Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I wish to speak on behalf of approximately 500,000 family carers who tirelessly provide indispensable at-home care across the State. These unpaid and unsung heroes save the State billions annually through the care they provide for their loved ones without receiving the support they not only need but deserve. HSE essential respite services, which are a vital lifeline for our family carers, are in crisis.

This crisis manifests itself in prolonged waiting times, stark geographical disparities in service availability and in some places, a complete absence of support services. To illustrate this, an 89-year-old woman in my constituency of Kildare South who cares for her 55-year-old disabled son struggles to receive any form of assistance or respite for her son. Imagine being 89 and trying to lift your son up when you might not have a hoist, you are not getting housing adaptation, there are no services and you are getting no respite. This is disgraceful. This crisis is compounded when you consider that respite services intended as short-term relief are being occupied by long-term residential cases. We have not even touched upon those caring under the radar who keep their caring to themselves and know they will not have any form of support.

The situation calls for significant investment to ensure a fit-for-purpose State-wide respite service that duly acknowledges and supports our carers. The Government must invest substantially in our residential care facilities to keep pace with population growth and future proof our systems for projected demand. In the Sinn Féin alternative budget last year, we pledged funding for an additional 5,500 respite hours. The Government failed to match it and it shows. Ultimately, Sinn Féin would endeavour to give family carers the support they deserve for their selfless and invaluable contributions to our society. I urge the Minister of State to help and to do something here.

See this speech in context