Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

At the outset, I thank my colleague, Deputy Pauline Tully, for bringing forward this motion. We certainly need a more humane approach for people with disabilities and carers. We need to work to make a real and lasting difference in people's lives. I know there will be lots of carers and people with disabilities looking in tonight, and as often happens, the picture that is painted is so different from the picture on the ground. The Minister and Minister of State know that because the same things cross their own desks with regard to the struggles people have in accessing the most basic of services, particularly in rural areas, where you have to try to access services, where you do not have transport, and where there are other barriers in the way as well.

On privatisation, I note where the Minister talks about private supports. People cannot afford them, and that is the problem. If you are referred on to private services, that is okay if you have the money but if you do not, you are left without it. A measure that the Government could do immediately would be to relax the carer's allowance means test, and to increase disability, invalidity and illness benefit, the carer's allowance and the annual carer's support grant. The level of scrutiny that carers are under in seeking the very most basic support is absolutely unacceptable. On the one hand, they are watching golden handshakes and huge exit payments being given to people and on the other hand, you have carers who are scrutinised within an inch of their lives in the most appalling ways. The microscopic assessment that is done of carers goes on and on for months. Nobody is saying to give something to somebody who is not eligible but being asked questions like, "Does your son still have autism?", or "Do they still have a lifelong disability?" is just crazy when they know the situation. I ask the Minister and Minister of State to please look at the carer's allowance, and ensure people get it in a timely way.

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