Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I support this motion. I cannot thank carers enough for the work they do in their own homes and the homes of others in Limerick and around the country.

Since coming into the Dáil, I have continuously spoken about the rural-urban divide and today, I want to highlight the issue again.

Take, for example, the situation in a typical rural setting in which a tender goes out for the care of an elderly man of 82 years of age, who is country-based, 5 km to 10 km away from a rural village, and who requires ten hours of care per week. The provision of care in this situation would amount to a fraction of the cost of the elderly man going to a nursing home and the patient would be happier at home. If the family was to get a carer living nearby in to care for the man for one to two hours per day, this carer's social welfare would automatically be cut off as he or she is only permitted to work three days per week while in receipt of social welfare payments. Common sense would tell us that this could be changed. There are people with different circumstances who are in receipt of social welfare payments but if they work one hour a day over five days, they are cut off. We could change the regulation in order that carers could do two hours a day, which could be worked into two days per week. We would then have local people in local areas who could care for people in their areas.

In the example provided, the care of the elderly man would be the only work that this carer has, yet social welfare schemes make it too complicated for the carer and the provider. This situation needs to be highlighted as a matter of urgency. I understand that there are huge difficulties in getting carers at present Surely, common sense should prevail in a situation such as this.

I am heartened to see that the HSE has undertaken a massive recruitment drive for more carers. This will be of huge benefit. However, were the above example to be borne in mind, it might not be so difficult for carers to care for people in their own homes.

The fact that all carers have been vaccinated has made a huge difference to vulnerable people. I am appealing for the same to apply to family carers. When a parent or a partner is caring for his or her own family member, he or she should also be vaccinated.

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