Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I too compliment Deputy Cullinane and Sinn Féin on putting forward this motion. We could not talk about a more sensitive, deserving and needy group of the population. They give all they can to those they care for, who are normally elderly but can also be vulnerable young people. I salute the carers and Councillor Richie Molloy, an independent councillor in Clonmel, and his team who manage the carers in County Tipperary. I also thank Ms Vivienne Kenneally in my office who deals with it as best she can, and the officials in the carers section. However, the guidelines need to be changed. It is the borderline issues. Nearly one out of every two requests for care are refused.

In the main, people do not look for carers unless there is a real need for them. They do the work themselves anyway. There are so many child carers who are not even recognised. The statistics are there to prove it. There are hundreds of children who are caring for adults because of the neglect of the HSE. That is not fair or right. Those children should be enjoying life, ag súgradh agus ag foghlaim. They should be learning and playing, not caring.

The issue must be looked at sensitively. There are a number of Ministers here today. They know about the issue and spoke about it when they were in opposition. These anomalies, guidelines and caps are there. People are being sent trasna na tíre, across the country, to meet others for half an hour here and 20 minutes there. They do not even get time to help the carer even to be in the room long enough to do the things they need to do. Consider the money that has been saved by keeping them at home in their own leaba and house. They are more content there and will recover better and enjoy a better quality of life there, rather than being in hospital. This is particularly the case at this point in time, when hospitals are cruel places because visitors are not allowed because of the lockdown. It is most cruel. People want to be at home, enjoy being at home and have a better standard of health at home, both mental and physical. I salute the army of carers who sign up for this work. I also salute those who are at home and who cannot access carers and the care they give their loved ones because of love and support and family. It is tremendous.

Many examinations need to be carried out in this area. The whole system needs to be examined and dealt with clearly. It must be more compassionate.

I must say that I am shocked at the further change made to the pecking order for carers in respect of the vaccination programme. It is idiotic at this stage. I used to say that it was shambolic but what is going on and the way the carers have been left out of this again is idiotic. It was shocking that they were not even mentioned last night, as if they did not exist. We will pay in pious platitudes but we will not pay them or respect them.

See this speech in context