Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach Gníomhach agus le Sinn Féin as an deis an t-ábhar seo a chur os comhair na Dála chun é a phlé. Tá an t-ábhar seo an-tábhachtach agus tá gá orainn beart a dhéanamh anois ar son na mban agus na bhfear atá ag saothrú ar ár son ar an talamh ionas go bhfuil cúrsaí eacnamaíochta go maith.

I appreciate the opportunity to speak on this motion. I welcome the Minister's statement and look forward to hearing what the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, has to say about the actions she intends to take to address the issues raised.

A number of figures have been referred to this morning and it has been said that we cannot put a value on the work done by carers. However, I understand work is, in fact, in progress by the CSO and local organisations to arrive at such a valuation. The figure of €20 billion has been mentioned repeatedly. It is amazing that we do not have an official valuation and that no Department has seen fit to put a monetary value on the contribution of carers. We put a monetary value on many things but not on this. Can the Minister of State tell us what carers are saving the country? Is it €20 billion, €18 billion or €22 billion? The amount being saved is certainly astronomical but the Minister could not provide an exact figure.

We hear a great deal of talk about having a thriving economy outside of the Covid challenge but there never seems to be a value placed on the work that goes into making that economy thrive. A huge segment of the success in this regard has been achieved primarily on the basis of unpaid work, including that done by carers. I welcome the motion introduced by Sinn Féin and the amendment put forward by a number of Deputies, including one of my colleagues. I will return presently to the "Prime Time" report, which is referred to in the motion.

Will the Minister of State confirm whether it is the case that there is no respite provision, and has been none for more than a year, for people in Galway caring for loved ones? I can think of many such examples throughout the county, as I am sure the Minister of State can in east Galway. One year on, I am asking the same questions. It is beyond my comprehension to understand how NPHET and the other sub-committees have not prioritised respite care. That should have been the first thing they did. We cannot let people struggle on, saving ourselves money while not giving them care and watching them go under. We do not need organisations to tell us this is happening because we can see it with our own eyes. We know what is going on and the Minister of State knows it. Why has respite provision not been top of the list for NPHET and NIAC? Why has it not been a priority to consider how respite services can be made safe? I would love an answer from the Minister of State on that question today or, if not today, in writing.

The Sinn Féin motion refers to the "abhorrent practices" uncovered by RTÉ, a reference I welcome. I do not know whether the Minister of State was shocked by what was shown on that report. I thought I was beyond being shocked before I learned about the abhorrent practice of taking up civil servants' time to build up dossiers on cases that were apparently dormant with a view to doing the families in. I will change the language I have used. It was done with a view to catching the families out when they were at their most vulnerable in the hope of securing a lower settlement and saving costs for the State. All the time that energy was being put into this effort, it was not going into providing services or doing analysis of the cost saved to the State by carers.

I want to say a public thanks to the whistleblower who revealed what was happening. Without his courage to come forward, we would not know the truth. I am sure his life has not been easy since he disclosed what he knew. The Minister of State is nodding and I appreciate that. I appreciate that she is a proactive Minister of State. However, it is unacceptable that we had to rely on a whistleblower to reveal this information and that he has been threatened with the Official Secrets Act, as has RTÉ, as I understand it. What I found most annoying and abhorrent was the reaction from commentators such as the former Attorney General, who did not seem to see too much wrong with what happened and, in fact, noted that it was normal practice to exchange reports. The comment by the head of the body representing psychiatrists in Ireland floored me. I really could not understand what he was saying last Sunday. It is worth listening to his statement again.

As a person with limited experience in this area - but some experience, nevertheless - it is obvious to me that it would, of course, be usual practice for medical reports to be exchanged. However, that should be done in an open and accountable way and there are rules guiding such exchanges. Both sides know the rules of the game, so to speak. It may be a game on occasions but it is never a game when one is dealing with a child with a disability. When I talk about a game, I am referring to the law. There were no rules adhered to in this instance. A collection of documents and information was exchanged on a secret basis to build up a dossier and have the advantage if the families ever came to settle the case. There is no need for dormant cases; both sides can bring them to a conclusion. The comments from the former Attorney General were a bit disingenuous in this regard.

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