help people are telling me they are quite willing to put in extra hours but they are not being given the hours. It is a total con job of a system and the people in charge of this have to be made accountable in the Dáil for it. If there are people who are willing to do home help hours but are not being given them, the people who are refusing to give them are conning sick people and home help people.

Being a carer can have financial consequences and many carers have to reduce their working hours or give up work entirely. Carers can go five, six or seven months without any payment, which is nothing short of outrageous, and the first day it is proven by medical evidence that a loved one requires care, a social welfare payment should be made to the carer. We need to ask who cares for the carers. There is no doubt that many deserve acknowledgement, understanding and support. This Bill is a step towards getting the recognition they deserve and the support they need to maintain their own physical and mental health.

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