Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is very hard to go back to a carer and tell them they are on the waiting list but unfortunately there is no respite for them. I recently had to go back to a lady in her 70s who is caring for a daughter in her 40s and was looking for overnight respite that simply is not there. I am sure it is something everyone in this House has had to do and it is really difficult. She is caring for her daughter who is in her 40s and wants to keep her at home for as long as possible. The Brothers of Charity, which provides much of the respite in my constituency in both Roscommon and Galway, is doing its best but it is doing so with a wholly inadequate budget. When parents or carers get to the point and must make that really difficult decision that they can no longer care for their loved one at home, they move onto another waiting list when it comes to long-term residential care. To be honest, I do not know how family carers are still standing. Of course, they are still standing because they love the person they are caring for but they have had a horrific two years in particular with Covid. Overnight they lost all their services and supports - the very little services and supports they had.

We are still waiting for the new national carers strategy. It must be published and must have ring-fenced funding to go with it.

It is also regrettable that family carers did not get the Covid recognition payment, given that overnight they lost their services and supports, and then had to care for their loved ones 24-7, in some cases on their own. I cannot begin to imagine how difficult that was. They deserve to be recognised with a fully-funded national carers strategy. They should also have been recognised with that Covid recognition payment.

I will also reference the long-stay contributions for residential support services. This was raised with me by a constituent whose son is in long-term care. The amount of money they contribute depends on the level of care that is required. There are three categories: a nurse for 24 hours; a nurse part-time; or no nurse and with little or no medical attention. The contribution paid should not be based on the level of care a person needs. That is wrong. There was just a standard payment where everyone paid it and that was it. That is the way it should be. I want to raise that concern about that legislation and the way those contributions are done.

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