David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Covid has shone a spotlight on many sections of society and the vulnerabilities of some of them. Family carers are one of them. This has to be the start of finally delivering a new beginning for carers. I do not have confidence in this Government or any of the main conservative parties in this State to deliver that new beginning. They have been in government for decades. All the carers I have talked to are sick and tired of false promises and of hearing from the same politicians from the same parties, who tell them what they want to hear outside and, when it comes to budgets, resourcing and putting plans in place, it does not happen.

I say to the Minister and, more importantly, to family carers that this will not happen under a Sinn Féin-led Government. We will put carers first and put in place the services and supports they need. We would make sure they were prioritised in the roll-out of the vaccine. We will attempt to clear waiting lists for disability assessments, speech and language therapy, physiotherapy, counselling services and healthcare across the board. We would expand eligibility for carer's benefit and GP visit cards. We would relax the means test for the carer's allowance and establish a discretionary fund for Covid utility bills for carers. We will ensure carers get the support they need and that the big state will not collect data on families of children with special needs, including sensitive and graphic information, to use that information against families to force them to drop dormant cases they took to get their children the supports and education they need.

That is what carers, children with special needs and their families can expect from a Sinn Féin-led Government. I hope it is not the case that the Government will not oppose this motion only to do nothing about it once this session is complete. Carers are watching me and my party and they are watching the Government. The Government must do more than not oppose the motion; it must deliver on what the motion has asked of it today.

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