Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I very much support the sentiment expressed in the Independent Group's motion and I thank its members for bringing it forward. I welcome the opportunity afforded by this motion to address the House on the need for a review and reform of the carer's allowance scheme. Family carers have long been held up as the crucial pillar of parent support in Ireland. Various departmental strategies and documents refer to the important role that family carers play in our society, viewing them as the backbone of care provision in Ireland. Time and again, however, family carers have not received the care and support they need and deserve.

The cross-party interest group on family carers along with Family Carers Ireland recently hosted a group of young carers and young adult carers in Leinster House. We heard from these young carers about how they provide regular and ongoing care and emotional support to a family member while trying to balance school, college or work, and sometimes both. While many family carers reflected how they find caring for a loved one extremely rewarding, and while their immense contribution is estimated to save the State approximately €20 billion per annum, recent research by Family Carers Ireland found that family carers are lonelier, more isolated and in poorer health than the average person in Ireland.

The Minister stated that the main income supports provided by her Department are expected to be in the region of €1.6 billion but when we compare that with the €20 billion that family carers save the State every year, it is necessary and possible to spend much more supporting family carers. The research findings reflect the lack of support given to family carers. The carer's allowance scheme is inadequate. It is gender biased, restrictive and undervalues care. It is no longer fit for purpose. It was first introduced in 1990, which is 32 years ago. It was an income support for people living with and caring for a relevant pensioner. It was not designed to meet the very different circumstances of lifetime carers who care for prolonged periods and need access to an integrated income support system that encourages rather than restricts their participation in work and education.

The recent introduction of a basic income for artists shows that significant change in how we recognise and value certain sectors of our society is possible. Research published in April last year shows that even before the cost-of-living crisis, households caring for a child with a profound intellectual disability incur additional average weekly costs of €244 compared with a similarly composed household with no disability or care needs. Despite this, only households with a total gross income of less than €39,000 qualify for full carer's allowance. Income disregards bear no resemblance to the actual disposable income of a caring household because the assessment is applied to gross rather than net income and does not consider dependent children, college fees, fair deal contributions, medical costs and so on. It is does not reflect the reality faced by families who are struggling to make ends meet.

Means testing based on the household income rather than the individual income of the family carer forces carers, the majority of whom - 77% - are women, to be financially reliant on their partners. In many cases where carers are receiving payments these fall way below the established minimum essential standard of living, MESL. The income inadequacy imposed by existing social welfare payments must be addressed. Sinn Féin has called for rates of carer's allowance and carer's benefit to be increased by €17.50 in 2023 as part of a vision to incrementally bring social welfare rates in line with the MESL over time. We have repeatedly called for the means testing of carer's allowance to be reviewed and we have sought a commitment from the Minister to do so. We have consistently called for an increase in the income threshold in the means test for carer's allowance. This would result in higher payments for current recipients on reduced payments and would also mean that more carers would qualify for the allowance.

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