Brendan Ryan (Dublin Fingal, Labour) | Oireachtas source

It is difficult to follow Deputy Penrose.

The Labour Party has always been a strong advocate for our carers. and with this motion, we seek to address outstanding issues impacting the daily lives and well-being of carers, such as the means-testing attached to eligibility. We are also asking the Government to conduct a study of the income and living costs of carers to ensure that income supports are sufficient for all carers to attain a decent minimum standard of living. With this motion Labour wants to give a voice to carers, as all too often people who care for a loved one do so in isolation while facing a daily struggle. That is why we need a national carers strategy that recognises the value of carers. It must recognise how much the State benefits from them and how much carers save the State. It is difficult to quantify how many carers there are in Ireland at any one time. We all know at least one person who is providing full-time care to a loved one. It is very likely that we know more than one such person.

As local representatives we meet dozens if not hundreds of carers during our time in office. Indeed, many of us in this Chamber have been carers ourselves or have lived in a home in which full-time care is being provided. As such, we know the commitment, the compassion and in the words of our motion the "inestimable value" that carers provide our society. One person in ten is now involved in caring. According to Family Carers Ireland, that figure is set to rise to one in five by 2030. If every one of those carers stopped what they are doing in the morning. the impact it would have on our health system is incalculable. Carers take the pressure off acute hospital beds and accident and emergency departments and give those they care for the comfort of staying in their own homes, which helps to bring about better medical outcomes. Caring for a loved one has a knock-on effect, not only on the carers themselves but also on their families and loved ones. A great many carers are under stress, with significant increases in the number reporting poor health, including depression and anxiety.

Care Alliance Ireland estimates that there are approximately 375,000 carers in Ireland, many of whom will face the additional issues I have mentioned, including the impact on their personal lives, stress and anxiety. The alliance also estimates that the official number for younger carers grossly understates the reality. According to the 2016 census, the figure for young carers is 13,000. However, the Health Behaviours in School Children survey of 2014 reported that 56,118 children between the ages of ten and 17 were providing some form of care across Ireland. Members should consider the impact on their lives, including their social lives, their ability to study, meet friends and relax from the pressures of school and exams. If this progresses, it can limit the ability of young carers to transition to further education or employment due to financial cost and the preparation time required.

Existing State supports do not go far enough and too many carers are suffering burn-out and serious ill health on foot of the stress and strain of their work. Unfortunately, the role of carer falls disproportionately on women. I hope the Government accepts that we need to do more. There are too many rules and requirements around carer payments which restrict unnecessarily people's ability to balance care work with study or paid employment. Deputy Penrose expanded on that issue very well. Carer's allowance should not be taxed and the means test for the payment must be updated as a matter of urgency. The Labour Party wants to see it being phased out completely over time. Carers are always the unsung heroes. They experience isolation, poor health and, in increasing numbers, stress. This is not helped by the lack of provision of adequate home help hours and respite care as discussed by the House yesterday evening. Most carers are on call 24/7, 365 days a year. Carers require support in their caring journey in accordance with their individual needs. The Labour Party motion recognises the contribution made by carers. It is time the Government did the same.

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