Séamus Healy (Tipperary, Workers and Unemployed Action Group) | Oireachtas source

Carers do a tremendous job day in, day out across the country. According to census figures, there are 195,263 carers, of whom 118,000 are women and 3,800 are under the age of 15. They provide 6,608,515 care hours each week. Women provide more than two thirds of the care and young carers under the age of 15 provide 2.2 million care hours each year. They provide 24-hour care for some of our most vulnerable people and save the State billions of euro each year. The most recent figure of which I am aware indicates an annual saving of approximately €4 billion. They provide care for thousands of people in their own homes, keeping them out of nursing homes and freeing up thousands of hospital beds. I dread to think what our health and hospital services would be like without these carers. The current health crisis would become absolute mayhem without them.

However, carers receive very little financial or other support in return. If they successfully overcome the massive 17-week delay in processing carer's allowance applications, they will receive the princely sum of €1.20 per hour on the full rate or €0.60 per hour on the half rate. There is little or no respite care available to give carers a break. Many have health problems arising from their caring duties. Carers may be housebound due to lack of support, suffer from exhaustion or experience emotional and mental health difficulties. The 17-week wait for decisions on carer's allowance applications is unacceptable. Some 40% of applications are refused but, following a wait of up to 12 months for the review and appeal of applications, more than 60% of the appeals and reviews are granted.

Will the Taoiseach agree to resource and staff the carer's allowance section of the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection to enable it to issue a decision on these applications within a reasonable time limit such as six weeks? Will the Government increase the carer's allowance payment in line with the minimum wage and ensure that respite care is available to support the health and welfare needs of carers?

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