Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

More than 299,000 people identified as unpaid carers in the 2022 census. People aged between 50 and 59 were the group most likely to be providing regular unpaid care. Access to care and the quality of care provided presents challenges for all societies. In Ireland, there was an expectation on women to shoulder unpaid care responsibilities. Today, there continues to be a heavy reliance on informal family care for older people and people with disabilities.

I have met many carers in my time as a family support worker, a councillor and a TD, and I am always in awe of the work they do and the commitment, love and care they give to the people they care for, whether they are family members or not. There are two components to the care system, namely, the provision of unpaid care work by family and sometimes friends and, second, paid jobs in the care sector. A factor that must be looked into here is the issue of pay and parity of conditions between community care workers, those employed privately and those employed by the HSE.

There are constant blockages and delays in getting any type of payments and supports. It is as though the system wants to wear down people and grind them down until they give up. Earlier this month, I was contacted by a very worried mother in respect of her domiciliary care allowance for her son, which was rejected in September 2023. She appealed this decision in October 2023 and has still not received a decision on her appeal. She has been told the authorities cannot give any indication as to when the decision will be made. She was previously given an estimated timeline of 17 weeks for a response to her appeal, but her appeal was lodged more than 32 weeks ago. Since then, she was told the case had only been assigned to an appeals officer on 19 April, six months after the appeal, and there has still been no movement. She needs access to services urgently but she cannot afford these because she is unable to work due to her son's care needs. Again, for assessments of need, there are horrendous waiting lists.

Another carer, whom I met on the doors when we were canvassing, had worked all her life. She left her job to care for her mother, saving the State a fortune. She was assessed for the carer's allowance and she got €18. Means-testing needs to be addressed. That sum is an absolute disgrace when someone has paid in for her entire working life. She said she had started work when she was 18 years of age, and she was getting €18 per week. She was having to travel from Blanchardstown all the way to Donaghmede, and it did not even cover the cost of her petrol for a couple of days. This needs to be addressed.

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